Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka was ranked 13th worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Saturday morning.
It had an AQI score of 172 at 8:43am. The air quality was classified as ‘unhealthy’. When the AQI score is between 151 and 200, everyone may begin to experience health effects while members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
In this situation, experts recommend children, adults and people with respiratory diseases to limit outdoor exertion.
Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi and China’s Shenyang occupied the top three positions in the list of
cities with worst air with scores of 337, 299 and 273 respectively.
When the AQI score is between 201 and 300, every city dweller is likely to be affected.
But when the value is 301 to 500 or more, the air quality is considered hazardous and everyone may experience more serious health effects.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants – Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3). The Department of Environment has also set national ambient air quality standards for these pollutants. These standards aim to protect against adverse human health impacts.
Dhaka, the overcrowded megacity, has long been grappling with air pollution. The air quality usually improves during monsoon.
