Smog in Cigarettes Calculator
How bad is the air you're breathing? Berkeley Earth researchers popularized a simple rule of thumb: 22 µg/m³ of PM2.5 pollution is equivalent to smoking about 1 cigarette per day. This calculator converts PM2.5 levels to cigarette equivalents, helping visualize air quality impact in tangible terms.
How We Calculate This
Cigarettes/day = (PM2.5 / 22) × (exposure hours / 24). The 22 µg/m³ equivalence comes from Berkeley Earth mortality risk comparisons. AQI categories follow US EPA breakpoints.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the 22 µg/m³ = 1 cigarette figure come from?
Berkeley Earth researchers compared the increased mortality risk from PM2.5 exposure to that of smoking, finding that 22 µg/m³ of PM2.5 over 24 hours roughly equals smoking one cigarette in terms of health impact.
Is breathing polluted air really like smoking?
The comparison refers to long-term mortality risk, not identical health effects. Both PM2.5 and smoking damage lungs and increase cardiovascular disease risk. The analogy helps people understand air pollution severity.
What is PM2.5?
PM2.5 refers to particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or smaller - tiny particles that penetrate deep into lungs and even enter the bloodstream. Sources include vehicle exhaust, power plants, wildfires, and industry.
What are safe PM2.5 levels?
WHO recommends annual average PM2.5 below 5 µg/m³ and 24-hour average below 15 µg/m³. US EPA considers below 12 µg/m³ "good" air quality. Many cities exceed these limits.
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This is an illustrative comparison based on mortality risk studies, not a precise equivalence. Actual health impacts depend on many factors including age, pre-existing conditions, and exposure patterns.