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.

Venezuela's Falcón Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Falcón

Falcón faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.0 million across 25 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 8.5µg/m³. That's 1.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 141 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 Falcón met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.33 years longer.

That's 330K 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 Falcón. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Silva
0.8 years lost
2.Palma Sola
0.7 years lost
3.Unión
0.7 years lost
4.Monseñor Iturriza
0.7 years lost
5.Federación
0.7 years lost
6.Mauroa
0.6 years lost
7.Jacura
0.5 years lost
8.Bolívar
0.5 years lost
9.Acosta
0.5 years lost
10.Colina
0.5 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

84.3%

843K

10-15 µg/m³

15.7%

157K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 25 Districts in Falcón

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Carirubana	268K	6.5	0.1 years
Miranda	251K	9.2	0.4 years
Los Tanques	50K	5.6	0.1 years
Falcón	49K	5.2	0.0 years
Silva	38K	13.0	0.8 years
Zamora	35K	8.7	0.4 years
Colina	33K	9.7	0.5 years
Federación	32K	11.8	0.7 years
Mauroa	27K	11.5	0.6 years
Dabajuro	27K	8.6	0.4 years
Buchivacoa	26K	9.1	0.4 years
Monseñor Iturriza	22K	11.8	0.7 years
Acosta	19K	9.8	0.5 years
Unión	16K	12.3	0.7 years
San Francisco	13K	8.1	0.3 years
Jacura	13K	10.1	0.5 years
Sucre	12K	9.6	0.5 years
Cacique Manaure	12K	9.7	0.5 years
Petit	11K	9.5	0.4 years
Píritu	11K	8.5	0.3 years
Democracia	11K	9.4	0.4 years
Urumaco	9K	7.8	0.3 years
Bolívar	7K	10.0	0.5 years
Tocópero	6K	7.9	0.3 years
Palma Sola	2K	12.6	0.7 years

Showing 25 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Falcón is Injurious to Health.