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.

Paraguay's Caaguazú Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Caaguazú

Caaguazú faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 576 thousand across 19 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 16.1µg/m³. That's 3.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 267 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 Caaguazú met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.09 years longer.

That's 628K years of life stolen from 576 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 Caaguazú. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.La Pastora
1.2 years lost
2.Carayaó
1.2 years lost
3.Simón Bolívar
1.2 years lost
4.Doctor Cecilio Báez
1.1 years lost
5.Raúl Arsenio Oviedo
1.1 years lost
6.Santa Rosa del Mbutuy
1.1 years lost
7.Nueva Londres
1.1 years lost
8.Mariscal Francisco Solano López
1.1 years lost
9.San Joaquín
1.1 years lost
10.San José de los Arroyos
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%

576K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 19 Districts in Caaguazú

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Caaguazú	129K	15.9	1.1 years
Coronel Oviedo	127K	16.2	1.1 years
Yhú	48K	16.1	1.1 years
Doctor J. Eulogio Estigarribia	40K	15.6	1.0 years
Raúl Arsenio Oviedo	38K	16.5	1.1 years
Repatriación	35K	15.3	1.0 years
Doctor Juan Manuel Frutos	26K	15.6	1.0 years
San José de los Arroyos	20K	16.3	1.1 years
San Joaquín	18K	16.3	1.1 years
Carayaó	17K	17.1	1.2 years
Santa Rosa del Mbutuy	14K	16.4	1.1 years
José Domingo Ocampos	11K	15.7	1.1 years
Mariscal Francisco Solano López	10K	16.3	1.1 years
Doctor Cecilio Báez	9K	16.5	1.1 years
3 de Febrero	9K	15.2	1.0 years
R. I. 3 Corrales	9K	16.1	1.1 years
Simón Bolívar	6K	16.8	1.2 years
Nueva Londres	6K	16.3	1.1 years
La Pastora	4K	17.2	1.2 years

Showing 19 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Caaguazú is Injurious to Health.