Dhaka’s air quality registered as moderate on Tuesday morning with an AQI score of 89 at 9am, placing the city 15th among those with the worst air quality globally.
Jakarta, Shanghai, and Delhi occupied the top three spots, with AQI scores of 177, 145, and 140, respectively.
AQI scores between 51 and 100 are considered moderate, 101 to 150 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and readings above 301 are hazardous, posing serious health risks.
In Bangladesh, AQI is based on five criteria: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka struggles with air pollution, worsening in winter and improving during monsoon seasons. Air pollution is a major risk factor for death and disability, contributing to heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections, and cancer.
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes an estimated seven million deaths annually due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
