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.

Colombia's Cauca Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Cauca

Cauca faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.4 million across 41 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 13.5µg/m³. That's 2.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 224 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 Cauca met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.82 years longer.

That's 1.1M years of life stolen from 1.4 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 Cauca. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Corinto
1 years lost
2.Toribío
1 years lost
3.Páez
1 years lost
4.Miranda
1 years lost
5.Piamonte
1 years lost
6.Jambaló
1 years lost
7.Padilla
1 years lost
8.Caloto
1 years lost
9.Inzá
1 years lost
10.Puerto Tejada
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

5-10 µg/m³

10-15 µg/m³

89.5%

1.2M

15-25 µg/m³

10.5%

146K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 41 Districts in Cauca

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Popayán	279K	13.5	0.8 years
Santander de Quilichao	97K	14.5	0.9 years
El Tambo	50K	12.6	0.7 years
La Vega	47K	12.4	0.7 years
Piendamó	45K	14.0	0.9 years
Miranda	43K	15.2	1.0 years
Bolívar	43K	12.1	0.7 years
Caloto	43K	14.8	1.0 years
Puerto Tejada	39K	14.7	1.0 years
Cajibío	37K	13.5	0.8 years
Patía	37K	11.9	0.7 years
Páez	36K	15.2	1.0 years
Buenos Aires	34K	14.1	0.9 years
Caldonó	33K	14.4	0.9 years
Corinto	33K	15.4	1.0 years
Inzá	32K	14.8	1.0 years
Silvia	31K	14.4	0.9 years
Timbío	31K	13.1	0.8 years
Guapí	29K	10.1	0.5 years
Argelia	28K	11.3	0.6 years
Toribío	27K	15.4	1.0 years
Morales	27K	13.7	0.9 years
Balboa	25K	11.3	0.6 years
Totoró	21K	13.9	0.9 years
Timbiquí	21K	10.6	0.5 years
Almaguer	21K	12.2	0.7 years
López de Micay	21K	11.4	0.6 years
Jambaló	20K	15.0	1.0 years
Mercaderes	18K	12.0	0.7 years
Suárez	18K	13.8	0.9 years
Sotará	17K	13.1	0.8 years
Villa Rica	17K	14.6	0.9 years
Puracé	15K	13.5	0.8 years
San Sebastián	14K	12.4	0.7 years
Rosas	13K	12.8	0.8 years
Santa Rosa	10K	13.2	0.8 years
La Sierra	10K	12.6	0.7 years
Sucre	8K	12.1	0.7 years
Piamonte	7K	15.2	1.0 years
Padilla	7K	14.8	1.0 years
Florencia	6K	12.2	0.7 years

Showing 41 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Cauca is Injurious to Health.