Dhaka’s air quality continued to be in the ‘very unhealthy’ zone on Tuesday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 211 at 8:23 am, the metropolis ranked 3rd 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.
Air pollution 2nd biggest cause of deaths in Bangladesh in 2019, cost about 3.9-4.4% of GDP: World Bank
China’s Wuhan and Ghana’s Accra occupied the first two spots with an AQI of 281 and 280, 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