Air Quality Risk Decision Tool
Turn Air Quality Index into Actionable Exposure Decisions with cigarette-equivalent framing
Translate AQI into practical risk, scenario guidance, and cigarette-equivalent exposure so you know what today's air means and what to do next.
What the current exposure means
AQI becomes PM2.5 dose, cigarette-equivalent framing, and category-based risk.
What action to take
See guidance for workouts, commuting, kids, windows open, and smoke days.
What to view next
Jump into AQI detail pages, city guides, methodology, and deeper blog resources.
Decision Tool
AQI to Cigarettes Calculator
Input the Air Quality Index (AQI) where you live and how many hours you've been exposed. The calculator will tell you what the impact to your health is in cigarettes.
Understand the number
Turn a raw AQI reading into a particle dose you can picture.
Decide what to do
Get scenario guidance for commuting, exercise, kids, and windows.
Reuse and share it
Save recent checks and copy result URLs for later decisions.
Enter a US-style AQI value between 0 and 500.
Quick scenario presets
Recent checks
Saved results appear here after you calculate.
Start with a real AQI reading
The result panel will translate it into cigarette-equivalent exposure, action guidance, and common-scenario decisions.
How the estimate works
Step 1: I converted AQI back to PM 2.5 particle concentration. That's the number of particles in the air that are a certain size. For this operation I used the same equation as the Air Now calculator.
Step 2: based on this research, the health impact of a particle concentration of 22μg/m3 per 24 hours is equivalent to about 1 cigarette.
This tool is a decision aid, not a medical diagnosis. It is most useful for comparing exposure levels, planning protective steps, and seeing how repeated days can add up.
1. Interpret
Make the AQI number understandable
Use cigarette-equivalent framing, PM2.5 estimates, and all-day exposure comparisons to understand whether this is background noise or a day-changing risk.
2. Decide
Choose the right action for the situation
The tool turns one reading into commute, exercise, kids, and indoor-air decisions instead of leaving you with a raw score and guesswork.
3. Revisit
Build repeat-use habits
Save common scenarios, share result URLs, and jump into city, scenario, and comparison pages when the same air-quality problems return.
Scenario Guides
Start from the decision you actually need to make
These pages are designed for repeat visits when the same question keeps coming back: commute, school, exercise, or smoke response.
Commute exposure planner
Use AQI to decide whether a daily commute is routine, cautionary, or worth changing.
Default check: AQI 110 for 2h
Outdoor exercise risk guide
Translate AQI into a clear decision for running, cycling, or training outside.
Default check: AQI 85 for 1h
Kids and school exposure guide
Plan school runs, recess, and after-school time when children are more sensitive than adults.
Default check: AQI 95 for 3h
Wildfire smoke response plan
Use AQI to decide when normal air-quality habits are not enough and smoke response should begin.
Default check: AQI 165 for 24h
Credibility
Why this estimate is worth using
The calculator converts AQI back to PM2.5 using EPA-style AQI breakpoints, then uses the Berkeley Earth cigarette-equivalent framing to make exposure easier to understand.
We treat this as a decision aid, not a medical diagnosis. That means the output is built to help you compare doses, plan behavior, and decide what to check next.
Methodology and update policy are documented so users and search engines can see how the site is maintained.
Methodology and update policy
See formulas, source framing, limitations, and how the content is reviewed.
AQI levels explained
Understand what each AQI band means before you even calculate.
Protection playbook
Move from concern to action with masks, filtration, and clean-air-room planning.
AQI comparison pages
Compare a clean day with a smoky day to see how quickly dose and advice change.
City Guides
Programmatic pages with practical value
These city pages do not pretend to offer live data. They help people interpret readings they already have and connect them to the local decisions they tend to face repeatedly.
Los Angeles AQI planning guide
Interpret LA air quality for commuting, outdoor exercise, and smoke-season decisions.
Suggested starting check: AQI 105
San Francisco AQI planning guide
Use AQI to decide on transit, neighborhood differences, and wildfire smoke response in the Bay Area.
Suggested starting check: AQI 92
New York City AQI planning guide
Interpret AQI for street-level exposure, commuting, exercise, and occasional smoke events in NYC.
Suggested starting check: AQI 88
Seattle AQI planning guide
Use AQI to manage wildfire smoke swings, school decisions, and indoor-air preparation in Seattle.
Suggested starting check: AQI 120
Delhi AQI planning guide
Use AQI to plan routine exposure, commuting, and home protection when pollution remains elevated for longer periods.
Suggested starting check: AQI 175
Beijing AQI planning guide
Use AQI to decide on outdoor time, family routines, and indoor protection when pollution episodes build.
Suggested starting check: AQI 160
Continue Exploring
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FAQs
Common questions about the AQI to Cigarettes calculator