Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked fifth among cities with the worst air quality, recording an AQI index of 151 at 9:10am on Friday. This marks a significant decline from Thursday’s moderate AQI index of 92.
According to the Air Quality Index, an AQI value between 50 and 100 indicates moderate air quality, posing some risks for sensitive individuals. An AQI between 101 and 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, while 150 to 200 is considered unhealthy for everyone. AQI values between 201 and 300 are very unhealthy, and values over 301 are hazardous, presenting serious health risks.
India’s Delhi, Vietnam’s Hanoi, and Indonesia’s Jakarta topped the list with AQI scores of 411, 174, and 163, respectively.
The AQI measures daily air quality based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with conditions typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for an estimated seven million deaths globally each year, primarily due to strokes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
