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.

Thailand's Tak Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Tak

Tak faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 528 thousand across 9 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 28.6µg/m³. That's 5.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 475 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 Tak met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.31 years longer.

That's 1.2M years of life stolen from 528 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 9 most polluted districts in Tak. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Sam Ngao
2.5 years lost
2.Ban Tak
2.4 years lost
3.Mae Sot
2.4 years lost
4.K. Wang Chao
2.4 years lost
5.Tha Song Yang
2.4 years lost
6.Muang Tak
2.3 years lost
7.Mae Ramat
2.3 years lost
8.Phop Phra
2.1 years lost
9.Umphang
1.8 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

15-25 µg/m³

4.4%

23K

25-35 µg/m³

95.6%

505K

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 9 Districts in Tak

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Mae Sot	113K	29.6	2.4 years
Muang Tak	103K	28.8	2.3 years
Phop Phra	65K	26.1	2.1 years
Tha Song Yang	61K	29.1	2.4 years
Ban Tak	49K	29.6	2.4 years
Mae Ramat	48K	28.6	2.3 years
Sam Ngao	36K	30.4	2.5 years
K. Wang Chao	28K	29.1	2.4 years
Umphang	23K	23.1	1.8 years

Showing 9 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Tak is Injurious to Health.