Air quality categories (AQC) are colour indicators used to summarise air quality measurements. In New South Wales, 5 colour indicators are used to classify air quality as 'Good', 'Fair', 'Poor', 'Very Poor' or 'Extremely Poor'.
The AQC is determined by measurements of key air pollutants we monitor at our monitoring locations:
- particles less than 2.5 micrometres diameter (PM2.5)
- particles less than 10 micrometres diameter (PM10)
- ozone
- nitrogen dioxide
- carbon monoxide
- sulfur dioxide
- visibility.
The AQC is reported for each station, and for each region comprising the New South Wales Air Quality Monitoring Network.
For more information about how we measure and report on the categories, visit Air quality categories on the NSW Government Air Quality website.
What the air quality categories mean for you
The AQC colours provide at-a-glance information to help people plan their activities. Find out more about what the air quality categories mean for you on the Health advice page on the NSW Government Air Quality website.