In the latest air quality rankings, Dhaka has secured the third position globally for having the most polluted air on Tuesday morning, registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 182 at 9:05 am.
For the second consecutive day, Dhaka’s air quality has been deemed “unhealthy” according to the air quality index. The top spots on the list were claimed by Hanoi in Vietnam, Lahore in Pakistan, and Yangon in Myanmar with AQI scores of 227, 193, and 180, respectively.
The AQI categorizes air quality based on particle pollution levels, where values between 101 and 150 are considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” 150 to 200 is labeled “unhealthy,” 201 to 300 is deemed “very unhealthy,” and a reading of 301 or more is classified as “hazardous,” posing severe health risks.
This index, designed to report daily air quality, serves as a crucial tool for informing residents about the cleanliness or pollution levels in their city and the associated health risks. Bangladesh’s AQI is determined by five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution issues, typically experiencing worsened air quality in winter and an improvement during the monsoon season.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution contributes to an estimated seven million deaths worldwide each year. The increased mortality is primarily linked to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
