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 Guairá Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Guairá

Guairá faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 229 thousand across 16 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 15.7µg/m³. That's 3.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 260 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 Guairá met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.03 years longer.

That's 236K years of life stolen from 229 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 Guairá. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Coronel Martínez
1.1 years lost
2.Doctor Botrell
1.1 years lost
3.Borja
1.1 years lost
4.Itapé
1.1 years lost
5.Natalicio Talavera
1.1 years lost
6.Yataity del Guairá
1.1 years lost
7.Capitán Mauricio José Troche
1.1 years lost
8.Iturbe
1.1 years lost
9.San Salvador
1.1 years lost
10.Mbocayaty del Guairá
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%

229K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 16 Districts in Guairá

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Villarrica	76K	15.5	1.0 years
Independencia	42K	15.5	1.0 years
Jose A. Fassardi	20K	15.1	1.0 years
Coronel Martínez	11K	16.4	1.1 years
Capitán Mauricio José Troche	10K	16.0	1.1 years
Iturbe	10K	16.0	1.1 years
Borja	10K	16.3	1.1 years
Mbocayaty del Guairá	9K	15.8	1.1 years
General Eugenio A. Garay	9K	15.4	1.0 years
Itapé	8K	16.3	1.1 years
Félix Perez Cardozo	6K	15.6	1.0 years
Natalicio Talavera	5K	16.1	1.1 years
Yataity del Guairá	5K	16.1	1.1 years
Ñumí	3K	15.5	1.0 years
San Salvador	3K	15.8	1.1 years
Doctor Botrell	2K	16.3	1.1 years

Showing 16 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Guairá is Injurious to Health.