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 Uttaradit Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Uttaradit

Uttaradit faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 440 thousand across 9 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 32µg/m³. That's 6.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 531 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 Uttaradit met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.66 years longer.

That's 1.2M years of life stolen from 440 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 Uttaradit. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Tron
2.8 years lost
2.Phichai
2.7 years lost
3.Laplae
2.7 years lost
4.Muang Uttaradit
2.7 years lost
5.Fak Tha
2.6 years lost
6.Nam Pat
2.6 years lost
7.Tha Pla
2.5 years lost
8.Ban Khok
2.5 years lost
9.Thong Saen Khan
2.5 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

25-35 µg/m³

100%

440K

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 9 Districts in Uttaradit

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Muang Uttaradit	146K	32.1	2.7 years
Phichai	71K	33.0	2.7 years
Laplae	55K	32.6	2.7 years
Tha Pla	45K	30.5	2.5 years
Tron	34K	33.4	2.8 years
Thong Saen Khan	31K	30.1	2.5 years
Nam Pat	30K	31.1	2.6 years
Fak Tha	14K	31.6	2.6 years
Ban Khok	14K	30.2	2.5 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 Uttaradit is Injurious to Health.