Dhaka: Dhaka ranked 36th among the world’s most polluted cities on Wednesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 67 at 08:50 am. The air quality was classified as ‘moderate’, indicating a moderate health concern for a very small number of individuals who are unusually sensitive to air pollution, according to the AQI scale.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Lahore in Pakistan, Delhi in India, and Jakarta in Indonesia occupied the top three spots, with AQI scores of 188, 173, and 157 respectively. The AQI standards categorize a reading between 101 and 150 as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151 to 200 as ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 as ‘very unhealthy’, while levels above 301 are deemed ‘hazardous’, posing serious 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: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.