Saint Paul air quality map

How many facts and figures about air quality are there on the air pollution map for Saint Paul?

There is a lot of interesting information about air quality on the air quality map for Saint Paul and it is all easy to find by using the air pollution map as a link. When selected, a new set of pages will open which are filled with all the latest facts and figures about air pollution.

When the new set of pages opens, the air pollution map for Saint Paul will be the first thing to notice. The strong colouration of the background is a direct indication of the current air quality. Colours can range from pale green to dark purple and get darker as the air quality diminishes. The full meaning of the various colours can be seen in the legend at the bottom of the screen. These colours are standard across the whole IQAir website. The colour at the time of writing in May 2023, was green which shows the air quality to be “Good”.

There are also a good many coloured discs strewn across the map. These represent the sites of all the ground-level air monitoring stations there are in the vicinity although they are not all under the control of the city. Several of them are overlapping so the map can be enlarged and they will then start to separate from each other. Each disc can reveal a lot of information about that area of the city, which is very useful when travelling across the city to other districts.

All of the discs present a number at their centre which is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. This figure is worked-out by measuring up to six of the most commonly found pollutants in city air. They are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide.

When this reading has been verified, it is used as a standard when making comparisons between air quality in other locations all over the world. The system is wholly endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Consulting the main city page, it can be seen in the coloured band across the top of it that Saint Paul was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of 32. The colour of the band instantly reflects this level too. The main pollutant was discovered to be PM2.5 with a recorded level of 7.9 µg/m³ (microns per cubic metre) which is slightly more than one and a half times than the suggested level of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

Immediately below the air pollution map for Saint Paul is listed the number of contributors there are that collect and collate all the data about air quality on behalf of the city. In May 2023, there were seven contributors that operated six monitoring stations. Two were government departments and the remaining five preferred to remain anonymous. One of the government agencies is the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) who have over 30,000 followers and operate 26 stations across the state.

Does the air pollution map for Saint Paul hold much more interesting information about air quality?

There is an icon at the top right-hand side of the screen which will open a new set of pages which are filled with all the relevant information about air pollution in the area.

When the pages are fully open, a list of four options will be seen on the left-hand side of the screen. These can all be individually disabled to see the full effects they each have on the map.

The first option shows where all the ground-level air monitoring stations are, both in and around the city. They can all be explored individually if more information about the specific area is required.

The second option shows the places of any wildfires there are that are burning out of control in the locality. At the time of writing in June 2023, there were no such icons on the map. If fires are detected, then option four can be consulted because it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and will give a good indication of where the drifting smoke may blow.

Option number three changes the background colour of the map to show the current level of air quality. This can be quite distracting if the air quality is poor but it can be disabled so the map will revert to a more subdued set of colours which will be easier to understand.

There are more facts and figures over on the right-hand side of the screen where a list of the seven most polluted cities can be seen as they are ranked by their levels of pollution. There is also a full-ranking section which lists the remaining participating world cities on several new pages.

Immediately below the air pollution map for Saint Paul can be seen the areas of the city that are the most heavily polluted according to their US AQI readings. Currently, the station at South Howell Street is showing the highest US AQI reading at 52 which is classified as being “Moderate”.

There is also a list of the most popular stations according to the number of loyal followers they each have. Currently, the most popular station is at Mounds Park wit a total of almost 1,500 followers.

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

The cause of the air pollution cannot be identified from the air quality map for Saint Paull, but it is widely known that the majority of air pollution comes from smaller, more extensive sources such as industrial facilities including power stations and refineries.

When the wind is blowing from a certain direction it brings much polluted air with it from other regions. And when the temperatures start to rise and the demand for air conditioning increases so too does the amount of fossil fuel burned which is needed to produce the electricity.

PM2.5 and PM10 are often cited on the air pollution map for Saint Paul, but what are they?

PM10 is particulate matter of 10 micrometres or less in diameter, PM2.5 is particulate matter of 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter. PM2.5 is often described as fine particles. By way of comparison, a human hair is about 100 micrometres, so roughly 40 fine particles could be placed on its width.

Particles of any substances that are less than 10 or 2.5 micrometres diameter. Particles in this size range make up a large proportion of dust that can be drawn deep into the lungs. Larger particles tend to be trapped in the nose, mouth or throat which are the body’s natural defence system.

The chemical properties vary depending on sources of particles. It is important to note that particulates are not one particular chemical substance but a classification of particles by size rather than chemical properties.