Air quality in Salem
How bad is the air in Salem?
Salem’s 2025 average of AQI 65 is Satisfactory on the CPCB scale, and the median day was 58. 31 days crossed 100 (Moderate or worse) and 0 crossed 200 (Poor or worse).
The peak was AQI 173 on 21 October 2025. Sulphur dioxide set the index on 42% of days.
When Salem’s air is worst
January is the worst month at a mean of AQI 101; August the cleanest at ~42. A dry-season peak — dust and dispersion, not the northern winter smog.
Plan around the profile, not the average: a purifier sized for January covers the rest of the year with headroom, and windows can be opened in August.
Pollution in Salem: what drives it
Across Tamil Nadu, the usual drivers of poor air are vehicle exhaust, construction dust, industrial emissions and waste burning. CPCB bulletins name sulphur dioxide as the prominent pollutant on 42% of 2025's days.
- vehicle exhaust
- construction dust
- industrial emissions
- waste burning
How Salem compares
Among the 62 cities we map, Salem has the 7th lowest annual AQI, against a median of 94 across those cities.
Elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, Chennai averaged AQI 80, Coimbatore 70, Trichy 62 and Madurai 50.
See the full ranking on the India Air Quality Index by city.
Do you need an air purifier in Salem?
Verdict
Not essential — Salem's outdoor air stayed Satisfactory most of the year.
Only 31 of 248 bulletin days went above Satisfactory. Indoor sources (cooking, incense, dust, a busy road outside) can still justify a purifier for a nursery or an allergy household, and sizing still matters — see the calculator.
What actually works
- Size by volume, not the box. Coverage claims assume ~2 air changes an hour; a January night wants 5.
- Bedroom first. Eight closed-door hours a night is where a purifier makes its measurable difference.
- Watch the live number. On Good and Satisfactory days, ventilate; on Poor days, close up and run the unit at the speed that delivers its CADR.
06 · The other half
Water in Salem
Groundwater near Salem averages ~1225 mg/L TDS on CGWB monitoring — severe on the BIS scale. The same government-data report, for what you drink.
Air
AQI 65
Satisfactory
Water
1225 mg/L
TDS · Severe
Salem air — questions
What is the AQI in Salem today?
Today's figure comes from CPCB's live station feed and is shown at the top of this page, updated hourly when the feed is reachable. For context, Salem averaged AQI 65 across 2025 and peaked at 173 on 21 October 2025, so a single day's reading should be judged against that range.
How bad is air pollution in Salem?
Salem's 2025 average of AQI 65 sits in CPCB's "Satisfactory" band. 0 days were Poor, Very Poor or Severe, and 217 days were Good or Satisfactory, out of 248 bulletin days.
Which month has the worst air quality in Salem?
January, with a monthly average of AQI 101 in 2025. August was the cleanest at ~42. The pattern follows local weather and the drivers below rather than the North Indian winter smog.
Is the air in Salem safe to breathe?
On average, yes: an annual AQI of 65 is within the "Satisfactory" band, where CPCB expects only minor discomfort for sensitive people. Individual days still crossed into Moderate or worse 31 times in 2025, so sensitive groups should watch the daily number.
Do I need an air purifier in Salem?
Not essential — Salem's outdoor air stayed Satisfactory most of the year. Only 31 of 248 bulletin days went above Satisfactory. Indoor sources (cooking, incense, dust, a busy road outside) can still justify a purifier for a nursery or an allergy household, and sizing still matters — see the calculator.
Where does Salem's air pollution come from?
Across Tamil Nadu, the usual drivers of poor air are vehicle exhaust, construction dust, industrial emissions and waste burning. CPCB bulletins name sulphur dioxide as the prominent pollutant on 42% of 2025's days.
Where does this air quality data come from?
From the Central Pollution Control Board's daily AQI bulletin, published at 4 PM as a 24-hour average for each city with continuous monitoring stations. This page aggregates 248 bulletin days for Salem in 2025, drawn from 1 station. The live figure uses the same CPCB station network through the Government of India's open-data feed.
Air quality in other cities
Data sources
- CPCB Daily AQI Bulletin (4 PM, 24-hour average), 2025 — city-level National AQI, prominent pollutant and station counts
- CPCB National Air Quality Index (2014) — six-band scale used for all categories
- NAAQS 2009 (24-hour PM2.5 60 µg/m³, PM10 100 µg/m³) — the concentrations that mark the Satisfactory/Moderate boundary
- Live readings: CPCB real-time station feed via data.gov.in, refreshed hourly.
Primary dataset: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) National Air Quality Index, Government of India.
Disclaimer: Figures are city-level averages of the CPCB daily AQI bulletin for the year shown and may differ from the air at your address, which depends on traffic, construction and the nearest station. This page is general information, not medical advice; for respiratory or cardiac conditions consult a qualified professional. Any purifier guidance is general sizing advice, not a product recommendation.