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 North Carolina Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in North Carolina

North Carolina faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 10.9 million across 100 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 8.1µg/m³. That's 1.6 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 134 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 North Carolina met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.31 years longer.

That's 3.4M years of life stolen from 10.9 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 North Carolina. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Guilford
0.4 years lost
2.Wake
0.4 years lost
3.Mecklenburg
0.4 years lost
4.Durham
0.4 years lost
5.Forsyth
0.4 years lost
6.Davidson
0.3 years lost
7.Craven
0.3 years lost
8.Johnston
0.3 years lost
9.Wilson
0.3 years lost
10.Cabarrus
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%

10.9M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 100 Districts in North Carolina

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Mecklenburg	1.3M	8.8	0.4 years
Wake	1.2M	8.9	0.4 years
Guilford	603K	8.9	0.4 years
Forsyth	417K	8.6	0.4 years
Durham	379K	8.7	0.4 years
Cumberland	359K	8.1	0.3 years
Buncombe	290K	7.8	0.3 years
New Hanover	242K	7.7	0.3 years
Cabarrus	227K	8.2	0.3 years
Union	223K	8.0	0.3 years
Gaston	223K	7.9	0.3 years
Johnston	209K	8.2	0.3 years
Onslow	205K	7.5	0.2 years
Iredell	196K	8.1	0.3 years
Pitt	180K	7.8	0.3 years
Catawba	180K	7.8	0.3 years
Alamance	174K	8.1	0.3 years
Orange	165K	8.0	0.3 years
Davidson	161K	8.3	0.3 years
Rowan	143K	8.1	0.3 years
Randolph	140K	7.8	0.3 years
Brunswick	136K	6.9	0.2 years
Harnett	127K	7.8	0.3 years
Robeson	118K	6.8	0.2 years
Wayne	118K	7.8	0.3 years
Henderson	114K	8.0	0.3 years
Craven	104K	8.3	0.3 years
Moore	104K	7.8	0.3 years
Cleveland	101K	7.4	0.2 years
Nash	99K	8.0	0.3 years
Rockingham	87K	7.6	0.3 years
Burke	86K	7.2	0.2 years
Wilson	85K	8.2	0.3 years
Lincoln	84K	7.6	0.3 years
Caldwell	79K	7.3	0.2 years
Surry	73K	7.5	0.2 years
Lee	68K	7.8	0.3 years
Chatham	67K	7.7	0.3 years
Wilkes	65K	7.2	0.2 years
Rutherford	65K	7.0	0.2 years
Granville	62K	7.9	0.3 years
Franklin	61K	7.8	0.3 years
Carteret	61K	7.2	0.2 years
Stanly	61K	7.6	0.3 years
Haywood	59K	7.1	0.2 years
Lenoir	59K	7.4	0.2 years
Watauga	58K	6.7	0.2 years
Sampson	56K	7.3	0.2 years
Pender	52K	6.9	0.2 years
Edgecombe	50K	7.5	0.2 years
Columbus	49K	6.2	0.1 years
Halifax	48K	7.7	0.3 years
Hoke	47K	7.7	0.3 years
Duplin	47K	6.9	0.2 years
McDowell	45K	7.1	0.2 years
Jackson	44K	6.8	0.2 years
Richmond	44K	7.4	0.2 years
Beaufort	43K	7.9	0.3 years
Vance	43K	7.8	0.3 years
Pasquotank	42K	7.6	0.3 years
Davie	41K	7.8	0.3 years
Stokes	39K	7.5	0.2 years
Macon	37K	6.9	0.2 years
Scotland	36K	7.2	0.2 years
Yadkin	35K	7.5	0.2 years
Person	35K	7.5	0.2 years
Dare	35K	6.8	0.2 years
Alexander	33K	7.4	0.2 years
Transylvania	32K	7.4	0.2 years
Bladen	30K	6.8	0.2 years
Cherokee	29K	7.6	0.3 years
Montgomery	26K	7.6	0.3 years
Currituck	25K	7.3	0.2 years
Ashe	24K	6.7	0.2 years
Hertford	22K	7.5	0.2 years
Anson	21K	7.3	0.2 years
Martin	21K	7.4	0.2 years
Caswell	20K	7.4	0.2 years
Madison	19K	7.1	0.2 years
Greene	18K	7.4	0.2 years
Avery	18K	6.2	0.1 years
Polk	18K	7.0	0.2 years
Yancey	17K	6.7	0.2 years
Warren	17K	7.6	0.3 years
Bertie	17K	7.3	0.2 years
Swain	17K	7.2	0.2 years
Northampton	17K	7.5	0.2 years
Mitchell	15K	6.8	0.2 years
Chowan	14K	7.5	0.2 years
Pamlico	11K	7.7	0.3 years
Perquimans	11K	7.3	0.2 years
Alleghany	10K	7.2	0.2 years
Clay	10K	7.6	0.3 years
Washington	10K	7.1	0.2 years
Camden	9K	7.4	0.2 years
Gates	8K	7.2	0.2 years
Jones	8K	7.3	0.2 years
Graham	8K	7.3	0.2 years
Hyde	4K	7.0	0.2 years
Tyrrell	3K	7.2	0.2 years

Showing 100 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in North Carolina is Injurious to Health.