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World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines (AQGs) and estimated reference levels (RLs)

Page Last modified 26 Jan 2023
1 min read
Photo: © Tolu Olarewaju on Unsplash

World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines (AQGs) and estimated reference levels (RLs) (a)

 

PollutantAveraging periodAQGRLComments
PM10 1 day


Calendar year		 45μg/m3


15μg/m3		 99th percentile (3-4 exceedance days per year). Updated 2021 guideline

Updated 2021 guideline
PM2.5 1 day


Calendar year		 15μg/m3


5μg/m3		 99th percentile (3-4 exceedance days per year). Updated 2021 guideline

Updated 2021 guideline
O3 Maximum daily 8-hour mean


Peak season (b)		 100μg/m3



60μg/m3		 99th percentile (3-4 exceedance days per year). New 2021 guideline

New 2021 guideline
NO2 1 hour
1 day



Calendar year		 200μg/m3
25μg/m3



10μg/m3
99th percentile (3-4 exceedance days per year). New 2021 guideline

Updated 2021 guideline
BaP Calendar year 0.12ng/m3
SO2 10 minutes

1 day		 500μg/m3

40μg/m3

99th percentile (3-4 exceedance days per year). New 2021 guideline
CO 1 hour

Maximum daily 8-hour mean

1 day		 30mg/m3

10mg/m3


4mg/m3




99th percentile (3-4 exceedance days per year). New 2021 guideline
C6H6 Calendar year 1.7μg/m3
Pb Calendar year 0.5μg/m3
As Calendar year 6.6ng/m3
Cd Calendar year 5ng/m3 (c)
Ni Calendar year 25ng/m3

 

Notes: 
(a) As WHO has not set an AQG for BaP, C6H6, As and Ni, the RL was estimated assuming an acceptable risk of additional lifetime cancer risk of approximately 1 in 100 000.

(b)  Average of daily maximum 8-hour mean concentration in the six consecutive months with the highest six-month running average O3 concentration.

(c) AQG set to prevent any further increase of Cd in agricultural soil, likely to increase the dietary intake of future generations.

Sources: WHO (2000, 2006, 2021). 

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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/status-of-air-quality-in-Europe-2022/europes-air-quality-status-2022/world-health-organization-who-air or scan the QR code.

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