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.

Belarus's Brest Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Brest

Brest faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.4 million across 16 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 9.7µg/m³. That's 1.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 161 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 Brest met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.45 years longer.

That's 615K years of life stolen from 1.4 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 Brest. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Brest
0.5 years lost
2.Kamyanyets
0.5 years lost
3.Malaryta
0.5 years lost
4.Zhabinka
0.5 years lost
5.Biaroza
0.5 years lost
6.Pruzhany
0.5 years lost
7.Kobryn
0.5 years lost
8.Ivanaw
0.5 years lost
9.Drahichyn
0.4 years lost
10.Ivatsevichy
0.4 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

67%

915K

10-15 µg/m³

33%

451K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 16 Districts in Brest

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Brest	392K	10.4	0.5 years
Baranavichy	208K	9.2	0.4 years
Pinsk	174K	9.3	0.4 years
Kobryn	84K	9.8	0.5 years
Stolin	73K	9.1	0.4 years
Luninets	66K	9.0	0.4 years
Biaroza	59K	9.8	0.5 years
Ivatsevichy	54K	9.5	0.4 years
Pruzhany	46K	9.8	0.5 years
Drahichyn	39K	9.6	0.4 years
Ivanaw	38K	9.6	0.5 years
Kamyanyets	34K	10.3	0.5 years
Hancavichy	27K	9.1	0.4 years
Malaryta	25K	10.3	0.5 years
Zhabinka	25K	10.0	0.5 years
Lyakhavichy	24K	9.2	0.4 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 Brest is Injurious to Health.