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 Lubelskie Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Lubelskie

Lubelskie faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.2 million across 24 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 11.8µg/m³. That's 2.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 196 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 Lubelskie met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.67 years longer.

That's 1.5M years of life stolen from 2.2 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 Lubelskie. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Lublin (City)
0.8 years lost
2.Kraśnik
0.7 years lost
3.Świdnik
0.7 years lost
4.Janów Lubelski
0.7 years lost
5.Lublin
0.7 years lost
6.Opole Lubelskie
0.7 years lost
7.Puławy
0.7 years lost
8.Ryki
0.7 years lost
9.Krasnystaw
0.7 years lost
10.Biłgoraj
0.7 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%

2.2M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 24 Districts in Lubelskie

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Lublin (City)	346K	12.7	0.8 years
Lublin	167K	12.3	0.7 years
Świdnik	159K	12.3	0.7 years
Puławy	113K	11.9	0.7 years
Biała Podlaska	110K	11.2	0.6 years
Zamość	106K	11.1	0.6 years
Łuków	106K	11.6	0.6 years
Biłgoraj	102K	11.8	0.7 years
Kraśnik	95K	12.4	0.7 years
Lubartów	89K	11.4	0.6 years
Tomaszów Lubelski	82K	10.4	0.5 years
Chełm	78K	11.3	0.6 years
Krasnystaw	63K	11.8	0.7 years
Zamość (City)	62K	11.0	0.6 years
Chełm (City)	61K	11.6	0.6 years
Hrubieszów	61K	10.3	0.5 years
Opole Lubelskie	59K	12.0	0.7 years
Radzyń Podlaski	58K	11.7	0.7 years
Łęczna	58K	11.8	0.7 years
Biała Podlaska (City)	57K	11.2	0.6 years
Ryki	55K	11.9	0.7 years
Janów Lubelski	46K	12.3	0.7 years
Włodawa	38K	11.0	0.6 years
Parczew	34K	11.7	0.7 years

Showing 24 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Lubelskie is Injurious to Health.