Key facts
- Fine particles penetrate deep into lung tissue and are associated with reduced lung function over time.
- The Air Quality Life Index estimates that meeting the WHO guideline would add roughly 1.9 years to global average life expectancy.
- Duration of exposure matters as much as intensity — years of residence is a primary input.
- Clinical lung age is measured by spirometry. This page provides a modeled estimate, not a measurement.
Lung Age Estimator
Your actual age and your lungs' biological age can diverge by decades in high-pollution cities. Find out where you stand.
estimate your lung age.
How the estimate is built
The model starts from a baseline ageing rate and scales it by four factors: the annual-equivalent PM2.5 for your city, whether you exercise outdoors, whether you cook with gas, and whether you run an air purifier. The result is multiplied by the number of years you have lived in the city.
Outdoor exercise increases the rate because higher breathing rates deposit more particles. Gas cooking adds an indoor combustion source. A purifier reduces the indoor portion of exposure.
| Factor | Effect on the ageing rate |
|---|---|
| Annual PM2.5 below 30 µg/m³ | Reduces substantially |
| Annual PM2.5 above 90 µg/m³ | Increases substantially |
| Regular outdoor exercise | Increases |
| Gas cooking indoors | Increases slightly |
| HEPA purifier throughout home | Reduces |
What the underlying evidence supports
There is well-established epidemiological evidence linking long-term PM2.5 exposure to reduced lung function, increased respiratory illness and shortened life expectancy. The Air Quality Life Index quantifies the life-expectancy component directly from that literature.
What the evidence does not support is a precise, individually accurate conversion from exposure history to a specific lung age. Individual outcomes depend on genetics, occupational history, smoking status, infection history and healthcare access, none of which this model can see.
How clinical lung age actually works
In a clinical setting, lung age is derived from spirometry — usually from FEV1, the volume of air you can force out in the first second of a breath — compared against reference values for your height, age and sex. It was introduced largely as a way to communicate smoking-related decline to patients.
That measurement reflects your actual lung function whatever the cause. The estimate on this page reflects only the modeled contribution of air pollution exposure, which is one input among many.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a real medical test?
No. Clinical lung age is calculated from spirometry measurements taken by a healthcare professional. This page provides a modeled educational estimate based on pollution exposure alone and should not be used for medical decisions.
Can lung damage from air pollution be reversed?
Some inflammation-related effects improve when exposure falls, and studies of cities that reduced pollution have recorded measurable improvements in children’s lung development. Structural damage is generally not reversible, which is why reducing ongoing exposure matters.
Why does exercising outdoors increase the estimate?
Because exercise raises the breathing rate several-fold, which increases the volume of polluted air drawn into the lungs. The health benefits of exercise remain substantial; the model simply reflects that timing and location affect the exposure cost.
Does gas cooking really matter?
Indoor combustion is a recognised source of fine particles and nitrogen dioxide, particularly in poorly ventilated kitchens. Its contribution is smaller than outdoor ambient exposure in high-pollution cities, which is why the model weights it modestly.
Sources
This reference was prepared from the following primary public-health and regulatory sources:
- Air Quality Life IndexEnergy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- WHO Global Air Quality GuidelinesWorld Health Organization
- Health and Environmental Effects of Particulate MatterUnited States Environmental Protection Agency