Air Quality Index: Dhaka ranks 15th worst
The air of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka showed signs of slight improvement Sunday morning but it was still classified as ‘unhealthy’ in the Air Quality Index.
Dhaka had an AQI score of 136 at 8:35am. It ranked 15th worst in the list with a score of 132.
Thailand’s Chiang Mai occupied the first place with a score of 318 while Poland’s Krakow ranked second in the list of cities with the worst air with 188.
When the AQI value is between 101 and 150, members of sensitive groups may experience health effects while general public is less likely to be affected.
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.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution. Its air quality usually improves during monsoon.