PM2.5 Average Values

In 2012, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) established two complementary primary regulatory standards for PM2.5.  The first is based on a yearly average value and is set at 12 micrograms per cubic meter, µg/m3, based on the average annual weighted mean value, averaged over 3 years.  The second standard is based on daily averages and is set at 35µg/m3 based on the 98th percentile of daily values, averaged over 3 years.  Any site whose 3-year average exceeds either of these values has failed to attain USEPA standards.  The design value is the actual value recorded at a given site used to demonstrate attainment of either of these standards. 

 

To view daily standard and annual design values by county, please select the desired time period below.

Design Values for PM2.5

Tab/Accordion Items

Map of North Carolina counties with PM2.5 values as listed in chart below.
For a larger version of this map, click here.

 

Map of Counties of North Carolina with values listed in chart below
For a larger version of this map, click here

 

At present, all PM2.5 sites in North Carolina meet the USEPA PM2.5 standard.  The table below lists the 3-year average values for PM2.5 sites in North Carolina.  The first column lists the county in which the monitor is located.  The second column lists the 3-year annual average weighted mean design value.  The third column lists the 3-year average 98th percentile daily design value.  Where multiple sites exist in one county, only the data from the site reporting the highest value has been reported.  Data that fail to meet the regulatory completeness requirements for a 3-year average have not been included.

County

2018- 2020 Design Value
Average 3-Year Annual
Weighted Mean

2018- 2020 Design Value 
Average 3-Year Daily
98th Percentile

Buncombe [1]    

5.7

12

Catawba [1]   

8.0 17

Cumberland [1]  

7.2 13

Davidson [1]   

8.8 19

Durham [1]    

7.7 17

Forsyth [1]  

7.9 17

Guilford [1]    

6.8 15

Jackson

6.4 14

Johnston [1]  

7.6

16

Mecklenburg [1] 

8.9

17

Mitchell [1]  

5.5 13

Montgomery [1]  

7.4

14

New Hanover [1] 

3.7 12

Pitt [1] 

6.2

13

Swain[1]  

7.0 15

Wake [3,1]   

7.5 15

 

Purpose of Monitor

[1] SLAMS – (State and Local Monitoring Stations) Network of monitoring stations that monitor ambient air concentrations for pollutants for which standards have been established. The scale of these sites can be either neighborhood or urban.

[2] SPM – (Special Purpose Monitors) SPMs allow the capability of providing monitoring for various reasons such as special studies, modeling verification or compliance status, and other objectives. These monitors are not committed to any one location or for any specified period.

[3] NCORE – (National Core) Community-oriented multi-pollutant monitoring station used to evaluate the regional air quality models used in developing emission strategies and to track trends in air pollution abatement control measures’ impact on improving air quality.

Please click here to open the PM2.5 Daily Standard Design Values map as a PDF.

 

 

Please click here to open the PM2.5 Annual Design Values map as a PDF.

 

 

At present, all PM2.5 sites in North Carolina meet the USEPA PM2.5 standard.  The table below lists the 3-year average values for PM2.5 sites in North Carolina.  The first column lists the county in which the monitor is located.  The second column lists the 3-year annual average weighted mean design value.  The third column lists the 3-year average 98th percentile daily design value.  Where multiple sites exist in one county, only the data from the site reporting the highest value has been reported.  Data which fail to meet the regulatory completeness requirements for a 3-year average have not been included.

County

2017- 2019 Design Value
Average 3-Year Annual
Weighted Mean

2017- 2019 Design Value 
Average 3-Year Daily
98th Percentile

Buncombe [1]    

6.3

13

Catawba [1]   

8.3 18

Cumberland [1]  

7.8 16

Davidson [1]   

8.8 19

Durham [1]    

8.2 16

Forsyth [1]  

7.8 17

Guilford [1]    

7.3 15

Jackson

6.6 14

Johnston [1]  

7.9

15

Mecklenburg [1] 

9.0

18

Mitchell [1]  

6.1 13

Montgomery [1]  

6.8

14

New Hanover [1] 

4.5 12

Pitt [1] 

6.5

13

Swain[1]  

7.6 16

Wake [3,1]   

8.1 16

 

Purpose of Monitor

[1] SLAMS – (State and Local Monitoring Stations) Network of monitoring stations that monitor ambient air concentrations for pollutants for which standards have been established. The scale of these sites can be either neighborhood or urban.

[2] SPM – (Special Purpose Monitors) SPMs allow the capability of providing monitoring for various reasons such as special studies, modeling verification or compliance status, and other objectives. These monitors are not committed to any one location or for any specified period.

[3] NCORE – (National Core) Community-oriented multi-pollutant monitoring station used to evaluate the regional air quality models used in developing emission strategies and to track trends in air pollution abatement control measures’ impact on improving air quality.

Please click here to open the PM2.5 Daily Standard Design Values map as a PDF.

A map of North Carolina PM2.5 annual design values form 2016 to 2018.

Please click here to open the PM2.5 Daily Standard Design Values map as a PDF.

At present, all PM 2.5 sites in North Carolina meet the USEPA PM 2.5 standard.  The table below lists the 3-year average values for PM2.5 sites in North Carolina.  The first column lists the county in which the monitor is located.  The second column lists the 3-year annual average weighted mean design value.  The third column lists the 3-year average 98th percentile daily design value.  Where multiple sites exist in one county, only the data from the site reporting the highest value has been reported.  Data which fail to meet the regulatory completeness requirements for a 3-year average have not been included.

County2016- 2018 Design Value
Average 3-Year Annual
Weighted Mean
2016- 2018 Design Value 
Average 3-Year Daily
98th Percentile
Buncombe [1]    7.122
Catawba [1]   8.620
Cumberland [1]  8.118
Davidson [1]   8.719
Durham [1]    8.618
Forsyth [1]  7.516
Guilford [1]    7.816
Jackson7.828
Johnston [1]  7.815
Mecklenburg [1] 8.518
Mitchell [1]  7.021
Montgomery [1]  6.314
New Hanover [1] 4.8                              13
Pitt [1] 6.613
Swain[1]  8.3 25
Wake [3,1]   7.715
A map of North Carolina PM2.5 daily standard design values from 2016 to 2018.
Purpose of Monitor

[1] SLAMS – (State and Local Monitoring Stations) Network of monitoring stations that monitor ambient air concentrations for pollutants for which standards have been established. The scale of these sites can be either neighborhood or urban.

[2] SPM – (Special Purpose Monitors) SPMs allow the capability of providing monitoring for various reasons such as special studies, modeling verification or compliance status, and other objectives. These monitors are not committed to any one location or for any specified period.

[3] NCORE – (National Core) Community-oriented multi-pollutant monitoring station used to evaluate the regional air quality models used in developing emission strategies and to track trends in air pollution abatement control measures’ impact on improving air quality.

A map of North Carolina PM2.5 daily standard design values form 2015 to 2017.

Please click here to open the PM2.5 Daily Standard Design Values map as a PDF.

A map of North Carolina PM2.5 annual design values from 2015 to 2017.

Please click here to open the PM2.5 Annual Design Values map as a PDF.

At present all PM 2.5 sites in North Carolina meet the USEPA PM 2.5 standard.  The table below lists the 3-year average values for PM2.5 sites in North Carolina.  The first column lists the county in which the monitor is located.  The second column lists the 3-year annual average weighted mean design value.  The third column lists the 3-year average 98th percentile daily design value.  Where multiple sites exist in one county, only the data from the site reporting the highest value has been reported.  Data which fail to meet the regulatory completeness requirements for a 3-year average have not been included.

County2015- 2017 Design Value
Average 3-Year Annual
Weighted Mean
2015- 2017 Design Value 
Average 3-Year Daily
98th Percentile
Buncombe [1]    7.4 23
Catawba [1]   8.7  20
Cumberland [1]  8.3 17
Davidson [1]   8.4  19
Durham [1]    8.8  19
Forsyth [1]  7.6  16
Guilford [1]    8.2 16
Johnston [1]  7.4 15
Mecklenburg [1] 8.7 18
Mitchell [1]  7.5  20
Montgomery [1]  6.5  15
New Hanover [1] 5.7                               14
Pitt [1] 6.9  14
Swain[1]  8.1 25
Wake [3]   8.8 18
Purpose of Monitor

[1] SLAMS – (State and Local Monitoring Stations) Network of monitoring stations that monitor ambient air concentrations for pollutants for which standards have been established. The scale of these sites can be either neighborhood or urban.

[2] SPM – (Special Purpose Monitors) SPMs allow the capability of providing monitoring for various reasons such as special studies, modeling verification or compliance status, and other objectives. These monitors are not committed to any one location or for any specified period.

[3] NCORE – (National Core) Community-oriented multi-pollutant monitoring station used to evaluate the regional air quality models used in developing emission strategies and to track trends in air pollution abatement control measures’ impact on improving air quality.

A map of North Carolina PM2.5 daily standard design values from 2013 to 2015.

Please click here to open the PM2.5 Daily Standard Design Values map as a PDF.

 

A map of North Carolina PM2.5 annual design values from 2013 to 2015.

Please click here to open the PM2.5 Annual Design Values map as a PDF.

 

Table 1. The following table shows the 3-year averages (2013-2015) for PM2.5. The first column lists the county, the second column lists the annual average, and the third column lists the 98th percentile daily average. The current annual standard is 12 ug/m3 and the current daily standard is 35 ug/m3

County2013-2015 Annual 3-Year Average

2013-2015 Daily 3-Year Average 

98th Percentile

Alamance8.1 ug/m316 ug/m3
Buncombe7.7 ug/m315 ug/m3
Caswell8.8 ug/m318 ug/m3
Catawba8.9 ug/m318 ug/m3
Cumberland8.5 ug/m316 ug/m3
Davidson9.2 ug/m323 ug/m3
Duplin7.3 ug/m315 ug/m3
Durham8.3 ug/m318 ug/m3
Forsyth8.5 ug/m319 ug/m3
Guilford8.4 ug/m319 ug/m3
Haywood8.2 ug/m318 ug/m3
Jackson7.3 ug/m315 ug/m3
Johnston7.3 ug/m316 ug/m3
Martin6.9 ug/m314 ug/m3
McDowell8.4 ug/m316 ug/m3
Mecklenburg9.0 ug/m318 ug/m3
Montgomery8.0 ug/m315 ug/m3
New Hanover6.5 ug/m314 ug/m3
Pitt7.3 ug/m315 ug/m3
Rowan8.7 ug/m317 ug/m3
Swain7.6 ug/m318 ug/m3
Wake10.7 ug/m322 ug/m3
Watauga6.7 ug/m315 ug/m3
Wayne8.9 ug/m318 ug/m3