Today’s air was classified as ‘moderate,’ referring to a light health threat, according to the AQI index
People move through a dusty road, as air quality reduces ahead of the winter in Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 4, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
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People move through a dusty road, as air quality reduces ahead of the winter in Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 4, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 34th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 65 at 9:12am this morning (31 May).
Today’s air was classified as ‘moderate,’ referring to a light health threat, according to the AQI index.
India’s Delhi, China’s Beijing and Indonesia’s Medan occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 224, 160 and 155, respectively.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, 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.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how safe 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.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.