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 Wielkopolskie Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Wielkopolskie

Wielkopolskie faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 3.6 million across 35 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 12.5µg/m³. That's 2.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 207 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 Wielkopolskie met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.73 years longer.

That's 2.6M years of life stolen from 3.6 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 Wielkopolskie. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Kalisz (City)
1 years lost
2.Ostrów Wielkopolski
1 years lost
3.Kalisz
0.9 years lost
4.Pleszew
0.9 years lost
5.Krotoszyn
0.9 years lost
6.Ostrzeszów
0.9 years lost
7.Jarocin
0.9 years lost
8.Kępno
0.8 years lost
9.Gostyń
0.8 years lost
10.Turek
0.8 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

71K

10-15 µg/m³

95.3%

3.4M

15-25 µg/m³

2.8%

99K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 35 Districts in Wielkopolskie

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Poznań (City)	565K	12.9	0.8 years
Poznań	446K	12.5	0.7 years
Gniezno	147K	11.6	0.6 years
Piła	137K	10.4	0.5 years
Konin	133K	12.1	0.7 years
Grodzisk Wielkopolski	105K	12.3	0.7 years
Kalisz (City)	99K	15.1	1.0 years
Szamotuły	95K	11.7	0.7 years
Czarnków-Trzcianka	88K	10.5	0.5 years
Koło	86K	12.4	0.7 years
Kalisz	86K	14.5	0.9 years
Turek	85K	13.2	0.8 years
Września	81K	12.6	0.7 years
Kościan	81K	12.4	0.7 years
Krotoszyn	79K	13.8	0.9 years
Nowy Tomyśl	78K	11.9	0.7 years
Gostyń	77K	13.2	0.8 years
Jarocin	73K	13.7	0.9 years
Ostrów Wielkopolski	72K	14.7	1.0 years
Konin (City)	72K	12.5	0.7 years
Wągrowiec	72K	11.3	0.6 years
Złotów	71K	9.8	0.5 years
Pleszew	64K	14.2	0.9 years
Leszno (City)	64K	13.0	0.8 years
Śrem	63K	12.8	0.8 years
Rawicz	61K	12.5	0.7 years
Oborniki	61K	11.5	0.6 years
Leszno	60K	12.7	0.8 years
Słupca	60K	12.3	0.7 years
Środa Wielkopolska	60K	12.5	0.7 years
Wolsztyn	59K	12.0	0.7 years
Kępno	58K	13.7	0.8 years
Ostrzeszów	57K	13.8	0.9 years
Chodzież	48K	10.7	0.6 years
Międzychód	37K	11.3	0.6 years

Showing 35 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Wielkopolskie is Injurious to Health.