Air Quality
The Air Quality Index, or AQI, is a color-coded way for residents to see real-time air quality levels in their area. The higher the AQI, the worse the air quality is and the more cause for concern. Air quality levels are expected to fluctuate throughout the summer. For AQI updates and guidance for your area, go to airnow.gov. For more information about air quality and health, please visit cdc.gov/air.
JustAir Partnership
The county is collaborating with local environmental company JustAir Solutions, which provides air pollution monitoring solutions to cities across the U.S. to bring greater transparency into the disparities of air quality. The joint project is focused on gathering accurate, comprehensive data on air quality throughout Wayne County's 43 communities - ultimately giving residents and decision makers critical information needed to create cleaner, safer air.
Visit the JustAir website
Staying Protected during Air Quality Alerts:
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Stay indoors as much as possible, especially if you are at higher risk.
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Keep doors and windows closed.
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Seek shelter elsewhere if you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed. Here is a list of cooling centers - Wayne County Cooling Centers
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Use air filters to improve indoor air quality. For more information on air filters, visit air filters and fans.
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For all outdoor activities, take more breaks and avoid intense activities.
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Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.
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If you must be outside, consider wearing a N95/KN95 mask.
How to Sign up for Air Quality Alerts:
You can sign up for alerts through justair.app system. This subscriber system allows you to choose the area you would like to get alerts for. The system will send the alert directly to your email or send you a text message.
Wayne County Historical Air Quality Index Dashboard
About the Wayne County Historical Air Quality Index Dashboard
The Wayne County Historical Air Quality Index dashboard shows air quality in Wayne County over time since May 1, 2024. The Air Quality Index (AQI) shows historical data to demonstrate how clean or dirty the air is.
The dashboard shows AQI for two kinds of air pollution: PM2.5 and PM10. This dashboard does not show the maximum AQI across all pollutants or current AQI levels. That information is displayed on the accompanying JustAir Air Quality dashboard.
AQI daily estimates come from 101 air quality monitors around Wayne County. Some monitors may not have information for every day because they were under maintenance or the data was not good enough to use (see valid measures at the bottom of the dashboard).
The dashboard will be updated quarterly. For questions or ideas on how to improve the dashboard, please email: HHVS_Informatics@WayneCountyMI.Gov
How to Use the Dashboard
Any selection made will update the other charts and maps in the dashboard.
Choosing a Pollutant: Select pollutant between PM2.5 or PM10 using the pollutant filter.
Choosing Monitors:
Pick which air monitor(s) to look at in two ways:
- Monitor Filter: Choose a town and pick all the monitors in that town or click the arrow next to the town and choose individual monitors.
- Map Selection: Click one monitor on the map or use drawing tools (like lasso or polygon shapes) to select multiple monitors. Address Search: Type an address or place into the search box to find monitors nearby.
Resetting Map Selections: To remove map selections, click anywhere on the empty map area.
Choosing a Date Range: Use the text boxes in the date filter to type in a start date and end date or use the slider below the text boxes.
Tip: Hovering over any monitor will display the name of the monitor, the average AQI for the selected time period, and the monitor’s all-time rank compared to the network. The highest AQI, representing the worst air quality, is ranked number 1.
Creating a Table: To see the data in a table format, right click on a chart and choose “Show as table.”
How to Read the Information
- Summary boxes: The boxes across the top summarize whatever is selected — an overall average, a count of monitor days above an AQI of 100, and the number of monitors included overall in the Wayne County Air Quality Monitoring Network. Change the selection and the boxes will recalculate.
- Map: Each dot is a single monitor, placed where it is located in the county. The shade of the dot reflects its average AQI for the selected pollutant across the reporting period — lighter color dots show lower levels, while darker color dots show higher levels.
- Bar chart: The chart shows one bar per day, averaged across selected monitors. Days with missing bars indicate that selected monitors were either under maintenance or that the collected data was not good enough to pass quality controls. The dashed horizontal lines mark the AQI levels of concern as defined by EPA, allowing a glance at which days crossed into a category of concern.
Tip: To compare two monitors or communities, select one, note the summary boxes, then switch to the other.
Note:
The monitors behind this dashboard are community air monitors. They give a fast, local, neighborhood-level picture, but they are not the official regulatory record. Federal and state reference monitors, operated under EPA methods, determine whether Wayne County meets national air quality standards. Use this dashboard to understand patterns over time — not to judge compliance with a standard.
Canadian Wildfires
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has set up a hotline for residents with health questions related to air quality issues. The number is 800-648-6942, and is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.
MDHHS Air Quality and Wildfire Smoke Information