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 Pomorskie Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Pomorskie

Pomorskie faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.5 million across 20 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.4µg/m³. That's 2.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 173 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 Pomorskie met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.53 years longer.

That's 1.3M years of life stolen from 2.5 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 Pomorskie. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Gdynia
0.6 years lost
2.Starogard
0.6 years lost
3.Sztum
0.6 years lost
4.Tczew
0.6 years lost
5.Sopot
0.6 years lost
6.Gdańsk (City)
0.6 years lost
7.Wejherowo
0.6 years lost
8.Kwidzyn
0.6 years lost
9.Kościerzyna
0.5 years lost
10.Gdańsk
0.5 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

23.2%

575K

10-15 µg/m³

76.8%

1.9M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 20 Districts in Pomorskie

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Gdańsk (City)	501K	10.7	0.6 years
Gdynia	253K	11.4	0.6 years
Wejherowo	232K	10.7	0.6 years
Kartuzy	153K	10.0	0.5 years
Gdańsk	131K	10.5	0.5 years
Starogard	130K	11.1	0.6 years
Tczew	116K	10.8	0.6 years
Słupsk	100K	8.3	0.3 years
Chojnice	100K	9.8	0.5 years
Puck	91K	10.4	0.5 years
Słupsk (City)	90K	8.4	0.3 years
Kwidzyn	84K	10.6	0.6 years
Nowy Dwór Gdański	82K	9.9	0.5 years
Bytów	80K	9.3	0.4 years
Kościerzyna	75K	10.5	0.5 years
Lębork	66K	9.6	0.4 years
Malbork	64K	10.4	0.5 years
Człuchów	56K	9.3	0.4 years
Sztum	41K	10.9	0.6 years
Sopot	34K	10.7	0.6 years

Showing 20 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Pomorskie is Injurious to Health.