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 Vichada Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Vichada

Vichada faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 80 thousand across 4 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 17.1µg/m³. That's 3.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 284 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 Vichada met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.19 years longer.

That's 95K years of life stolen from 80 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 4 most polluted districts in Vichada. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Santa Rosalía
1.3 years lost
2.Cumaribo
1.3 years lost
3.La Primavera
1.2 years lost
4.Puerto Carreño
0.9 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

21.5%

17K

15-25 µg/m³

78.5%

63K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 4 Districts in Vichada

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Cumaribo	40K	18.2	1.3 years
La Primavera	18K	16.9	1.2 years
Puerto Carreño	17K	14.3	0.9 years
Santa Rosalía	5K	18.7	1.3 years

Showing 4 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Vichada is Injurious to Health.