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.

Panama's Chiriquí Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Chiriquí

Chiriquí faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 517 thousand across 13 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.1µg/m³. That's 2.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 168 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 Chiriquí met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.49 years longer.

That's 254K years of life stolen from 517 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 Chiriquí. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Boquete
0.6 years lost
2.Renacimiento
0.5 years lost
3.Barú
0.5 years lost
4.Alanje
0.5 years lost
5.David
0.5 years lost
6.Bugaba
0.5 years lost
7.Remedios
0.5 years lost
8.San Félix
0.5 years lost
9.San Lorenzo
0.5 years lost
10.Boquerón
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

22.3%

115K

10-15 µg/m³

77.7%

402K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 13 Districts in Chiriquí

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
David	168K	10.1	0.5 years
Bugaba	99K	10.0	0.5 years
Barú	60K	10.5	0.5 years
Dolega	44K	9.4	0.4 years
Renacimiento	26K	10.5	0.5 years
Boquete	25K	10.9	0.6 years
Boquerón	22K	9.7	0.5 years
Alanje	20K	10.2	0.5 years
Tolé	20K	9.6	0.5 years
Gualaca	10K	9.6	0.4 years
San Félix	10K	9.9	0.5 years
San Lorenzo	10K	9.7	0.5 years
Remedios	3K	10.0	0.5 years

Showing 13 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Chiriquí is Injurious to Health.