August 30, 2023

Breathe Easy: Navigating the World of Air Quality Indices

Outdoor Air Pollution

Exploring Air Quality Indexes Worldwide: A Look into Varied Systems and Local Measurements. Discover the Diverse AQI Systems and Localized Indices for Countries Across the Globe.

The list of monitored pollutants in different countries:

  • Particulate Matter (PM2.5)
  • Particulate Matter (PM10)
  • Ozone (O3)
  • Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
  • Carbon monoxide (CO)
  • Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

Every pollutant is observed for a specific duration, after which its value is employed in calculating the index. Every country has its unique way of representing index ranges. If the range isn't defined, a textual description is utilized.

Air Quality Indices by Country

Air Quality Index Country Range PM2.5 PM10 O3 NO2 CO SO2
IQA (AD) Andorra 1-6 24h 24h 1h 1h 8h 1h
AQI (AU) Australia (NEPM) 0-200 24h 24h 1h/4h 1h 8h 1h
AQC (AU-NSW) Australia (NSW) 0-200 24h 24h 1h/4h 1h 8h 1h
AQI (AT) Austria 1-5 - 24h 1h/8h 0.5h/24h 1h/8h 0.5h/24h
AQI (AT-Vienna) Austria (Vienna) 1-6 - 24h 1h/8h 0.5h/24h 1h/8h 0.5h/24h
BelAQI (BE) Belgium 1-10 24h 24h 1h 1h - -
AQI (BD) Bangladesh 0-500 24h 24h 1h/8h 24h 8h -
AQI (BG) Bulgaria 1-10 - 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h
AQI (BR) Brasil 0-200 24h 24h 8h 1h 8h 24h
AQHI (CA) Canada 1-10+ 3h 3h 3h 3h - -
CAQI (EU) Europe 0-100 1h/24h 1h/24h 1h 1h 8h 1h
KBI (CH) Switzerland - - 24h 1h 24h - -
AQI (CN) China 0-500 24h 24h 1h/8h 24h 24h 24h
IBOCA (CO) Colombia 0-100 24h 24h 8h 1h 8h 1h
ICCA (CR) Costa Rica 0-100 24h 24h 1h 1h 8h 24h
AQI (CY) Cyprus 1-4 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h
AQI (CZ) Czechia - - 3h 3h 3h - 3h
LQI (DE) Germany - 24h 24h 1h 1h - -
IQCA (EC) Ecuador 0-500 24h 24h 8h 1h 8h 24h
ICA (ES) Spain - 24h 24h 8h 1h - 1h
AQI (EE) Estonia - 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h
AQI (FI) Finland - 1h 1h 1h 1h - 1h
IQA (FR) France - 24h 24h 24h 24h - 24h
DAQI (UK) United Kingdom 1-10 24h 24h 8h 1h - 0.25h
AQHI (GI) Gibraltar 1-10 24h 24h 8h 1h 8h 0.25h
AQHI (HK) Hong Kong 1-10 3h 3h 3h 3h - 3h
AQI (HU) Hungary 1-10 - 24h 8h 1h 1h 1h

Air Quality Index Country Range PM2.5 PM10 O3 NO2 CO SO2
ISPU (ID) India 0-500 24h 24h 24h 24h 24h 24h
NAQI (IN) Indonesia 0-500 24h 24h 1h 24h 8h 24h
AQIH (IE) Ireland 1-10 24h 24h 8h 1h - 1h
AQI (IL) Israel 100 to -400 24h 24h 8h 1h 0.5h 1h
CAI (KR) South Korea 0-500 12h 12h 1h 1h 1h 1h
KAQI (KW) Kuwait 0-500 - 24h 1h 1h 1h 1h
KBI (LI) Liechtenstein 1-6 - 24h 1h 24h - -
OUI (LT) Lithuania 1-5 - 24h 1h 1h 8h 1h
AQI (LU) Luxembourg 1-10 - 24h 1h 1h 1h 1h
ICARS (MX) Mexico (ICARS) - 12h 12h 1h 1h 8h 24h
AQI (MK) North Macedonia - 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h
AQI (MN) Mongolia 0-500 24h 24h 1h 1h 1h 1h
API (MY) Malaysia 0-500 24h 24h 1h 1h 8h 24h
LKI (NL) Netherlands 1-11 1h 1h 1h 1h - -
AQI (NO) Norway - 1h 1h 1h 1h - 1h
AQI (NZ) New Zealand - 24h 24h 1h 1h 1h 1h
INCA (PE) Peru - 24h 24h 8h 1h 8h 24h
AQI (PH) Philippines 0-500 24h 24h 1h 1h 8h 24h
AQI (PL) Poland - 1h 1h 1h 1h - 1h
IQar (PT) Portugal - 24h 24h 1h 1h - 1h
AQI (RO) Romania 1-6 - 24h 1h 1h 8h 1h
PSI (SG) Singapore 0-500 24h 24h 1h 1h 8h 24h
SAQI_11 (RS) Serbia 1-5 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h
AQI (SK) Slovakia - 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h
AQI (TH) Thailand 0-200 24h 24h 8h 1h 8h 1h
HKI (TR) Turkey 0-500 24h 24h 1h 1h 8h 1h
AQI (TW) Taiwan 0-500 24h 24h 1h 1h 8h 1h
AQI (US) United States 0-500 24h 24h 8h/1h 1h 8h 1h
AQI (VN) Vietnam 0-500 24h 24h 1h 1h 1h 1h

Expanded Pollutant Measures in Indexes

  • Ammonia (NH3)
  • Benzene (C6H6)
  • Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC)
  • Nitrogen monoxide (NO)

Air Quality Index Country Range PM2.5 PM10 O3 NO2 CO SO2 NH3 C6H6 NMHC NO
AQI (CY) Cyprus 1-4 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h - 1h - -
AQI (EE) Estonia - 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h 1h - -
NAQI (IN) Indonesia 0-500 24h 24h 1h 24h 8h 24h 24h - - -
AQI (LU) Luxembourg 1-10 - 24h 1h 1h 1h 1h - - - 1h

Countries utilizing CAQI (EU)

  • Albania
  • Armenia
  • Belarus
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Croatia
  • Denmark
  • Georgia
  • Greece
  • Italy
  • Kosovo
  • Latvia
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Moldova
  • Montenegro
  • Slovenia
  • Sweden
  • Ukraine

Countries utilizing AQI (US)

  • American Samoa
  • Argentina
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Brunei
  • Chile
  • Egypt
  • Ethiopia
  • Guam
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Morocco
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Puerto Rico
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States
  • Venezuela
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