Air quality data for 2005 was released by the EPA this month. The data is now available in the RetireHomeSmart.com database for our top 50 retirement cities.
Pollutant Monitoring
The EPA monitors air quality throughout the U.S. Various statistics and summaries are produced from the raw monitoring station data. The pollutants tracked are carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and two categories of particulate matter (smaller than 10 micrometers and smaller than 2.5 micrometers).
Here at RetireHomeSmart.com we report what the EPA calls the Air Quality Index (AQI) - an approximate indicator of overall air quality. To simplify reporting of the AQI, the EPA separates air quality into four broad categories:
- Good
- Moderate
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Persons
- Unhealthy (includes sub-categories for Very Unhealthy and Hazardous)
Santa Fe has Cleanest Air; Palm Springs the Dirtiest
For the cleanest air, 9 out of the Top 15 cities were out west. Florida has an impressive record with all 4 cities that we track from the Sunshine State appearing in the Top 15. With the release of the 2005 data, the trend was for improving air quality conditions in the western cities and deteriorating conditions in the mid-western and eastern cities. Southampton, NY is an exception with an average improvement of 2% in the number of Good days for 2001-05. Though Palm Springs, CA has the dirtiest air, the city has managed to improve its air quality every year since 2001. At RetireHomeSmart.com you can check air quality for any of the popular cities in our database with a City Report. For a summary of the 15 best and worst cities for air quality, go to the Air Quality report.
Stay tuned to RetireHomeSmart.com for important news and data about your favorite retirement cities.
