Airborne Particulates - Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

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Airborne Particulates

Smoke, dust, soot. All of these are airborne particulates that are inhaled every time we breath. These particulates are classified by their size. Larger or "coarse" particles range in size from 2.5 to 10 micrometers in size, while "fine" particles are smaller than 2.5 micrometers in size. All of these are far too small to be seen with the naked eye. The TCEQ measures both fine and coarse particulates across the network.

This information is updated hourly. All times shown are Local Standard Time.

Click here for a map showing the current PM-2.5 levels across Texas. Or, click here for the current Air Quality Index.

PM-2.5 (Local Conditions) Acceptable

Fine particulates (PM-2.5) are generally emitted from activities such as industrial and residential combustion and from vehicle exhaust. Fine particles are also formed in the atmosphere when gases such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds, emitted by combustion activities, are transformed by chemical reactions in the air. Large-scale agricultural burning or sand storms can produce huge volumes of fine particulates. PM-2.5 data is the near real-time measurement of particulate matter 2.5 microns or less in size from the surrounding air. This measurement is made at local conditions, and is not corrected for temperature or pressure.

The table below contains hourly averages for PM-2.5 (Local Conditions) Acceptable on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Amarillo - all times are in Central Standard Time
	320	FEW	3	320


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Lubbock - all times are in Central Standard Time
	325	FEW	3	325


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Abilene - all times are in Central Standard Time
	315	FEW	3	315


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Dallas-Fort Worth - all times are in Central Standard Time
	52	FEW	3	52
	56	PMA	3	56
	71	FEW	3	71
	310	FEW	3	310
	401	FEW	3	401
	1044	FEW	3	1044
	1051	FEW	3	1051


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Tyler-Longview-Marshall - all times are in Central Standard Time
	85	FEW	3	85


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
El Paso-Juarez - all times are in Central Standard Time
	316	FEW	3	316


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Odessa-Midland - all times are in Central Standard Time
	47	FEW	3	47
	1014	FEW	3	1014


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Waco - all times are in Central Standard Time
	1037	FEW	3	1037


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Beaumont-Port Arthur - all times are in Central Standard Time
	689	FEW	3	689


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Austin - all times are in Central Standard Time
	3	FEW	3	3
	38	FEW	3	38
	326	FEW	3	326


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria - all times are in Central Standard Time
	8	FEW	3	8
	15	FEW	3	15
	35	FEW	3	35
	45	FEW	3	45
	78	FEW	3	78
	403	FEW	3	403
	572	FEW	3	572
	1034	FEW	3	1034


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
San Antonio - all times are in Central Standard Time
	23	FEW	3	23
	59	FEW	3	59
	301	FEW	3	301
	622	FEW	3	622
	676	FEW	3	676
	678	FEW	3	678


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Corpus Christi-Victoria - all times are in Central Standard Time
	4	FEW	3	4


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Lower Rio Grande Valley - all times are in Central Standard Time
	43	FEW	3	43
	80	FEW	3	80


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Laredo - all times are in Central Standard Time
	313	FEW	3	313
	319	FEW	3	319
Maximum values for PM-2.5 (Local Conditions) Acceptable for the day are bold within the table.
PM-2.5 (Local Conditions) Acceptable is measured in micrograms per cubic meter (local conditions)

PM-10 (Standard Conditions)

Coarse particulates (PM-10) come from sources such as windblown dust from the desert or agricultural fields (sand storms) and dust kicked up on unpaved roads by vehicle traffic. PM-10 data is the near real-time measurement of particulate matter 10 microns or less in size from the surrounding air. This measurement is made at standard conditions, meaning it is corrected for local temperature and pressure.

The table below contains hourly averages for PM-10 (Standard Conditions) on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
San Antonio - all times are in Central Standard Time
	301	FEW	4 ^N	301


Area	CAMS	Morning	POC	CAMS
Area	CAMS	Mid	POC	CAMS
Lower Rio Grande Valley - all times are in Central Standard Time
	43	FEW	4 ^N	43
	80	FEW	4 ^N	80
Maximum values for PM-10 (Standard Conditions) for the day are bold within the table.
PM-10 (Standard Conditions) is measured in ug/cu meter (25 c)
^N - Data from this instrument does not meet EPA quality assurance criteria and cannot be used for regulatory purposes.

PLEASE NOTE: This data has not been verified by the TCEQ and may change. This is the most current data, but it is not official until it has been certified by our technical staff. Data is collected from TCEQ ambient monitoring sites and may include data collected by other outside agencies. This data is updated hourly. All times shown are in Local Standard Time.