Dhaka:Dhaka was ranked ninth among the world's most polluted cities on Tuesday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 152 at 1045 am.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the air quality was classified as 'unhealthy', indicating that the concentration of pollutants in the air had reached a level that could pose health risks to the general population, as defined by the AQI scale.
The list of the most polluted cities was topped by Lahore, Pakistan, with an AQI score of 448. Following Lahore were Delhi, India, with a score of 215, and Kolkata, India, with a score of 185. The AQI scale categorizes different levels of air quality, with readings of 101-150 considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, scores of 151-200 indicating unhealthy air quality, readings of 201-300 classified as very unhealthy, and scores above 301 deemed hazardous, posing serious health risks.
In Bangladesh, the assessment of air quality is based on five major pollutants particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution is responsible for approximately seven million deaths globally each year, primarily due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.