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.

Poland's Kujawsko-Pomorskie Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Kujawsko-Pomorskie

Kujawsko-Pomorskie faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.1 million across 23 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.9µg/m³. That's 2.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 181 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 Kujawsko-Pomorskie met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.59 years longer.

That's 1.2M years of life stolen from 2.1 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 Kujawsko-Pomorskie. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Toruń (City)
0.7 years lost
2.Włocławek (City)
0.7 years lost
3.Włocławek
0.6 years lost
4.Lipno
0.6 years lost
5.Żnin
0.6 years lost
6.Toruń
0.6 years lost
7.Mogilno
0.6 years lost
8.Golub-Dobrzyń
0.6 years lost
9.Brodnica
0.6 years lost
10.Aleksandrów
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

4.3%

90K

10-15 µg/m³

95.7%

2.0M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 23 Districts in Kujawsko-Pomorskie

Complete air quality data for every district in Kujawsko-Pomorskie, sorted by population.

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Bydgoszcz (City)	349K	11.0	0.6 years
Toruń (City)	205K	11.8	0.7 years
Inowrocław	159K	10.2	0.5 years
Bydgoszcz	127K	10.7	0.6 years
Toruń	115K	11.3	0.6 years
Włocławek (City)	108K	11.8	0.7 years
Świecie	100K	10.1	0.5 years
Grudziądz (City)	94K	10.3	0.5 years
Nakło	87K	10.9	0.6 years
Włocławek	86K	11.6	0.6 years
Brodnica	81K	11.0	0.6 years
Żnin	71K	11.3	0.6 years
Lipno	66K	11.4	0.6 years
Aleksandrów	56K	11.0	0.6 years
Chełmno	52K	10.5	0.5 years
Tuchola	49K	9.8	0.5 years
Mogilno	46K	11.2	0.6 years
Golub-Dobrzyń	46K	11.1	0.6 years
Rypin	43K	11.0	0.6 years
Sępólno	41K	9.9	0.5 years
Grudziądz	41K	10.7	0.6 years
Radziejów	40K	10.4	0.5 years
Wąbrzeźno	34K	10.8	0.6 years

Showing 23 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Kujawsko-Pomorskie is Injurious to Health.