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 Konya Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Konya

Konya faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.2 million across 31 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 19.8µg/m³. That's 4.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 329 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 Konya met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.45 years longer.

That's 3.3M years of life stolen from 2.2 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 Konya. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Selçuklu
1.7 years lost
2.Ereğli
1.6 years lost
3.Halkapınar
1.5 years lost
4.Karapınar
1.5 years lost
5.Emirgazi
1.5 years lost
6.Karatay
1.5 years lost
7.Akşehir
1.5 years lost
8.Meram
1.4 years lost
9.Tuzlukçu
1.4 years lost
10.Çeltik
1.4 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

10-15 µg/m³

5.8%

130K

15-25 µg/m³

94.2%

2.1M

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 31 Districts in Konya

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Selçuklu	858K	22.5	1.7 years
Meram	135K	19.7	1.4 years
Ereğli	134K	21.3	1.6 years
Karatay	134K	20.1	1.5 years
Beyşehir	99K	16.7	1.1 years
Akşehir	99K	20.0	1.5 years
Çumra	88K	18.4	1.3 years
Seydişehir	74K	18.0	1.3 years
Cihanbeyli	73K	17.1	1.2 years
Ilgın	67K	16.5	1.1 years
Karapınar	56K	20.5	1.5 years
Kulu	55K	14.9	1.0 years
Yunak	47K	16.3	1.1 years
Bozkır	39K	14.3	0.9 years
Hadım	32K	15.8	1.1 years
Hüyük	30K	16.7	1.1 years
Sarayönü	29K	16.6	1.1 years
Kadınhanı	29K	15.6	1.0 years
Altınekin	25K	16.8	1.2 years
Doğanhisar	23K	14.6	0.9 years
Emirgazi	21K	20.1	1.5 years
Çeltik	14K	19.1	1.4 years
Tuzlukçu	13K	19.7	1.4 years
Güneysınır	12K	14.0	0.9 years
Taşkent	12K	17.0	1.2 years
Akören	10K	16.5	1.1 years
Derebucak	10K	16.1	1.1 years
Derbent	8K	15.7	1.0 years
Ahırlı	6K	15.5	1.0 years
Halkapınar	5K	20.6	1.5 years
Yalıhüyük	5K	17.4	1.2 years

Showing 31 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Konya is Injurious to Health.