Dhaka: Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked fifth on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 181 at 8:50 am this morning. Today’s air was classified as ‘unhealthy’ and has continued this trend for the past few days, posing a health threat, according to the AQI index.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the air quality index (AQI) value for particle pollution ranges from 50 to 100, where air quality is considered ‘moderate’. Sensitive individuals are advised to consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion. AQI values between 101 and 150 are deemed ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 are labeled ‘unhealthy’, while values between 201 and 300 are considered ‘very unhealthy’. A reading of 301 or more is categorized as ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.
India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore, and Vietnam’s Hanoi occupied the first, second, and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 348, 211, and 197 respectively. The AQI
serves as an index for reporting daily air quality, informing people about how clean or polluted the air in a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.