AQI Detail Page
AQI 85: cigarette equivalent, interpretation, and what to do next
At AQI 85, a full day of exposure is roughly equivalent to smoking 1.28 cigarettes.
AQI category
Moderate
PM2.5 estimate
28.1
µg/m³
Daily equivalent
1.28
cigarettes / 24h
If repeated daily
38.4
cigarettes / 30 days
What AQI 85 means
Sensitive groups may notice irritation with longer outdoor exposure or exercise.
Children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with asthma, COPD, or heart disease should shorten heavy outdoor activity.
Exposure framing
1 hour: about 0.05 cigarettes.
2 hours: about 0.11 cigarettes.
24 hours: about 1.28 cigarettes.
7 repeated days: about 9 cigarettes.
Scenario guidance at AQI 85
These are the kinds of day-to-day decisions users commonly make from this reading.
Commute or errands
Use caution2 hours equals 0.11 cigarettes at AQI 85.
Limit extra walking time and keep a mask ready for transit platforms or traffic corridors.
Outdoor exercise
Use caution1 hour equals 0.05 cigarettes at AQI 85.
Reduce intensity, shorten the session, or move it to a cleaner time of day.
Kids, school, or playground time
Use caution3 hours equals 0.16 cigarettes at AQI 85.
Shorten outdoor time and watch for coughing, wheezing, or tiredness.
Sleeping with windows open
Move indoors8 hours equals 0.43 cigarettes at AQI 85.
Keep windows shut and rely on filtered indoor air.
Why the estimate is credible
The site first converts AQI into an estimated PM2.5 concentration and then applies Berkeley Earth's cigarette-equivalence framing.
The estimate is most useful for comparing air-quality dose across times, situations, and repeated days. It should not be treated as a literal smoking-equivalence medical claim.
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