Leaf rating
The leaf rating is AirScape's way of showing long-term air quality at a location. Unlike the AQI, which shows current conditions, the leaf rating reflects air quality over an extended period — giving you a sense of what to expect day after day.
Understanding the rating
The leaf rating uses a simple visual scale:
| Rating | Meaning | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃 | Excellent | Consistently clean air, rarely exceeds safe levels |
| 🍃🍃🍃🍃 | Good | Generally healthy air with occasional moderate days |
| 🍃🍃🍃 | Moderate | Mixed conditions, some days may be unhealthy for sensitive groups |
| 🍃🍃 | Poor | Frequently elevated pollution, regular caution advised |
| 🍃 | Very Poor | Persistently unhealthy air quality |
How it's calculated
The leaf rating considers:
- Average pollution levels over weeks and months
- Frequency of unhealthy days: How often air quality exceeds safe thresholds
- Pollutant mix: Weighted by health impact of different pollutants
- Seasonal patterns: Accounting for predictable variations
When to use the leaf rating
The leaf rating is most useful for:
Long-term decisions
- Choosing where to live or work
- Selecting schools for your children
- Planning major life changes
Understanding patterns
- Knowing what air quality to generally expect
- Identifying locations with chronic pollution problems
- Comparing neighborhoods for overall air quality
Leaf rating vs. AQI
| Leaf Rating | AQI |
|---|---|
| Long-term average | Current conditions |
| Stable, changes slowly | Changes throughout the day |
| Good for planning | Good for immediate decisions |
| Shows chronic exposure risk | Shows acute exposure risk |
Improving your area's leaf rating
Long-term air quality improves through:
- Reduced traffic and emissions in the area
- Better urban planning and green spaces
- Community advocacy for clean air policies
- Support for air quality monitoring and awareness