Dhaka’s air quality continued to be in the ‘very unhealthy’ zone on Friday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 209 at 9:20 am, the metropolis ranked third in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.
China’s Wuhan and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first two spots with an AQI of 256 and 246, respectively.
Meanwhile, an AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria 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, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Source: United News of Bangladesh