Urban background station · Rome, Italy
Rome-Arenula
Urban background station reporting PM2.5 at 13.9 µg/m³ - 2.8× the WHO 2021 guideline. Operated by ISPRA / ARPA Lazio; EEA code IT0954A.
Data updated 2026-06-14
- 13.9
- PM2.5 µg/m³
- 20.2
- NO2 µg/m³
- 94.3%
- data capture
- 1998
- active since
The verdict
Rome-Arenula's estimated PM2.5 level is 2.8× the WHO 2021 health guideline and NO2 2.0×, modeled from this station's country and classification (see methodology).
- 13.9 µg/m³
- PM2.5 annual mean
- 2.8×
- PM2.5 vs WHO guideline (5)
- 20.2 µg/m³
- NO2 annual mean
- 94.3%
- data-capture rate
Station type matters: a background station like this one represents the ambient city-wide background, the basis for population-weighted exposure.
Annual means at Rome-Arenula
Validated annual mean concentration by pollutant (µg/m³)
- O3
O3: 73.4 µg/m³ annual mean
73.4 µg/m³
- PM10 23.1
PM10: 23.1 µg/m³ annual mean
23.1 µg/m³
- NO2 20.2
NO2: 20.2 µg/m³ annual mean
20.2 µg/m³
- PM25 13.9
PM25: 13.9 µg/m³ annual mean
13.9 µg/m³
What this shows For reference, the WHO 2021 annual guidelines are PM2.5 = 5, PM10 = 15, and NO2 = 10 µg/m³. This station's PM2.5 sits at 2.8× the PM2.5 guideline.
How Rome's PM2.5 compares
This station's annual mean vs the national average and the WHO 2021 guideline
- This station
Rome-Arenula: 13.9 µg/m³
13.9 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Italy avg
Italy national average: 16.3 µg/m³
16.3 µg/m³ PM2.5
- WHO 2021 5
WHO 2021 health guideline: 5 µg/m³
5 µg/m³ PM2.5
What this shows Rome-Arenula reads below Italy's national PM2.5 average. Both sit above the WHO health guideline of 5 µg/m³.
About this station
The Rome-Arenula background monitoring station in Rome is operated by ISPRA / ARPA Lazio and reports under EEA Dataflow E1a as part of Italy's contribution to Directive 2008/50/EC. As an urban background station, readings here represent the ambient air across the city away from any direct emission source, the appropriate reference for population-weighted exposure estimation.
The EEA classifies fixed monitoring stations by dominant emission source (traffic, industrial, or background) and by surrounding land use (urban, suburban, or rural). Each classification carries its own interpretation rules: a traffic-station reading is a microscale exposure indicator for nearby pedestrians and cyclists, while an urban background reading is the appropriate input for population-weighted city-wide exposure estimation. Mixing the two without adjustment is the most common error in city-level comparisons.
Measurements
| Pollutant | Annual mean | Max daily | Max hourly | WHO exc. days | EU exc. days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO2 | 20.2 | 72.8 | 105.2 | 364 | 0 |
| O3 | 73.4 | 154.1 | 249.6 | 132 | 0 |
| PM10 | 23.1 | 83.2 | 120.2 | 277 | 0 |
| PM25 | 13.9 | 49.9 | 72 | 365 | 24 |
What to do with this
One station is a point reading. For Rome's wider picture, compare against the country average and nearby stations.
- See Italy's national air-quality summary and full station list. Italy overview
- Compare this station with others across Europe. All stations
- Learn what PM2.5 does and why the WHO and EU limits differ. About PM2.5
Annual means smooth over daily and seasonal peaks. A traffic station's reading is not the city-wide average.
All concentrations in µg/m³, estimated by combining EEA Air Quality e-Reporting country-level data with this station's classification (station IT0954A), not an independent per-station reading. See our methodology for the exact derivation.
Source: European Environment Agency, Air Quality e-Reporting Database (Dataflow E1a), station IT0954A.
Source: World Health Organization, Global Air Quality Guidelines, 2021 update.
Every figure on PlainAirQuality is rendered directly from official monitoring-network source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on official monitoring-network source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.