Dhaka: Dhaka’s air quality was classified as ‘moderate’ on Sunday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 90, aided by a shower that helped wash dust and airborne pollutants from the atmosphere. At 10:30 am, the capital ranked 14th among cities worldwide in terms of air pollution.
According to United News of Bangladesh, an AQI between 51 and 100 is considered the ‘moderate’ category. Egypt’s Cairo, India’s Delhi, and Senegal’s Dakar topped the list of cities with the worst air quality, recording AQI scores of 193, 184, and 159, respectively.
The AQI standards classify a reading between 0 and 50 as ‘good’, while 101 and 150 are ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’. Scores between 151 and 200 are categorized as ‘unhealthy’, 201 and 300 as ‘very unhealthy’, and levels above 301 are deemed ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks.
The AQI provides daily updates on air quality, indicating how clean or polluted the air is and highlighting potential health impacts. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. The capital experienced rain twice in the morning today.