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 West Bengal Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in West Bengal

West Bengal faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 103.0 million across 20 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 46.9µg/m³. That's 9.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 778 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 West Bengal met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 4.1 years longer.

That's 422.3M years of life stolen from 103.0 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 West Bengal. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Nadia
4.7 years lost
2.Maldah
4.6 years lost
3.Hooghly
4.6 years lost
4.Puruliya
4.4 years lost
5.Barddhaman
4.3 years lost
6.North 24 Parganas
4.3 years lost
7.Murshidabad
4.3 years lost
8.Bankura
4.3 years lost
9.Dakshin Dinajpur
4.2 years lost
10.Kolkata
4.1 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

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

3.1%

3.2M

> 35 µg/m³

96.9%

99.8M

Districts

All 20 Districts in West Bengal

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
North 24 Parganas	11.6M	49.3	4.3 years
South 24 Parganas	9.1M	44.0	3.8 years
Barddhaman	8.7M	49.3	4.3 years
Murshidabad	8.1M	49.2	4.3 years
Pashchim Medinipur	6.7M	43.5	3.8 years
Hooghly	6.2M	51.4	4.6 years
Nadia	5.9M	52.5	4.7 years
Purba Medinipur	5.8M	42.6	3.7 years
Howrah	5.4M	44.2	3.8 years
Kolkata	4.7M	47.2	4.1 years
Maldah	4.5M	52.1	4.6 years
Bankura	4.0M	48.4	4.3 years
Birbhum	3.9M	43.9	3.8 years
Uttar Dinajpur	3.5M	46.9	4.1 years
Puruliya	3.3M	50.1	4.4 years
Koch Bihar	3.2M	32.7	2.7 years
Jalpaiguri	3.0M	45.3	4.0 years
Darjeeling	2.0M	40.6	3.5 years
Dakshin Dinajpur	1.8M	48.4	4.2 years
Alipurduar	1.4M	41.0	3.5 years

Showing 20 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in West Bengal is Injurious to Health.