Air Quality

Air Quality Standards: Ozone and VOC Monitoring in PPB vs PPM

How atmospheric chemists and environmental monitoring stations measure ozone, volatile organic compounds, and airborne pollutants in PPB and PPM.

D
Dr. Elena Vance, PhD
Environmental Science Specialist

Air Quality Standards: Ozone and VOC Monitoring in PPB vs PPM

Ambient air monitoring utilizes both parts per million (PPMv) and parts per billion (PPBv) by volume under Standard Temperature and Pressure (STP).

  • Ground-Level Ozone (O3): Standard is 70 PPB (0.070 PPM).
  • Carbon Monoxide (CO): 8-hour benchmark is 9 PPM (9,000 PPB).
  • Total VOCs in Indoors: Ideal threshold less than 500 PPB (0.5 PPM).