2.1.1 CAQI - Common Air Quality Index

Version 4.1 by Emily West on 2022/01/05 15:48

Topic	Urban challenges	Sub-challenges
Environment	2 - Air Quality	2.1 - Air Quality at District/ City Scale

Description	In 2005 the Common Air Quality Index (CAQI) was proposed to facilitate the comparison of air quality in European cities in real time16. There are many air quality indices (AQI-s) in use in the world. All are different in concept and presentation and comparing air quality in cities was virtually impossible for the lay public1 . The CAQI and the accompanying website www.airqualitynow.eu or app were introduced as a ‘lingua franca’ solution to overcome this problem17 .
Scale as linked to D2.2 framework	City
Data source [ link to data framework]	Measurement/ monitoring
Needs	Hourly value NO2, PM10 and O3 (additionally CO, SO2, PM2,5) Daily average value NO2, PM10 and O3 (additionally CO, SO2, PM2,5) Yearly average value (additionally CO, SO2, PM2,5)
Expected Outputs	Continuously monitored numerical value (very low, low, medium, high and very high) graphic map quantitative
Calculation methods	CAQI methodology.
Links and references	www.airqualitynow.eu Elshout S van den, Léger K, Nussio F. Comparing urban air quality in Europe in real time, a review of existing air quality indices and the proposal of a common alternative. Environ Int 2008; 34(5):720–6. Elshout S van den. CITEAIR II project. INTERREG IVC Programme. www.airqualitynow.eu/download/CITEAIR Comparing_Urban_Air_Quality_across_Borders.pdf, 2012. [Accessed oct-2017].