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 Kursk Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Kursk

Kursk faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.1 million across 32 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 9.3µg/m³. That's 1.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 154 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 Kursk met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.4 years longer.

That's 440K years of life stolen from 1.1 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 Kursk. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Dmitrievskiy rayon
0.5 years lost
2.Konyshevskiy rayon
0.5 years lost
3.Khomutovskiy rayon
0.5 years lost
4.Kurchatov
0.4 years lost
5.Kursk
0.4 years lost
6.Kurskiy rayon
0.4 years lost
7.Zheleznogorskiy rayon
0.4 years lost
8.Kurchatovskiy rayon
0.4 years lost
9.Oktyabr'skiy
0.4 years lost
10.L'gov
0.4 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%

1.1M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 32 Districts in Kursk

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Kursk	343K	9.6	0.4 years
Kurskiy rayon	118K	9.5	0.4 years
Zheleznogorskiy rayon	109K	9.5	0.4 years
Oktyabr'skiy	56K	9.5	0.4 years
L'govskiy rayon	39K	9.4	0.4 years
Korenevskiy rayon	38K	9.4	0.4 years
Oboyanskiy rayon	31K	9.1	0.4 years
Sudzhanskiy rayon	25K	9.3	0.4 years
Shchigrovskiy rayon	24K	8.7	0.4 years
Belovskiy rayon	22K	9.2	0.4 years
Gorshechenskiy rayon	22K	8.5	0.3 years
Zolotukhinskiy rayon	21K	9.0	0.4 years
Fatezhskiy rayon	20K	9.2	0.4 years
Sovetskiy rayon	20K	8.5	0.3 years
Kastorenskiy rayon	19K	8.4	0.3 years
Medvenskiy rayon	19K	9.3	0.4 years
Solntsevskiy rayon	16K	8.8	0.4 years
Kurchatovskiy rayon	16K	9.5	0.4 years
Dmitrievskiy rayon	16K	9.7	0.5 years
Pristenskiy rayon	15K	8.8	0.4 years
Manturovskiy rayon	15K	8.6	0.3 years
Ryl'skiy rayon	14K	9.3	0.4 years
Glushkovskiy rayon	12K	9.3	0.4 years
Timskiy rayon	12K	8.6	0.4 years
Ponyrovskiy rayon	11K	8.8	0.4 years
Khomutovskiy rayon	11K	9.6	0.5 years
Cheremisinovskiy rayon	11K	8.7	0.4 years
Bol'shesoldatskiy rayon	11K	9.3	0.4 years
Konyshevskiy rayon	7K	9.7	0.5 years
Shchigry	6K	8.7	0.4 years
L'gov	317	9.5	0.4 years
Kurchatov	89	9.6	0.4 years

Showing 32 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Kursk is Injurious to Health.