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.

Canada's Nova Scotia Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia faces significant air pollution challenges. 22% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 977 thousand across 18 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 4.7µg/m³. That's 0.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 78 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 Nova Scotia met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.01 years longer.

That's 10K years of life stolen from 977 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 Nova Scotia. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Shelburne
0.3 years lost
2.Yarmouth
0.2 years lost
3.Queens
0 years lost
4.Digby
0 years lost
5.Lunenburg
0 years lost
6.Annapolis
0 years lost
7.Halifax
0 years lost
8.Cumberland
0 years lost
9.Colchester
0 years lost
10.Kings
0 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

93%

909K

5-10 µg/m³

68K

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 18 Districts in Nova Scotia

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Halifax	429K	4.6	0.0 years
Cape Breton	103K	4.3	0.0 years
Kings	66K	4.6	0.0 years
Colchester	55K	4.6	0.0 years
Lunenburg	49K	4.9	0.0 years
Pictou	46K	4.5	0.0 years
Hants	46K	4.3	0.0 years
Cumberland	32K	4.6	0.0 years
Yarmouth	26K	6.6	0.2 years
Annapolis	22K	4.7	0.0 years
Antigonish	21K	4.1	0.0 years
Digby	18K	5.1	0.0 years
Inverness	17K	3.8	0.0 years
Shelburne	14K	8.3	0.3 years
Queens	10K	5.4	0.0 years
Richmond	8K	4.2	0.0 years
Guysborough	7K	4.4	0.0 years
Victoria	7K	3.9	0.0 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 Nova Scotia is Injurious to Health.