Last edited 22 Mar 2022

Air pollution index

The glossary of statistical terms, published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), defines air pollution as: ‘the presence of contaminant or pollutant substances in the air that do not disperse properly and that interfere with human health or welfare, or produce other harmful environmental effects.’

It defines an air pollution index (API) as: ‘a quantitative measure that describes ambient air quality. The index is obtained by combining figures for various air pollutants into a single measurement.’

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