Air Quality Index: Dhaka ranks 2nd worst

Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka ranked second worst in Air Quality Index (AQI) on Tuesday morning, reports UNB.

It had an AQI score of 287 around 8:34am. The air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’.

Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar and China’s Shanghai occupied the first and third positions in the list of cities with worst air with scores of 318 and 222 respectively.

When the AQI score is between 201 and 300, everyone may experience more serious health effects.

When the AQI score is more than 300, 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.

According to Air Quality Index, Dhaka ranked the worst with a score of 261 in air visibility while Kolkata stood second with the score 240.