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.

United States's Kansas Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Kansas

Kansas faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 3.0 million across 105 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 7.9µg/m³. That's 1.6 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 131 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 Kansas met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.31 years longer.

That's 928K years of life stolen from 3.0 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 Kansas. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Wyandotte
0.4 years lost
2.Sedgwick
0.4 years lost
3.Johnson
0.4 years lost
4.Cherokee
0.3 years lost
5.Crawford
0.3 years lost
6.Labette
0.3 years lost
7.Doniphan
0.3 years lost
8.Montgomery
0.3 years lost
9.Shawnee
0.3 years lost
10.Douglas
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

100%

3.0M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 105 Districts in Kansas

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Johnson	652K	8.7	0.4 years
Sedgwick	550K	8.8	0.4 years
Shawnee	191K	7.9	0.3 years
Wyandotte	182K	8.8	0.4 years
Douglas	120K	7.8	0.3 years
Riley	80K	7.7	0.3 years
Leavenworth	76K	7.6	0.3 years
Butler	64K	7.6	0.3 years
Reno	63K	6.8	0.2 years
Saline	56K	6.6	0.2 years
Crawford	40K	8.3	0.3 years
Finney	39K	6.7	0.2 years
Geary	38K	7.7	0.3 years
Ford	36K	7.0	0.2 years
Cowley	34K	7.5	0.2 years
Harvey	33K	6.7	0.2 years
Lyon	33K	7.3	0.2 years
Montgomery	33K	8.0	0.3 years
McPherson	31K	6.6	0.2 years
Ellis	31K	6.1	0.1 years
Miami	31K	6.8	0.2 years
Barton	25K	6.3	0.1 years
Franklin	24K	6.8	0.2 years
Seward	24K	6.4	0.1 years
Pottawatomie	23K	7.4	0.2 years
Labette	20K	8.2	0.3 years
Sumner	19K	7.2	0.2 years
Cherokee	18K	8.3	0.3 years
Dickinson	17K	6.6	0.2 years
Neosho	16K	7.8	0.3 years
Atchison	15K	7.6	0.3 years
Jefferson	15K	7.1	0.2 years
Bourbon	15K	7.3	0.2 years
Osage	13K	6.6	0.2 years
Allen	13K	7.4	0.2 years
Jackson	11K	7.2	0.2 years
Marion	11K	6.6	0.2 years
Nemaha	10K	7.3	0.2 years
Marshall	9K	7.0	0.2 years
Pratt	9K	7.0	0.2 years
Cloud	9K	6.5	0.1 years
Rice	9K	6.0	0.1 years
Brown	9K	7.7	0.3 years
Wilson	9K	7.3	0.2 years
Coffey	8K	6.9	0.2 years
Linn	8K	6.7	0.2 years
Thomas	8K	5.8	0.1 years
Clay	8K	6.9	0.2 years
Grant	7K	6.5	0.1 years
Doniphan	7K	8.1	0.3 years
Kingman	7K	6.9	0.2 years
Anderson	7K	6.8	0.2 years
Pawnee	6K	6.2	0.1 years
Russell	6K	6.0	0.1 years
Mitchell	6K	6.1	0.1 years
Ellsworth	6K	6.0	0.1 years
Sherman	6K	6.0	0.1 years
Gray	5K	6.5	0.1 years
Wabaunsee	5K	7.0	0.2 years
Stevens	5K	6.0	0.1 years
Norton	5K	6.1	0.1 years
Harper	5K	6.9	0.2 years
Scott	5K	5.7	0.1 years
Ottawa	5K	6.2	0.1 years
Greenwood	5K	7.0	0.2 years
Washington	5K	6.6	0.2 years
Phillips	4K	6.3	0.1 years
Morris	4K	6.7	0.2 years
Rooks	4K	6.1	0.1 years
Republic	4K	6.4	0.1 years
Meade	4K	6.9	0.2 years
Kearny	4K	6.3	0.1 years
Barber	4K	6.7	0.2 years
Stafford	4K	6.5	0.1 years
Haskell	3K	6.5	0.1 years
Osborne	3K	6.1	0.1 years
Morton	3K	5.2	0.0 years
Smith	3K	6.4	0.1 years
Chautauqua	3K	6.9	0.2 years
Rush	3K	5.7	0.1 years
Logan	3K	5.5	0.0 years
Trego	3K	5.8	0.1 years
Woodson	3K	6.9	0.2 years
Hamilton	2K	5.9	0.1 years
Edwards	2K	6.0	0.1 years
Decatur	2K	5.8	0.1 years
Ness	2K	5.8	0.1 years
Jewell	2K	6.2	0.1 years
Gove	2K	5.5	0.0 years
Cheyenne	2K	5.9	0.1 years
Kiowa	2K	6.6	0.2 years
Lincoln	2K	6.1	0.1 years
Graham	2K	6.0	0.1 years
Sheridan	2K	5.6	0.1 years
Chase	2K	7.0	0.2 years
Rawlins	2K	5.9	0.1 years
Elk	2K	7.0	0.2 years
Stanton	2K	5.5	0.1 years
Wichita	2K	5.6	0.1 years
Clark	2K	6.8	0.2 years
Lane	2K	5.6	0.1 years
Comanche	1K	6.5	0.1 years
Hodgeman	1K	6.2	0.1 years
Wallace	1K	6.2	0.1 years
Greeley	1K	5.2	0.0 years

Showing 105 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Kansas is Injurious to Health.