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 Missouri Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Missouri

Missouri faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 6.3 million across 114 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 8.5µg/m³. That's 1.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 141 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 Missouri met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.34 years longer.

That's 2.1M years of life stolen from 6.3 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 Missouri. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Saint Louis
0.5 years lost
2.Saint Charles
0.4 years lost
3.Jasper
0.4 years lost
4.Greene
0.4 years lost
5.Jefferson
0.3 years lost
6.Clay
0.3 years lost
7.Jackson
0.3 years lost
8.Newton
0.3 years lost
9.Platte
0.3 years lost
10.New Madrid
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%

6.3M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 114 Districts in Missouri

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Saint Louis	1.5M	9.7	0.5 years
Jackson	774K	8.4	0.3 years
Saint Charles	397K	9.5	0.4 years
Greene	336K	8.9	0.4 years
Clay	259K	8.4	0.3 years
Boone	204K	7.8	0.3 years
Jefferson	203K	8.5	0.3 years
Jasper	126K	9.1	0.4 years
Platte	103K	8.4	0.3 years
Franklin	100K	7.9	0.3 years
Cass	96K	7.0	0.2 years
Buchanan	91K	8.1	0.3 years
Cole	89K	7.7	0.3 years
Cape Girardeau	88K	8.3	0.3 years
Christian	79K	8.1	0.3 years
Saint Francois	69K	7.5	0.2 years
Newton	63K	8.4	0.3 years
Taney	60K	8.2	0.3 years
Johnson	55K	7.0	0.2 years
Pulaski	55K	7.4	0.2 years
Lincoln	53K	7.9	0.3 years
Phelps	48K	7.6	0.3 years
Butler	44K	8.0	0.3 years
Pettis	44K	7.3	0.2 years
Camden	43K	7.7	0.3 years
Callaway	42K	7.3	0.2 years
Howell	40K	7.2	0.2 years
Scott	39K	8.1	0.3 years
Barry	36K	7.8	0.3 years
Laclede	36K	7.4	0.2 years
Webster	34K	7.4	0.2 years
Lawrence	33K	7.8	0.3 years
Warren	32K	7.8	0.3 years
Polk	30K	7.6	0.3 years
Lafayette	30K	7.4	0.2 years
Stone	29K	8.0	0.3 years
Marion	28K	8.0	0.3 years
Stoddard	28K	8.2	0.3 years
Dunklin	28K	8.2	0.3 years
Adair	27K	7.4	0.2 years
Randolph	25K	7.3	0.2 years
Audrain	24K	7.7	0.3 years
Saline	23K	7.2	0.2 years
Texas	23K	7.2	0.2 years
Miller	23K	7.3	0.2 years
Crawford	22K	7.4	0.2 years
McDonald	22K	7.8	0.3 years
Nodaway	21K	7.8	0.3 years
Washington	21K	7.3	0.2 years
Henry	21K	7.3	0.2 years
Morgan	19K	7.0	0.2 years
Perry	19K	7.7	0.3 years
Vernon	19K	7.4	0.2 years
Ray	18K	7.1	0.2 years
Benton	18K	7.1	0.2 years
Sainte Genevieve	17K	7.9	0.3 years
Wright	17K	7.1	0.2 years
Clinton	17K	7.3	0.2 years
Pike	16K	7.7	0.3 years
Pemiscot	15K	8.3	0.3 years
Cooper	15K	7.4	0.2 years
New Madrid	15K	8.3	0.3 years
Andrew	15K	7.7	0.3 years
Livingston	14K	7.3	0.2 years
Gasconade	14K	7.4	0.2 years
Dallas	14K	7.3	0.2 years
Macon	14K	7.3	0.2 years
Moniteau	14K	6.9	0.2 years
Bates	14K	6.9	0.2 years
Cedar	13K	7.3	0.2 years
Dent	13K	7.2	0.2 years
Mississippi	12K	7.9	0.3 years
Madison	12K	7.2	0.2 years
Osage	12K	7.0	0.2 years
De Kalb	11K	7.4	0.2 years
Linn	11K	7.1	0.2 years
Barton	11K	8.2	0.3 years
Ralls	10K	7.7	0.3 years
Howard	10K	7.0	0.2 years
Douglas	10K	7.1	0.2 years
Montgomery	10K	7.4	0.2 years
Iron	10K	7.1	0.2 years
Wayne	9K	7.1	0.2 years
Grundy	9K	7.5	0.2 years
Ripley	9K	7.3	0.2 years
Lewis	9K	7.8	0.3 years
Saint Clair	8K	7.0	0.2 years
Bollinger	8K	7.1	0.2 years
Oregon	8K	7.0	0.2 years
Monroe	8K	7.3	0.2 years
Ozark	7K	7.2	0.2 years
Hickory	7K	7.3	0.2 years
Caldwell	7K	7.1	0.2 years
Harrison	7K	7.3	0.2 years
Carroll	7K	7.0	0.2 years
Daviess	7K	7.2	0.2 years
Maries	7K	7.0	0.2 years
Dade	6K	7.6	0.3 years
Shannon	6K	7.0	0.2 years
Sullivan	6K	7.0	0.2 years
Chariton	6K	7.1	0.2 years
Clark	6K	7.8	0.3 years
Gentry	6K	7.3	0.2 years
Reynolds	5K	7.1	0.2 years
Shelby	5K	7.4	0.2 years
Carter	5K	7.2	0.2 years
Atchison	5K	7.8	0.3 years
Putnam	4K	7.2	0.2 years
Scotland	4K	7.4	0.2 years
Holt	3K	8.1	0.3 years
Mercer	3K	7.2	0.2 years
Schuyler	3K	7.3	0.2 years
Knox	3K	7.4	0.2 years
Worth	1K	7.2	0.2 years

Showing 114 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Missouri is Injurious to Health.