How to Check for Air Pollution Near a House

Air pollution is a global issue but it's also lurking right outside your door. It's a complicated technical issue and it's difficult to know what you're looking for. But there are a few easy ways to check for air pollution near your house. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Small cardboard squares
• Aluminum foil
• Petroleum jelly

1. Check Air Now's website for air pollution information. Search nationally, by state or by city, to see what pollutants are currently in the air. Ozone and particulate matter levels are listed for many cities throughout the United States.
2. Look at the Scorecard for more detailed comparisons. This website will show you a variety of pollutants broken down by state and county. It will also compare these statistics with similar counties across the United States.
3. Speak with your local chapter of the Environmental Protection Agency or the Department of Health and Environment. Either of these agencies will have an air quality report available for your review. This will give you detailed information for your area.
4. Test the air yourself. Cover small squares of cardboard with aluminum foil and coat each square with a small amount of petroleum jelly. Hang these in different locations near your house. Take them down after a few days and note what has stuck to the jelly.

Tips & Warnings

• Air Quality Index (AQI) measures the overall quality of the air on a scale of 0 to 500. A low number means good air quality while higher numbers means worse air quality.
• Particle pollution—or particulate matter—is another measure of pollutants in the air and is commonly stated as PM2.5 or PM10. PM2.5 are known as fine particles or those less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. PM10 are coarse particles and are between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter.
• There are six common air pollutants recognized by the EPA: ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter.