U.S. Embassy Launches Air Quality Monitor, Recognizes Earth Day

Baku/22.04.22/Turan: In April 2022, the U.S. Embassy in Baku will formally launch an “Air Quality Monitoring Program” (AQMP).  The Embassy’s AQMP will include a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-certified measuring instrument (a MET One BAM 1020), a real-time air quality index website, and information on the Embassy webpage, reads a press release of the US Embassy to Azerbaijan. 

The U.S. Embassy is announcing this initiative in honor of Earth Day.  Earth Day, April 22, is a day to learn about and remember the importance of protecting health and the environment.  In the United States, Earth Day is not an official holiday, but it is still marked in many ways.  Americans of all ages participate in events to increase public awareness of environmental concerns and to celebrate their respect for the environment.

Air pollution is a critical global health threat.  In February 2015, the U.S. Department of State and the EPA formed a partnership with the goal of improving real-time air quality data around the world by adding data from participating U.S. embassies to the EPA data already published on air quality conditions in the United States.

The AQMP will continuously monitor and record the level of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air outside the Embassy and continuously convert the data collected onto the EPA-created “Air Quality Index” (AQI) scale.  This information is available to the public and is intended to benefit all Baku residents, including the local health community, and the Government of Azerbaijan.

U.S. embassies and consulates in more than 50 cities in over three dozen countries are monitoring pollution levels and disseminating air-quality data.  Data posted by the U.S. State Department to the EPA’s AirNow platform is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We invite members of the media to explore the U.S. Embassy’s AQI website at https://az.usembassy.gov/embassy/baku/air-quality-monitor/.  Since AQMP will be part of the U.S. EPA’s AirNow system, the air quality data generated about the neighborhood of the U.S. Embassy in Baku is simultaneously published on www.airnow.gov

Note that the Embassy reports its AQI as an hourly average and the EPA reports AQI as a 24-hour average. -0-