Dhaka:The city of Dhaka was ranked as the 6th most polluted city in the world on Thursday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 168 recorded at 09:10 am.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the air quality in Dhaka was classified as 'unhealthy'. This classification indicates that the concentration of pollutants in the air may pose health risks to the general population based on the AQI scale.
Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia topped the list with the highest AQI score of 225, while Lahore in Pakistan was second with a score of 207. Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo followed in third place with an AQI score of 193.
The AQI scale defines a score between 101 and 150 as 'unhealthy for sensitive groups’. A score between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', while scores from 201 to 300 are labeled 'very unhealthy'. Scores above 301 are categorized as 'hazardous', indicating severe health risks.
The AQI provides daily updates on air quality, indicating how clean or polluted the air is and highlighting potential health impacts. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants, which include particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.
Dhaka has faced ongoing challenges with air pollution, particularly during the winter months when air quality tends to worsen, while it typically improves during the monsoon season.
The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution contributes to approximately seven million deaths globally each year, primarily due to conditions such as stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.