Dhaka’s air quality remains ‘unhealthy’ amid heat wave.
As the heat wave continues to have an influence on daily living, Dhaka’s air quality has been classified as ‘unhealthy’ once more.
When it came to the cities with the worst air quality in the world, Dhaka came in at number seven with an air quality index (AQI) score of 153 this morning at 9:09 am.
Thailand’s Chiang Mai, India’s Delhi and Pakistan’s Lahore took the top three slots on the list, with AQI scores of 256, 210 and 201.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading of 301+ is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.
Five criterion pollutants are used to calculate the air quality index (AQI) in Bangladesh – particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and ozone.
Dhaka has long been dealing with air pollution challenges. Its air quality normally deteriorates in the winter and recovers during the monsoon.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution kills seven million people annually globally, mostly due to higher rates of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute respiratory infections.
