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 Khakass Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Khakass

Khakass faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 309 thousand across 10 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 7.7µg/m³. That's 1.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 128 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 Khakass met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.28 years longer.

That's 87K years of life stolen from 309 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 Khakass. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Ordzhonikidzevskiy rayon
0.5 years lost
2.Shirinskiy rayon
0.4 years lost
3.Bogradskiy rayon
0.3 years lost
4.Abakan
0.3 years lost
5.Ust'-Abakanskiy rayon
0.3 years lost
6.Sayanogorsk
0.2 years lost
7.Askizskiy rayon
0.2 years lost
8.Altayskiy rayon
0.2 years lost
9.Tashtypskiy rayon
0.2 years lost
10.Beyskiy rayon
0.1 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

100%

309K

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 10 Districts in Khakass

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Ust'-Abakanskiy rayon	124K	7.6	0.3 years
Askizskiy rayon	41K	7.3	0.2 years
Tashtypskiy rayon	32K	6.9	0.2 years
Altayskiy rayon	30K	7.2	0.2 years
Shirinskiy rayon	28K	9.2	0.4 years
Bogradskiy rayon	17K	8.0	0.3 years
Ordzhonikidzevskiy rayon	13K	9.7	0.5 years
Beyskiy rayon	11K	6.5	0.1 years
Abakan	11K	7.7	0.3 years
Sayanogorsk	3K	7.4	0.2 years

Showing 10 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Khakass is Injurious to Health.