Air pollution threatens the health of 390 thousand people across 8 districts in Atlántico Sur. The average PM2.5 level is 9 µg/m³—1.8× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Atlántico Sur faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 390 thousand across 8 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 9µg/m³. That's 1.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 149 cigarettes in a year.
If Atlántico Sur met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.38 years longer.
That's 148K years of life stolen from 390 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 8 most polluted districts in Atlántico Sur. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
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.
Complete air quality data for every district in Atlántico Sur, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Cruz de Río Grande | 91K | 9.2 | 0.4 years |
| El Rama | 85K | 9.4 | 0.4 years |
| Nueva Guinea | 81K | 9.4 | 0.4 years |
| Bluefields | 59K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Laguna de Perlas | 29K | 6.8 | 0.2 years |
| Muelle de los Bueyes | 19K | 10.0 | 0.5 years |
| Bocana de Paiwas | 16K | 11.5 | 0.6 years |
| Kukra Hill | 10K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
Showing 8 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.