Garcia, JavierColosio, JoelleJamet, PhilippePillmann, WernerTochtermann, Klaus2019-09-162019-09-162002https://dl.gi.de/handle/20.500.12116/26899Air Quality Indexes (AQI) have been developed since 1969, when they were used for the first time, in Toronto, Canada, to inform population about air quality. AQI have gained popularity since then, so many countries and regions use them in their Air Quality Management’s Systems. Their main aim is to inform the non-specialist public about atmospheric pollution. In France, the ATMO index has existed since 1995. Its practical use was made official by a decree in March, 2000. An international survey (assessment) among 47 countries or regions was conducted in 2000 in France by ADEME4 and Ecole de Mines de Paris to hold information about AQI. The survey seeks to help designers of air-quality indexes by proposing a methodology for index’s elaboration according to the desired objective of communication. A total of 32 AQI from 28 countries were analysed referring to their main goals, namely: communication, air quality assessment, decisions on high pollution events. AQI were compared upon their mathematical function; restitution method; local, regional or national appliance; communication period (hourly, daily); pollutants and time period integration included; use of qualitative categories; accordance with other air quality management’s tools (e.g. forecast, health effects, alert episodes). The results have allowed to develop an AQI typology and to propose an AQI elaboration methodology. Any abstracts submitted will be printed at the beginning of the paper in a somewhat smaller format.Text/Conference Paper