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 Magdalena Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Magdalena

Magdalena faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.2 million across 30 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 Magdalena met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.59 years longer.

That's 704K years of life stolen from 1.2 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 Magdalena. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.El Banco
1.2 years lost
2.Santa Bárbara de Pinto
1.1 years lost
3.San Zenón
1.1 years lost
4.Guamal
1 years lost
5.Plato
1 years lost
6.Santa Ana
0.9 years lost
7.Tenerife
0.9 years lost
8.San Sebastián de Buenavista
0.9 years lost
9.Remolino
0.8 years lost
10.Pedraza
0.8 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

42.5%

507K

10-15 µg/m³

51.4%

613K

15-25 µg/m³

6.2%

74K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 30 Districts in Magdalena

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Santa Marta	507K	8.4	0.3 years
Plato	62K	14.7	1.0 years
Zona Bananera	61K	12.5	0.7 years
El Banco	55K	17.0	1.2 years
Fundación	53K	11.9	0.7 years
Aracataca	40K	11.9	0.7 years
Pivijay	39K	11.9	0.7 years
Sitionuevo	32K	12.2	0.7 years
Ariguaní	32K	11.8	0.7 years
Santa Ana	30K	14.4	0.9 years
Guamal	29K	14.8	1.0 years
Pueblo Viejo	23K	11.2	0.6 years
Ciénaga	23K	10.3	0.5 years
El Retén	22K	11.8	0.7 years
Nueva Granada	20K	12.4	0.7 years
Pijiño del Carmen	16K	13.1	0.8 years
El Piñón	16K	12.4	0.7 years
San Sebastián de Buenavista	16K	13.9	0.9 years
Chivolo	15K	12.3	0.7 years
Sabanas de San Angel	14K	11.6	0.6 years
Algarrobo	13K	12.6	0.7 years
Tenerife	12K	14.1	0.9 years
Santa Bárbara de Pinto	11K	16.4	1.1 years
Zapayán	9K	13.0	0.8 years
Concordia	9K	12.9	0.8 years
San Zenón	8K	15.8	1.1 years
Cerro de San Antonio	7K	13.2	0.8 years
Pedraza	7K	13.3	0.8 years
Remolino	7K	13.6	0.8 years
Salamina	7K	13.3	0.8 years

Showing 30 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Magdalena is Injurious to Health.