Air Quality

Meet Arlo the "Airmadillo"!

The colors on his shell change color with the current Air Quality Index (AQI) here in DFW, letting you know how safe it is to spend time outside.

For more information on the colors of the AQI, see the Air Quality Facts table below.

  1. Air Quality Facts
  2. Take Action
  • Nine counties in North Central Texas have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for clean air.
  • Air quality is measured by the amount of ground level ozone in the air.
  • Ground level Ozone is also called "bad ozone" and is formed when sunlight, heat and pollution from cars and factories mixes together. It is the main ingredient in smog.
  • Inhaling ground-level ozone can cause health problems like coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightening and discomfort when taking a deep breath. People who have asthma or respiratory problems are at increased risk.
  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Air Quality Index to better understand the severity of pollution and related health impacts. 
  • The AQI reports daily air quality levels and the colors indicate how polluted the air is and how to protect your health (below).
Air Quality Index for Ozone table explaining flag colors and health concerns of ozone concentrations