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.

Slovenia's Podravska Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Podravska

Podravska faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 248 thousand across 34 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.2µg/m³. That's 2.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 169 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 Podravska met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.5 years longer.

That's 124K years of life stolen from 248 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 Podravska. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Markovci
0.5 years lost
2.Ptuj
0.5 years lost
3.Hajdina
0.5 years lost
4.Starše
0.5 years lost
5.Kidricevo
0.5 years lost
6.Videm
0.5 years lost
7.Race-Fram
0.5 years lost
8.Gorišnica
0.5 years lost
9.Zavrc
0.5 years lost
10.Dornava
0.5 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

18.6%

46K

10-15 µg/m³

81.4%

202K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 34 Districts in Podravska

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Race-Fram	32K	10.4	0.5 years
Gorišnica	24K	10.4	0.5 years
Ormož	20K	10.3	0.5 years
Maribor	18K	10.1	0.5 years
Ptuj	16K	10.6	0.5 years
Slovenska Bistrica	12K	10.3	0.5 years
Lenart	11K	9.8	0.5 years
Podlehnik	11K	10.3	0.5 years
Juršinci	9K	10.1	0.5 years
Destrnik	8K	10.1	0.5 years
Lovrenc na Pohorju	8K	9.8	0.5 years
Duplek	8K	10.1	0.5 years
Pesnica	6K	9.7	0.5 years
Starše	6K	10.5	0.5 years
Benedikt	5K	9.7	0.5 years
Dornava	5K	10.3	0.5 years
Miklavž na Dravskem Polju	5K	10.2	0.5 years
Kungota	4K	9.5	0.4 years
Markovci	4K	10.6	0.5 years
Žetale	4K	10.0	0.5 years
Majšperk	4K	10.2	0.5 years
Kidricevo	4K	10.5	0.5 years
Hajdina	4K	10.5	0.5 years
Cerkvenjak	4K	9.7	0.5 years
Videm	3K	10.4	0.5 years
Oplotnica	3K	10.3	0.5 years
Ruše	2K	10.0	0.5 years
Zavrc	2K	10.4	0.5 years
Sveti Andraž v Slovenskih Gorica	2K	9.8	0.5 years
Trnovska Vas	2K	9.9	0.5 years
Selnica ob Dravi	1K	9.8	0.5 years
Sveta Ana	1K	9.5	0.4 years
Šentilj	1K	9.6	0.5 years
Hoce-Slivnica	721	10.1	0.5 years

Showing 34 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Podravska is Injurious to Health.