Colorado Springs air quality map

What interesting information about air quality can be found on the air pollution map for Colorado Springs?

This information can be found on the air pollution map for Colorado Springs which itself can be easily accessed from the main city page. Clicking anywhere on the map will cause a new page to open which is filled with all relevant information about the state of the air in Colorado Springs.

The most noticeable thing that will strike the viewer when first opened will be the overall colour of the map. This is a visual indicator of the air quality at that time. Currently, it is green which means “Good” air quality. Colours can range from pale green to dark maroon and are standard across the IQAir website. Darker colours signify worse air quality. There are also several coloured discs dotted over the map. These represent the locations of the ground-level air quality monitoring stations, each of which can be explored further by selecting the disc to open a new page filled with information about that area of the city.

These discs also display a number at their centre which is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. The figure is calculated by taking measurements of up to six of the most commonly found pollutants in the city air. Once established it is used as a standard in the comparison of air quality between different cities in different parts of the globe. The whole system is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Looking back at the main city page, it can be seen in the coloured banner at the top of the page that at the end of December 2022, Colorado Springs was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of just 8. The main pollutant was PM2.5 with a recorded level of 2 µg/m³ which is well within the suggested target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

Directly below the pollution map can be seen the number of contributors there are who provide the data about air quality. It also shows the number of stations there are in the area under their control. Currently, there are eight contributors who manage nine stations. One contributor is the government body of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE), while the other seven contributors prefer to remain anonymous.

Is there much more useful information about air quality on the air pollution map for Colorado Springs?

There is a lot more in-depth information about air quality on the air pollution map for Colorado Springs, but the screen needs to be viewed at maximum size. This is easily achieved by selecting the icon at the top right of the page which will open a new page in full-screen mode.

Once viewed in this large size, a list of four options will appear down the left-hand side of the screen. They can all be turned on or off individually which gives a clear idea of the effects each one of them makes on the map.

The first option shows the location of the ground-level monitoring stations there are in the vicinity and not all of them will be over the city, but in neighbouring areas and adjacent cities as well. Each of these can be explored further by clicking on the disc of interest to reveal more information about that location. The second option shows the location of any wildfires that might be burning in the vicinity. Over Christmas 2022, they were no reports of any fires burning out of control. If there were, then option four needs to be looked at because it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and might give an indication of where the smoke may blow.

Option number three is very theatrical because it can change the colour of the map to reflect the current quality of the air. Currently, the map is dark green which some viewers may find confusing, in which case, the option can be deactivated and the map will revert to standard colours that might be found on any map.

There is more information about air quality on the right-hand side of the screen. A table will be found here which ranks the top seven cities according to their levels of pollution. Only seven are shown by default but the subject can be explored further by opening the full-ranking section where all participating world cities will be seen in descending order.

Is the source of the polluted air shown on the air pollution map for Colorado Springs?

The source of the air pollution is not directly shown on the air quality map for Colorado Springs but as with so many cities, the major sources of pollution come from vehicle emissions and power generation and industry. It is also known that places of a higher elevation get more solar irradiance than cities at a lower altitude and this increases the reaction between nitrous oxide and VOCs which convert into ozone.

In 2020, more than 70 per cent of the population was subjected to elevated levels of ozone and PM2.5 for almost five weeks. Annually, the state spent almost a third of the year with extremely poor air quality. With these elevated levels come a variety of health problems which can include respiratory problems and even fertility problems as well as premature death!

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

PM2.5 and PM10 that we hear about, especially in the winter months, are fine dust or particles, i.e., solid and liquid materials in very small particles suspended in the air. These pollutants come from various sources, including car exhaust, the heating of buildings and industrial activities.

Fine particles are the most widespread pollutant in cities today and are potentially very harmful to health, as they are inhaled and penetrate deeply into the lungs, in some cases penetrating the pulmonary alveoli and entering directly into the bloodstream. The consequences are not limited to emerging in the lung tissues, but also reaching the heart.

It is the elderly, young children and those with pre-existing respiratory problems that are more susceptible to adverse health problems.