Continued rain keeps Dhaka's air quality ‘moderate’

Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the ‘moderate’ zone this morning, amidst intermittent rain since yesterday, UNB reports.

With an air quality index (AQI) score of 84 at 9:00 am, Dhaka ranked 12th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.

Indonesia’s Jakarta, the United Arab Emirates' Dubai and Chile's Santiago occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 163, 154 and 129, respectively.

An AQI between 51 and 100 is considered 'moderate', 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 been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.

Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.

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.