City Desk :
Dhaka’s air quality continued to be in the ‘moderate’ zone on Sunday, mainly owing to rains in different parts of the country.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 70 at 12.10 pm, the city ranked 22nd in the list of world cities with the worst air quality, reports UNB.
When the AQI remains between 51 and 100, the air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai and Chile’s Santiago occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 167, 163 and 162, respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘poor’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform 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.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
