Frequently Asked Questions

Health

• What are the health issues that can cause by increase in PM2.5 level?
  Aggravated respiratory issues, lung damage, etc.
• What precaution should be taken to safe from PM2.5
  Wear an air pollution mask before stepping out of the home.
• What should be avoided when there is increased level of PM2.5 or alert of PM2.5?
  Avoid activities that make you breathe faster or more deeply.
  Don’t smoke indoors or burn candles or incense sticks.
• Is PM2.5 harmful to health?
  Yes, Fine particulate matter may be toxic in itself or may carry toxic (including carcinogenic) trace substances and can alter the immune system. Fine particulates penetrate deep into the respiratory system irritating ling tissue and causing long-term disorders.
• How does PM2.5 affects peoples who have heart problems?
  Inhaled PM 2.5 can cause inflammatory effects on the heart, causing chronic cardiovascular problems.
• How to know if air quality is better?
  Install Skymetwetaher app to check air quality in your area.

Data

• 1. What is PM2.5?
  Mixture of solid particulate matter or particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air.
• What are the examples of PM2.5?
  Dust, smoke, ash etc.
• What is difference between PM2.5 and PM10?
  PM 2.5 is particulate matter having the diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers. While PM 10 is particulate matter having the diameter less than or equal to 10 micrometers.
• How data quality is maintained?
  Every sensor installed by Skymet has been compared and calibrated with USEPA approved monitor. Effect of relative humidity and temperature has been considered during the calibration process.
• What is the averaging period of the data set?
  Data set is available at 15 minutes, 1 hour and 24 hours average.
• What is mean by city average of PM2.5?
  City average means the average of PM2.5 measured by all the sensors installed in that city. For city average minimum 50% sensors should be active.
• How would I know if the data is missing? Missing data is denoted by dash (-)
• What is the timestamping of the data?
  We are using beginning time of the data.

Color Coding used in air quality science
What are the color codes used in PM2.5 AQI