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 Miyazaki Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Miyazaki

Miyazaki faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.0 million across 30 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 Miyazaki met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.6 years longer.

That's 620K years of life stolen from 1.0 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 Miyazaki. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Miyazaki
0.7 years lost
2.Shintomi
0.7 years lost
3.Takanabe
0.7 years lost
4.Kawaminami
0.7 years lost
5.Kijō
0.6 years lost
6.Saito
0.6 years lost
7.Kunitomi
0.6 years lost
8.Tsuno
0.6 years lost
9.Hyūga
0.6 years lost
10.Aya
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

8.8%

91K

10-15 µg/m³

91.2%

943K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 30 Districts in Miyazaki

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Miyazaki	368K	12.1	0.7 years
Miyakonojō	157K	10.4	0.5 years
Nobeoka	108K	10.8	0.6 years
Hyūga	57K	11.1	0.6 years
Kobayashi	38K	10.3	0.5 years
Nichinan	36K	9.6	0.5 years
Saito	30K	11.5	0.6 years
Mimata	26K	10.2	0.5 years
Kiyotake	20K	11.0	0.6 years
Kunitomi	19K	11.4	0.6 years
Takanabe	18K	12.0	0.7 years
Ebino	18K	10.2	0.5 years
Shintomi	17K	12.0	0.7 years
Kadogawa	17K	10.5	0.5 years
Kushima	16K	9.7	0.5 years
Kawaminami	16K	11.7	0.7 years
Takachiho	11K	9.3	0.4 years
Tsuno	10K	11.3	0.6 years
Nangō	8K	9.6	0.5 years
Takaharu	8K	10.2	0.5 years
Aya	7K	11.0	0.6 years
Nojiri	6K	10.1	0.5 years
Kijō	5K	11.5	0.6 years
Misato	5K	9.3	0.4 years
Hinokage	4K	9.3	0.4 years
Kitagō	4K	8.9	0.4 years
Gokase	3K	9.0	0.4 years
Shība	2K	8.4	0.3 years
Morotsuka	1K	9.0	0.4 years
Nishimera	973	8.7	0.4 years

Showing 30 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Miyazaki is Injurious to Health.