Air quality
Air quality in Busan today
Updated
Good (US AQI 38) Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no risk; a good time for outdoor activity. Model estimate for Mon, Oct 26, 4:33 am (19:33 UTC).
Live AQI, PM2.5, PM10 and ozone for Busan, South Korea, with a 48-hour forecast and the best time to be outside.
- US AQI now
- 38 Good
- PM2.5
- 5 µg/m³ 0.3× WHO 24-h guideline
- PM10
- 7.5 µg/m³
- Ozone
- 80 µg/m³
Air quality in Busan right now
Right now the modelled US Air Quality Index for Busan, South Korea is 38, which falls in the "Good" band (up to 50). Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no risk; a good time for outdoor activity.
PM2.5 is 5 µg/m³, within the WHO 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³; PM10 is 7.5 µg/m³ against a guideline of 45; ozone is 80 µg/m³ (below the WHO 8-hour level of 100); nitrogen dioxide is 4.2 µg/m³ (below the 24-hour guideline of 25).
Busan vs the rest of South Korea
Across 42 South Korea cities we track, the average US AQI right now is 55 (Moderate). Busan at 38 is 17 points cleaner than average.
It ranks 11 of 42 from cleanest to most polluted; the cleanest is Chinju (25) and the most polluted Ansan-si (74).
For context, the median across 3,909 cities worldwide is 56.
Air quality in cities near Busan
| City | Distance | US AQI | Category | PM2.5 µg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimhae | 20 km | 34 | Good | 5.8 |
| Yangsan | 27 km | 34 | Good | 5.8 |
| Changwon | 35 km | 34 | Good | 5.8 |
| Ulsan | 55 km | 36 | Good | 8.2 |
| Chinju | 87 km | 25 | Good | 4.7 |
| Daegu | 94 km | 40 | Good | 12.1 |
| Pohang | 107 km | 38 | Good | 11.5 |
| Gumi | 129 km | 47 | Good | 13.1 |
Model vs measured
We found no measured PM2.5 sensor cell within 25 km of Busan, so the numbers on this page are model estimates. Models capture regional pollution well but can miss very local sources such as a busy road or a nearby fire.
Advice for sensitive groups
With the AQI at 38, there is no need for sensitive groups to change plans. People with asthma should still carry their reliever inhaler as usual.
What the US AQI numbers mean
| US AQI | Category | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0-50 | Good | Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no risk; a good time for outdoor activity. |
| 51-100 | Moderate | Acceptable for most people. Unusually sensitive people should consider shortening long or heavy exertion outdoors. |
| 101-150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should cut back on prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. |
| 151-200 | Unhealthy | Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed. |
| 201-300 | Very Unhealthy | Health alert: everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors, and sensitive groups should stay indoors. |
| 301-500 | Hazardous | Emergency conditions: everyone should avoid all outdoor physical activity and stay indoors with filtered air if possible. The scale tops out at 500; heavier dust or smoke is shown as 500. |
Values on this page are modelled by CAMS (Copernicus) and served by Open-Meteo; they are estimates for the area around the city centre, not readings from an official monitor.
Nearby cities
More for Busan
Air quality elsewhere
Data: Open-Meteo Air Quality API, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).