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.

Russia's Karelia Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Karelia

Karelia faces significant air pollution challenges. 12% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 604 thousand across 26 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 4.6µg/m³. That's 0.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 76 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 Karelia met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0 years longer.

That's 0 years of life stolen from 604 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 Karelia. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Olonetskiy rayon
0 years lost
2.Prionezhskiy rayon
0 years lost
3.Petrozavodsk
0 years lost
4.Lakhdenpokhskiy rayon
0 years lost
5.Pryazhinskiy rayon
0 years lost
6.Pitkyarantskiy
0 years lost
7.Pudozhskiy rayon
0 years lost
8.Pitkyarantskiy rayon
0 years lost
9.Sortaval' gorsovet
0 years lost
10.Kondopozhskiy rayon
0 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

51.7%

312K

5-10 µg/m³

48.3%

291K

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 26 Districts in Karelia

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³
Prionezhskiy rayon	266K	5.1
Segezhskiy rayon	33K	3.8
Kondopozhskiy rayon	33K	4.6
Sortaval' gorsovet	30K	4.7
Kostomuksh gorsovet	25K	3.8
Medvezh'egorskiy rayon	23K	4.2
Olonetskiy rayon	20K	5.1
Water body	19K	4.1
Belomorskiy rayon	18K	3.4
Pudozhskiy rayon	17K	4.7
Suoyarvskiy rayon	17K	4.5
Kemskiy rayon	15K	3.3
Pitkyarantskiy	14K	4.9
Pryazhinskiy rayon	14K	4.9
Lakhdenpokhskiy rayon	13K	4.9
Muyezerskiy rayon	13K	4.0
Loukhskiy rayon	12K	3.0
Kaleval'skiy rayon	9K	3.7
Pitkyarantskiy rayon	7K	4.7
Petrozavodsk	5K	5.1
Kem'	772	3.3
Kostomuksh	164	3.8
Primorskiy	19	2.6
Kondopoga	9	4.6
Pitkyaranta	0	0.0
Segezha	0	0.0

Showing 26 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Karelia is Injurious to Health.