Air_Quality_Index_Virtual_Lab

Air Quality Index Virtual Lab NAMES: In this lab, you will compare Air Quality Index (AQI) values for multiple pollutants for Miami, Fl and Los Angeles, CA for the years 1980 and 2020 (2021 data may not be complete). Ideally, we would use more than two years for comparison, but this will give you a sense of how air quality has improved over time in two locations. You will also see how air quality compared between two parts of the country that have different size populations, types of industries, and geographic settings. 1. Go to the USEPA Outdoor Air Quality Data page: https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/air-data- aqi-plot 2. Select CO and year (1980). You will record data for CO separately from NO2 and Ozone. 3. Select Geographic area. Choose “Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL” 4. Hit the button “plot data.” 5. The plot will soon appear below your data entry area. The numbers on the right side of the chart show you how many days the city had AQI values for five different categories, ranging from good to very unhealthy. Record the number of days for each pollutant in the table below. Be sure to indicate the pollutant type (CO, NO2, etc) in each column header. 6. Take a screen shot of the graph. You will need an image of the graph to answer the analysis questions. You will have a total of eight screen shots. 7. Repeat steps 1-6 for NO2 and O3 in Miami, Fl in 1980 and 2022, then “Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA” for both 1980 and 2022. TABLE 1: EPA Air Quality Index Data Pollutant: Days Per Year by Site and Pollutant Type Miami, FL 1980 Miami, Fl 2022 Los Angeles, CA 1980 Los Angeles, CA 2022 CO NO2 O3 CO NO2 O3 CO NO2 O3 CO NO2 O3 Very Unhealthy 1 0 7 0 0 0 28 0 130 0 0 1 Unhealthy 11 5 0 0 0 0 18 6 33 0 0 28 Unhealthy “Sensitive” 32 36 35 0 0 1 46 200 14 0 0 57 Moderate 140 17 36 0 6 18 219 106 26 0 63 87 Good 104 0 17 7 19 6 55 7 113 168 168 58

Analysis 1. Using your completed data table, make at least three quantitative comparisons between Miami, Fl and Los Angeles. Example: “In 1980, Miami, Fl had XX fewer days than Los Angeles on which the AQI for CO was >50”. 1980, Miami, FL had 99 more days than LA where the AQI for CO was > 50. 2022, Miami, FL had 45 more days than LA where the AQl for N02 was < 50. 2022, Both Miami and LA had the exact number of days where the AQl was < 50. 2. Look at each of your data. What patterns, if any, do you observe about the time of the year/season during which the AQI index is poor? Make three observations (summer vs winter)(dry season vs wet season). During winter, the CO values were unhealthy compared to the summer. During the dry season in LA in the 1980's, the concentration of N02 and 03 was worse than the wet season. In LA 2022, both wet and dry season have a good concentration of cO. 3. What do the data reveal about how air quality has changed in Miami, Fl between 1980 and 2022? Use data to support your response. The data shows that the air quality got significantly better. CO, N02, and 03 were all improved from the 1980's to 2022. In the 1980's the quality for all 3 pollutants were bad, but you can see in 2022 they were found under 50 4. What do the data reveal about how air quality has changed in Los Angeles between 1980 and 2022? Use data to support your response. The data shows that the air quality got significantly better. CO, N02, and 03 were all improved from the 1980's to 2022. In the 1980's the quality for all 3 pollutants were bad, but you can see in 2022 they were found under 50. (Basically the same as #3!) 5. Overall, which city has better air quality? Again, support your response with data . Miami, in my opinion, has the finest air quality overall in 2022. Miami has more days with less of 03 and NO2 AQl below 50, while LA had more days with higher AQI over 50, despite the fact that both cities had concentrations of 50 and below year-round. 6. Make a claim about the causes of the air quality differences between the two cities. Provide at least three reasons. I think the differences in air quality are caused by the location of the earth's crust. Because LA sits on the west coast, the weather is typically drier and colder. Because of their larger population, there are more factories and cars, which contribute to the air pollution. In contrast to Miami, they have mountains that shield the chilly, dry air that is laden with pollutants.