Dhaka, the bustling capital of Bangladesh, ranked 12th among cities with the worst air quality on Friday morning, with an AQI index of 97 at 9am. This marked an improvement from Thursday’s “unhealthy” air quality, which had an AQI index of 111.
Friday’s AQI rating of 97 falls under the “moderate” category, meaning that while the air is generally acceptable, sensitive individuals should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. The AQI scale categorizes air quality from “moderate” (50-100) to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” (101-150), “unhealthy” (150-200), “very unhealthy” (201-300), and “hazardous” (301+).
The top three cities with the worst air quality on Friday were Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (AQI 187), Delhi in India (AQI 183), and Jakarta in Indonesia (AQI 171).
The AQI, which measures daily air quality, is based on the concentration of five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has struggled with air pollution for years, with air quality typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution contributes to approximately seven million deaths globally each year, largely due to conditions such as stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
