Dhaka:Dhaka has been ranked as the fourth most polluted city in the world on Sunday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 166 recorded at 842 am.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the air quality in Dhaka was classified as 'unhealthy'. This classification indicates that the concentration of airborne pollutants could pose health risks to the general public. Pakistan's Lahore topped the list of polluted cities with an AQI score of 448, followed by Tashkent in Uzbekistan and Karachi in Pakistan, with scores of 197 and 173, respectively.
An AQI score between 101 and 150 is considered 'unhealthy for sensitive groups', while a score between 151 and 200 is classified as 'unhealthy'. Scores between 201 and 300 are deemed 'very unhealthy', and levels above 301 are categorized as 'hazardous', posing serious health risks. The AQI, which tracks daily air quality, provides an indication of how polluted the air is and the potential health effects on residents.
In Bangladesh, AQI measurements focus on five key pollutants particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. The World Health Organization reports that air pollution causes approximately seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily linked to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.