The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working together to record air quality at U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the globe.  As part of this initiative, U.S. Embassy Kuwait installed an air quality monitor (AQM) on Embassy grounds in the Bayan district.  The data for the Embassy’s Air Quality Monitor in Kuwait is available at the EPA AirNow website.  Please note that data from the Embassy’s monitoring station may differ from the air quality in other areas of the city.

The U.S. Embassy’s air quality monitor is just one health resource for the U.S. citizen community.  The monitor measures Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 particulates on and near the Embassy compound.  PM 2.5 is a standard recognized by the U.S. EPA and allows us to compare against U.S. standard measures.  Particulates less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM 2.5) are referred to as “fine” particulates and are believed to pose the largest health risks–those risks are likely to be more severe for sensitive populations, including people with heart or lung disease, children, and older adults.

The U.S. EPA has developed a formula to convert PM 2.5 readings into an air quality index (AQI) value that can be of assistance in making health-related decisions.  For example, an AQI value of 50 represents good air quality with little potential to affect public health, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.  For more information on AQI and how it is calculated, please visit the U.S. EPA website.  The following chart is a useful guide to air quality readings you may see from the Embassy’s air quality monitor.

Air Quality Index Levels of Health Concern	Numerical Value	Meaning
Good	0 to 50	Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk
Moderate	51 to 100	Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	101 to 150	Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
Unhealthy	151 to 200	Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Very Unhealthy	201 to 300	Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.
Hazardous	301 to 500	Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects.