Air Quality index
At ParticleMeter.com you can buy or rent a professional CEM particle meter. Most users measure air quality based on the air quality index. You select the setting "Mass concentration" and analyze the degree of air pollution along the air quality index. For extra detail in polluted areas, you can use the Particle Count setting. With 6 fine particle channels you can count the number of particles by particle size.
When classifying the air quality index table, we distinguish between 6 particle sizes with our CEM particle meter:- » PM10: Particles smaller than 10 micrometers
- » PM5: Particles smaller than 5 micrometers
- » PM2.5: smaller than 2.5 micrometers
- » PM 1: smaller than 1 micron (ultrafine particle)
- » PM0.5: smaller than 0.5 micron (ultrafine particle)
- » PM0.3: Particles smaller than 0.3 micron (ultrafine particle)
- » Mass concentration: μg / m3 (PM2.5 and PM10)
- » Number of particles: Total count in the room with a distinction of 6 particle sizes
Index for PM 2.5 Particle count measurment
- » EU Directive: PM10: 40 μg / m3 and PM2.5: 25 μg / m3
- » World Health Organization: PM10: 20 μg / m3 and PM2.5: 10 μg / m3
ParticleMeter.com recommends using the following particle Index table: Air Pollution Concentrations in micrograms per cubic meter of air.
| Air quality | PM2.5 | PM10 |
| Very good | <10 µg / m³ | <20 µg / m³ |
| Good | 10 - 15 µg / m³ | 20 - 30 µg / m³ |
| Moderate | 15 - 30 µg / m³ | 30 - 50 µg / m³ |
| Weak | 30 - 70 µg / m³ | 50 - 150 µg / m³ |
| Very weak | > 70 µg / m³ | > 150 µg / m³ |
Mass concentration - EPA Air Quality Index (AQI)
Globally, especially in America, another air quality index is being used with less stringent Indexs.| Air quality | PM2,5 | PM10 |
| Good | < 15 µg/m³ | < 54 µg/m³ |
| Moderate | 15 - 40 µg/m³ | 55 – 154 µg/m³ |
| Weak | 40 - 65 µg/m³ | 155 - 254 µg/m³ |
| Unhealthy | 65 - 150 µg/m³ | 255 – 354 µg/m³ |
| Extremely unhealthy | > 150 µg/m³ | > 355 µg/m³ |
| » Source: EPA Air Quality Index | ||
