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 Puttalam Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Puttalam

Puttalam faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 813 thousand across 16 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 15.2µg/m³. That's 3.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 252 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 Puttalam met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.02 years longer.

That's 829K years of life stolen from 813 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 Puttalam. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Puttalam
1.1 years lost
2.Wennappuwa
1.1 years lost
3.Vanathavilluwa
1.1 years lost
4.Dankotuwa
1.1 years lost
5.Mundalama
1 years lost
6.Nattandiya
1 years lost
7.Mahawewa
1 years lost
8.Kalpitiya
1 years lost
9.Karuwalagaswewa
1 years lost
10.Chilaw
1 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

37.6%

306K

15-25 µg/m³

62.4%

507K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 16 Districts in Puttalam

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Puttalam	113K	15.9	1.1 years
Kalpitiya	89K	15.2	1.0 years
Wennappuwa	73K	15.9	1.1 years
Dankotuwa	71K	15.8	1.1 years
Chilaw	69K	14.9	1.0 years
Nattandiya	64K	15.4	1.0 years
Arachchikattuwa PS	62K	14.7	1.0 years
Mahawewa	52K	15.3	1.0 years
Madampe	50K	14.8	1.0 years
Anamaduwa	41K	14.1	0.9 years
Mundalama	26K	15.6	1.0 years
Karuwalagaswewa	25K	14.9	1.0 years
Mahakumbukkadawala	21K	14.7	0.9 years
Pallama	20K	14.0	0.9 years
Vanathavilluwa	18K	15.8	1.1 years
Nawagattegama	16K	14.1	0.9 years

Showing 16 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Puttalam is Injurious to Health.