The Long-Term Effects of Air Pollution

How clean is the air in your area? The air quality index is a measure of air pollution in a local area. It tells you how polluted your air is and how your health might be affected by it. You can usually find your local air quality index measure with your daily weather report.

Find out about the air quality in your area. You may find the local air quality index in the newspaper with the weather forecast or on your local TV news. At this online weather site you might be able to enter your zip code at the top of the page and see air quality data for your area, but note that they do not display air quality data for every zip code in America. If you do not see it for your zip code, try typing in the name of a major city close to you or a major U.S. city that you would like to visit. Enter in a zip code or city name, click GO, and then scroll down to see an Air Quality Forecast.

After finding the air quality forecast for your city of interest, take note of the major pollutants found in the air in that city. Then, do some research on the health effects of those pollutants. After you have completed your research, write a 60-second TV commercial that tells people in your area what their air quality is like, how their health may be affected by the air quality, and what consumers can do to improve air quality in your area.