Dhaka:The city ranked fifth among the world's most polluted cities on Friday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 163 at 925 am.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the air quality was categorized as 'unhealthy', indicating potential health risks for the general population. This classification is based on the AQI scale, which considers scores between 151 and 200 as 'unhealthy'.
The report indicated that Lahore, Pakistan, topped the list with an AQI score of 236. Meanwhile, Manama in Bahrain and Kolkata in India shared the second and third positions with identical AQI scores of 176.
The AQI serves to provide daily updates on air quality, assessing levels of pollution and their potential health impacts. In Bangladesh, the index is calculated using data from five major pollutants particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.
Dhaka has historically faced issues with air pollution, which tends to worsen during the winter months and improve during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization has highlighted air pollution as a major global health concern, attributing approximately seven million deaths annually to related health conditions such as stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.