Air quality in Dhaka unhealthy for sensitive groups this morning

This morning, the air quality in Dhaka was categorized as 'unhealthy for sensitive groups,' UNB reports.

At 9:20 am, Dhaka recorded an air quality index (AQI) score of 116, placing it in the 6th position among cities globally with the poorest air quality, as reported by IQAir.

The top three spots on the list were held by UAE’s Dubai, Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, and Qatar’s Doha, with AQI scores of 320, 165, and 164 respectively.

An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with acceptable air quality. However, there may be a health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy', and between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.

Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in the winter and improves during the monsoon.