Breathing in Louisiana is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 4.7 million people across 64 districts in Louisiana. The average PM2.5 level is 8.8 µg/m³—1.8× higher than the WHO guideline.

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Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Overview

Air Pollution in Louisiana

Louisiana faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 4.7 million across 64 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 8.8µg/m³. That's 1.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 146 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 Louisiana met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.37 years longer.

That's 1.7M years of life stolen from 4.7 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 Louisiana. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Orleans
    0.5 years lost
  • 2.Jefferson
    0.5 years lost
  • 3.Saint Bernard
    0.5 years lost
  • 4.Saint Tammany
    0.5 years lost
  • 5.Caddo
    0.4 years lost
  • 6.Saint John the Baptist
    0.4 years lost
  • 7.Bossier
    0.4 years lost
  • 8.Saint James
    0.4 years lost
  • 9.Ouachita
    0.4 years lost
  • 10.Saint Mary
    0.4 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
0%
0
5-10 µg/m³
100%
4.7M
10-15 µg/m³
0%
0
15-25 µg/m³
0%
0
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0
Districts

All 64 Districts in Louisiana

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
East Baton Rouge502K
8.6
0.3 years
Jefferson434K
9.8
0.5 years
Orleans406K
9.9
0.5 years
Lafayette268K
8.2
0.3 years
Saint Tammany261K
9.6
0.5 years
Caddo246K
9.6
0.4 years
Calcasieu210K
8.4
0.3 years
Ouachita167K
9.1
0.4 years
Tangipahoa137K
8.2
0.3 years
Rapides135K
8.3
0.3 years
Livingston127K
8.1
0.3 years
Bossier126K
9.4
0.4 years
Ascension121K
8.6
0.4 years
Terrebonne115K
8.1
0.3 years
Lafourche97K
8.3
0.3 years
Saint Landry79K
7.5
0.2 years
Iberia69K
7.8
0.3 years
Acadia55K
8.7
0.4 years
Saint Charles52K
9.0
0.4 years
Lincoln52K
8.7
0.4 years
Saint Mary50K
9.0
0.4 years
Vermilion50K
8.1
0.3 years
Vernon48K
8.1
0.3 years
Saint Martin46K
7.6
0.3 years
Washington44K
8.7
0.4 years
Saint Bernard41K
9.7
0.5 years
Saint John the Baptist39K
9.4
0.4 years
Natchitoches37K
8.3
0.3 years
Avoyelles37K
7.9
0.3 years
Webster36K
8.8
0.4 years
Beauregard33K
7.5
0.2 years
Iberville32K
8.6
0.4 years
Jefferson Davis31K
8.3
0.3 years
Evangeline30K
8.3
0.3 years
West Baton Rouge28K
8.8
0.4 years
Plaquemines27K
8.9
0.4 years
De Soto25K
8.8
0.4 years
Morehouse24K
8.4
0.3 years
Allen22K
7.8
0.3 years
Saint James20K
9.3
0.4 years
Sabine20K
8.2
0.3 years
Grant19K
8.0
0.3 years
Richland19K
8.1
0.3 years
Franklin18K
7.8
0.3 years
Union18K
8.7
0.4 years
West Feliciana18K
7.8
0.3 years
Pointe Coupee18K
7.9
0.3 years
Concordia18K
8.5
0.3 years
Assumption18K
8.9
0.4 years
East Feliciana17K
7.3
0.2 years
La Salle14K
7.6
0.3 years
Jackson13K
8.3
0.3 years
Winn13K
8.2
0.3 years
Claiborne13K
8.7
0.4 years
Bienville12K
8.6
0.3 years
Madison10K
8.0
0.3 years
West Carroll9K
7.6
0.3 years
Caldwell9K
7.9
0.3 years
Saint Helena9K
7.5
0.2 years
Catahoula8K
7.9
0.3 years
Cameron8K
9.0
0.4 years
East Carroll7K
8.5
0.3 years
Red River7K
8.5
0.3 years
Tensas4K
8.4
0.3 years

Showing 64 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.