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 Komi Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Komi

Komi faces significant air pollution challenges. 39% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 814 thousand across 23 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 5µg/m³. That's 1.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 83 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 Komi met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.05 years longer.

That's 41K years of life stolen from 814 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 Komi. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Priluzskiy rayon
0.2 years lost
2.Koygorodskiy rayon
0.2 years lost
3.Sysol'skiy rayon
0.1 years lost
4.Syktyvdinskiy rayon
0.1 years lost
5.Syktyvkar gorsovet
0.1 years lost
6.Kortkerosskiy rayon
0.1 years lost
7.Ust'-Vymskiy rayon
0.1 years lost
8.Ust'-Kulomskiy rayon
0.1 years lost
9.Knyazhpogostskiy rayon
0 years lost
10.Troitsko-Pechorskiy 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

53.8%

438K

5-10 µg/m³

46.2%

376K

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 23 Districts in Komi

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Syktyvkar gorsovet	207K	6.0	0.1 years
Ukhta gorsovet	130K	4.8	0.0 years
Vorkuta gorsovet	86K	3.3	0.0 years
Pechorskiy rayon	52K	4.3	0.0 years
Usinskiy rayon	42K	4.1	0.0 years
Syktyvdinskiy rayon	41K	6.0	0.1 years
Inta gorsovet	32K	3.9	0.0 years
Ust'-Vymskiy rayon	26K	5.8	0.1 years
Ust'-Kulomskiy rayon	24K	5.6	0.1 years
Sosnogorskiy rayon	22K	4.7	0.0 years
Knyazhpogostskiy rayon	21K	5.4	0.0 years
Priluzskiy rayon	19K	6.8	0.2 years
Udorskiy rayon	18K	4.6	0.0 years
Kortkerosskiy rayon	18K	5.9	0.1 years
Izhemskiy rayon	17K	4.0	0.0 years
Vuktyl'skiy rayon	13K	4.7	0.0 years
Troitsko-Pechorskiy rayon	12K	5.0	0.0 years
Sysol'skiy rayon	12K	6.4	0.1 years
Ust'-Tsilemskiy rayon	12K	3.6	0.0 years
Koygorodskiy rayon	8K	6.7	0.2 years
Pechora	288	4.3	0.0 years
Vuktyl	6	4.6	0.0 years
Usinsk	0	0.0	0.0 years

Showing 23 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Komi is Injurious to Health.