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PPB to PPM Converter

Convert parts per billion (ppb) to parts per million (ppm). Quick chemistry unit conversion for environmental and lab work.

What this tool does

Convert parts per billion (ppb) to parts per million (ppm). Quick chemistry unit conversion for environmental and lab work. Type an amount in parts per billion (10⁻⁹), choose the units, and the tool converts it to parts per million. It offers 7 ratio (parts per) units and also shows the same amount in the others.

Inputs

  • Value: A number.
  • From: Choose one: Fraction (the number 1), Percent, Per mille (part per thousand), Part per million, Part per billion (10⁻⁹), Part per trillion (10⁻¹²), Part per quadrillion (10⁻¹⁵). Starts as Part per billion (10⁻⁹).
  • To: Choose one of the same 7 units as "From". Starts as Part per million.

How to use

  1. Enter the amount you want to convert.
  2. Choose the unit to convert from and the unit to convert to.
  3. Read the result: the converted amount and the same amount in the other units. It appears once every required field has a valid value.

Worked examples

Conversions from parts per billion (10⁻⁹) to parts per million:

  • 1 ppb = 0.001 ppm
  • 5 ppb = 0.005 ppm
  • 10 ppb = 0.01 ppm
  • 50 ppb = 0.05 ppm
  • 100 ppb = 0.1 ppm

Multiply the number of parts per billion (10⁻⁹) by 0.001 to get parts per million. Both units are exact definitions, so 0.001 is the exact factor: 1 ppb = 0.001 ppm.

Sources: Part per billion (10⁻⁹): NIST SP 811 (2008), section 7.10.3. Part per million: SI Brochure, 9th edition (2019), section 5.4.7.

Limitations

  • Converts the unit of a dimensionless ratio only. It does not convert mass per volume (such as mg/L) to ppm, which depends on the solution.
  • Parts per billion uses the short-scale billion, 10⁹, and parts per trillion uses 10¹². Where the long scale is used, a billion can mean 10¹², so check which one a source means.

FAQs

Q: How do I convert ppb to ppm?
A: Divide by 1,000. A million is 1,000 times smaller than a billion, so 1,000 ppb = 1 ppm.
Q: How do I convert ppm to ppb?
A: Multiply by 1,000. Swap the From and To units.
Q: Is ppb the same as micrograms per liter?
A: Not exactly. In dilute water solutions, where a liter weighs about a kilogram, 1 microgram per liter is close to 1 ppb by mass. This converter treats ppb as a pure ratio and does not convert to mass per volume.

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