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.

Sri Lanka's Galle Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Galle

Galle faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.1 million across 18 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 12.3µg/m³. That's 2.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 204 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 Galle met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.73 years longer.

That's 811K years of life stolen from 1.1 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 Galle. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Bentota
0.9 years lost
2.Balapitiya
0.9 years lost
3.Neluwa
0.8 years lost
4.Karandeniya
0.8 years lost
5.Thawalama
0.8 years lost
6.Ambalangoda
0.8 years lost
7.Elpitiya
0.8 years lost
8.Hikkaduwa
0.7 years lost
9.Niyagama
0.7 years lost
10.Welivitiya-Divithura
0.7 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

100%

1.1M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 18 Districts in Galle

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Galle Four Gravets	105K	12.0	0.7 years
Hikkaduwa	98K	12.6	0.7 years
Ambalangoda	87K	12.9	0.8 years
Baddegama	78K	11.8	0.7 years
Akmeemana	77K	11.2	0.6 years
Balapitiya	71K	13.9	0.9 years
Elpitiya	67K	12.7	0.8 years
Habaraduwa	64K	11.7	0.7 years
Karandeniya	61K	13.3	0.8 years
Nagoda	57K	11.5	0.6 years
Bope-Poddala	53K	12.0	0.7 years
Bentota	52K	14.3	0.9 years
Yakkalamulla	51K	11.0	0.6 years
Imaduwa	48K	11.2	0.6 years
Niyagama	38K	12.4	0.7 years
Welivitiya-Divithura	37K	12.1	0.7 years
Thawalama	35K	12.9	0.8 years
Neluwa	31K	13.3	0.8 years

Showing 18 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Galle is Injurious to Health.