99% of the world breathes unsafe air.
Please view this installation on a PC or widescreen device
Global fine particulate concentration in 2023
Air pollution was the 2nd largest risk factor of deaths in 2021
Air Pollution
8.1 Million
High or low temperature
Child and Maternal Malnutrition
Kidney Dysfunction
High LDL Cholesterol
High Body-Mass Index
High Glucose
Dietary Risks
Tobacco
High Blood Pressure
Pollutants in the air affect human health by entering through the nose and mouth and penetrating blood and lung tissue.
This can lead to diseases such as stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart disease which together account for 90% of the disease burden from air pollution.
8.1 million people died due to air pollution in 2021.
709,000 of them where children under 5.
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
2100
LY
AMMONIA
BIOMASS BURNING
VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC DUST
FACTORIES AND COAL COMBUSTION
YOU
CITIES
SULPHATES AND NITRATES
Air pollution comes from a number of sources
Airborne particulates, including sulfates, nitrates, and particulate matter, can originate from a variety of sources. These include direct sources such as combustion from fossil fuels, car engines, biomass burning, and industrial processes. Indirect sources involve chemical reactions in the atmosphere, such as the formation of secondary pollutants like ground-level ozone and sulfates from the interaction of primary pollutants (e.g., nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds) with sunlight and other atmospheric components.
​
​
Nearly everyone living in cities is breathing air that doesn't match the WHO's threshold for safe exposure to fine particulate pollution (PM 2.5)
While in some cities air quality has improved
​
In others it has stagnated
​
Or worsened all together
​
While in some cities air quality has improved
In others it has stagnated
And in most it has only gotten worse
Health Impacts
WHERE DOES IT GO?
Humans inhale PM, where fine particles (PM 2.5) can then enter the blood stream and penetrate lung and blood tissue.
HOW BIG IS IT?
Fine particulates (PM2.5) are invisible to the human eye
WHAT IS THE IMPACT?
Fine and ultrafine particles (PM2.5 and smaller) can penetrate deep into the lungs' alveoli sacs and damage the lungs. They can cause nose and throat irritation, respiratory disease, and even lung cancer.
With smog stripes we can compare air quality across different cities
The stripes represents a period of time like a day or year
Each stripe is shaded according to whether air quality on a particular day met or exceeded all levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)
Select your city below
HOW'S YOUR AIR?
With smogstripes we can show you
For others it has worsened over time
While for some cities air quality has improved
Nearly everyone living in cities is breathing air that doesn't match the WHO's thresholds for safe exposure to fine particulate pollution (PM2.5)
8.1 million people died due to air pollution in 2021.
709,000 of those were children under 5.