Dhaka ranks 3rd worst in Air Quality Index

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

It had an AQI score of 152 at 08:04am. The air was classified as ‘unhealthy’.

When the AQI value is between 151 and 200, everyone may begin to experience health effects. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effect.

China's Shanghai and Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh occupied the first and second slots in the list of cities with the worst air quality with AQI scores of 176 and 158 respectively.

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).

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution. Its air quality usually improves during monsoon.