In a concerning revelation, Dhaka has secured the top position globally for the worst air quality, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 274 at 9 am on Wednesday morning. The air in Dhaka was categorized as ‘very unhealthy,’ raising serious health concerns for its residents.
Following Dhaka, Shenyang in China, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, and Wuhan in China claimed the second, third, and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 194, 176, and 169, respectively.
The AQI classifies air quality based on particle pollution, where a value between 101 and 150 is deemed ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups,’ 150 to 200 is ‘unhealthy,’ 201 to 300 is ‘very unhealthy,’ and a reading above 301 is considered ‘hazardous,’ posing severe health risks.
The AQI serves as an informative index, detailing the daily air quality and the potential health effects associated with it. In Bangladesh, the AQI is determined by five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution issues, especially worsening during the winter and showing improvement during the monsoon. The latest data underscores the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address and mitigate the city’s persistent air quality challenges.
