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 L'viv Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in L'viv

L'viv faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.6 million across 25 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 L'viv met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.61 years longer.

That's 1.6M years of life stolen from 2.6 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 L'viv. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Stryis'ka
0.7 years lost
2.Stryis'kyi
0.7 years lost
3.Zhydachivs'kyi
0.7 years lost
4.Mostys'kyi
0.7 years lost
5.Sambirs'ka
0.7 years lost
6.Starosambirs'kyi
0.7 years lost
7.Drohobyts'ka
0.6 years lost
8.Kamianka-Buz'kyi
0.6 years lost
9.Bus'kyi
0.6 years lost
10.Drohobyts'kyi
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%

2.6M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 25 Districts in L'viv

Complete air quality data for every district in L'viv, sorted by population.

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
L'vivs'ka	686K	11.2	0.6 years
Pustomytivs'kyi	206K	11.0	0.6 years
Drohobyts'ka	123K	11.5	0.6 years
Drohobyts'kyi	118K	11.3	0.6 years
Sokal's'kyi	108K	10.7	0.6 years
Iavorivs'kyi	106K	10.8	0.6 years
Zhovkivs'kyi	105K	10.8	0.6 years
Stryis'kyi	97K	12.3	0.7 years
Mykola‹vs'kyi	91K	11.1	0.6 years
Starosambirs'kyi	79K	11.7	0.7 years
Horodots'kyi	77K	10.5	0.5 years
Zhydachivs'kyi	74K	12.1	0.7 years
Zolochivs'kyi	72K	10.9	0.6 years
Sambirs'kyi	71K	11.3	0.6 years
Chervonohrads'ka	67K	10.7	0.6 years
Brodivs'kyi	61K	10.5	0.5 years
Kamianka-Buz'kyi	59K	11.4	0.6 years
Mostys'kyi	59K	11.8	0.7 years
Radekhivs'kyi	52K	10.8	0.6 years
Turkivs'kyi	51K	11.2	0.6 years
Skolivs'kyi	48K	10.9	0.6 years
Bus'kyi	44K	11.3	0.6 years
Peremyshlians'kyi	41K	10.9	0.6 years
Sambirs'ka	33K	11.8	0.7 years
Stryis'ka	32K	12.3	0.7 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 L'viv is Injurious to Health.