AQI to Cigarette Calculator

About This Tool

Purpose & User Intent: The tool converts an Air Quality Index (AQI) value into an estimated daily cigarette-equivalent exposure. It targets environmental health researchers, educators, policy analysts, and students who need a quick, interpretable metric to contextualize air quality for risk communication, policy discussion, and educational demonstrations. The calculator supports US EPA AQI values (0–500) and returns cigarettes_per_day. Example: an AQI of 75 maps to roughly 3.5 cigarettes per day under the base linear mapping, providing a tangible reference without medical claims. The intent is to offer a transparent comparative metric that helps translate air quality information into a familiar tobacco-exposure context. This is a modeling tool, not a medical device.

Core Logic & Features: Inputs include aqi_value (0–500) and optional altitude_meters for a small adjustment; outputs deliver cigarettes_per_day. The base calculation uses a simple linear mapping: base_cigarettes = (aqi_value / 12.5) - 0.5, clamped to [0, 40]. Optional features (advanced) include altitude_meters with an adjustment factor to reflect inhalation changes at elevation. The tool validates inputs, returns one-decimal results, and adheres to US AQI conventions for consistency in education and analysis.

Algorithms & Calculations: Calculation steps define base = max(0, (aqi_value / 12.5) - 0.5); if altitude_meters is provided, apply a small adjustment (effective = base * (1 - 0.0005 * altitude_meters)); final result is clamped to [0, 40]. Example values: aqi 0 → 0; 75 → 3.5; 300 → 23.5. The approach is a rough interpretive aid rather than a dosimetric model.

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