India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for various air pollutants. As of 2024, the annual standard for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was 40 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). The current annual standard for PM2.5 is around eight times higher than the WHO guidelines. Once inhaled, PM2.5 can lead to various health issues in humans, including heart disease, lung cancer, and premature mortality.
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National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India as of 2024, by select pollutant and averaging time
(in micrograms per cubic meter)
ppm = parts per million; ppb = parts per billion; μg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter.
*Primary standards provide public health protection, including protecting the health of "sensitive" populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly.
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WHO. (February 12, 2025). National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India as of 2024, by select pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 07, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1564263/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-india/
WHO. "National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India as of 2024, by select pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter) ." Chart. February 12, 2025. Statista. Accessed July 07, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1564263/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-india/
WHO. (2025). National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India as of 2024, by select pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter) . Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 07, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1564263/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-india/
WHO. "National Ambient Air Quality Standards (Naaqs) in India as of 2024, by Select Pollutant and Averaging Time (in Micrograms per Cubic Meter) ." Statista, Statista Inc., 12 Feb 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1564263/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-india/
WHO, National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India as of 2024, by select pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1564263/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-india/ (last visited July 07, 2025)
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India as of 2024, by select pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter) [Graph], WHO, February 12, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1564263/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-india/
