Air quality
Air quality in Zhengzhou today
Updated
Unhealthy (US AQI 161) Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed. Model estimate for Mon, Oct 26, 4:00 am (20:00 UTC).
Live AQI, PM2.5, PM10 and ozone for Zhengzhou, Henan, China, with a 48-hour forecast and the best time to be outside.
- US AQI now
- 161 Unhealthy
- PM2.5
- 67 µg/m³ 4.5× WHO 24-h guideline
- PM10
- 69 µg/m³
- Ozone
- 0 µg/m³
- Dominant pollutant
- PM2.5 sub-index 161
- Best hour today
- 8:00 pm AQI 160
- European AQI
- 68
Air quality in Zhengzhou right now
Right now the modelled US Air Quality Index for Zhengzhou, Henan, China is 161, which falls in the "Unhealthy" band (up to 200). Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed.
The index is driven mainly by PM2.5, whose own sub-index is 161. Fine and coarse particles come from traffic, heating, industry, dust and smoke; they build up on calm nights and clear when wind or rain arrives.
PM2.5 is 67 µg/m³, 4.5 times the WHO 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³; PM10 is 69 µg/m³ against a guideline of 45; ozone is 0 µg/m³ (below the WHO 8-hour level of 100); nitrogen dioxide is 54 µg/m³ (above the 24-hour guideline of 25).
Also this hour: carbon monoxide 1038 µg/m³.
Zhengzhou AQI forecast: next 48 hours
Over the next 24 hours the AQI is forecast to range from 160 around Mon 8:00 pm to 165 around Tue 4:00 am, staying "Unhealthy" throughout.
The following day looks similar, averaging about 158.
| Local time (Asia/Shanghai) | US AQI | Category | PM2.5 µg/m³ | PM10 µg/m³ | Ozone µg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 4:00 am | 161 | Unhealthy | 66.8 | 69 | 0 |
| Mon 7:00 am | 162 | Unhealthy | 77.1 | 79 | 0 |
| Mon 10:00 am | 163 | Unhealthy | 73.1 | 77 | 3 |
| Mon 1:00 pm | 163 | Unhealthy | 68.7 | 73 | 10 |
| Mon 4:00 pm | 162 | Unhealthy | 58 | 61 | 6 |
| Mon 7:00 pm | 161 | Unhealthy | 74.7 | 78 | 1 |
| Mon 10:00 pm | 161 | Unhealthy | 103.1 | 108 | 0 |
| Tue 1:00 am | 163 | Unhealthy | 89.4 | 91 | 0 |
| Tue 4:00 am | 165 | Unhealthy | 82.4 | 85 | 0 |
| Tue 7:00 am | 166 | Unhealthy | 79.6 | 82 | 0 |
| Tue 10:00 am | 165 | Unhealthy | 31.3 | 59 | 38 |
| Tue 1:00 pm | 161 | Unhealthy | 21.2 | 57 | 69 |
| Tue 4:00 pm | 158 | Unhealthy | 25 | 52 | 27 |
| Tue 7:00 pm | 155 | Unhealthy | 49.9 | 67 | 1 |
| Tue 10:00 pm | 153 | Unhealthy | 72.9 | 88 | 0 |
| Wed 1:00 am | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 72.2 | 84 | 0 |
| Wed 4:00 am | 145 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 57.3 | 65 | 0 |
Every third hour of the CAMS forecast via Open-Meteo. US AQI uses rolling averages (24 h for particles, 8 h for ozone), so it moves more slowly than the hourly concentrations.
Best time to be outside in Zhengzhou today
Between 6 am and 9 pm local time, the cleanest air today is forecast around 8:00 pm (AQI 160, Unhealthy) and the worst around 10:00 am (AQI 163). The difference across the day is small, so timing matters little.
Zhengzhou vs the rest of China
Across 447 China cities we track, the average US AQI right now is 84 (Moderate). Zhengzhou at 161 is 77 points worse than average.
It ranks 439 of 447 from cleanest to most polluted; the cleanest is Baicheng (19) and the most polluted Kashgar (250).
For context, the median across 3,556 cities worldwide is 58.
Air quality in cities near Zhengzhou
| City | Distance | US AQI | Category | PM2.5 µg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xinxiang | 50 km | 158 | Unhealthy | 62.2 |
| Kaifeng | 60 km | 158 | Unhealthy | 60.5 |
| Jiaozuo | 65 km | 152 | Unhealthy | 65.2 |
| Xuchang | 83 km | 156 | Unhealthy | 57.6 |
| Jincheng | 111 km | 112 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 39.3 |
| Luoyang | 111 km | 156 | Unhealthy | 72.4 |
| Pingdingshan | 118 km | 158 | Unhealthy | 76.1 |
| Hebi | 123 km | 162 | Unhealthy | 56.1 |
Model vs measured
We found no measured PM2.5 sensor cell within 25 km of Zhengzhou, 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.
Wildfire smoke
PM2.5 is forecast to reach 103 µg/m³ in the next 24 hours while NASA satellites detected 2 fire hotspots within 300 km in the last day (nearest about 279 km away). Smoke is a likely contributor: keep windows closed, run an air purifier or HVAC filter, and check the fire map before heading out.
Advice for sensitive groups
At 161, children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with asthma, COPD or heart disease should limit time outdoors, especially strenuous activity. A well-fitted N95/FFP2 mask cuts particle exposure; it does not filter ozone.
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 Zhengzhou
Air quality elsewhere
Data: Open-Meteo Air Quality API, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), NASA FIRMS.