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 Meta Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Meta

Meta faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.0 million across 29 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 16.7µg/m³. That's 3.3 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 277 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 Meta met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.14 years longer.

That's 1.2M years of life stolen from 1.0 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 Meta. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Puerto Concordia
1.6 years lost
2.Puerto Rico
1.5 years lost
3.Mapiripán
1.5 years lost
4.Puerto Gaitán
1.3 years lost
5.La Macarena
1.3 years lost
6.Puerto Lleras
1.2 years lost
7.Vista Hermosa
1.2 years lost
8.El Castillo
1.2 years lost
9.Lejanías
1.1 years lost
10.Mesetas
1.1 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

15-25 µg/m³

100%

1.0M

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 29 Districts in Meta

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Villavicencio	522K	16.3	1.1 years
Acacías	74K	16.1	1.1 years
Granada	66K	16.5	1.1 years
La Macarena	36K	17.8	1.3 years
Puerto López	34K	16.5	1.1 years
Vista Hermosa	27K	17.4	1.2 years
San Martín	25K	16.4	1.1 years
Puerto Concordia	22K	21.7	1.6 years
Mapiripán	22K	20.4	1.5 years
Puerto Gaitán	19K	18.5	1.3 years
Puerto Rico	18K	20.5	1.5 years
Cumaral	18K	16.2	1.1 years
La Uribe	18K	16.5	1.1 years
Fuente de Oro	14K	16.4	1.1 years
San Carlos de Guaroa	11K	16.1	1.1 years
Mesetas	11K	16.6	1.1 years
Castilla la Nueva	11K	16.3	1.1 years
Restrepo	10K	16.3	1.1 years
Guamal	9K	16.5	1.1 years
Lejanías	9K	16.7	1.1 years
Puerto Lleras	9K	17.7	1.2 years
San Juan de Arama	8K	16.5	1.1 years
San Luis de Cubarral	6K	16.5	1.1 years
El Castillo	6K	16.9	1.2 years
Barranca de Upía	4K	16.2	1.1 years
Cabuyaro	4K	16.4	1.1 years
El Dorado	3K	16.5	1.1 years
San Juanito	2K	15.3	1.0 years
El Calvario	2K	15.2	1.0 years

Showing 29 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Meta is Injurious to Health.