AQHI Report + Black Carbon
September 11, 2026
Air & Radiation Administration
AQHI Time Series by Location
Annapolis
Cedar Heights
Cheverly
Curtis Bay
HCNR
HU - Beltsville
MOD_00733_AQHI
Turner Station North
Turner Station South
| Health Risk | AQHI | At Risk Population | General Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Risk | 1 – 3 | Enjoy your usual outdoor activities. | Ideal air quality for outdoor activities. |
| Moderate Risk | 4 – 6 | Consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous activities outdoors if you are experiencing symptoms. | No need to modify your usual outdoor activities unless you experience symptoms. |
| High Risk | 7 – 10 | Reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors. Children and the elderly should also take it easy. | Consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous activities outdoors if you experience symptoms. |
| Very High Risk | 10+ | Avoid strenuous activities outdoors. Children and the elderly should also avoid outdoor physical exertion. | Reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors, especially if you experience symptoms. |
Health Vulnerability Statement
All communities included in this report are designated as “underserved” by MDEnviroScreen. Notably, Turner Station, Cheverly, Cedar Heights, Curtis Bay, and areas near HCNR, and HU-B are further classified as “overburdened,” meaning they face a cumulative impact of three or more environmental or health stressors.
Critical sensitive population indicators (75th Percentile or higher):
Low Birth Weight: Curtis Bay and Turner Station.
Asthma Discharges: Annapolis, Curtis Bay, and Turner Station.
Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack): Curtis Bay and Turner Station.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a reliable guide to daily health risks, made stronger by the addition of black carbon data. While the AQHI+ successfully captures common and immediate threats to human health, no single index is exhaustive for all toxic substances or localized pollutants. Due to compounding health disparities and socio-environmental stressors, the reported AQHI+ represents a conservative baseline; the actual risk to residents in the tracts mentioned above is likely higher than this index alone suggests.
Spatial distribution of overburdened communities via MDEnviroScreen.
| Sensor | Total_Hours | Mean_AQHI | Median_AQHI | Max_AQHI | Hours_High_Risk | Min_AQHI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOD-00536 - Cheverly | 10463 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 54 | 1 |
| MOD-00537 - Turner Station North | 10326 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 263 | 1 |
| MOD-00733 | 196 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| MOD-00745 - Cedar Heights | 9337 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 92 | 1 |
| MOD-00746 - HCNR | 6028 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| MOD-00747 - Turner Station South | 12324 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 49 | 1 |
| MOD-00748 - Annapolis | 10057 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 0 |
| MOD-00749 - HU - Beltsville | 5041 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| MOD-00760 - Curtis Bay | 4819 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 69 | 0 |
| MOD-00824 - Curtis Bay | 2675 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Monitor | Total_Hours | Mean_AQHI | Median_AQHI | Max_AQHI | Hours_High_Risk | Min_AQHI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUB | 12153 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Essex | 0 | NaN | NA | -Inf | 0 | Inf |
| Lake_Montebello | 8408 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| Piney_Run | 12133 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| HCNR | 5658 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 1 |
Modulair Time Variation by Location
Annapolis
Cedar Heights
Cheverly
Curtis Bay
HCNR
HU - Beltsville
MOD_00733_AQHI
Turner Station North
Turner Station South
Regulatory Time Variation by Location
Howard U. (HUB) - Regulatory
Lake Montebello - Regulatory
Piney Run - Regulatory
HCNR - Hybrid Regulatory
| Sensor | Total Hours | Mean 880 | Median 880 | Max 880 | Min 880 | Skew | Kurtosis | #Hours ≥600 | %Hours ≥600 | #Hours ≥330 | %Hours ≥330 | #Hours ≥33 | %Hours ≥33 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B19939 | 8972 | 301.27 | 222.10 | 6794.342 | 0.00000 | 3.499732 | 33.49420 | 1108 | 12.3 | 2927 | 32.6 | 7864 | 87.7 |
| C14446 | 2337 | 410.12 | 250.42 | 6214.768 | 27.43333 | 3.736052 | 22.54589 | 422 | 18.1 | 902 | 38.6 | 2336 | 100.0 |
| D11556 | 10271 | 508.85 | 323.46 | 13107.623 | 0.00000 | 4.451771 | 41.41875 | 2841 | 27.7 | 5054 | 49.2 | 7797 | 75.9 |
| D11559 | 10895 | 313.45 | 195.55 | 10652.652 | 0.00000 | 5.360453 | 64.69504 | 1572 | 14.4 | 3454 | 31.7 | 7487 | 68.7 |
| D14645 | 11405 | 727.44 | 433.27 | 10757.428 | 0.00000 | 3.017957 | 14.99956 | 4409 | 38.7 | 6913 | 60.6 | 10720 | 94.0 |
| D14648 | 11815 | 581.66 | 370.49 | 18113.942 | 0.00000 | 5.804849 | 79.39128 | 3585 | 30.3 | 6558 | 55.5 | 11412 | 96.6 |
| D14780 | 1255 | 140.94 | 0.00 | 5184.350 | 0.00000 | 4.840741 | 36.92398 | 100 | 8.0 | 190 | 15.1 | 308 | 24.5 |
| D14781 | 9167 | 486.90 | 313.10 | 11284.238 | 0.00000 | 4.000030 | 31.50302 | 2242 | 24.5 | 4386 | 47.8 | 8563 | 93.4 |
Polar Plots by Location
Annapolis
Cedar Heights
Cheverly
Curtis Bay
HCNR
HU - Beltsville
Turner Station North
Turner Station South
Ratio Polar Plots by Location
Annapolis
PM1 / PM2.5
PM2.5 / PM10
BC / PM2.5
NO2 / NO
Cedar Heights
PM1 / PM2.5
PM2.5 / PM10
BC / PM2.5
NO2 / NO
Cheverly
PM1 / PM2.5
PM2.5 / PM10
BC / PM2.5
NO2 / NO
Curtis Bay
PM1 / PM2.5
PM2.5 / PM10
NO2 / NO
HCNR
PM1 / PM2.5
PM2.5 / PM10
NO2 / NO
HU - Beltsville
PM1 / PM2.5
PM2.5 / PM10
BC / PM2.5
NO2 / NO
Turner Station North
PM1 / PM2.5
PM2.5 / PM10
BC / PM2.5
NO2 / NO
Turner Station South
PM1 / PM2.5
PM2.5 / PM10
BC / PM2.5
NO2 / NO
Submit An Air Pollution Complaint
MDE’s Air Quality Compliance Program investigates concerns of dust, odor, smoke, open burning, and unpermitted emissions.
Complaints may be submitted to mdeair.complaints@maryland.gov or (410) 537-3215.
When submitting a complaint, please include: * Your name and contact information (phone number or email address); * The county you are calling about; * A brief description of your concern with an address.
Concerns related to agricultural issues can be directed to the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 410-841-5700.
Concerns related to vehicle emissions are dealt with by the Maryland Department’s Air Quality Mobile Sources Program at 410-537-3270.
Note: MDE does not regulate indoor air or mold.