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 Wakayama Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Wakayama

Wakayama faces significant air pollution challenges. 97% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 880 thousand across 29 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 7.5µg/m³. That's 1.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 124 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 Wakayama met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.22 years longer.

That's 194K years of life stolen from 880 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 Wakayama. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Wakayama
0.3 years lost
2.Iwade
0.3 years lost
3.Arida
0.2 years lost
4.Kinokawa
0.2 years lost
5.Hashimoto
0.2 years lost
6.Kainan
0.2 years lost
7.Mihama
0.2 years lost
8.Gobō
0.2 years lost
9.Katsuragi
0.2 years lost
10.Kudoyama
0.2 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%

880K

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 29 Districts in Wakayama

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Wakayama	353K	8.6	0.3 years
Kyōtanabe	64K	6.3	0.1 years
Hashimoto	61K	7.3	0.2 years
Kinokawa	55K	7.4	0.2 years
Iwade	51K	8.0	0.3 years
Kainan	41K	7.3	0.2 years
Arida	26K	7.5	0.2 years
Shingū	25K	6.1	0.1 years
Gobō	24K	7.2	0.2 years
Aridagawa	24K	6.4	0.1 years
Shirahama	18K	6.5	0.1 years
Katsuragi	16K	7.1	0.2 years
Yuasa	14K	6.9	0.2 years
Kamitonda	14K	6.3	0.1 years
Nachikatsuura	13K	5.5	0.0 years
Kushimoto	13K	5.6	0.1 years
Minabe	10K	6.2	0.1 years
Hidakagawa	9K	6.2	0.1 years
Hidaka	8K	6.8	0.2 years
Inami Town	7K	6.5	0.1 years
Kimino	7K	6.4	0.1 years
Yura	5K	6.7	0.2 years
Mihama	5K	7.2	0.2 years
Susami	3K	5.7	0.1 years
Hirogawa	3K	6.7	0.2 years
Kudoyama	3K	6.9	0.2 years
Kōya	3K	5.9	0.1 years
Taiji	3K	5.7	0.1 years
Kozagawa	2K	5.0	0.0 years

Showing 29 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Wakayama is Injurious to Health.