Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, has secured the fourth position among cities worldwide with the most compromised air quality, registering an AQI score of 181 at 9:06 am on Saturday morning.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) categorizes Dhaka’s air as “unhealthy,” reflecting the city’s ongoing struggle with pollution. Leading the undesirable list are Dakar in Senegal, Lahore in Pakistan, and Kathmandu in Nepal, with AQI scores of 196, 183, and 181, respectively.
The AQI value serves as a crucial indicator, classifying air quality based on particle pollution levels. In Dhaka’s case, an AQI score between 101 and 150 is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” while a reading of 150 to 200 falls into the “unhealthy” range. The scale further designates values between 201 and 300 as “very unhealthy,” and anything beyond 301 is deemed “hazardous,” posing severe health risks to residents.
The AQI in Bangladesh relies on assessing five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. This index aids in informing the public about the cleanliness or pollution levels of a city’s air, highlighting potential health concerns.
Dhaka’s persistent air pollution concerns are not new, typically escalating during the winter and improving in the monsoon season. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the global impact of air pollution, estimating seven million annual deaths worldwide due to increased mortality from various health conditions linked to polluted air, such as stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
