North America - Particle pollution
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter)
The value for PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter) in North America was 7.31 as of 2017. As the graph below shows, over the past 27 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 9.63 in 2011 and a minimum value of 7.31 in 2017.
Definition: Population-weighted exposure to ambient PM2.5 pollution is defined as the average level of exposure of a nation's population to concentrations of suspended particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter, which are capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory tract and causing severe health damage. Exposure is calculated by weighting mean annual concentrations of PM2.5 by population in both urban and rural areas.
Source: Brauer, M. et al. 2017, for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.
See also:
| Year | Value |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 9.55 |
| 1995 | 9.42 |
| 2000 | 9.40 |
| 2005 | 9.50 |
| 2010 | 9.26 |
| 2011 | 9.63 |
| 2012 | 8.91 |
| 2013 | 8.64 |
| 2014 | 8.14 |
| 2015 | 7.97 |
| 2016 | 7.32 |
| 2017 | 7.31 |
PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO guideline value (% of total)
PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO guideline value (% of total) in North America was 3.02 as of 2017. Its highest value over the past 27 years was 44.84 in 1990, while its lowest value was 3.02 in 2016.
Definition: Percent of population exposed to ambient concentrations of PM2.5 that exceed the WHO guideline value is defined as the portion of a country’s population living in places where mean annual concentrations of PM2.5 are greater than 10 micrograms per cubic meter, the guideline value recommended by the World Health Organization as the lower end of the range of concentrations over which adverse health effects due to PM2.5 exposure have been observed.
Source: Brauer, M. et al. 2017, for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.
See also:
| Year | Value |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 44.84 |
| 1995 | 41.56 |
| 2000 | 39.95 |
| 2005 | 41.81 |
| 2010 | 35.79 |
| 2011 | 43.92 |
| 2012 | 26.65 |
| 2013 | 19.44 |
| 2014 | 10.78 |
| 2015 | 7.71 |
| 2016 | 3.02 |
| 2017 | 3.02 |
Classification
Topic: Environment Indicators
Sub-Topic: Emissions
