Automotive

Machine learning to optimize traffic and reduce pollution

Applying artificial intelligence to self-driving cars to smooth traffic, reduce fuel consumption, and improve air quality predictions may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but researchers at the Department of Energy's ...

Telecom

When WiFi is weak, send noise instead

When WiFi was designed, it was intended for high-speed data communications. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) set the standards for communications—that's the 802.11 protocol, a familiar number ...

Energy & Green Tech

Lichens may one day detoxify the air in your home

When smoke from fires darken the skies as they did last summer, hunkering down indoors makes good sense. But on most days throughout the year, the air we breathe indoors carries far more pollutants than outdoor air. Exposure ...

Energy & Green Tech

Study: Shutting down nuclear power could increase air pollution

Nearly 20% of today's electricity in the United States comes from nuclear power. The U.S. has the largest nuclear fleet in the world, with 92 reactors scattered around the country. Many of these power plants have run for ...

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Air Quality Index

The Air Quality Index (AQI) (also known as the Air Pollution Index (API) or Pollutant Standard Index (PSI)) is a number used by government agencies to characterize the quality of the air at a given location. As the AQI increases, an increasingly large percentage of the population is likely to experience increasingly severe adverse health effects. To compute the AQI requires an air pollutant concentration from a monitor or model. The function used to convert from air pollutant concentration to AQI varies by pollutant, and is different in different countries. Air quality index values are divided into ranges, and each range is assiged a descriptor and a color code. Standardized public health advisories are associated with each AQI range. An agency might also encourage members of the public to take public transportation or work from home when AQI levels are high.

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