Meycauayan air quality map

Is there a lot of interesting information about air quality on the air pollution map for Meycauayan?

There is a wealth of interesting information on the air pollution map for Meycauayan and it is easy to find from the main city page. By selecting the map icon a new page will open filled with all the relevant information.

When the new page opens, the viewer will be met with a large expanse of colour which is used to indicate the current state of the air. Currently, the colour is pale green which shows the air quality is “Good”. Colours can range from pale green to dark maroon/purple and get darker as the air quality worsens. They are standard colours across the entire IQAir website. The level of air quality is defined by the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. It is calculated by taking measurements of the top six most prolific pollutants found in the city air. These are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. When looking at the air pollution map for Meycauayan there will be several coloured discs scattered across it which represent the locations of the ground-level air monitoring stations in the vicinity, although they are not all operated by the city. Some cities do not have physical stations and, instead, rely on satellite modelling for their information about air quality and Meycauayan is one such city.

There are many ground-level air monitoring stations in and around Manila. They each display a number at their centre which is the US AQI reading and they also indicate the level of air quality by taking on the appropriate colour. Each of these stations can be explored further whereby a new page will open filled with all information about that specific location.

Looking back to the main city page, it can be seen in the coloured banner across the top of it that at the end of March 2023, Meycauayan was enjoying a period of “Good” air quality with a US AQI reading of 46. The main pollutant was identified as being PM2.5 with a recorded level of 11.1 µg/m³ (microns per cubic metre) which is just over twice the suggested target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The asterisk to the right of the US AQI reading indicates that the figure is derived from satellite modelling and not from physical stations.

Can any more information about air quality be taken from the air pollution map for Meycauayan?

There is much more fascinating information about air quality on the air pollution map for Meycauayan but the page needs to be viewed in full-screen mode to get the most out of it. By selecting the icon at the top of the page, another page will re-open at the maximum size which will show all the available facts and figures.

When the page re-opens, there will be a list on the left-hand side of the screen which gives four options. These can each be turned on or off to get a better idea of the effects they each have on the map.

The first option shows the sites of the ground-level air monitoring stations in the vicinity, but the ones seen on this map are controlled and operated by other cities. However, they can still be explored further to find out more about the air quality in other locations.

The second option shows the position of any wildfires there are that are burning out of control in the area. At the time of writing in March 2023, there were no reports of any wildfires in the locale. If and when fires are detected, then option number four needs to be explored because it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and will give a good indication of which areas will be affected by the drifting smoke.

The third option will change the background colour of the map to reflect the current air quality. Sometimes this solid block of colour can be distracting or confusing, in which case, the choice can be deactivated which will reload the page with colours of a more subtle shade.

There are more facts and figures on the right-hand side of the screen where the top seven most polluted cities appear in a table, in descending order. The rest of the participating world cities can be seen by exploring the Full-ranking section which will open a new section where all this information is contained.

Can the source of air pollution be seen on the air quality map for Meycauayan?

The source of the polluted air is not directly seen on the air quality map for Meycauayan, but like most large cities, according to research, motor vehicles were among the leading causes of air pollution contributing to 80 per cent of the country's air pollution, while stationary sources, including factories and open burning, were responsible for 20 per cent. These figures have certainly increased over the last few years. While motor vehicle pollution is prevalent in cities, previous research found that open burning is responsible for a third of pollution in rural areas.

Fossil fuels are terrible not only for the climate but also for our health and our economy. Every year, fossil fuel pollution kills millions of people, increases the risk of stroke, lung cancer, and asthma, and costs trillions of dollars in economic damage.

PM2.5 is always talked about on the air quality map for Meycauayan, but how dangerous is it?

The effects that particles cause on people's health have historically been associated with the exacerbation of respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis, and more recently their effects on cardiovascular diseases have also been analysed and demonstrated. The latest scientific work suggests that this type of pollution, and particularly particles from urban traffic, is associated with increases in morbidity and mortality in the exposed population and the increasing development of asthma and allergies among children. In the case of PM2.5, its size makes it 100 per cent breathable since it travels deep into the lungs, penetrating the respiratory system and depositing in the pulmonary alveoli, and can even reach the bloodstream.