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.

Bulgaria's Pleven Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Pleven

Pleven faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 235 thousand across 11 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 12.6µg/m³. That's 2.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 209 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 Pleven met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.73 years longer.

That's 171K years of life stolen from 235 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 Pleven. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Levski
0.9 years lost
2.Pordim
0.8 years lost
3.Belene
0.8 years lost
4.Nikopol
0.8 years lost
5.Cherven Bryag
0.8 years lost
6.Gulyantsi
0.8 years lost
7.Pleven
0.7 years lost
8.Dolni Dabnik
0.7 years lost
9.Dolna Mitropoliya
0.7 years lost
10.Iskar
0.6 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

100%

235K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 11 Districts in Pleven

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Pleven	120K	12.7	0.7 years
Cherven Bryag	23K	12.7	0.8 years
Levski	16K	14.0	0.9 years
Dolna Mitropoliya	15K	11.8	0.7 years
Knezha	13K	11.2	0.6 years
Dolni Dabnik	11K	12.1	0.7 years
Gulyantsi	9K	12.7	0.8 years
Belene	9K	13.3	0.8 years
Iskar	7K	11.5	0.6 years
Nikopol	7K	13.2	0.8 years
Pordim	4K	13.5	0.8 years

Showing 11 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Pleven is Injurious to Health.