UK Air Quality Checker

Fetching air quality data...

Interactive map showing CheckMyAir scores across diverse UK locations including major cities, university towns, coastal areas, industrial centers, and rural market towns. Click markers to see detailed air quality information.

CheckMyAir Score Legend

90-100 Excellent

70-89 Good

50-69 Moderate

30-49 Poor

0-29 Very Poor

How the CheckMyAir Score Works

The CheckMyAir Score is a simple 0-100 rating that tells you how clean the air is in your area. We measure four key pollutants and combine them into one easy-to-understand number.

The Four Pollutants We Track

PM2.5 (Fine Particles)

Tiny particles from traffic, industry, and fires. Can penetrate deep into lungs and bloodstream.

NO₂ (Nitrogen Dioxide)

Gas mainly from vehicle exhaust and power plants. Causes respiratory inflammation.

O₃ (Ground-level Ozone)

Forms when sunlight reacts with pollutants. Triggers asthma and breathing problems.

PM10 (Coarse Particles)

Larger particles from dust, pollen, and construction. Irritates eyes, nose, and throat.

Step 1: Convert Measurements to Scores

We take the concentration of each pollutant (measured in µg/m³) and convert it to a score out of 100 using health-based thresholds:

PM2.5 Thresholds

• 0-0.3 µg/m³ = 100 points
• 0.6-1.0 µg/m³ = 95-90 points
• 2.5-4.0 µg/m³ = 80-70 points
• 10+ µg/m³ = 40-20 points

NO₂ Thresholds

• 0-1.0 µg/m³ = 100 points
• 2.0-3.5 µg/m³ = 95-90 points
• 8.0-12.0 µg/m³ = 80-70 points
• 30+ µg/m³ = 40-20 points

O₃ Thresholds

• 0-50 µg/m³ = 100 points
• 55-60 µg/m³ = 95-90 points
• 70-80 µg/m³ = 80-70 points
• 110+ µg/m³ = 40-20 points

PM10 Thresholds

• 0-0.5 µg/m³ = 100 points
• 1.0-1.5 µg/m³ = 95-90 points
• 4.0-6.0 µg/m³ = 80-70 points
• 20+ µg/m³ = 40-20 points

Step 2: Apply Health-Based Weights

Each pollutant affects health differently, so we weight them based on their health impact:

PM2.5: 40%

NO₂: 25%

PM10: 20%

O₃: 15%

PM2.5 gets the highest weight because it's the most harmful to health, penetrating deep into lungs and bloodstream.

Example Calculation

London Today:

PM2.5: 0.6 µg/m³ → 95 points

NO₂: 4.8 µg/m³ → 85 points

O₃: 61.5 µg/m³ → 85 points

PM10: 1.3 µg/m³ → 90 points

Final Calculation:

                                (95 × 40%) + (85 × 25%) + (90 × 20%) + (85 × 15%)

                                = 38 + 21.25 + 18 + 12.75

                                = 90/100

Excellent Air Quality

Safe for everyone, including sensitive groups