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.

Vietnam's Kon Tum Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Kon Tum

Kon Tum faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 591 thousand across 10 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 16.9µg/m³. That's 3.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 280 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 Kon Tum met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.18 years longer.

That's 697K years of life stolen from 591 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 Kon Tum. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Ia H' Drai
1.5 years lost
2.Đắk Glei
1.3 years lost
3.Tu Mơ Rông
1.2 years lost
4.Ngọc Hồi
1.2 years lost
5.Sa Thầy
1.2 years lost
6.Kon Tum
1.2 years lost
7.Đắk Tô
1.1 years lost
8.Đắk Hà
1.1 years lost
9.Kon Plông
1.1 years lost
10.Kon Rẫy
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

15-25 µg/m³

100%

591K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 10 Districts in Kon Tum

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Kon Tum	196K	16.9	1.2 years
Đắk Hà	85K	16.4	1.1 years
Ngọc Hồi	57K	17.1	1.2 years
Đắk Glei	53K	18.1	1.3 years
Đắk Tô	51K	16.5	1.1 years
Sa Thầy	47K	17.0	1.2 years
Kon Rẫy	31K	15.5	1.0 years
Tu Mơ Rông	31K	17.2	1.2 years
Kon Plông	29K	16.2	1.1 years
Ia H' Drai	11K	20.6	1.5 years

Showing 10 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Kon Tum is Injurious to Health.