How safe is the air? Here’s how to check and what the numbers mean

By MADDIE BURAKOFF
AP Science Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The government keeps tabs on air quality with a color-coded index as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifts south. The Environmental Protection Agency uses this air quality index to monitor five kinds of air pollutants and rate how clean or polluted the air is across the country. The main concern from wildfire smoke is fine particle pollution. These particles are tiny enough to get deep into the lungs. The index runs from zero to 500. The higher the number, the worse the air quality. At the highest levels, take precautions like limiting your outdoor activity and using air filters inside.