Today, Dhaka is ranked number 1 in the list of cities with polluted air in the world with a score of 187. This position of Dhaka was seen in Air Quality Index (AQI) around 8:50 am on Thursday. This score indicates air quality as ‘unhealthy’.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Lahore ranks second in the list of the world’s most polluted cities today with a score of 177. Egypt’s Cairo is third with a score of 163 and Bahrain’s Manama is fourth with a score of 164.
A score of 51 to 100 is considered ‘moderate’ or ‘acceptable’ air quality. An air quality between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, an AQI score between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’.
Additionally, an AQI score of 201 to 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’ and an AQI score of 301+ is considered ‘hazardous’, posing a serious health risk to residents.
AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on 5 characteristics of pollution. They are Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3). Dhaka has been suffering from air pollution for a long time. Its air quality generally becomes unhealthy during winters and improves slightly during monsoons.
Md. Abdullah Al Nahid with over 5 years of experience in the field of journalism, Md. Abdullah Al Nahid heads the editorial operation of the Genycourse.net.