What index do you use to determine if the air quality is safe for your feathered friend?

[LiefDuivel]

The AQI and AQHI use different statistics to determine the air quality of the local area, so they often have different results.

For example, Canada uses the AQHI to determine air quality, and for my area today its at a 2/10 (low), which is determined as safe for all groups

But IQair, a sensor based company that uses government and private sensors, has it at a 78/500 (moderate) which is determined as safe for most, but could pose irritation to sensitive groups.

I always classify my birds as "sensitive groups" when determining if its safe outside, but I never know which scale to trust when it comes to air quality.

Usually I just use a combination of both scales, and seeing how it is outside for myself since I have a sensitivity to smoke and such.

What do you use to determine if the Aires safe for your baby's lungs?

 

[owlsthetic]

I recall we used to use the AQI here in Canada before they replaced it with the AQHI but I personally still prefer and use the AQI (I have the app as a widget on my phone so I can check daily). According to Government of Canada website the AQHI measures a mixture of three pollutants (which I assume is the average?) and the AQI measures by the worse pollutant so if ozone is 150 and other pollutants are lower it takes the highest pollutant as the AQI number (which would be 150 on that case), which is exactly what I'd prefer to know since as you mentioned I agree that birds should be considered highly 'sensitive groups'. The AQI also measures five pollutants I counted as opposed to AQHI's three

 

[LiefDuivel]

I recall we used to use the AQI here in Canada before they replaced it with the AQHI but I personally still prefer and use the AQI (I have the app as a widget on my phone so I can check daily). According to Government of Canada website the AQHI measures a mixture of three pollutants (which I assume is the average?) and the AQI measures by the worse pollutant so if ozone is 150 and other pollutants are lower it takes the highest pollutant as the AQI number (which would be 150 on that case), which is exactly what I'd prefer to know since as you mentioned I agree that birds should be considered highly 'sensitive groups'. The AQI also measures five pollutants I counted as opposed to AQHI's three

I like iqair for the same reasons - that and instead of one number for the whole city, theres multiple to calculate the levels for each area, so I can use whatever closest!

 

[owlsthetic]

I like iqair for the same reasons - that and instead of one number for the whole city, theres multiple to calculate the levels for each area, so I can use whatever closest!

Yeah that's definitely a point for me too! I also find the 7 day forecast to be pretty accurate most of the time and last week I even saw it turn color before we had our air advisory issued