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.

India's Arunachal Pradesh Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.6 million across 18 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 14.2µg/m³. That's 2.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 236 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 Arunachal Pradesh met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.9 years longer.

That's 1.4M years of life stolen from 1.6 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 Arunachal Pradesh. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Longding
1.4 years lost
2.Tirap
1.3 years lost
3.Tawang
1.3 years lost
4.Namsai
1.1 years lost
5.Changlang
1.1 years lost
6.West Kameng
1.1 years lost
7.East Kameng
1 years lost
8.Papum Pare
0.9 years lost
9.Kurung Kumey
0.9 years lost
10.Lohit
0.7 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

0.6%

10K

10-15 µg/m³

57.9%

932K

15-25 µg/m³

41.4%

666K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 18 Districts in Arunachal Pradesh

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Changlang	180K	16.3	1.1 years
Papum Pare	158K	14.6	0.9 years
Lower Subansiri	133K	12.0	0.7 years
West Siang	131K	11.4	0.6 years
West Kameng	128K	15.7	1.1 years
East Siang	112K	12.2	0.7 years
Upper Subansiri	101K	12.3	0.7 years
Namsai	91K	16.4	1.1 years
Kurung Kumey	82K	13.7	0.9 years
Lohit	81K	12.6	0.7 years
Tirap	76K	18.6	1.3 years
East Kameng	70K	15.6	1.0 years
Lower Dibang Valley	62K	11.5	0.6 years
Longding	61K	18.9	1.4 years
Tawang	60K	17.8	1.3 years
Upper Siang	44K	10.3	0.5 years
Anjaw	26K	11.1	0.6 years
Dibang Valley	10K	9.5	0.4 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 Arunachal Pradesh is Injurious to Health.