Quetta air quality map

What information is readily available from the air pollution map for Quetta?

The air pollution map for Quetta is very easy to find from the main city page. The picture of the map appears at the top of the main page and clicking on it will open a new page which is dedicated to the air quality of Quetta and its environs.

Possibly the first thing the viewer will notice is the colouration of the map. It is currently a dark mustard yellow colour which would indicate “Moderate” air quality. The meaning of the colours used on the map is explained in the legend at the bottom of the page. The colours become darker as the air quality gets worse. The darkest colour is maroon which would indicate “Hazardous” air quality.

Not all cities throughout the world have ground-level air monitoring stations and Quetta is one that has no stations. Instead, their data about air quality is derived from information gained from satellite images. When looking at the main city page there will be an asterisk on the right-hand side of the US AQI number which indicates the information is from satellites.

This US AQI number is calculated by taking the levels of six of the most prolific pollutants found in city air and it is then used as a metric when comparing air quality with other cities across the globe. It is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Looking back at the city page for Quetta, it can be seen that in September 2022 the city was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 66. The main pollutant measured was PM2.5 with a recorded level of 19.1 µg/m³. This is almost four times higher than the WHO’s target figure of 5 µg/m³.

Is any other information available on the air pollution map for Quetta?

Once the air pollution map for Quetta is viewed in full-screen mode, a list of four options will appear on the left-hand side of the screen. The first option would show the location of the ground-level air monitoring stations if there were any. As stated before, Quetta relies on overhead satellites for its air quality data.

The second choice shows the location of any fires which may be burning in the vicinity. At the start of September 2022, there were no fires to see. The fourth option shows the direction and strength of the prevailing winds which would give a good indication of where the smoke from the fires would blow.

The third option is the most theatrical because it can change the colour of the map to reflect the level of pollution. Currently, the colour is a greenish/yellow which would indicate “Moderate” air quality. By deactivating this choice, the map will revert to a more natural set of colours which some may find easier to understand.

Moving across to the other side of the screen, on the right-hand side can be seen a table which ranks world cities according to their level of pollution.

Are areas of high pollution easily identified on the air pollution map for Quetta?

Areas of higher pollution cannot be identified from the air pollution map for Quetta because the satellite collects data for the entire area and not just individual places.

Generally speaking, industrial zones are often areas of higher levels of pollution due to the nature of their activity and very often the city centre will show elevated levels of air pollution due to the number of vehicles using the road network. This will probably be higher during the rush hour periods.

Can it be seen where the air pollution comes from on the air quality map for Quetta?

The source of the air pollution in Quetta is not shown on the air pollution map, however, in general, air is a mixture of various gases in which nitrogen is the highest at 78 per cent, while 21 per cent oxygen and 0.03 per cent carbon dioxide is found and the remaining 0.97 per cent is hydrogen, helium, argon, neon, krypton, xenon, and ozone. And there is water vapour. The above quantity of different gases in the air keeps it balanced. If there is a slight difference in it, it becomes unbalanced and proves to be injurious to health. Oxygen is necessary for respiration. Whenever there is an increase of carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides in the air, then such air is called polluted air.

Some common causes of air pollution are smoke from vehicles, smoke and chemical emissions from industrial units, gases and dust particles from nuclear plants and smoke from burning of trees and plants in forests, burning of coal and oil refining factories etc.

Measures can be taken to reduce air pollution such as the height of chimneys of factories should be kept high and filters should be used in the chimneys of factories. Motorcars and automatic vehicles should be tuned so that half-burnt smoke does not come out of the exhaust pipe. Automobiles producing high volumes of smoke should be banned and taken off the streets. More and more trees should be planted and industries should be established away from cities and villages.

PM2.5 is used as a benchmark on the air pollution map for Quetta, but what is it?

Particulate matter is found in many forms and can be caused by both human and natural sources, but humans are the main cause. These sources can be seen in two types primary source and secondary source. Automobile emissions, dust and cooking will be placed under the primary source. Secondary sources of pollution may also result from a complex reaction of chemicals such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These particles dissolve in the air and pollute it. Apart from this, due to forest fire, burning of wood, agriculture burning, smoke of industry companies, dust generated from construction works gets mixed in the air, pollution from such sources increases.

M is called particulate matter. It is also called particulate pollution. It is actually a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets present in the atmosphere. They are so small that they can only be detected using an electron microscope. These particles cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Air is considered safe to breathe only when the amount of PM2.5 in the air is 60 and the amount of PM10 is 100. At the same time, if their presence has increased beyond this level, then it is considered dangerous.