Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has clinched the undesirable title of having the world’s most polluted air, recording an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 239 at 8:24 am on Friday.
The Air Quality Index categorizes Dhaka’s air quality as very unhealthy, with values ranging between 151 and 200. The scale further designates 201-300 as very unhealthy and 301 and above as hazardous, signifying severe health risks for residents.
Following Dhaka on the list are Lahore in Pakistan, Delhi and Kolkata in India, and Baghdad in Iraq, securing the second to fifth spots with AQI scores of 223, 219, 199, and 187, respectively.
The AQI serves as a crucial index for communicating daily air quality, providing insights into the cleanliness or pollution levels of a city’s air and potential health risks associated with it.
Bangladesh’s AQI is determined based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has persistently grappled with air pollution, experiencing heightened levels during winter and witnessing improvements during the monsoon season.
The gravity of the situation is underscored by the World Health Organization (WHO), estimating that air pollution claims the lives of seven million people globally each year. The primary causes include increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
