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.

Ukraine's Chernihiv Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Chernihiv

Chernihiv faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 906 thousand across 25 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 9.3µg/m³. That's 1.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 154 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 Chernihiv met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.44 years longer.

That's 398K years of life stolen from 906 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 Chernihiv. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Chernihivs'ka
0.5 years lost
2.Ripkyns'kyi
0.5 years lost
3.Chernihivs'kyi
0.5 years lost
4.Novhorod-Sivers'kyi
0.5 years lost
5.Kozelets'kyi
0.5 years lost
6.Shchors'kyi
0.4 years lost
7.Horodnians'kyi
0.4 years lost
8.Koriukivs'kyi
0.4 years lost
9.Semenivs'kyi
0.4 years lost
10.Korops'kyi
0.4 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

100%

906K

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 25 Districts in Chernihiv

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Chernihivs'ka	215K	9.8	0.5 years
Chernihivs'kyi	66K	9.7	0.5 years
Pryluts'kyi	56K	8.7	0.4 years
Ripkyns'kyi	51K	9.7	0.5 years
Nizhyns'ka	50K	8.7	0.4 years
Kozelets'kyi	40K	9.6	0.5 years
Bakhmats'kyi	38K	8.7	0.4 years
Nizhyns'kyi	33K	8.8	0.4 years
Mens'kyi	32K	9.1	0.4 years
Ichnians'kyi	29K	8.8	0.4 years
Bobrovyts'kyi	28K	9.0	0.4 years
Borznians'kyi	28K	9.0	0.4 years
Nosivs'kyi	25K	8.9	0.4 years
Horodnians'kyi	24K	9.5	0.4 years
Pryluts'ka	24K	8.6	0.4 years
Novhorod-Sivers'kyi	24K	9.6	0.5 years
Korops'kyi	24K	9.4	0.4 years
Koriukivs'kyi	20K	9.5	0.4 years
Shchors'kyi	20K	9.6	0.4 years
Sosnyts'kyi	16K	9.4	0.4 years
Semenivs'kyi	16K	9.5	0.4 years
Kulykivs'kyi	15K	9.4	0.4 years
Talala‹vs'kyi	11K	8.6	0.4 years
Varvyns'kyi	11K	8.6	0.4 years
Sribnians'kyi	10K	8.5	0.3 years

Showing 25 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Chernihiv is Injurious to Health.