Air quality monitoring apps are becoming a favorite among Americans. Tragically, they are growing in popularity thanks to a combination of the climate crisis and the massive wildfires that are burning down the West and creating enormous plumes of toxic smoke, choking communities from sea to shining sea. In fact, even 3,000 miles away on the East Coast, skies have grown murky because of all the smoke in the atmosphere.

The sad truth is that we’re riveted to air quality apps because we can see the haze and feel the smoke in the back of our throats but we’re just not sure what it all means. When we see that a 300 rating is a “hazardous” level, what do numbers north of 600 or even higher mean? What is happening to the lungs and hearts of our elderly mothers and fathers? How are babies with tiny organs faring? Are our