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 Novgorod Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Novgorod

Novgorod faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 597 thousand across 25 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 7.6µg/m³. That's 1.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 126 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 Novgorod met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.27 years longer.

That's 161K years of life stolen from 597 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 Novgorod. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Water body
0.3 years lost
2.Kholmskiy rayon
0.3 years lost
3.Valdayskiy rayon
0.3 years lost
4.Velikiy Novgorod
0.3 years lost
5.Okulovskiy rayon
0.3 years lost
6.Borovichskiy rayon
0.3 years lost
7.Marevskiy rayon
0.3 years lost
8.Borovichi
0.3 years lost
9.Demyanskiy rayon
0.3 years lost
10.Novgorodskiy rayon
0.3 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%

597K

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 25 Districts in Novgorod

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Velikiy Novgorod	215K	7.8	0.3 years
Borovichskiy rayon	61K	7.7	0.3 years
Novgorodskiy rayon	41K	7.6	0.3 years
Starorusskiy rayon	33K	7.4	0.2 years
Valdayskiy rayon	29K	7.9	0.3 years
Okulovskiy rayon	26K	7.8	0.3 years
Chudovskiy rayon	21K	6.7	0.2 years
Pestovskiy rayon	20K	7.5	0.2 years
Malovisherskiy rayon	18K	7.3	0.2 years
Soletskiy rayon	15K	7.5	0.2 years
Khvoyninskiy rayon	15K	7.4	0.2 years
Parfinskiy rayon	13K	7.3	0.2 years
Demyanskiy rayon	13K	7.6	0.3 years
Krestetskiy rayon	12K	7.5	0.2 years
Lyubytinskiy rayon	11K	7.4	0.2 years
Shimskiy rayon	10K	7.3	0.2 years
Staraya Russa	8K	7.4	0.2 years
Moshenskiy rayon	7K	7.4	0.2 years
Batetskiy rayon	7K	7.3	0.2 years
Kholmskiy rayon	6K	8.1	0.3 years
Volotovskiy rayon	5K	7.2	0.2 years
Marevskiy rayon	4K	7.7	0.3 years
Poddorskiy rayon	4K	7.4	0.2 years
Water body	3K	8.2	0.3 years
Borovichi	2K	7.6	0.3 years

Showing 25 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Novgorod is Injurious to Health.