Dhaka: The densely populated capital of Bangladesh ranked seventh among the world’s most polluted cities on Tuesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 146 at 08:29 am. Today, the city’s air was classified as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, indicating a serious health threat, according to the AQI report.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Lahore in Pakistan, and Beijing in China occupied the first, second, and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 189, 189, and 182 respectively. The AQI scale categorizes a reading between 50 and 100 as ‘moderate’, with generally acceptable air quality, although sensitive individuals should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. AQI levels of 101-150 are labeled as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151-200 as ‘unhealthy’, 201-300 as ‘very unhealthy’, and readings above 301 as ‘hazardous’, posing severe health risks.
The AQI, which reports daily air quality, informs residents about how clean or polluted the air is and highlights po
tential health effects. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically deteriorating in winter and improving during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes about seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.