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 Niigata Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Niigata

Niigata faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.1 million across 31 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 9.2µg/m³. That's 1.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 153 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 Niigata met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.42 years longer.

That's 898K years of life stolen from 2.1 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 Niigata. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Agano
0.5 years lost
2.Niigata
0.5 years lost
3.Tsubame
0.5 years lost
4.Jōetsu
0.4 years lost
5.Yahiko
0.4 years lost
6.Sanjō
0.4 years lost
7.Tagami
0.4 years lost
8.Seirō
0.4 years lost
9.Shibata
0.4 years lost
10.Gosen
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

100%

2.1M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 31 Districts in Niigata

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Niigata	784K	9.7	0.5 years
Nagaoka	257K	8.6	0.4 years
Jōetsu	181K	9.5	0.4 years
Sanjō	91K	9.3	0.4 years
Shibata	90K	9.2	0.4 years
Kashiwazaki	79K	8.5	0.3 years
Tsubame	68K	9.7	0.5 years
Murakami	55K	8.1	0.3 years
Minamiuonuma	54K	8.6	0.4 years
Tōkamachi	49K	8.6	0.3 years
Gosen	45K	9.2	0.4 years
Sado	45K	7.4	0.2 years
Agano	38K	9.8	0.5 years
Mitsuke	38K	8.9	0.4 years
Itoigawa	36K	8.6	0.4 years
Ojiya	35K	8.4	0.3 years
Uonuma	33K	8.0	0.3 years
Myōkō	31K	9.0	0.4 years
Tainai	27K	8.8	0.4 years
Kamo	25K	9.2	0.4 years
Seirō	14K	9.3	0.4 years
Yahiko	12K	9.5	0.4 years
Aga	10K	7.7	0.3 years
Tsunan	8K	8.9	0.4 years
Tagami	8K	9.3	0.4 years
Yuzawa	7K	8.0	0.3 years
Sekikawa	5K	7.8	0.3 years
Kawaguchi	5K	8.3	0.3 years
Kariwa	4K	8.3	0.3 years
Izumozaki	4K	8.0	0.3 years
Awashimaura	342	7.4	0.2 years

Showing 31 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Niigata is Injurious to Health.