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.

Argentina's Santa Fe Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Santa Fe

Santa Fe faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 3.6 million across 19 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 11.1µg/m³. That's 2.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 184 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 Santa Fe met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.59 years longer.

That's 2.1M years of life stolen from 3.6 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 Santa Fe. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.San Javier
0.8 years lost
2.Nueve de Julio
0.8 years lost
3.Garay
0.8 years lost
4.La Capital
0.8 years lost
5.General Obligado
0.8 years lost
6.San Cristóbal
0.8 years lost
7.Vera
0.7 years lost
8.Castellanos
0.7 years lost
9.Las Colonias
0.7 years lost
10.San Martín
0.7 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

17.3%

624K

10-15 µg/m³

82.7%

3.0M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 19 Districts in Santa Fe

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Rosario	1.3M	10.4	0.5 years
La Capital	582K	12.8	0.8 years
San Lorenzo	233K	9.6	0.4 years
General López	209K	9.5	0.4 years
General Obligado	201K	12.7	0.8 years
Castellanos	198K	12.2	0.7 years
Las Colonias	118K	11.8	0.7 years
Constitución	96K	7.5	0.2 years
San Jerónimo	87K	11.5	0.6 years
Caseros	86K	9.7	0.5 years
Iriondo	79K	10.4	0.5 years
San Cristóbal	74K	12.7	0.8 years
San Martín	71K	11.7	0.7 years
Vera	58K	12.4	0.7 years
San Justo	48K	11.7	0.7 years
Belgrano	47K	11.3	0.6 years
San Javier	34K	13.7	0.8 years
Nueve de Julio	32K	13.3	0.8 years
Garay	25K	13.0	0.8 years

Showing 19 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Santa Fe is Injurious to Health.