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 Ordu Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Ordu

Ordu faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 708 thousand across 18 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 13.8µg/m³. That's 2.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 229 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 Ordu met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.86 years longer.

That's 609K years of life stolen from 708 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 Ordu. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Mesudiye
1.1 years lost
2.Merkez
1 years lost
3.Gülyalı
1 years lost
4.Ünye
0.9 years lost
5.Kabadüz
0.9 years lost
6.Fatsa
0.8 years lost
7.Akkuş
0.8 years lost
8.Perşembe
0.8 years lost
9.Ulubey
0.8 years lost
10.Kabataş
0.8 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

96.7%

685K

15-25 µg/m³

3.3%

23K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 18 Districts in Ordu

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Merkez	158K	14.9	1.0 years
Ünye	118K	14.1	0.9 years
Fatsa	94K	13.6	0.8 years
Kumru	45K	12.6	0.7 years
Perşembe	40K	13.4	0.8 years
Akkuş	33K	13.5	0.8 years
Aybastı	30K	12.9	0.8 years
Korgan	25K	12.7	0.8 years
Gölköy	24K	12.7	0.8 years
Mesudiye	23K	15.9	1.1 years
Ulubey	21K	13.2	0.8 years
Kabataş	20K	13.0	0.8 years
Gürgentepe	19K	12.4	0.7 years
Çaybaşı	15K	12.2	0.7 years
Çamaş	13K	12.3	0.7 years
Gülyalı	10K	14.8	1.0 years
İkizce	10K	12.3	0.7 years
Kabadüz	9K	14.1	0.9 years

Showing 18 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Ordu is Injurious to Health.