Glossary of Air Monitoring

Term / Abbreviation Explanation
Air Quality Index (AQI) A national rating system for reporting daily air quality to the public.
Air toxics Air pollutants that may cause adverse health effects in humans, but do not have a NAAQS.
Ambient air Air in outdoors areas that are accessible to the general public.
Air Quality System (AQS) USEPA’s database for air quality data nationwide.
BAM New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Air Monitoring
CAMNET A network of real-time cameras established to raise public awareness of the effects of air pollution on visibility.
Canister A stainless steel container used for collecting an air sample to be analyzed in a lab.
CFR Health alert: Everyone may experience serious health effects.
CO Carbon monoxide, a criteria pollutants.
Coarse particles See PM10-2.5
Continuous monitor An instrument that collects data around the clock, throughout the tear, and transmits the data to a central data acquisition system every minute or hour.
Criteria pollutant An air pollutant for which a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) has been set (ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide & lead).
Design value (DV) A pollutant-specific statistic applied to air monitoring data that determines whether a National Ambient Air Quality Standard is being met.
Fine particles See PM2.5
Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) An “air toxic” pollutant that is listed in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and is subject to emissions limits for specific source types.
Health Benchmark A chemical-specific air concentration above which there may be human health concerns. For a carcinogen (cancer-causing chemical), the health benchmark is set at the air concentration that over a lifetime would cause no more than a one in a million increase in the likelihood of getting cancer. For a noncarcinogen, the health benchmark is the air concentration which is likely to cause no harm, even if exposure occurs on a daily basis for a lifetime.
Inhalable particles see PM10
Manual sampler An instrument that collects an air sample over a specific time period on a filter, adsorbent cartridge or canister, which is then manually retrieved for analysis.
NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standard; for specific air pollutants, a concentration allowable in ambient air.
NJDEP New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
NO Nitrogen oxide
NO2 Nitrogen dioxide, a criteria pollutant.
NOx Oxides of nitrogen.
NOy Oxides of nitrogen.
O3 Ozone, a criteria pollutant.
Ozone precursors a group of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that affect ozone formation and destruction in the atmosphere; also called PAMS pollutants.
PAMS Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Station; a site which measures ozone precursors.
Particulate matter A complex mix of liquid and/or solid particles in the atmosphere.
Pb Lead, a criteria pollutant and a HAP.
PM2.5 Fine particles, 2.5 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter or smaller; a criteria pollutant.
PM10 Inhalable particles, 10 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter or smaller; a criteria pollutant.
PM2.5 - Speciation A group of elements, ionic compounds and carbon compounds that are analyzed from fine particle samples.
ppb Parts per billion, concentration measurement usually used for gaseous pollutants.
ppm Parts per million, concentration measurement usually used for gaseous pollutants.
Real-time A system in which data is collected and (almost) immediately presented, usually every hour.
SO2 Sulfur dioxide, a criteria pollutant.
USEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency
VOC Volatile organic compound, a carbon-based chemical compound that is normally gaseous.
µg/m3 Micrograms per cubic meter, concentration measurement usually used for particulate matter.