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 Cavite Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Cavite

Cavite faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 4.5 million across 23 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 17.7µg/m³. That's 3.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 294 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 Cavite met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.26 years longer.

That's 5.7M years of life stolen from 4.5 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 Cavite. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Bacoor
1.6 years lost
2.Cavite City
1.5 years lost
3.Kawit
1.5 years lost
4.Imus
1.5 years lost
5.Noveleta
1.4 years lost
6.Carmona
1.4 years lost
7.Rosario
1.3 years lost
8.Dasmariñas
1.3 years lost
9.General Mariano Alvarez
1.3 years lost
10.General Trias
1.2 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

10-15 µg/m³

18.4%

835K

15-25 µg/m³

81.6%

3.7M

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 23 Districts in Cavite

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Bacoor	732K	21.0	1.6 years
Dasmariñas	694K	18.0	1.3 years
Imus	528K	19.9	1.5 years
General Trias	493K	17.5	1.2 years
Tanza	322K	17.3	1.2 years
Silang	316K	15.2	1.0 years
Trece Martires City	231K	14.8	1.0 years
General Mariano Alvarez	167K	17.9	1.3 years
Naic	163K	14.5	0.9 years
Carmona	112K	19.0	1.4 years
Tagaytay City	93K	13.0	0.8 years
Cavite City	88K	20.3	1.5 years
Kawit	87K	20.0	1.5 years
Noveleta	82K	19.1	1.4 years
Rosario	77K	18.5	1.3 years
Indang	74K	12.8	0.8 years
Alfonso	58K	11.9	0.7 years
Amadeo	56K	13.3	0.8 years
Maragondon	47K	12.8	0.8 years
Mendez	39K	12.3	0.7 years
Magallanes	28K	11.3	0.6 years
General Emilio Aguinaldo	25K	11.7	0.7 years
Ternate	22K	13.0	0.8 years

Showing 23 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Cavite is Injurious to Health.