Clean Air Branch

Join us in celebrating Air Quality Awareness Week from May 4 – 8, 2026!  

Air Quality Awareness Week is a nationally recognized event in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and other Federal agencies with the goal to encourage people to incorporate air quality knowledge into their daily activities and take action to improve and protect their health and the environment.  During AQAW we highlight resources that increase air quality awareness, encourage people to stay aware of their air quality, and to learn how they can take action to prepare for and respond to events and environments with poor air quality. More information is available on U.S. EPA’s AQAW website.

Each day of AQAW focuses on an important air quality topic.  Please use the links below to access more information, resources, and the latest developments on these daily topics:

• Monday, May 4^th:                 Wildland Fires and Smoke
• Tuesday, May 5^th:                Asthma and Your Health
• Wednesday, May 6^th:           Indoor Air Quality
• Thursday, May 7^th:               Air, Animals, and Plants
• Friday, May 8^th:                    Knowing Your Air

Monday, May 4th – Wildland Fires and Smoke

• Visit U.S. EPA’s Wildland Fires and Smoke page for information on Wildland Fire Basics and more.
• U.S. EPA and U.S. Forest Service’s Fire and Smoke Map displays information on ground level air quality monitors recording fine particulates (PM_2.5) from smoke and other sources, as well as information on fires, smoke plume locations, and special statements about smoke issued by various sources. Click the FAQ button in the top right corner of the map to learn more.
• AirNow’s Wildfires webpage includes information and quick links for before a fire, during a fire, and after a fire.
• U.S. EPA maintains a Smoke-Ready Toolbox for Wildfires, which includes guides, fact sheets, brochures, infographics and web resources for use in learning about the health impacts of wildland fire smoke.
• U.S. EPA, U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintain public information pages for wildfires and smoke impacts on public health and air quality: U.S. EPA Wildfires, USFS  Wildland Fire, and CDC Wildfires.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program also provides open access data for wildfires on Earthdata.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) Fire Weather Outlook publishes a Hazard/Overview Map and daily Wildland Fire Outlook.
• The California Air Resources Board (CARB) maintains a webpage with resources and graphics for Protecting Yourself from Wildfire Smoke.

Tuesday, May 5th – Asthma and Your Health

• May is Asthma Awareness Month – a time to educate friends, family, and patients about asthma and promote awareness about how this serious, sometimes life-threatening, chronic respiratory disease can be controlled.
• Tuesday, May 5^th is World Asthma Day, an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. GINA has chosen the following theme for World Asthma Day 2026: “Access to anti-inflammatory inhalers for everyone with asthma – still an urgent need.”
• Several agencies maintain public information pages for asthma and healthy indoor air quality: U.S. EPA Asthma, CDC Asthma, and other U.S. EPA partners.
• U.S. EPA maintains a Healthy Heart Toolkit and Research webpage, which includes several resources for the public: Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease Basics; Steps you can take; Check pollution forecasts; Get free air pollution alerts by email; Fires and your health; and, Public education materials.

Wednesday, May 6th – Indoor Air Quality

• U.S. EPA’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) webpage provides information about the importance of good indoor air quality and how it can impact health. Learn more about Indoor Air Pollution and Health; Primary Causes of Indoor Air Problems; Improving Indoor Air Quality; and, Indoor Particulate Matter.
• U.S. EPA developed the guide Care for Your Air: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality, as well as the interactive Indoor Air Quality Demo House.
• U.S. EPA’s Wildfires and Indoor Air Quality webpage includes a wildfire resources one-pager with QR codes, including guidance for making a DIY air cleaner, how to create a clean room in your home, and guidance for schools and commercial buildings during wildfire smoke events.

Thursday, May 7th – Air, Animals and Plants

• EnviroAtlas provides geospatial data, easy-to-use tools, and other resources related to ecosystem services, including how they contribute to clean air.
• Several federal agencies maintain public information pages for visibility and haze: U.S. EPA Visibility and Regional Haze, NPS Air Pollution & Visibility, including a list of Class I Federal Areas protected by the Regional Haze Program and Class I sites monitored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Friday, May 8^th – Knowing Your Air

The Hawaii Department of Health’s Clean Air Branch is doing its part to keep our community informed about air quality in the islands. Check out these resources for up-to-date air quality information that can help you make decisions to protect your health.

• Stay informed on real-time criteria air pollutant levels throughout the state with the Clean Air Branch’s Hawaii Air Quality Data Map.
• Check out the EPA AirNow Fire and Smoke Map to see real-time PM_2.5 levels from permanent and temporary monitors and sensors across the state.
• Check out the EPA AirNow Hawaii Webpage to see real-time PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and ozone (O₃) levels across the state.
• Curious about how volcanic emissions and vog are affecting your area’s air quality? Follow current statewide sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and PM_2.5 levels with the Clean Air Branch’s Statewide Current SO₂ and PM_2.5 Conditions Map.
• Track real-time PM_2.5 levels across the state using PurpleAir’s Interactive Map, with data collected by community members just like you.

Air Quality Reports & Other Resources

Several other air quality reports and resources that may be helpful during AQAW 2026 are linked below:

• U.S. EPA’s AirNow website is a one-stop shop for air quality data. Learn more about the Air Quality Index (AQI) with AirNow’s AQI Publications, AQI Calculator, and U.S. EPA’s AQI Report.
• Visit U.S. EPA’s Air Data webpage to explore air quality data collected at outdoor monitors across the country. Check out information about the various summary reports.
• U.S. EPA’s Air Research webpage includes information about the scientific tools and information that support the rules that protect the quality of the air we breathe.
• U.S. EPA maintains a webpage on National Air Quality: Status and Trends of Key Air Pollutants, which includes links to the Agency’s latest air trends report, Our Nation’s Air: Trends Through 2024.
• U.S. EPA’s National Air Quality Summary includes air quality and emissions trends since 1980.
• U.S. EPA’s online Green Book includes mapped information on Nonattainment Areas for the Criteria Pollutants.
• U.S. EPA’s Report on the Environment (ROE) measures 80+ indicators that track the state of the environment and human health over time.
• U.S. EPA Office of Air and Radiation launched the Clean Air Act Resources for Data Centers webpage as a central location for Clean Air Act resources related to data centers.
• U.S. EPA’s Office of Research & Development Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program lays the foundation for research that promotes the strategic objectives of the Agency to improve air quality, address the causes and consequences of climate change, and protect public health and the environment – Learn more here: Air Research, Climate Research. 
• The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) has pre-published a new Green Report on Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Protection that compiles information from 21 state environmental agencies on preparations for and early use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support and modernize environmental protection.
• A sampling of state activities to celebrate Earth Day 2026 can be found here from ECOS.
• Check out U.S. EPA’s Science Matters and articles related to air research!

Air Quality Awareness Week Activity Resources

• Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Air Fortune Teller Template and Air Quality Origami
• North Carolina’s Department of Air Quality’s Air Quality Origami Template and The Adventures of Clair and CAM Curriculum