PM2.5 stands for particulate matter 2.5 microns or smaller. These particles are 30 times thinner than a human hair and come from car exhaust, power plants, wildfires, and burning fuel. They are small enough to bypass your body's natural defenses and enter your bloodstream.

How does air pollution affect the body?

Air pollution affects virtually every organ in the body. PM2.5 particles enter your lungs, pass into your bloodstream, and travel to your heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. This causes chronic inflammation, increasing risks of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, dementia, and many other conditions.

How many people are affected by air pollution?

99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds WHO safety guidelines. Air pollution kills approximately 8 million people every year—more than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

Algeria's Chlef Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Chlef

Chlef faces significant air pollution challenges. 20% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.4 million across 35 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 4.8µg/m³. That's 1.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 80 cigarettes in a year.

Trends

Air Quality Trend

Annual PM2.5 levels from 2014 to 2023. The WHO guideline for safe air is 5 µg/m³.

Health Impact

Life Expectancy Impact

If Chlef met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0 years longer.

That's 0 years of life stolen from 1.4 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.

Lives cut short. Breathing kills.

Most Polluted

Districts with Highest Pollution

The top 10 most polluted districts in Chlef. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Tenes
0 years lost
2.Chettia
0 years lost
3.Oued Sly
0 years lost
4.Sobha
0 years lost
5.Sidi Abderrahmane
0 years lost
6.Abou El Hassen
0 years lost
7.Bouzeghaia
0 years lost
8.Sidi Akkacha
0 years lost
9.Benairia
0 years lost
10.Ouled Fares
0 years lost

Exposure

Population Exposure by Pollution Level

Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³—only populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.

< 5 µg/m³

76.5%

1.0M

5-10 µg/m³

23.5%

321K

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 35 Districts in Chlef

Complete air quality data for every district in Chlef, sorted by population.

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³
Chlef	234K	4.8
Chettia	91K	5.1
Boukadir	66K	4.9
Oued Sly	66K	5.1
Oued Fodda	58K	4.7
Ain Merrane	58K	4.7
Ouled Fares	54K	5.0
Tenes	50K	5.4
Sobha	47K	5.1
Sendjas	43K	4.4
El Karimia	40K	4.4
Taougrit	39K	4.3
Zeboudja	37K	4.5
Sidi Akkacha	36K	5.0
Tadjena	35K	4.9
Beni Rached	34K	4.5
Dahra	34K	4.5
Bouzeghaia	33K	5.0
Abou El Hassen	32K	5.1
Ouled Ben Abdelkader	27K	4.5
Beni Haoua	27K	4.8
Herenfa	26K	4.6
Oum Drou	26K	4.7
Harchoune	23K	4.4
Labiod Medjadja	23K	4.6
Benairia	22K	5.0
Breira	19K	4.5
Telassa	17K	4.6
El Hadjadj	14K	4.3
El Marsa	13K	4.7
Ouled Abbes	11K	4.5
Oued Goussine	10K	4.5
Moussadek	9K	4.4
Beni Bouattab	4K	3.9
Sidi Abderrahmane	3K	5.1

Showing 35 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Chlef is Injurious to Health.