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.

Ghana's Volta Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Volta

Volta faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.8 million across 18 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 14.5µg/m³. That's 2.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 241 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 Volta met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.93 years longer.

That's 1.7M years of life stolen from 1.8 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 Volta. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Ho West
1 years lost
2.Anloga
1 years lost
3.North Dayi
1 years lost
4.Ketu South
1 years lost
5.South Dayi
1 years lost
6.Kpando
1 years lost
7.Hohoe
0.9 years lost
8.Keta Municipal
0.9 years lost
9.Afadzato South
0.9 years lost
10.Agotime Ziope
0.9 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

5-10 µg/m³

10-15 µg/m³

89.4%

1.7M

15-25 µg/m³

10.6%

195K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 18 Districts in Volta

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Ketu South	275K	14.8	1.0 years
Ho Municipal	199K	14.4	0.9 years
Hohoe	157K	14.7	0.9 years
Ketu North	128K	13.4	0.8 years
South Tongu	124K	14.3	0.9 years
North Tongu	123K	14.1	0.9 years
Anloga	103K	15.2	1.0 years
Akatsi South	101K	13.8	0.9 years
Ho West	92K	15.2	1.0 years
Central Tongu	90K	14.0	0.9 years
Keta Municipal	85K	14.6	0.9 years
Afadzato South	80K	14.6	0.9 years
Kpando	64K	14.8	1.0 years
South Dayi	62K	14.8	1.0 years
Agotime Ziope	44K	14.5	0.9 years
Adaklu	43K	14.2	0.9 years
North Dayi	43K	14.9	1.0 years
Akatsi North	36K	14.1	0.9 years

Showing 18 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Volta is Injurious to Health.