One of the most critical responsibilities of the Air Quality Division is monitoring Oklahoma's Air Quality.
This report makes monitoring information available to the public in a consistent form that helps Oklahomans become more aware of the air they breathe.
Criteria Pollutants
This report covers the seven criteria pollutants associated with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
DEQ Air Quality Monitoring
The monitoring unit measures criteria air pollutant concentrations at several sites across Oklahoma. This report includes data from 30 sites.
Tulsa Peoria site 1127 monitors CO, NO2, O3, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5. The site is part of a National Core ("NCore") network of ~80 stations which use advanced instruments to detect trace air pollutant levels.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set ambient air quality standards for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment. They are called “criteria pollutants” because of the criteria developed to limit their emission. The primary standards provide public health protection, and the secondary standards provide public welfare protection against poor visibility and damage to crops, vegetation, and buildings.
Each NAAQS defines the maximum permissible concentrations for criteria pollutants. The standards are periodically revised by EPA to take into account new health research. The primary standard must be adequate to protect at-risk groups like children, those with lung diseases, and the elderly.
| Pollutant | Standard | Averaging Time | Level | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon Monoxide | Primary | 8-hour | 9 ppm | Not to be exceeded more than once per year | |
| 1-hour | 35 ppm | ||||
| Lead | Primary and Secondary | Rolling 3 month average |
0.15 μg/m3 | Not to be exceeded | |
| Nitrogen Dioxide | Primary | 1-hour | 100 ppb | 98th percentile (3 yr avg) | |
| Primary and Secondary | Annual | 53 ppb | Annual mean | ||
| Ozone | Primary and Secondary | 8-hour | 0.070 ppm | Annual 4th-highest daily max 8-hr concentration (3 yr avg) |
|
| Particulate Matter | PM10 | Primary and Secondary | 24-hour | 150 μg/m3 | Not to be exceeded more than once per year (3 yr avg) |
| PM2.5 | Primary | Annual | 12 μg/m3 | Annual mean (3 yr avg) | |
| Secondary | Annual | 15 μg/m3 | Annual mean (3 yr avg) | ||
| Primary and Secondary | 24-hour | 35 μg/m3 | 98th percentile (3 yr avg) | ||
| Sulfur Dioxide | Primary | 1-hour | 75 ppb | 99th percentile of 1-hour daily max concentrations (3 yr avg) | |
| Secondary | 3-hour | 0.5 ppm | Not to be exceeded more than once per year | ||