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Rio Grande

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  1. Home
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  3. Rio Grande
  4. Indicators
  5. Air Quality

Air Quality

Aerial view of a wildfire, by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Aerial view of a wildfire, by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Air quality is an important contributer to human health. Particulate Matter, Ozone, and Nitrogen Dioxide are three metrics that can be used to assess overall air quality. High concentrations of particulate matter in air can irritate the lungs and throat, causing coughing and sneezing. Breathing ozone can reduce lung function and cause chest pain and respiratory irritation. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide can lead to asthma.

How is it scored?

Scores were calculated individually for Particulate Matter, Ozone, and Nitrogen Dioxide. Air Quality Index (AQI) values for each pollutant, calculated by the EPA, were assessed against thresholds (set by the EPA and shown in the table below) in order to obtain a report card score on a scale from 0–100%. Scores for each pollutant were then averaged for an overall air quality score for each region. Region scores were weighted by area to calculate an overall air quality score across regions.
 

In this section

  • Indicators
    • Overall Health Index
    • Annual low flow
    • Zero Flow Days
    • Municipal Water Supply
    • Groundwater
    • Agriculture surface water supply
    • Flow Alteration
    • Riparian Areas
    • Water Supply for Compact
    • Impaired Streams
    • Invasive Trees and Shrubs
    • Wetland Loss
    • Bird Diversity
    • Silvery Minnow
    • Native Fish Diversity
    • All Fish Diversity
    • Native peoples and acequias support
    • Native peoples and acequias representation
    • Water Resource Governance
    • Water Resource Management
    • Protected Lands
    • Fire
    • Park Visitation
    • Recreation Access
    • Cultural and Historical Places
    • Walkability
    • Heat Vulnerability Index
    • Social Vulnerability Index
    • Air Quality
    • Affordable Housing

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        • Clinton River
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        • Fish Consumption
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        • Air Quality Index
        • Environmental Justice
        • Flooding
        • Sewer Overflows
        • Impervious Surfaces
        • Farmland
        • Affordable Housing
        • Walkability
        • Parks
        • Beach Access
        • Watercraft Access
        • Fishing
        • Nitrogen
        • Phosphorus
        • Dissolved Oxygen
        • Water Temperature
        • Turbidity
      • Region
        • Detroit River Watershed
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    • Guanabara Bay
      • Bay Health
      • Basin Health
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        • Overall Health Index
        • Dissolved Oxygen
        • Biological Oxygen Demand
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        • Total Phosphorus
        • Orthophosphate
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        • Fecal coliform
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    • Huron River
      • Health
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        • Overall Health Index
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        • Sewer Overflows
        • Impervious Surfaces
        • Farmland
        • Affordable Housing
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        • Beach Access
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        • Fishing
        • Nitrogen
        • Phosphorus
        • Dissolved Oxygen
        • Water Temperature
        • Turbidity
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        • Huron River
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    • Lake Erie
      • Lake Health
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        • Overall Health Index
        • Total Phosphorus
        • Dissolved Phosphorus
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        • Nitrate + Nitrite
        • Chlorophyll a
        • Walleye
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    • Orinoco River
      • Health
      • Indicators
        • Water Quality Index
        • Risks to Water Quality
        • Water Supply and Demand
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    • Rio Grande
      • Health
      • Indicators
        • Overall Health Index
        • Annual low flow
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        • Flow Alteration
        • Riparian Areas
        • Water Supply for Compact
        • Impaired Streams
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        • Silvery Minnow
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        • Native peoples and acequias representation
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        • Upper Rio Grande - CO
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    • River Raisin
      • Health
      • Indicators
        • Overall Health Index
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        • Cost of Flooding
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        • River Economy
        • Wetlands
        • Tree Cover
        • Forests
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        • Bird Diversity
        • Benthic Community
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        • Fish Consumption
        • Bacteria
        • Heat Vulnerability
        • Air Quality Index
        • Environmental Justice
        • Flooding
        • Sewer Overflows
        • Impervious Surfaces
        • Farmland
        • Affordable Housing
        • Walkability
        • Parks
        • Beach Access
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        • Nitrogen
        • Phosphorus
        • Dissolved Oxygen
        • Water Temperature
        • Turbidity
      • Region
        • River Raisin
      • Issues
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      • About
    • Rouge River
      • Health
      • Indicators
        • Overall Health Index
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        • Cost of Flooding
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        • River Economy
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        • Forests
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        • Bird Diversity
        • Benthic Community
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        • Fish Consumption
        • Bacteria
        • Heat Vulnerability
        • Air Quality Index
        • Environmental Justice
        • Flooding
        • Sewer Overflows
        • Impervious Surfaces
        • Farmland
        • Affordable Housing
        • Walkability
        • Parks
        • Beach Access
        • Watercraft Access
        • Fishing
        • Nitrogen
        • Phosphorus
        • Dissolved Oxygen
        • Water Temperature
        • Turbidity
      • Region
        • Rouge River
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    • Southeast Michigan
      • Health
      • Indicators
        • Overall Health Index
        • Household Income
        • Local Ownership
        • Cost of Flooding
        • Income Equality
        • Trade
        • River Economy
        • Wetlands
        • Tree Cover
        • Forests
        • Fish Populations
        • Bird Diversity
        • Benthic Community
        • Protected Lands
        • Fish Consumption
        • Bacteria
        • Heat Vulnerability
        • Air Quality Index
        • Environmental Justice
        • Flooding
        • Sewer Overflows
        • Impervious Surfaces
        • Farmland
        • Affordable Housing
        • Walkability
        • Parks
        • Beach Access
        • Watercraft Access
        • Fishing
        • Nitrogen
        • Phosphorus
        • Dissolved Oxygen
        • Water Temperature
        • Turbidity
      • Regions
        • Overall
        • Clinton
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        • Raisin
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    • Sudbury, Assabet, & Concord Rivers
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        • Overall
        • Dissolved Oxygen
        • Temperature
        • Suspended Solids
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        • Nitrogen
        • Floating Biomass
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        • Visual Quality
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      • Regions
        • Upper Sudbury River
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    • Verde River
      • Health
      • Indicators
        • Overall Health Index
        • Base Flow
        • Surfacewater BMPs
        • Groundwater BMPs
        • Water Quality Index
        • Water Quality Certainty
        • Turbidity
        • Macroinvertebrates
        • Upland Condition Index
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    • Willamette River
      • Health
      • Indicators
        • Overall Health Index
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        • Temperature
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        • Juvenile Chinook
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        • Channel Complexity
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