Air pollution threatens the health of 665 thousand people across 12 districts in PetĂ©n. The average PM2.5 level is 15.9 ”g/mÂłâ3.2Ă higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Petén faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 665 thousand across 12 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 15.9”g/m³. That's 3.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5”g/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 264 cigarettes in a year.
If Petén met the WHO guideline of 5 ”g/m³, the average person would live 1.06 years longer.
That's 704K years of life stolen from 665 thousand people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 10 most polluted districts in Petén. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 ”g/mÂłâonly populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.
Complete air quality data for every district in Petén, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 ”g/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Libertad | 131K | 14.1 | 0.9 years |
| Sayaxché | 122K | 16.6 | 1.1 years |
| San Luis | 81K | 18.1 | 1.3 years |
| Flores | 78K | 15.8 | 1.1 years |
| PoptĂșn | 67K | 18.6 | 1.3 years |
| Dolores | 56K | 15.6 | 1.0 years |
| San Andrés | 40K | 13.6 | 0.8 years |
| Melchor de Mencos | 34K | 15.6 | 1.0 years |
| San Benito | 22K | 15.0 | 1.0 years |
| Santa Ana | 15K | 14.5 | 0.9 years |
| San José | 12K | 14.4 | 0.9 years |
| San Francisco | 7K | 13.5 | 0.8 years |
Showing 12 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 ”g/m³.