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.

México's Durango Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Durango

Durango faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.9 million across 39 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.7µg/m³. That's 2.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 178 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 Durango met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.57 years longer.

That's 1.1M years of life stolen from 1.9 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 Durango. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Lerdo
1 years lost
2.Gómez Palacio
1 years lost
3.Tlahualilo
0.7 years lost
4.Mapimí
0.5 years lost
5.Durango
0.5 years lost
6.General Simón Bolívar
0.4 years lost
7.San Juan de Guadalupe
0.4 years lost
8.Nazas
0.4 years lost
9.San Luis del Cordero
0.4 years lost
10.Pueblo Nuevo
0.3 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

69.6%

1.3M

10-15 µg/m³

1.2%

22K

15-25 µg/m³

29.3%

552K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 39 Districts in Durango

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Durango	710K	9.7	0.5 years
Gómez Palacio	384K	15.1	1.0 years
Lerdo	168K	15.6	1.0 years
Pueblo Nuevo	52K	8.5	0.3 years
Santiago Papasquiaro	51K	7.8	0.3 years
Mezquital	50K	7.6	0.3 years
Guadalupe Victoria	38K	6.5	0.1 years
Cuencamé	36K	8.1	0.3 years
Canatlán	32K	7.7	0.3 years
Nuevo Ideal	29K	8.4	0.3 years
Mapimí	28K	9.8	0.5 years
Tamazula	27K	7.0	0.2 years
Poanas	26K	7.2	0.2 years
Vicente Guerrero	24K	7.5	0.2 years
Tlahualilo	22K	12.2	0.7 years
Nombre de Dios	20K	7.4	0.2 years
San Dimas	18K	7.5	0.2 years
Nazas	13K	9.0	0.4 years
Rodeo	13K	7.1	0.2 years
Pánuco de Coronado	13K	6.1	0.1 years
San Juan del Río	12K	6.7	0.2 years
Tepehuanes	12K	6.8	0.2 years
Peñón Blanco	11K	6.3	0.1 years
El Oro	11K	6.3	0.1 years
General Simón Bolívar	10K	9.4	0.4 years
Guanaceví	10K	6.2	0.1 years
Topia	10K	6.4	0.1 years
Ocampo	8K	5.8	0.1 years
Súchil	7K	7.1	0.2 years
Santa Clara	7K	7.2	0.2 years
San Juan de Guadalupe	5K	9.4	0.4 years
Otáez	5K	7.1	0.2 years
Indé	5K	5.8	0.1 years
Canelas	4K	7.3	0.2 years
Coneto de Comonfort	4K	6.8	0.2 years
Hidalgo	4K	5.9	0.1 years
San Bernardo	3K	6.3	0.1 years
San Luis del Cordero	2K	8.7	0.4 years
San Pedro del Gallo	2K	6.2	0.1 years

Showing 39 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Durango is Injurious to Health.