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.

Nicaragua's Carazo Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Carazo

Carazo faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 195 thousand across 7 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 11.2µg/m³. That's 2.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 186 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 Carazo met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.61 years longer.

That's 119K years of life stolen from 195 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 7 most polluted districts in Carazo. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.San Marcos
0.7 years lost
2.Jinotepe
0.6 years lost
3.Diriamba
0.6 years lost
4.La Paz de Carazo
0.6 years lost
5.El Rosario
0.6 years lost
6.Dolores
0.5 years lost
7.La Conquista
0.5 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

100%

195K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 7 Districts in Carazo

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Diriamba	85K	11.1	0.6 years
Jinotepe	54K	11.2	0.6 years
San Marcos	27K	12.3	0.7 years
El Rosario	10K	10.7	0.6 years
Dolores	7K	10.4	0.5 years
La Paz de Carazo	6K	10.9	0.6 years
La Conquista	5K	10.2	0.5 years

Showing 7 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Carazo is Injurious to Health.