Chikmagalur air quality map

What sort of information about air quality is there on the air pollution map for Chikmagalur?

The air pollution map on the main city page acts as a link which, when selected, will re-open a new set of pages filled with all the latest information about air quality in Chikmagalur.

When the page first opens, the viewer will see a solid colour which forms the background of the map. The colour represents the current air quality. Colours can range from pale green to dark purple and are used as a standard across the entire IQAir website. The explanation of each colour can be seen in the legend at the foot of the page. The colours get darker as the air quality worsens. The colour at the time of writing was greenish/yellow which shows the air quality as being “Moderate”.

Many coloured discs can also be seen on some maps because they represent the sites of the ground-level air quality monitoring stations in and around the city.

However, not all cities have such physical stations and instead rely on information from overhead satellites for their data regarding air quality. Chikmagalur is one such city with no physical sites. At the centre of each disc is a number which is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. It is calculated by taking measurements of six of the most commonly found pollutants in the city air. These are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Whichever way this data is collected, the results are very much the same.

Once the US AQI reading has been established it is used as a standard when comparing levels of air quality in other towns and cities across the globe. The entire system has the full backing of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Looking back at the main city page, it can be seen in the coloured band across the top of it that Chikmagalur was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 62. The yellow colouration of the banner also shows this level. The asterisk to the right of the number tells the viewer that the information about air quality is derived from overhead satellite modelling. The main pollutant was found to be PM2.5 with a recorded level of 17.1 µg/m³ (microns per cubic metre) which is almost three and a half times higher than the target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

Is there any more useful information about air quality on the air pollution map for Chikmagalur?

A “Full-screen” icon will be seen at the top of the page and when selected, a new set of pages will open which contain all the latest information about air quality in Chikmagalur.

When this new set of pages open, there will be a list of four options seen on the left-hand side of the page. These can all be turned off and on individually to see the effect they each have on the map.

The first option would show the locations of all the ground-level air monitoring stations in the local area. But, as already stated, Chikmagalur has no such physical stations and gets the information based on satellite data.

The second option shows the sites of any wildfires there are that happen to be burning out of control in the region. At the time of writing in May 2023, there were no reports of any fires in the region. If fires are detected then option number four needs to be studied because it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and will give a strong indication as to where the ensuing smoke may blow.

The third option will change the background colour of the map to give a current indication of the state of the air. When the air quality is poor, the colour will be rather dark and possibly overpowering. In this case, the option can be disabled so the map will take on a more subdued colouration.

On the right-hand side of the map can be found the rest of the information about air quality. It takes the form of a table which ranks the seven most polluted cities across the globe. There is also an extra section where all the participating cities are listed. This can be found under the full-ranking heading.

Is the source of the polluted air identifiable on the air quality map for Chikmagalur?

Whilst it is not possible to identify the actual source of the polluted air on the air quality map for Chikmagalur, it is well-known that the bulk of air pollution is created by the transportation system. The construction work, the burning of bitumen during road construction, exhaust fumes from vehicles and dust and smoke generated by the agricultural community affects every resident.

India emits the most sulphur dioxide in the entire world. The main reason behind this is the use of coal and coal-fired power plants in the country. Sulphur dioxide emissions are one of the biggest causes of air pollution.

Primary pollutants are directly emitted in the process and may arise due to primary sources or secondary sources. Secondary pollutants are emitted as a result of the intercombination or reaction of primary pollutants. For example, smog is produced by the interactions of different primary pollutants.

Particulate pollution is accumulations of black dust (soot) in air pollution which darkens the buildings and causes respiratory problems. Particles smaller than 10 micrometres in diameter cause major problems, as these particles can enter the human lungs and some can also reach the bloodstream.

PM2.5 is often quoted on the air pollution map for Chikmagalur, but what is it?

According to the news of Indian Express, PM 2.5 and PM 10 are the scales to measure air quality. PM stands for Particulate Matter which measures the microscopic particles inside the air. PM2.5 and PM10 measure the size of the particles present in the air. The lower the PM number, the smaller the particles present in the air.

The combustion of gasoline, oil, diesel fuel or wood produces more PM2.5. Due to its smaller size, particulate matter can be drawn deeper into the lungs and can be more harmful than PM10.