Air pollution threatens the health of 1.7 million people across 12 districts in Al Qassim. The average PM2.5 level is 21.2 µg/m³—4.2× higher than the WHO guideline.
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Al Qassim faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.7 million across 12 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 21.2µg/m³. That's 4.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 352 cigarettes in a year.
If Al Qassim met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.6 years longer.
That's 2.7M years of life stolen from 1.7 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 10 most polluted districts in Al Qassim. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Complete air quality data for every district in Al Qassim, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buraidah | 822K | 21.9 | 1.7 years |
| Unaizah | 230K | 21.3 | 1.6 years |
| Ar Rass | 154K | 21.5 | 1.6 years |
| Al Bukayriyah | 91K | 20.1 | 1.5 years |
| Al Badayea | 67K | 20.6 | 1.5 years |
| Uyun Al Jiwa | 59K | 19.4 | 1.4 years |
| An Nabhaniyah | 54K | 17.6 | 1.2 years |
| Al Mithnab | 52K | 21.8 | 1.6 years |
| Al Asyah | 45K | 19.4 | 1.4 years |
| Riyadh Al Khabra | 44K | 21.2 | 1.6 years |
| Dariyah | 30K | 19.1 | 1.4 years |
| Uqlat As Suqur | 26K | 16.7 | 1.1 years |
Showing 12 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.