Air Quality Category Tables
Processed on 2024-03-04 13:22:59 PST.
Disclaimer: Data presented here come from a variety of sources and do not represent official EPA measurements. Please visit AirNow for official measurements.
Cumulative exposure to smoke is an important public health metric. This report summarizes the cumulative number of days air quality monitors in Massachusetts spent in each AQI category during the the month of December.
The tables below include only permanent monitors measuring PM2.5 and show cumulative exposure under existing NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards) and under the 2024 revised standards for PM2.5.
In the tables and plots below, ‘Old’ designates cumulative days calculated using the 2023 PM2.5 NAAQS while ‘New’ is calculated using the 2024 revised PM2.5 NAAQS. The impact of the NAAQS revision is quite clear.
December in Massachusetts
December 2014 – 9 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 234 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| New | 199 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
December 2015 – 9 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 181 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| New | 152 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
December 2016 – 20 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 237 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| New | 204 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
December 2017 – 10 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 257 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| New | 190 | 117 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
December 2018 – 24 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 313 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| New | 227 | 144 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
December 2019 – 14 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 364 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| New | 287 | 128 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
December 2020 – 28 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 376 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| New | 320 | 132 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
December 2021 – 17 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 441 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| New | 335 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
December 2022 – 17 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 414 | 77 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| New | 356 | 135 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
December 2023 – 19 permanent monitors
| Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | 483 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| New | 417 | 119 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
