Table 1.
Air Quality Indices and guidelines for some developed and developing countries (Australia 2019; Britain 2020; Li et al. 2018; Yang et al. 2019)
| Country/ Area | National Guideline | Year of implementation | Major pollutants | Measuring Time (Hour average) |
Safe limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Health Organisation | Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) | 2021 | PM2.5 | 24 | 15 µg m−3 |
| O3 | 8 | 100 µg m−3 | |||
| NO2 | 24 | 25 µg m−3 | |||
| SO2 | 24 | 40 µg m−3 | |||
| CO | 24 | 4 µg m−3 | |||
| United States | Air Quality Index (AQI) | 2016 | O3 | 8 | 0.1 ppm |
| PM2.5 | 24 | 15 ppm | |||
| CO | 8 | 50 ppm | |||
| SO2 | 1 | 5 ppm | |||
| NO2 | 1 | 5 ppm | |||
| Australia | National and Environmental Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality (Air NEPM) | 2016 | CO | 8 | 30 ppm |
| Lead | 1 | 20 µg/dL | |||
| NO2 | 1 | 3 ppm | |||
| PM2.5 | 24 | 0.1 mg/m3 | |||
| SO2 | 4 | 2 ppm | |||
|
The United Kingdom |
Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) | 2012 | O3 | 8 | 0.1 ppm |
| NO2 | 1 | 0.5 ppm | |||
| SO2 | 0.25 | 0.5 ppm | |||
| PM2.5 | 24 | 10 mg.m3 | |||
| People's Republic of China | Air Quality Index (AQI) | 2012 | SO2 | 1 | 150 µg m−3 |
| NO2 | 24 | 120 µg m−3 | |||
| PM2.5 | 24 | 150 µg m−3 | |||
| CO | 1 | 3.5 ppm | |||
| O3 | 8 | 160 µg m−3 | |||
| PM10 | 24 | ||||
| European Union | Air pollution Index (API) | 2007 | PM2.5 | 24 | 50 µg m−3 |
| SO2 | 24 | 125 µg m−3 | |||
| O3 | 8 | 120 µg m−3 | |||
| NO2 | 1 | 200 µg m−3 | |||
| CO | 8 | 20 ppm |
This table focuses on a limited range of criteria pollutants, and does not cover the full range of domestic guidelines