Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, recorded the world’s worst air quality with an AQI score of 183 at 9:25am on Thursday.
The air was classified as “unhealthy,” posing severe health risks, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI).
On Wednesday, the city’s air quality was marked “unhealthy for sensitive groups” with an AQI score of 133.
An AQI reading between 50 and 100 indicates “moderate” air quality, where sensitive individuals are advised to limit prolonged outdoor activity. A score between 101 and 150 is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” 151 to 200 is “unhealthy,” 201 to 300 is “very unhealthy,” and readings above 301 are categorized as “hazardous,” posing serious health threats to residents.
Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, Senegal’s Dakar, and Vietnam’s Hanoi ranked second, third and fourth on the list with AQI scores of 170, 167 and 160, respectively.
The AQI measures daily air quality and helps residents understand how clean or polluted the air is, along with its potential health effects.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. The city’s air quality typically worsens during the dry winter months and sees some improvement in the monsoon season.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes an estimated seven million deaths globally every year, primarily due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
