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.

Japan's Kanagawa Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Kanagawa

Kanagawa faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 8.9 million across 33 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 11.2µg/m³. That's 2.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 186 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 Kanagawa met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.62 years longer.

That's 5.5M years of life stolen from 8.9 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 Kanagawa. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Kawasaki
0.7 years lost
2.Zama
0.7 years lost
3.Yamato
0.7 years lost
4.Ayase
0.7 years lost
5.Yokohama
0.7 years lost
6.Ebina
0.6 years lost
7.Atsugi
0.6 years lost
8.Sagamihara
0.6 years lost
9.Fujisawa
0.6 years lost
10.Samukawa
0.6 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

11.5%

1.0M

10-15 µg/m³

88.5%

7.9M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 33 Districts in Kanagawa

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Yokohama	3.6M	11.7	0.7 years
Kawasaki	1.5M	12.3	0.7 years
Sagamihara	718K	11.2	0.6 years
Fujisawa	409K	11.1	0.6 years
Yokosuka	355K	7.4	0.2 years
Chigasaki	250K	10.7	0.6 years
Hiratsuka	247K	10.3	0.5 years
Atsugi	226K	11.3	0.6 years
Yamato	211K	11.8	0.7 years
Odawara	180K	8.8	0.4 years
Hadano	164K	8.9	0.4 years
Kamakura	158K	10.5	0.5 years
Zama	146K	11.9	0.7 years
Ebina	133K	11.6	0.6 years
Isehara	100K	10.4	0.5 years
Ayase	62K	11.7	0.7 years
Zushi	59K	8.8	0.4 years
Samukawa	59K	10.9	0.6 years
Aikawa	44K	10.6	0.5 years
Minamiashigara	43K	8.5	0.3 years
Miura	36K	7.0	0.2 years
Ōiso	28K	9.5	0.4 years
Ninomiya	26K	8.5	0.3 years
Hayama	25K	6.4	0.1 years
Yugawara	20K	6.8	0.2 years
Ōi	18K	8.7	0.4 years
Kaisei	16K	8.7	0.4 years
Matsuda	12K	8.3	0.3 years
Hakone	11K	7.0	0.2 years
Nakai	9K	8.7	0.4 years
Manazuru	8K	7.4	0.2 years
Yamakita	8K	7.5	0.2 years
Kiyokawa	3K	8.4	0.3 years

Showing 33 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Kanagawa is Injurious to Health.