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Meaning & use

air quality

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈeə ˌkwɒləti/
US/ˈer ˌkwɑːləti/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    How clean or polluted the air is, especially in relation to people's health.

    Grammar: Uncountable: say 'air quality is poor', not 'air qualities are poor'.

    Patterns

    • air quality is good/poor
    • improve air quality
    • monitor air quality

    The city has invested in public transport to improve air quality.

    Air quality in the valley gets worse during the winter months.

    Officials monitor air quality daily and issue warnings when pollution is high.

  2. noununcountable

    A measurement or rating of how polluted the air is, often shown as an index.

    Grammar: Used with words like 'index' or 'report': 'the air quality index reached 150'.

    Patterns

    • air quality index
    • air quality report
    • check the air quality

    The air quality index reached a hazardous level after the wildfires.

    You can check the air quality on your phone before going for a run.

    The school canceled outdoor activities because of the poor air quality report.

Common combinations

poor air quality
Poor air quality can cause breathing problems for children and the elderly.
air quality index
The air quality index is a scale from 0 to 500 that shows pollution levels.
improve air quality
Planting more trees can help improve air quality in urban areas.
air quality monitoring
The government set up air quality monitoring stations around the city.
air quality warning
An air quality warning was issued for people with asthma.

Synonyms and how they differ

air pollution
Focuses on the harmful substances themselves, while air quality describes the overall condition of the air.
atmospheric conditions
A broader term that includes temperature, humidity, and wind as well as cleanliness; air quality is more specific to health.

Word family

air noun
The mixture of gases we breathe; the first part of the compound.
quality noun
The standard or level of something; the second part of the compound.

Commonly confused: air quality or air pollution?

air quality vs air pollution

Air pollution refers to the contaminants in the air, while air quality is the measure of how clean or polluted the air is. You can say 'air quality is poor because of air pollution'.

Practice

The city installed new sensors to ____ air quality in real time.

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