Air Quality: A Practical Checklist
Air Quality: what is worth doing, what is worth avoiding, and when to stop and see a doctor.
Outdoor and indoor air pollution, and its effect on lung and heart health. Poor air quality is linked to worse asthma and COPD and to heart problems, and indoor sources are often overlooked.
Key takeaways
- Outdoor pollutants of most concern: fine particle pollution and ozone
- Air Quality Index (AQI): values above 100 are unhealthy for sensitive groups
- Most useful single change: Check the daily AQI at AirNow if you have asthma or COPD.
- Commonest mistake: Burning wood indoors where it can be avoided.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Do
- Check the daily AQI at AirNow if you have asthma or COPD
- Use a range hood or open a window while cooking, and a bath fan after showering
- Fix leaks and dry damp areas to stop mold at the source
- Exercise away from busy roads and limit time outdoors on high-AQI days
Do not
- Burning wood indoors where it can be avoided
- Drying laundry indoors without ventilation
- Ignoring visible mold or painting over it
The numbers behind the list
The list is built from the numbers below, which come from the bodies cited at the end.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Outdoor pollutants of most concern | fine particle pollution and ozone |
| Air Quality Index (AQI) | values above 100 are unhealthy for sensitive groups |
| Indoor sources | cooking, wood burning, candles, tobacco smoke, dampness and mold |
| Dampness and mold | linked to coughing, wheezing and asthma symptoms |
If you change one thing
Check the daily AQI at AirNow if you have asthma or COPD. It heads the list. If you take nothing else from this page, take that.
Related topics
- What the Guidance Really Says About Air Pollution and the AQI (Environmental Health)
- Wildfire Smoke: What Published Guidance Supports (Heat, Cold and Weather Safety)
- The Evidence on Occupational Asthma, Without the Hype (Workplace Health)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Asthma and Allergy (Allergies)
Where to go next
- Air Quality: Common Myths and What Guidelines Say
- The First Steps With Air Quality
- Air Quality — the reference entry
- Respiratory Health: The Complete Guide
- The Evidence on Pneumonia, Without the Hype
- Breathing Exercises: What Published Guidance Supports
When to speak to a doctor
Contact your doctor if your asthma or COPD gets worse on poor air-quality days, and follow your action plan. If you rent and have mold or dampness, report it to your landlord in writing; tenant protections vary by state and city. Call 911 for severe breathlessness or inability to speak in full sentences.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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