Dhaka soared to the second spot on the global chart of cities with the poorest air quality, marking Monday morning with an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 193.
The air quality in Dhaka dipped into the “unhealthy” category, as reported by the air quality index at 9 am.
Leading the list were India’s Delhi, registering an AQI score of 207, followed by Dhaka in second place, China’s Beijing at third with an AQI of 193, and Nepal’s Kathmandu securing the fourth spot with a score of 175.
An AQI reading between 101 and 200 falls under the “unhealthy” category, while 201 to 300 is deemed “poor”, and 301 to 400 is labeled as “hazardous”, posing grave health risks.
Bangladesh’s AQI is determined by assessing five key pollutants: Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone.
Dhaka’s struggle with air pollution is longstanding, with air quality typically worsening during winter and showing signs of improvement during the monsoon season.
Studies consistently underscore the detrimental impact of air pollution on health, correlating it with increased risks of heart disease, chronic respiratory ailments, lung infections, and cancer.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution claims an estimated seven million lives globally each year.
