Particle Size Chart
When you are determining the proper type of filtration for a particular element it is important to know what that elements size is. The list below has several elements listed with its particle size. We will continue to update the chart as we come across more elements and their sizes.
| Particle | Particle Size (microns) | |
| Anthrax | 1.0 – 5 | |
| Antiperspirant | 6. 10 | |
| Asbestos | 0.7 – 90 | |
| Atmospheric Dust | 0.001 – 40 | |
| Auto and Car Emission | 1 – 150 | |
| Bacteria | 0.3 – 60 | |
| Beach Sand | 100 – 10000 | |
| Bone Dust | 3 – 300 | |
| Bromine | 0.1 – 0.7 | |
| Burning Wood | 0.2 – 3 | |
| Calcium Zinc Dust | 0.7 – 20 | |
| Capsicum | 0.25 – 1.0 | |
| Carbon Black Dust | 0.2 – 10 | |
| Carbon Dioxide | 0.00 | |
| Cayenne Pepper | 15 – 1000 | |
| Cement Dust | 3 – 100 | |
| Clay, coarse | 2.0 – 4 | |
| Clay, medium | 1.0 – 2 | |
| Clay, fine | 0.5 – 1 | |
| Coal Dust | 1 – 100 | |
| Coal Flue Gas | 0.08 – 0.2 | |
| Coffee | 5 – 400 | |
| Combustion | 0.01 – 0.1 | |
| Combustion Related- Motor Vehicles, wood burning, open burning, industrial processes | up to 2.5 | |
| Copier Toner | 0.5 – 15 | |
| Corn Starch | 0.1 – 0.8 | |
| Covid 19 | 0.12 – 0.35 | |
| Dot (.) | 615.00 | |
| Dust Mites | 100 – 300 | |
| Eye of a Needle | 1230.00 | |
| Face Powder | 0.1 – 30 | |
| Fertilizer | 10 – 1000 | |
| Fiberglass Insulation | 1 – 1000 | |
| Flour | 80 | |
| Fly Ash | 1 – 1000 | |
| Gelatin | 5. – 90 | |
| Ginger | 25 – 40 | |
| Glass Wool | 1000.00 | |
| Grain Dusts | 5 – 1000 | |
| Gravel, very fine (0.08 inch) | 2000.00 | |
| Gravel, fine (0.16 inch) | 4000.00 | |
| Gravel, medium (0.3 inch) | 8000.00 | |
| Gravel, coarse (0.6 – 1.3 inches) | 15000 – 30000 | |
| Gravel, very coarse (1.3 – 2.5 inches) | 30000 – 65000 | |
| Ground Limestone | 10 – 1000 | |
| Hair | 5 – 200 | |
| Household dust | 0.05 – 100 | |
| Human Hair | 40 – 300 | |
| Human Sneeze | 10 – 100 | |
| Humidifier | 0.9 – 3 | |
| Insecticide Dusts | 0.5 – 10 | |
| Iron Dust | 4. -20 | |
| Lead, solder radiator manufacturing – mean value | 1.30 | |
| Lead, battery and lead powder manufacturing | 12. – 12 | |
| Lead Dust | 0.1 – 0.7 | |
| Liquid Droplets | 0.5 – 5 | |
| Metallurgical Dust | 0.1 – 1000 | |
| Metallurgical Fumes | 0.1 – 1000 | |
| Milled Flour, Milled Corn | 1 – 100 | |
| Mist | 70 – 350 | |
| Mold | 3. -12 | |
| Mold Spores | 10. -30 | |
| Mustard | 6. – 10 | |
| Oil Smoke | 0.03 – 1 | |
| One inch | 25400.00 | |
| Oxygen | 0.00 | |
| Paint Pigments | 0.1 – 5 | |
| Pesticides & Herbicides | 0.00 | |
| Pet Dander | 0.5 – 100 | |
| Pollen | 10 – 1000 | |
| Powder Sugar | 50 | |
| Radioactive Fallout | 0.1 – 10 | |
| Red Blood Cells | 5. – 10 | |
| Rosin Smoke | 0.01 – 1 | |
| Sand, very fine (0.0025 inch) | 62.00 | |
| Sand, fine (0.005 inch) | 125.00 | |
| Sand, medium (0.01 inch) | 250.00 | |
| Sand, coarse (0.02 inch) | 500.00 | |
| Sand, very coarse (0.02 inch) | 500.00 | |
| Saw Dust | 30 – 600 | |
| Sea Salt | 0.035 – 0.5 | |
| Silt, coarse (0.0015) | 37.00 | |
| Silt, medium (0.0006 – 0.0012 inche) | 16 – 30 | |
| Silt, fine | 8 – 13 | |
| Silt, very fine | 4.0 – 8 | |
| Skin flakes | 0.5 – 10 | |
| Smoke from Natural Materials | 0.01 – 0.1 | |
| Smoke from Synthetic Materials | 1.0 – 50 | |
| Smoldering or Flaming Cooking Oil | 0.03 – 0.9 | |
| Spanish Moss Pollen | 150 – 750 | |
| Spider web | 2.0 – 3 | |
| Spores from plants | 3 – 100 | |
| Starches | 3 – 100 | |
| Sugars | 0.0008 – 0.005 | |
| Talcum Dust | 0.5 – 50 | |
| Tea Dust | 8 – 300 | |
| Textile Dust | 6.0 – 20 | |
| Textile Fibers | 10 – 1000 | |
| Tobacco Smoke | 0.01 – 4 | |
| Typical Atmospheric Dust | 0.001 to 30 | |
| Viruses | 0.005 – 0.3 | |
| Yeast Cells | 1.0 – 50 |
Particle Size Classes
Large Size Particles
Larger than 100 microns
These particles fall out of the air quickly because of their weight. Unless there is a very large quantity these particles seldom cause an air quality issue.
Medium Size Particles
Particles size 10-100 microns
Unlike Large particles these settle out slowly in the air stream. They can cause more of an air quality problem but are seldom considered dangerous. Large concentrations of these particle will be a severe nuisance. Our bodies do a fair job of filtering most of them.
PM10 Particles
PM10 Particles are often called coarse particles. They range in size from 2.5 to 10 microns. These particles can irritate the eyes and throat. People with respiratory issues like COPD, Asthma and allergies can experience heightened symptoms when they are exposed to these sized particle. These particles include pollen, large bacteria and wind blown dust. These particle need a MERV 11 filter or better for adequate control.
PM2.5 Particles
PM2.5 Particles are smaller than 2.5 microns. These particles are small enough to be breathed deep into the lungs. They can cause serious health effects in everyone, but especially the old and the young. It is important to remove these particles from the air stream.