Part-per billion (ppb) is a unit of measurement commonly used in environmental science to denote the concentration of a substance in water or air. It represents one part of a substance in a billion parts of another, which makes it an incredibly sensitive measure of concentration. To grasp its diminutive scale, imagine one second in 32 years or a single drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. This hyper-detailed measure is crucial in detecting trace levels of pollutants or contaminants, playing a pivotal role in environmental monitoring and ensuring public health safety by allowing scientists to track minute changes in ecosystems and enhance our understanding of their impacts.
“Part-per Million” (ppm) is a unit of measurement that quantifies the concentration of one substance in a million parts of another, often used in contexts where pollutants, chemicals, or various trace elements need precise measurement. For example, a single drop of ink in a large home swimming pool is approximately one ppm. Despite its tiny fraction, small changes in ppm can have significant effects, such as in environmental assessments or food safety regulations.
In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide levels are often expressed in ppm. In the past century alone, CO2 levels have surged from about 300 ppm to over 400 ppm, contributing to the global discussion on climate change. This seemingly small numerical rise underscores the profound impact ppm variations can have on our environment and health.
Parts-per Billion | Parts-per Million |
---|---|
0
ppb
|
0
ppm
|
10
ppb
|
0.01
ppm
|
20
ppb
|
0.02
ppm
|
30
ppb
|
0.03
ppm
|
40
ppb
|
0.04
ppm
|
50
ppb
|
0.05
ppm
|
60
ppb
|
0.06
ppm
|
70
ppb
|
0.07
ppm
|
80
ppb
|
0.08
ppm
|
90
ppb
|
0.09
ppm
|
100
ppb
|
0.1
ppm
|
110
ppb
|
0.11
ppm
|
120
ppb
|
0.12
ppm
|
130
ppb
|
0.13
ppm
|
140
ppb
|
0.14
ppm
|
150
ppb
|
0.15
ppm
|
160
ppb
|
0.16
ppm
|
170
ppb
|
0.17
ppm
|
180
ppb
|
0.18
ppm
|
190
ppb
|
0.19
ppm
|
200
ppb
|
0.2
ppm
|
210
ppb
|
0.21
ppm
|
220
ppb
|
0.22
ppm
|
230
ppb
|
0.23
ppm
|
240
ppb
|
0.24
ppm
|
250
ppb
|
0.25
ppm
|
260
ppb
|
0.26
ppm
|
270
ppb
|
0.27
ppm
|
280
ppb
|
0.28
ppm
|
290
ppb
|
0.29
ppm
|
300
ppb
|
0.3
ppm
|
310
ppb
|
0.31
ppm
|
320
ppb
|
0.32
ppm
|
330
ppb
|
0.33
ppm
|
340
ppb
|
0.34
ppm
|
350
ppb
|
0.35
ppm
|
360
ppb
|
0.36
ppm
|
370
ppb
|
0.37
ppm
|
380
ppb
|
0.38
ppm
|
390
ppb
|
0.39
ppm
|
400
ppb
|
0.4
ppm
|
410
ppb
|
0.41
ppm
|
420
ppb
|
0.42
ppm
|
430
ppb
|
0.43
ppm
|
440
ppb
|
0.44
ppm
|
450
ppb
|
0.45
ppm
|
460
ppb
|
0.46
ppm
|
470
ppb
|
0.47
ppm
|
480
ppb
|
0.48
ppm
|
490
ppb
|
0.49
ppm
|
500
ppb
|
0.5
ppm
|
510
ppb
|
0.51
ppm
|
520
ppb
|
0.52
ppm
|
530
ppb
|
0.53
ppm
|
540
ppb
|
0.54
ppm
|
550
ppb
|
0.55
ppm
|
560
ppb
|
0.56
ppm
|
570
ppb
|
0.57
ppm
|
580
ppb
|
0.58
ppm
|
590
ppb
|
0.59
ppm
|
600
ppb
|
0.6
ppm
|
610
ppb
|
0.61
ppm
|
620
ppb
|
0.62
ppm
|
630
ppb
|
0.63
ppm
|
640
ppb
|
0.64
ppm
|
650
ppb
|
0.65
ppm
|
660
ppb
|
0.66
ppm
|
670
ppb
|
0.67
ppm
|
680
ppb
|
0.68
ppm
|
690
ppb
|
0.69
ppm
|
700
ppb
|
0.7
ppm
|
710
ppb
|
0.71
ppm
|
720
ppb
|
0.72
ppm
|
730
ppb
|
0.73
ppm
|
740
ppb
|
0.74
ppm
|
750
ppb
|
0.75
ppm
|
760
ppb
|
0.76
ppm
|
770
ppb
|
0.77
ppm
|
780
ppb
|
0.78
ppm
|
790
ppb
|
0.79
ppm
|
800
ppb
|
0.8
ppm
|
810
ppb
|
0.81
ppm
|
820
ppb
|
0.82
ppm
|
830
ppb
|
0.83
ppm
|
840
ppb
|
0.84
ppm
|
850
ppb
|
0.85
ppm
|
860
ppb
|
0.86
ppm
|
870
ppb
|
0.87
ppm
|
880
ppb
|
0.88
ppm
|
890
ppb
|
0.89
ppm
|
900
ppb
|
0.9
ppm
|
910
ppb
|
0.91
ppm
|
920
ppb
|
0.92
ppm
|
930
ppb
|
0.93
ppm
|
940
ppb
|
0.94
ppm
|
950
ppb
|
0.95
ppm
|
960
ppb
|
0.96
ppm
|
970
ppb
|
0.97
ppm
|
980
ppb
|
0.98
ppm
|
990
ppb
|
0.99
ppm
|
1000
ppb
|
1
ppm
|
Conversion | Call to Action |
---|---|
Parts-per Billion to Parts-per Trillion | Go to converter |
Parts-per Billion to Parts-per Quadrillion | Go to converter |
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