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 Tokushima Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Tokushima

Tokushima faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 691 thousand across 24 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.5µg/m³. That's 2.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 174 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 Tokushima met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.52 years longer.

That's 359K years of life stolen from 691 thousand 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 Tokushima. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Aizumi
0.7 years lost
2.Kitajima
0.7 years lost
3.Matsushige
0.7 years lost
4.Ishii
0.7 years lost
5.Tokushima
0.6 years lost
6.Itano
0.6 years lost
7.Kamiita
0.6 years lost
8.Naruto
0.5 years lost
9.Yoshinogawa
0.5 years lost
10.Komatsushima
0.5 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

30.7%

212K

10-15 µg/m³

69.3%

479K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 24 Districts in Tokushima

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Tokushima	243K	11.4	0.6 years
Anan	64K	9.3	0.4 years
Naruto	51K	10.5	0.5 years
Awa	40K	10.0	0.5 years
Komatsushima	36K	10.2	0.5 years
Yoshinogawa	33K	10.4	0.5 years
Aizumi	32K	11.9	0.7 years
Mima	27K	8.0	0.3 years
Miyoshi	26K	7.9	0.3 years
Ishii	25K	11.7	0.7 years
Kitajima	22K	11.9	0.7 years
Matsushige	14K	11.7	0.7 years
Itano	12K	11.3	0.6 years
Higashimiyoshi	11K	8.0	0.3 years
Kamiita	11K	11.1	0.6 years
Kaiyō	8K	7.9	0.3 years
Naka	7K	7.3	0.2 years
Tsurugi	7K	7.5	0.2 years
Minami	6K	7.7	0.3 years
Katsuura	5K	8.1	0.3 years
Kamiyama	4K	8.5	0.3 years
Mugi	3K	7.9	0.3 years
Sanagōchi	2K	9.0	0.4 years
Kamikatsu	1K	7.3	0.2 years

Showing 24 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Tokushima is Injurious to Health.