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 Olancho Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Olancho

Olancho faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 586 thousand across 23 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 23.9µg/m³. That's 4.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 397 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 Olancho met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.84 years longer.

That's 1.1M years of life stolen from 586 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 Olancho. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Mangulile
2.5 years lost
2.La Unión
2.5 years lost
3.Esquipulas del Norte
2.5 years lost
4.El Rosario
2.5 years lost
5.Yocón
2.5 years lost
6.Jano
2.3 years lost
7.Manto
2.3 years lost
8.Salamá
2.3 years lost
9.Guayape
2.2 years lost
10.Guata
2.2 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

80.4%

472K

25-35 µg/m³

19.6%

115K

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 23 Districts in Olancho

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Catacamas	178K	22.6	1.7 years
Juticalpa	151K	24.4	1.9 years
Patuca	27K	20.6	1.5 years
San Esteban	27K	20.4	1.5 years
Gualaco	22K	23.6	1.8 years
San Francisco de la Paz	21K	25.5	2.0 years
Dulce Nombre de Culmí	21K	19.4	1.4 years
Santa Maria del Real	20K	24.0	1.9 years
Campamento	14K	23.2	1.8 years
Manto	12K	28.4	2.3 years
San Francisco de Becerra	12K	23.0	1.8 years
Guayape	10K	27.9	2.2 years
La Unión	10K	30.7	2.5 years
Concordia	10K	25.1	2.0 years
Guarizama	9K	27.4	2.2 years
Guata	8K	27.7	2.2 years
Mangulile	7K	30.8	2.5 years
Silca	6K	27.5	2.2 years
Esquipulas del Norte	6K	30.2	2.5 years
Yocón	5K	30.0	2.5 years
El Rosario	5K	30.1	2.5 years
Jano	3K	28.7	2.3 years
Salamá	2K	28.1	2.3 years

Showing 23 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Olancho is Injurious to Health.