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.

Turkey's Balikesir Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Balikesir

Balikesir faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.2 million across 19 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 16.8µg/m³. That's 3.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 279 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 Balikesir met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.16 years longer.

That's 1.4M years of life stolen from 1.2 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 Balikesir. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Merkez
1.4 years lost
2.Bigadiç
1.3 years lost
3.Kepsut
1.2 years lost
4.Sındırgı
1.2 years lost
5.Susurluk
1.2 years lost
6.Manyas
1.2 years lost
7.Burhaniye
1.1 years lost
8.Edremit
1.1 years lost
9.Ayvalık
1.1 years lost
10.Gömeç
1 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

12.3%

148K

15-25 µg/m³

87.7%

1.1M

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 19 Districts in Balikesir

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Merkez	341K	19.3	1.4 years
Bandırma	141K	15.6	1.0 years
Edremit	122K	16.1	1.1 years
Gönen	79K	15.0	1.0 years
Ayvalık	67K	16.0	1.1 years
Burhaniye	60K	16.7	1.1 years
Bigadiç	52K	18.6	1.3 years
Sındırgı	43K	17.6	1.2 years
Dursunbey	42K	14.9	1.0 years
Susurluk	41K	17.1	1.2 years
İvrindi	38K	12.7	0.8 years
Balya	28K	12.7	0.8 years
Erdek	27K	14.9	1.0 years
Kepsut	26K	17.7	1.2 years
Manyas	26K	17.0	1.2 years
Havran	26K	15.4	1.0 years
Savaştepe	19K	15.5	1.0 years
Gömeç	17K	15.7	1.0 years
Marmara	12K	14.9	1.0 years

Showing 19 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Balikesir is Injurious to Health.