New Jersey has been divided into nine (9) Pollutant Standards Index reporting regions. An air quality summary and forecast, known as the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is reported daily for each region in New Jersey. Each pollutant monitored in the region is given a numerical PSI rating based on the concentration recorded for the previous day. The total PSI for the region is equal to the highest rating given to any pollutant within that region. A PSI rating of 100 or greater indicates that at least one pollutant has reached or exceeded the applicable primary ambient air quality standard.
In this region, monitoring sites are located at Colliers Mills and Monmouth University for ozone (O3), Toms River for particulate matter.
Table 2: National Ambient Air Quality Standards
| Primary | Secondary | |
|---|---|---|
| Total suspended Particulates (μ g/m3)\n12-month geometric meanb\nAverage 24-hour concentrationb | 75 μ g/m3a\n260 μ g/m3c | 60 μ g/m3b\n150 μ g/m3c |
| Inhalable Particulates (PM10) (μ g/m3)\nAnnual arithmetic mean\n24-hour average | 50 μ g/m3\n150 μ g/m3 | 50 μ g/m3\n150 μ g/m3 |
| Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) (μ g/m3)\n12-month arithmetic mean\nAverage 24-hour concentration\nAverage 3-hour concentration\nDaily average | 80 μ g/m3 (0.03 ppm)\n365 μ g/m3 (0.14 ppm)a\n- 0.14 ppm (365 μ g/m3)b | 60 μ g/m3 (0.02 ppm)b\n260 μ g/m3 (0.10 ppm)a\n1300 μ g/m3 (0.50 ppm)a |
| Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) (μ g/m3)\n12-month arithmetic mean\nAnnual average\n1-hour average guideline | 100 (0.05 ppm)\n100 μ g/m3 (0.53 ppm)\n47 μ g/m3 (0.25 ppm) | 100 (0.05 ppm)\n100 μ g/m3 (0.53 ppm)\n- |
| Carbon Monoxide (CO) (μ g/m3)\nAverage 8-hour concentration\nAverage 1-hour concentration | 10 μ g/m3 (9 ppm)\n40 μ g/m3 (35 ppm) | 10 (9 ppm)f\n40 (35 ppm)f |
| Ozone (O3) (μ g/m3)\nMaximum daily 1-hour average\n1-hour average\n8-hour average | 235 μ g/m3 (0.12 ppm)f\n- 0.08 ppm | 160 μ g/m3 (0.08 ppm)b\n235 μ g/m3 (0.12 ppm)f\n0.08 ppm |
| Lead (Pb) (μ g/m3)\n3-month averageb\nQuarterly Meand | 1.5 μ g/m3\n1.5 μ g/m3 | 1.5 μ g/m3\n1.5 μ g/m3 |
* ug/m3 - micrograms per cubic meter
* ppm - parts per million * mg/m3 - milligrams per cubic meter
Notes:
a. New Jersey standards are not to be exceeded more than once in any 12-month period, while National short-term standards are not to be exceeded more than once in a calendar year.
b. New Jersey standard only.
c. Intended as guideline for achieving short-term standards.
d. National Ambient Air Quality Standard.
e. National standards uses block averages, midnight to midnight, rather than moving averages.