Beyond AQI: What Air Quality Numbers Miss and Why It Matters
Thu, 12 Feb
|Zoom
IAQN is organizing a webinar that brings together students, researchers, and professionals to examine why air quality cannot be explained by AQI alone. Join us on 12 February as we look beyond simplified indices to understand the deeper insights within air quality data.
Time & Location
12 Feb 2026, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm IST
Zoom
About the event
When One Number Isn’t Enough to Tell the Full Story
Air Quality Index (AQI) has become the most common language of air pollution.
It simplifies complex science into a single value, helping communicate risk quickly and widely.
But air quality is far more nuanced than one number can capture.
Behind every AQI reading lies a deeper story, of pollutants, exposure patterns, spatial variability, data gaps, and uncertainty. When we rely only on a single metric, we risk missing critical insights that shape public understanding, scientific interpretation, and policy decisions.
This session explores what AQI tells us, what it leaves out, and why granular, data-driven air quality information is essential for building credible science, effective policy dialogue, and meaningful public engagement.