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 Chocó Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Chocó

Chocó faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 502 thousand across 31 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 14.1µg/m³. That's 2.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 234 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 Chocó met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.89 years longer.

That's 447K years of life stolen from 502 thousand 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 Chocó. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.San José del Palmar
1.1 years lost
2.Río Iro
1.1 years lost
3.Nóvita
1 years lost
4.Tadó
1 years lost
5.Condotó
1 years lost
6.Sipí
1 years lost
7.Bagadó
1 years lost
8.El Carmen de Atrato
1 years lost
9.Cértegui
1 years lost
10.Unión Panamericana
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

82.7%

416K

15-25 µg/m³

17.3%

87K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 31 Districts in Chocó

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Quibdó	113K	14.1	0.9 years
Alto Baudó	40K	12.8	0.8 years
Medio Atrato	34K	13.7	0.9 years
Istmina	28K	14.2	0.9 years
Condotó	23K	15.6	1.0 years
Tadó	22K	15.7	1.0 years
Medio San Juan	17K	14.1	0.9 years
Bajo Baudó	17K	12.5	0.7 years
El Litoral del San Juan	17K	13.1	0.8 years
Unguía	15K	14.5	0.9 years
Medio Baudó	14K	13.2	0.8 years
El Carmen de Atrato	13K	15.3	1.0 years
Riosucio	12K	14.0	0.9 years
Atrato	11K	14.3	0.9 years
Lloró	10K	14.8	1.0 years
Bojayá	10K	12.9	0.8 years
Bagadó	10K	15.5	1.0 years
Río Quito	9K	13.7	0.8 years
El Carmen del Darién	9K	13.9	0.9 years
El Cantón del San Pablo	9K	14.2	0.9 years
Nuquí	9K	12.4	0.7 years
Acandí	8K	13.5	0.8 years
Belén de Bajirá	8K	14.7	0.9 years
Bahía Solano	8K	12.4	0.7 years
Nóvita	8K	15.7	1.0 years
Cértegui	8K	15.0	1.0 years
Unión Panamericana	7K	14.9	1.0 years
San José del Palmar	4K	15.9	1.1 years
Sipí	4K	15.6	1.0 years
Juradó	3K	13.4	0.8 years
Río Iro	3K	15.9	1.1 years

Showing 31 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Chocó is Injurious to Health.