Dhaka has been ranked as the city with the worst air quality globally, recording an AQI score of 227 at 9:00 AM today.
The air quality is classified as “very unhealthy,” according to the AQI index.
AQI values categorize air quality as follows: between 50 and 100 is considered “moderate,” where sensitive individuals should limit prolonged outdoor activities; values from 101 to 150 are “unhealthy for sensitive groups”; 150 to 200 is “unhealthy”; 201 to 300 is “very unhealthy”; and readings above 301 are deemed “hazardous,” posing serious health risks to residents.
Delhi in India, Lahore in Pakistan, and Jakarta in Indonesia ranked second, third, and fourth, with AQI scores of 189, 178, and 165, respectively.
The AQI, which reports daily air quality, indicates how clean or polluted the air in a city is and highlights potential health effects for residents.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, typically experiencing unhealthy air quality during winter while it tends to improve during the monsoon season.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for 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.
