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PM10 is emitted mainly by the combustion of solid fuels for domestic heating, although industrial activities, agriculture and transport are also significant sources (EEA, 2025a). Some comes from natural sources such as Saharan dust, sea salt or volcanoes. Other secondary PM forms in the atmosphere when different gases (for instance, ammonia (NH3) and NO2) combine.
For air quality compliance assessments, Member States are allowed to discount the contribution of natural sources to PM10 concentrations (according to certain principles or conditions), as these sources are out of their control. Provided that reasonable measures have been taken to lower concentrations, Member States can also discount PM10 contributions due to winter sanding and salting as these are safety-related applications. However, neither natural sources nor winter sanding and salting have been subtracted from the levels shown in this status analysis.
Both the EU and WHO have set values for short- (24-hour) and long-term (annual) concentrations of PM10. The current and 2030 EU standards together with the WHO AQG levels are given in Table 1.
Table 1. EU air quality standards and WHO AQG levels for PM10
Current EU standard | 2030 EU standard | WHO 2021 AQG level | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Averaging period | Limit value | Not to be exceeded more than | Limit value | Not to be exceeded more than | AQG level | Comments |
24 hours | 50μg/m3 | 35 days/year | 45μg/m3 | 18 days/year | 45μg/m3 | 99th percentile (3-4 days/year) |
1 calendar year | 40μg/m3 | 20μg/m3 | 15μg/m3 |
The EEA has officially received valid 2024 PM10 data from 37 of the reporting countries (all, excluding Albania and Liechtenstein). All the participating countries have submitted preliminary data for 2025 except the EU Member State of Denmark as well as Albania, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Serbia and Türkiye.
Daily limit values
Some eastern European countries and Italy recorded concentrations above the current EU DLV for PM10 (Map 1 and Figure 2). In some central and eastern European countries, solid fuels such as coal and wood are used to heat households and in some industrial facilities and power plants. The Po Valley in northern Italy is a densely populated and industrialised area with specific meteorological and geographical conditions that favour the accumulation of air pollutants. In the Canary Islands, some concentrations are also above the EU DLV, mainly due to the natural contributions of Saharan dust (MITECO and CSIC, 2025).
Overall, 12.5% of reporting stations had 2024 concentrations above the current DLV for PM10. These were located in 12 Member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden) and six other reporting countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye) as shown in Figure 2. Of these, 87% were urban stations and 10.3% were suburban.
In addition to data collected from monitoring stations, countries can also use modelling applications to assess their compliance with the standards. For 2024, Italy and Poland reported PM10 DLV exceedances for five air quality zones each, based on assessment models.
In 2025, 4.8% of monitoring stations measured concentrations of PM10 above the current EU DLV (Map 1), 78% of which were urban and 16.1% suburban. They were located in 12 Member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden) and three other reporting countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Norway) as shown in Map 1.
Map 1. Concentrations of PM10 in 2024 and 2025 in relation to the current EU daily limit value
Figure 2. PM10 concentrations in 2024 by country in relation to the current EU daily limit value
Map 2 shows that 70.3% of reporting stations registered concentrations of PM10 below the 2030 DLV in 2024. In six Member States (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) as well as in Andorra, Iceland and Switzerland all the stations had concentrations below the 2030 DLV.
Map 2. Concentrations of PM10 in 2024 in relation to the 2030 EU daily limit value
Annual limit values
In 2024, 4% of the reporting stations registered concentrations above the current ALV. They were located in three Member States (Italy, Romania and Spain) as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye (Map 3).
Map 3 also shows that 62.7% of the reporting stations registered concentrations below the 2030 ALV. All the stations in five Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland and Luxembourg) as well as those in Andorra, Iceland and Switzerland already had concentrations below the 2030 ALV in 2024.
Map 3. Concentrations of PM10 in 2024 in relation to the current PM10 EU annual limit values and WHO annual AQG levels
Figure 3 provides a summary of the PM10 monitoring stations above EU air quality standards and WHO AQG levels.
Figure 3. Percentage of reporting monitoring stations registering PM10 concentrations above EU limit values and WHO AQG levels
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