With an air quality index (AQI) score of 194 at 9:15 am on Monday (April 10, 2023), Dhaka ranked 4th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi, and Thailand’s Chiang Mai, occupied the first 3 spots on the list, with AQI scores of 238, 231 and 204, respectively.
An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered “unhealthy” while between 201 and 300 is “very unhealthy”, and 301–400 is “hazardous”, posing severe health risks to residents.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
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