Dhaka: The overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh has ranked 17th on the list of cities with the worst air quality, with an AQI score of 91 at 09:10 am this morning. Today, Dhaka's air was classified as 'moderate,' indicating a light health threat according to the AQI index.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Uganda's Kampala, the Democratic Republic of Congo's Kinshasa, and Chile's Santiago occupied the first, second, and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 174, 152, and 151, respectively. The AQI value for particle pollution determines the classification of air quality, with 50 to 100 being 'moderate,' 101 to 150 as 'unhealthy for sensitive groups,' 150 to 200 as 'unhealthy,' 201 to 300 as 'very unhealthy,' and readings above 301 considered 'hazardous,' posing serious health risks.
The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality, informing people of how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern. 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, with its air quality usually turning unhealthy 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.