With the continuous evolution of new technologies, the way we obtain information has also changed. Today, we can look for it in a matter of seconds on our mobile phones or laptops. But, if you turn to the past, it was necessary to go to a library and use indexes for finding it.
Therefore, the name of an index is related to a book that was used to find information quickly. And, this is why today we understand that such a system is a collection of data organized so that you can find it quickly and easily.
According to the EIU Economic Forecast Survey carried out in October 2018, economic growth in Europe is expected to decline slightly in 2019, to 2.1%. This decline will be mainly due to uncertainties surrounding Brexit, as well as weaker activity in Germany and Italy. In addition, no major economic recovery is expected in 2020 (2.0%).
These data are related to the economic and financial state of countries and they are important for companies that want to invest or sell in them. However, we can’t forget about environmental indicators like air quality data. These information can be extracted and understood with an API.
What Is An API?
So what are APIs? Application Programming Interfaces enable communication between different programs and systems through a standardized set of communication protocols and requirements. This means that they provide input parameters that must be met by the endpoint that will receive the API response before making the request.
In general terms, APIs are software components that provide various functions such as retrieving or uploading data, or providing notifications via email, among others. In our case, we will focus on air quality APIs which are tools that provide real-time air quality data.
Air Quality Data With An API
An API called Index API will provide you with all this information! With this tool you can research current, historical and forecasted air quality data using its online interface. You will only need the ZIP code of the location you want to check for information! It will provide you with data about PM2.5 levels; which means it can calculate concentrations of fine airborne particles with
This API will retrieve the current, historical, and forecasted Air Quality Index of any location in the world.
To make use of it, you must first:
1- Go to Air Quality Index API and simply click on the button “Subscribe for free” to start using the API.
2- After signing up in Zyla API Hub, you’ll be given your personal API key. Using this one-of-a-kind combination of numbers and letters, you’ll be able to use, connect, and manage APIs!
3- Employ the different API endpoints depending on what you are looking for.
4- Once you meet your needed endpoint, make the API call by pressing the button “run” and see the results on your screen.
