Dhaka secured the second position on the global list of cities with the poorest air quality, registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 184 at 8:50 am on Tuesday, categorizing the air as “unhealthy.”
According to the air quality index, Dhaka was closely behind India’s Delhi, which claimed the top spot with an AQI of 261, while Kolkata and Pakistan’s Lahore secured the third and fourth positions with AQI scores of 179 and 171, respectively.
The AQI classifies air quality levels, ranging from “unhealthy for sensitive groups” (101-150) to “unhealthy” (150-200), “very unhealthy” (201-300), and ‘hazardous’ (301+), posing serious health risks.
The AQI, serving as a daily air quality report, enlightens individuals about the cleanliness or pollution levels in a specific city, highlighting potential health concerns. Bangladesh’s AQI is determined based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has been confronting persistent air pollution challenges, with air quality typically deteriorating in winter and showing improvement during the monsoon season.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution leads to an estimated seven million global fatalities annually. The primary causes include increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
