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.

Honduras's Choluteca Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Choluteca

Choluteca faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 421 thousand across 16 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 24.3µg/m³. That's 4.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 403 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 Choluteca met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.88 years longer.

That's 792K years of life stolen from 421 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 Choluteca. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Morolica
2.2 years lost
2.Marcovia
2.1 years lost
3.San Antonio de Flores
2.1 years lost
4.Apacilagua
2 years lost
5.Choluteca
2 years lost
6.Orocuina
2 years lost
7.San José
2 years lost
8.Duyure
2 years lost
9.Santa Ana de Yusguare
1.9 years lost
10.Pespire
1.9 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

15-25 µg/m³

32.4%

136K

25-35 µg/m³

67.6%

285K

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 16 Districts in Choluteca

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Choluteca	203K	25.7	2.0 years
Marcovia	49K	26.6	2.1 years
San Marcos de Colón	29K	21.1	1.6 years
El Triunfo	27K	18.1	1.3 years
Pespire	23K	24.2	1.9 years
Namasigue	19K	21.2	1.6 years
Concepción de Maria	13K	18.4	1.3 years
Orocuina	12K	25.4	2.0 years
El Corpus	11K	20.3	1.5 years
Santa Ana de Yusguare	10K	24.3	1.9 years
Apacilagua	7K	25.7	2.0 years
San Antonio de Flores	5K	26.0	2.1 years
San Isidro	4K	23.9	1.9 years
Morolica	4K	27.3	2.2 years
San José	3K	25.4	2.0 years
Duyure	2K	25.3	2.0 years

Showing 16 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Choluteca is Injurious to Health.