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.

Brazil's Alagoas Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Alagoas

Alagoas faces significant air pollution challenges. 54% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 3.3 million across 102 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 5.1µg/m³. That's 1.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 85 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 Alagoas met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.02 years longer.

That's 66K years of life stolen from 3.3 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 Alagoas. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Delmiro Gouveia
0.2 years lost
2.Pariconha
0.2 years lost
3.Água Branca
0.2 years lost
4.Piranhas
0.2 years lost
5.Olho d'Água do Casado
0.2 years lost
6.Mata Grande
0.2 years lost
7.Inhapi
0.2 years lost
8.Ouro Branco
0.2 years lost
9.Canapi
0.2 years lost
10.Senador Rui Palmeira
0.1 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

67.5%

2.2M

5-10 µg/m³

32.5%

1.1M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 102 Districts in Alagoas

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Maceió	1.0M	4.9	0.0 years
Arapiraca	247K	4.6	0.0 years
Rio Largo	99K	5.2	0.0 years
Palmeira dos Índios	72K	4.9	0.0 years
Marechal Deodoro	64K	4.7	0.0 years
União dos Palmares	62K	5.4	0.0 years
Penedo	62K	4.6	0.0 years
São Miguel dos Campos	55K	5.1	0.0 years
Delmiro Gouveia	54K	7.2	0.2 years
Coruripe	53K	4.5	0.0 years
Santana do Ipanema	49K	5.8	0.1 years
Teotônio Vilela	40K	4.8	0.0 years
Atalaia	39K	5.2	0.0 years
Girau do Ponciano	38K	4.4	0.0 years
Pilar	37K	5.0	0.0 years
Campo Alegre	34K	4.9	0.0 years
São Sebastião	33K	4.3	0.0 years
São Luís do Quitunde	33K	5.0	0.0 years
Maragogi	32K	4.6	0.0 years
São José da Tapera	32K	6.3	0.1 years
Craíbas	27K	4.5	0.0 years
Murici	27K	5.7	0.1 years
Limoeiro de Anadia	26K	4.5	0.0 years
Viçosa	25K	5.4	0.0 years
Satuba	25K	4.9	0.0 years
Igaci	25K	4.5	0.0 years
Junqueiro	25K	4.7	0.0 years
Matriz de Camaragibe	25K	4.9	0.0 years
Pão de Açúcar	25K	6.4	0.1 years
Porto Calvo	25K	4.6	0.0 years
Traipu	25K	4.8	0.0 years
Feira Grande	24K	4.3	0.0 years
Piranhas	24K	7.0	0.2 years
Mata Grande	23K	6.9	0.2 years
Igreja Nova	22K	4.5	0.0 years
Boca da Mata	22K	5.0	0.0 years
São José da Laje	22K	6.1	0.1 years
Olho d'Água das Flores	22K	6.0	0.1 years
Porto Real do Colégio	21K	4.9	0.0 years
Água Branca	20K	7.0	0.2 years
Taquarana	20K	4.3	0.0 years
Lagoa da Canoa	19K	4.4	0.0 years
Major Isidoro	19K	5.2	0.0 years
Joaquim Gomes	18K	5.7	0.1 years
Cajueiro	17K	5.2	0.0 years
Batalha	17K	5.1	0.0 years
Barra de Santo Antônio	17K	4.8	0.0 years
Piaçabuçu	17K	4.4	0.0 years
Colônia Leopoldina	16K	6.0	0.1 years
Canapi	16K	6.5	0.2 years
Messias	16K	5.4	0.0 years
Estrela de Alagoas	16K	4.8	0.0 years
Inhapi	16K	6.7	0.2 years
Capela	16K	5.3	0.0 years
Anadia	15K	4.8	0.0 years
Paripueira	14K	4.4	0.0 years
Passo de Camaragibe	14K	4.7	0.0 years
Ibateguara	14K	6.2	0.1 years
Maribondo	14K	4.9	0.0 years
Poço das Trincheiras	13K	6.0	0.1 years
Senador Rui Palmeira	13K	6.5	0.1 years
Ouro Branco	12K	6.6	0.2 years
Santana do Mundaú	12K	5.8	0.1 years
Quebrangulo	12K	5.2	0.0 years
Coité do Nóia	11K	4.3	0.0 years
Olivença	11K	5.8	0.1 years
Pariconha	11K	7.1	0.2 years
Cacimbinhas	11K	5.1	0.0 years
Novo Lino	11K	5.8	0.1 years
Dois Riachos	10K	5.5	0.0 years
Flexeiras	10K	5.2	0.0 years
Maravilha	10K	6.2	0.1 years
Branquinha	10K	5.5	0.0 years
Jequiá da Praia	10K	4.5	0.0 years
Porto de Pedras	10K	4.5	0.0 years
Carneiros	9K	6.2	0.1 years
Olho d'Água do Casado	9K	6.9	0.2 years
Japaratinga	9K	4.5	0.0 years
São Miguel dos Milagres	9K	4.4	0.0 years
Campo Grande	9K	4.2	0.0 years
Barra de São Miguel	8K	4.8	0.0 years
Monteirópolis	8K	5.9	0.1 years
Santa Luzia do Norte	7K	4.5	0.0 years
Campestre	7K	5.8	0.1 years
Paulo Jacinto	7K	5.1	0.0 years
Roteiro	7K	4.6	0.0 years
São Brás	7K	5.2	0.0 years
Belo Monte	6K	5.2	0.0 years
Chã Preta	6K	5.6	0.1 years
Tanque d'Arca	6K	4.7	0.0 years
Coqueiro Seco	6K	4.3	0.0 years
Jacuípe	6K	5.2	0.0 years
Jacaré dos Homens	5K	5.6	0.1 years
Jaramataia	5K	4.8	0.0 years
Minador do Negrão	5K	5.0	0.0 years
Belém	5K	4.5	0.0 years
Olho d'Água Grande	5K	4.5	0.0 years
Palestina	5K	5.9	0.1 years
Jundiá	4K	5.5	0.0 years
Feliz Deserto	4K	4.5	0.0 years
Mar Vermelho	3K	5.0	0.0 years
Pindoba	3K	5.2	0.0 years

Showing 102 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Alagoas is Injurious to Health.