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.

Philippines's Cagayan Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Cagayan

Cagayan faces significant air pollution challenges. 93% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.3 million across 29 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 8.6µg/m³. That's 1.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 143 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 Cagayan met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.34 years longer.

That's 445K years of life stolen from 1.3 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 Cagayan. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Tuao
0.6 years lost
2.Solana
0.6 years lost
3.Piat
0.6 years lost
4.Tuguegarao City
0.5 years lost
5.Enrile
0.5 years lost
6.Rizal
0.5 years lost
7.Amulung
0.5 years lost
8.Iguig
0.4 years lost
9.Santo Niño
0.4 years lost
10.Alcala
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

3.6%

47K

5-10 µg/m³

64.5%

844K

10-15 µg/m³

31.9%

417K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 29 Districts in Cagayan

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Tuguegarao City	183K	10.4	0.5 years
Baggao	93K	6.9	0.2 years
Solana	86K	11.2	0.6 years
Aparri	65K	7.9	0.3 years
Gattaran	62K	7.4	0.2 years
Tuao	62K	11.5	0.6 years
Lal-Lo	55K	7.3	0.2 years
Peñablanca	50K	7.7	0.3 years
Amulung	50K	10.0	0.5 years
Lasam	45K	8.4	0.3 years
Alcala	44K	9.1	0.4 years
Gonzaga	43K	5.3	0.0 years
Enrile	40K	10.2	0.5 years
Allacapan	40K	8.0	0.3 years
Abulug	37K	8.5	0.3 years
Ballesteros	35K	8.0	0.3 years
Claveria	34K	6.4	0.1 years
Santa Ana	32K	4.8	0.0 years
Iguig	31K	9.5	0.4 years
Santo Niño	31K	9.3	0.4 years
Buguey	29K	7.1	0.2 years
Sanchez-Mira	27K	6.8	0.2 years
Piat	26K	10.8	0.6 years
Camalaniugan	25K	8.3	0.3 years
Pamplona	24K	7.5	0.2 years
Rizal	20K	10.1	0.5 years
Santa Teresita	18K	6.0	0.1 years
Calayan	15K	4.5	0.0 years
Santa Praxedes	4K	6.1	0.1 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 Cagayan is Injurious to Health.