27/11/2019 WHO Air Quality Guidelines

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WHO Air Quality Guidelines

Air Quality

Author(s): World Health Organisation (WHO)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set guidelines on outdoor (ambient) air pollution levels, which are widely used as
reference tools by policymakers across the world to set standards and goals for air quality management. The guidelines provide
evidenced, health-based standards for specific air pollutants that cities should adopt as air quality targets. This webpage contains
details of the WHO standards.

Air pollution has severe health impacts in cities around the globe. Outdoor air pollution caused an estimated 4.2 million premature
deaths worldwide in 2016. PM2.5, fine particulate matter of 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter, is the most dangerous pollutant
because it can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the blood system, causing cardiovascular and respiratory disease and cancers. By
reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease, and long and short-term illnesses.

The WHO guidelines state that annual average concentrations of PM2.5 should not exceed 10 µg/m3, while 24-hour average exposures
should not exceed 25 µg/m3 more than 3 times a year.

You can consult our Air Quality Explorer to view your city’s PM2.5 concentrations relative to the WHO guideline, and relative to
other cities in your region. The BreatheLife2030 website is another useful resource for understanding your city’s air quality, and the
health impacts of air pollution in your country.

For cities a long way from meeting that goal, three interim target standards are recommended:

https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/WHO-Air-Quality-Guidelines?language=en_US 1/2
27/11/2019 WHO Air Quality Guidelines

15 µg/m3 annual mean, 37.5 µg/m3 24-hour mean.

25 µg/m3 annual mean, 50 µg/m3 24-hour mean.
35 µg/m3 annual mean, 75 µg/m3 24-hour mean.

Cities should also adopt WHO standards for other pollutants:

PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less) concentrations of 20 µg/m3 annual average, and 50 µg/m3 24-
hour mean.
Ground level ozone (O3, a major constituent of photochemical smog) concentrations of 100 µg/m3, 8-hour mean.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2, an important component of PM2.5) concentrations of 40 µg/m3 annual average and 200 µg/m3 1-hour
average.
Sulphur dioxide (SO2) concentrations of 20 µg/m3 24-hour average and 500 µg/m3 10-minute average.

Action by city, national and regional level policy-makers working in the transport, energy, waste management, urban planning and
agriculture sectors are vital for cleaner air. Click here for impactful actions cities can take.

What you can find on the website:

Background facts on global air pollution.
Further details on the guidelines for each air pollutant (particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur
dioxide).
Principal sources and health effects of each pollutant.
Examples of successful policies in transport, urban planning, power generation and industry that reduce air pollution, such as
shifting to clean modes of power generation for transport.

https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/WHO-Air-Quality-Guidelines?language=en_US 2/2