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 Mie Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Mie

Mie faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.7 million across 28 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 9.3µg/m³. That's 1.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 154 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 Mie met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.43 years longer.

That's 732K years of life stolen from 1.7 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 Mie. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Kuwana
0.6 years lost
2.Asahi
0.6 years lost
3.Kawagoe
0.6 years lost
4.Yokkaichi
0.6 years lost
5.Tōin
0.5 years lost
6.Suzuka
0.5 years lost
7.Komono
0.5 years lost
8.Inabe
0.4 years lost
9.Kameyama
0.4 years lost
10.Tsu
0.4 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

60.9%

1.0M

10-15 µg/m³

39.1%

666K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 28 Districts in Mie

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Yokkaichi	280K	10.7	0.6 years
Tsu	256K	9.1	0.4 years
Suzuka	189K	10.3	0.5 years
Matsusaka	161K	8.9	0.4 years
Kuwana	142K	11.5	0.6 years
Ise	117K	8.1	0.3 years
Iga	86K	8.4	0.3 years
Nabari	75K	8.0	0.3 years
Inabe	54K	9.2	0.4 years
Kameyama	52K	9.2	0.4 years
Shima	41K	6.6	0.2 years
Komono	36K	9.6	0.5 years
Kawagoe	22K	11.3	0.6 years
Meiwa	22K	8.8	0.4 years
Tōin	20K	10.4	0.5 years
Toba	16K	6.6	0.2 years
Owase	15K	6.2	0.1 years
Kumano	15K	6.0	0.1 years
Tamaki	15K	8.2	0.3 years
Taki	14K	7.9	0.3 years
Kihoku	13K	6.7	0.2 years
Asahi	13K	11.3	0.6 years
Ōdai	11K	6.8	0.2 years
Minamiise	10K	6.8	0.2 years
Kihō	10K	5.7	0.1 years
Mihama	7K	6.1	0.1 years
Watarai	7K	7.1	0.2 years
Taiki	5K	6.6	0.2 years

Showing 28 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Mie is Injurious to Health.