Dhaka ranked 17th among cities with the worst air quality, recording an AQI score of 88 at 9:30am on Wednesday, indicating moderate air quality. Manama in Bahrain, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Lahore in Pakistan topped the list with AQI scores of 175, 171, and 170, respectively.
An AQI between 50 and 100 signifies moderate air quality, while 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 150 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and 301+ is hazardous, posing serious health risks.
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 air quality typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes an estimated seven million deaths annually worldwide, primarily due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
