Even on the weekend, Dhaka — the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh — ranked third on the list of cities with the worst air quality, with an AQI score of 162 at 9:50am Friday morning.
According to the AQI index, Friday’s air was classified as "unhealthy," indicating a serious health threat. This poor air quality has persisted for the past few days, signaling an urgent need for action to curb pollution.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered "moderate"; sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
A reading between 101 and 150 is categorized as "unhealthy for sensitive groups," 151 to 200 is "unhealthy," 201 to 300 is "very unhealthy," and anything above 301 is considered "hazardous," posing serious health risks to all residents.
Iraq’s Baghdad, Kuwait’s Kuwait City, and Vietnam’s Hanoi respectively occupied the first, third, and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 289, 172, and 154.
The AQI — an index used to report daily air quality — informs the public about how clean or polluted the air is in a specific location and highlights 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), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and ozone.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes an estimated seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
