Activity 2: Monitoring Air Quality

1) Explore the DEQ website http://www.deq.louisiana.gov to read about current environmental news.

2) Click on My Air Quality https://www.deq.louisiana.gov/subhome/air and read about how air quality is monitored, what the numbers mean, and where monitoring occurs.

3) Analyze and interpret the air quality using My Air Quality at your location and review the forecast http://airquality.deq.louisiana.gov/ .

4) Compare and contrast the monitoring through the national AirNow and the state DEQ My Air Quality. Check the air quality throughout the day and graph how it changes.

5) Compare your area’s air quality to the air quality in another city or state where you think air quality might be better and in another city or state where you think air quality might be worse. Did you find what you expected to find? Can you suggest some reasons why the air quality might not be what you expected?

6) Sign up for EnviroFlash, a service of the EPA and Louisiana DEQ via email or phone messages to alert the public to take protective measures because of poor air quality and to take measures to minimize pollution. Did you receive any alerts during the week? What do the alerts mean? What actions should you take?