Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso had the most polluted air in 2023.
GOLDACH, Switzerland – The average person can go up to two months without food, three days without water, but only a few minutes without air. Breathable air is essential to life.
Outdoor air pollution, caused primarily by PM2.5, is responsible for the early deaths of more than 4 million people worldwide each year, according to WHO. The particles are “small enough that they can enter different organ systems and the bloodstream; they can irritate the lungs and the respiratory system. And that is what makes them so detrimental for health”, said Dr Daouda.
IQair’s analysis blends data both from governmental sources – such as the air-quality data tracked by regulatory bodies, like the US Environmental Protection Agency – with data from lower-cost sensors such as those IQAir produces. While regulatory monitors can cost thousands of dollars, IQAir’s and similar sensors cost a few hundred.