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 Ceará Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Ceará

Ceará faces significant air pollution challenges. 89% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 9.4 million across 184 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 5.9µg/m³. That's 1.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 98 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 Ceará met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.08 years longer.

That's 751K years of life stolen from 9.4 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 Ceará. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Salitre
0.3 years lost
2.Crato
0.3 years lost
3.Iguatu
0.3 years lost
4.Tauá
0.3 years lost
5.Santana do Cariri
0.3 years lost
6.Novo Oriente
0.3 years lost
7.Quiterianópolis
0.3 years lost
8.Jardim
0.3 years lost
9.Quixelô
0.3 years lost
10.Barbalha
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

10.1%

950K

5-10 µg/m³

89.9%

8.4M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 184 Districts in Ceará

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Fortaleza	2.7M	5.4	0.0 years
Caucaia	391K	4.9	0.0 years
Juazeiro do Norte	284K	7.5	0.2 years
Maracanaú	243K	5.4	0.0 years
Sobral	231K	6.4	0.1 years
Itapipoca	140K	5.0	0.0 years
Crato	138K	7.9	0.3 years
Iguatu	103K	7.9	0.3 years
Maranguape	98K	5.0	0.0 years
Aquiraz	97K	5.3	0.0 years
Pacatuba	87K	5.3	0.0 years
Aracati	87K	5.6	0.1 years
Tianguá	86K	6.6	0.2 years
Quixadá	85K	6.0	0.1 years
Quixeramobim	83K	6.6	0.2 years
Crateús	79K	7.5	0.2 years
Canindé	78K	5.5	0.1 years
Eusébio	78K	5.3	0.0 years
Barbalha	77K	7.7	0.3 years
Russas	76K	5.7	0.1 years
Cascavel	74K	5.2	0.0 years
Horizonte	74K	5.5	0.1 years
Pacajus	71K	5.5	0.0 years
Acaraú	68K	4.5	0.0 years
Icó	65K	7.4	0.2 years
Camocim	65K	5.4	0.0 years
Morada Nova	64K	6.0	0.1 years
Itaitinga	64K	5.3	0.0 years
Limoeiro do Norte	63K	6.2	0.1 years
Viçosa do Ceará	63K	5.7	0.1 years
São Gonçalo do Amarante	60K	5.0	0.0 years
Trairi	60K	4.8	0.0 years
Tauá	59K	7.9	0.3 years
Granja	56K	4.8	0.0 years
Beberibe	55K	5.5	0.0 years
Brejo Santo	54K	7.3	0.2 years
Boa Viagem	51K	6.7	0.2 years
São Benedito	50K	7.1	0.2 years
Amontada	49K	4.5	0.0 years
Itapajé	49K	5.4	0.0 years
Mauriti	48K	6.7	0.2 years
Acopiara	47K	7.3	0.2 years
Itarema	45K	4.7	0.0 years
Guaraciaba do Norte	44K	7.3	0.2 years
Ipu	43K	6.9	0.2 years
Santa Quitéria	42K	6.5	0.1 years
Paracuru	42K	5.3	0.0 years
Várzea Alegre	41K	7.4	0.2 years
Pentecoste	40K	5.1	0.0 years
Massapê	40K	5.5	0.1 years
Mombaça	40K	7.3	0.2 years
Pedra Branca	40K	7.2	0.2 years
Ipueiras	39K	7.1	0.2 years
Missão Velha	39K	7.2	0.2 years
Baturité	35K	5.7	0.1 years
Jaguaribe	35K	6.8	0.2 years
Ubajara	35K	6.3	0.1 years
Paraipaba	33K	4.8	0.0 years
Parambu	33K	7.7	0.3 years
Lavras da Mangabeira	32K	7.2	0.2 years
Tabuleiro do Norte	32K	6.2	0.1 years
Nova Russas	32K	7.4	0.2 years
Jaguaruana	32K	5.5	0.0 years
Bela Cruz	32K	4.4	0.0 years
Jijoca de Jericoacoara	30K	5.1	0.0 years
Cruz	30K	4.4	0.0 years
Santana do Acaraú	30K	5.1	0.0 years
Novo Oriente	29K	7.8	0.3 years
Jardim	29K	7.8	0.3 years
Caririaçu	28K	6.9	0.2 years
Redenção	27K	5.6	0.1 years
Marco	27K	4.6	0.0 years
Milagres	27K	7.2	0.2 years
Aracoiaba	27K	5.7	0.1 years
Campos Sales	26K	7.7	0.3 years
Tamboril	26K	7.1	0.2 years
Ocara	26K	5.6	0.1 years
Pindoretama	26K	4.9	0.0 years
Senador Pompeu	26K	7.0	0.2 years
Independência	25K	7.5	0.2 years
Ibiapina	25K	6.5	0.1 years
Irauçuba	25K	5.2	0.0 years
Aurora	24K	7.4	0.2 years
Jucás	24K	7.4	0.2 years
Forquilha	24K	6.0	0.1 years
Barreira	24K	5.5	0.0 years
Morrinhos	23K	4.5	0.0 years
Guaiúba	23K	5.3	0.0 years
Cedro	23K	7.2	0.2 years
Assaré	23K	7.0	0.2 years
Icapuí	22K	5.1	0.0 years
Coreaú	22K	5.8	0.1 years
Quixeré	22K	5.5	0.1 years
Itatira	22K	6.3	0.1 years
Uruburetama	21K	5.0	0.0 years
Chorozinho	21K	5.5	0.0 years
Araripe	21K	7.7	0.3 years
Orós	21K	7.5	0.2 years
Quiterianópolis	21K	7.8	0.3 years
Barro	20K	7.0	0.2 years
Reriutaba	20K	7.1	0.2 years
Farias Brito	19K	6.8	0.2 years
Varjota	19K	7.3	0.2 years
Solonópole	19K	6.9	0.2 years
Hidrolândia	19K	6.8	0.2 years
Cariré	19K	6.8	0.2 years
Croatá	18K	6.9	0.2 years
Umirim	18K	4.9	0.0 years
Fortim	18K	5.5	0.0 years
Jaguaretama	18K	6.4	0.1 years
Carnaubal	18K	6.9	0.2 years
Itapiúna	18K	5.7	0.1 years
Monsenhor Tabosa	18K	6.9	0.2 years
Tejuçuoca	18K	5.1	0.0 years
Porteiras	18K	7.2	0.2 years
Santana do Cariri	18K	7.9	0.3 years
Piquet Carneiro	18K	7.3	0.2 years
Salitre	18K	8.0	0.3 years
Banabuiú	17K	6.3	0.1 years
Cariús	17K	7.2	0.2 years
Madalena	17K	6.5	0.1 years
Capistrano	17K	5.5	0.1 years
Caridade	17K	5.3	0.0 years
Quixelô	17K	7.7	0.3 years
Frecheirinha	16K	6.3	0.1 years
Nova Olinda	16K	7.5	0.2 years
Tururu	16K	4.7	0.0 years
Pereiro	16K	6.4	0.1 years
Meruoca	16K	5.8	0.1 years
Barroquinha	15K	4.7	0.0 years
Miraíma	15K	4.9	0.0 years
Alto Santo	15K	5.8	0.1 years
Milhã	15K	6.9	0.2 years
Iracema	15K	6.1	0.1 years
Graça	15K	6.8	0.2 years
Saboeiro	14K	7.2	0.2 years
Mucambo	14K	6.5	0.1 years
Aiuaba	14K	7.5	0.2 years
Uruoca	14K	4.8	0.0 years
Acarape	14K	5.5	0.0 years
Apuiarés	14K	5.2	0.0 years
Chaval	13K	5.1	0.0 years
Ipaumirim	13K	6.8	0.2 years
Aratuba	13K	5.6	0.1 years
Ibaretama	13K	5.7	0.1 years
Poranga	12K	7.3	0.2 years
Ibicuitinga	12K	5.6	0.1 years
Ipaporanga	12K	7.4	0.2 years
Choró	12K	6.2	0.1 years
Alcântaras	12K	5.8	0.1 years
Ararendá	12K	7.3	0.2 years
Groaíras	11K	6.7	0.2 years
São Luís do Curu	11K	4.9	0.0 years
Martinópole	11K	4.6	0.0 years
Pires Ferreira	11K	6.9	0.2 years
Pacoti	11K	5.6	0.1 years
Catunda	11K	6.9	0.2 years
Paramoti	11K	5.2	0.0 years
Jaguaribara	11K	6.5	0.1 years
Palmácia	11K	5.4	0.0 years
Catarina	10K	7.4	0.2 years
Mulungu	10K	5.7	0.1 years
Abaiara	10K	7.2	0.2 years
Potengi	10K	7.6	0.3 years
Palhano	10K	5.4	0.0 years
Penaforte	9K	7.5	0.2 years
Deputado Irapuan Pinheiro	9K	7.3	0.2 years
Moraújo	9K	5.4	0.0 years
Jati	8K	7.2	0.2 years
Itaiçaba	8K	5.5	0.1 years
Tarrafas	8K	7.0	0.2 years
Arneiroz	8K	7.5	0.2 years
Senador Sá	8K	4.7	0.0 years
Antonina do Norte	7K	7.3	0.2 years
Umari	7K	6.5	0.1 years
Altaneira	7K	7.2	0.2 years
General Sampaio	7K	5.2	0.0 years
Ereré	7K	6.5	0.1 years
Pacujá	6K	7.0	0.2 years
Potiretama	6K	5.6	0.1 years
São João do Jaguaribe	6K	6.0	0.1 years
Baixio	6K	6.7	0.2 years
Guaramiranga	6K	5.8	0.1 years
Granjeiro	5K	7.0	0.2 years

Showing 184 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Ceará is Injurious to Health.