Scenario Guide
Kids and school exposure guide
Children breathe more air relative to body size and often have long, repeated exposure around schools, pickup lines, and playgrounds.
Decision question: Is today's outdoor time reasonable for kids, or should we shorten and move it indoors?
Default AQI check
95
Exposure window
3h
Equivalent exposure
0.19
cigarettes for this scenario
Practical checklist
Reduce outdoor play first when readings rise, before symptoms appear.
Use the cleanest indoor space for homework and sleep on smoky days.
Plan pickup and dropoff to reduce standing outdoors.
If a child has asthma, review medication and school action plans early.
What to watch for
- Coughing, throat irritation, headaches, or unusual tiredness after outdoor time.
- AQI above 100 on consecutive days, which can change the whole week's routine.
- Open classroom windows when outdoor smoke is present.
Why this scenario page matters
AQI becomes more useful when it changes a specific plan. This page gives you a reusable starting point, but the actual calculator lets you plug in the current reading and duration to see the dose change in real time.