Dhaka registered a moderate air quality index (AQI) score of 88 at 9am on Monday, placing it 15th among cities with the worst air quality globally.
According to the Air Quality Index, the AQI score indicated moderate air pollution in Dhaka.
Leading the list were Jakarta, Indonesia (AQI 166), Manama, Bahrain (AQI 158), and Hanoi, Vietnam (AQI 153).
An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered moderate, while 101-150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 150-200 is unhealthy, 201-300 is very unhealthy, and 301+ is hazardous, posing serious health risks.
The AQI is a daily air quality measure, indicating how clean or polluted a city’s air is and the potential health effects.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is determined based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality 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 annually, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
