Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked fourth on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 155 at 9:12am Thursday morning.
Thursday’s air was classified as "unhealthy," referring to a severe health threat, according to the AQI index.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered "moderate." During this range, sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
An AQI between 101 and 150 is considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups," while a reading between 151 and 200 is classified as "unhealthy."
AQI values from 201 to 300 are labeled "very unhealthy," and a reading of 301 or above is deemed "hazardous," posing serious health risks to residents.
India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore, and China’s Beijing occupied the first, second, and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 204, 202, and 174 respectively.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people about how clean or polluted the air in a certain city is and highlights any associated health risks.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality typically turns unhealthy in the winter and improves during the monsoon season.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
