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 Savinjska Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Savinjska

Savinjska faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 264 thousand across 32 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 11.2µg/m³. That's 2.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 186 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 Savinjska met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.6 years longer.

That's 158K years of life stolen from 264 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 Savinjska. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Prebold
0.7 years lost
2.Nazarje
0.7 years lost
3.Tabor
0.7 years lost
4.Braslovce
0.6 years lost
5.Žalec
0.6 years lost
6.Celje
0.6 years lost
7.Polzela
0.6 years lost
8.Vransko
0.6 years lost
9.Mozirje
0.6 years lost
10.Gornji Grad
0.6 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

10-15 µg/m³

100%

264K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 32 Districts in Savinjska

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Braslovce	37K	11.6	0.6 years
Mozirje	24K	11.5	0.6 years
Polzela	21K	11.6	0.6 years
Nazarje	18K	11.7	0.7 years
Luce	17K	11.2	0.6 years
Kozje	16K	10.8	0.6 years
Bistrica ob Sotli	15K	10.5	0.5 years
Prebold	11K	11.8	0.7 years
Laško	9K	10.8	0.6 years
Rogatec	8K	10.3	0.5 years
Dobrna	7K	10.9	0.6 years
Dobje	7K	10.4	0.5 years
Rogaška Slatina	7K	10.3	0.5 years
Štore	6K	11.0	0.6 years
Tabor	6K	11.7	0.7 years
Vojnik	5K	10.9	0.6 years
Podcetrtek	5K	10.9	0.6 years
Velenje	5K	11.3	0.6 years
Šmartno ob Paki	4K	11.3	0.6 years
Radece	4K	11.4	0.6 years
Solcava	4K	11.0	0.6 years
Vransko	4K	11.6	0.6 years
Šmarje pri Jelšah	3K	10.4	0.5 years
Celje	3K	11.6	0.6 years
Ljubno	3K	11.4	0.6 years
Žalec	3K	11.6	0.6 years
Zrece	3K	10.5	0.5 years
Gornji Grad	2K	11.5	0.6 years
Šentjur pri Celju	2K	10.6	0.6 years
Vitanje	2K	10.7	0.6 years
Šoštanj	2K	11.1	0.6 years
Slovenske Konjice	698	10.3	0.5 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 Savinjska is Injurious to Health.