Air pollution threatens the health of 604 thousand people across 7 districts in Esmeraldas. The average PM2.5 level is 13.2 ”g/mÂłâ2.6Ă higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Esmeraldas faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 604 thousand across 7 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 13.2”g/m³. That's 2.6 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5”g/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 219 cigarettes in a year.
If Esmeraldas met the WHO guideline of 5 ”g/m³, the average person would live 0.8 years longer.
That's 483K years of life stolen from 604 thousand people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 7 most polluted districts in Esmeraldas. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 ”g/mÂłâonly populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.
Complete air quality data for every district in Esmeraldas, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 ”g/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esmeraldas | 230K | 11.5 | 0.6 years |
| Quinindé | 150K | 16.9 | 1.2 years |
| San Lorenzo | 59K | 12.9 | 0.8 years |
| Atacames | 53K | 11.2 | 0.6 years |
| Eloy Alfaro | 48K | 13.9 | 0.9 years |
| Muisne | 32K | 12.0 | 0.7 years |
| RĂo Verde | 32K | 12.6 | 0.7 years |
Showing 7 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 ”g/m³.