Dhaka ranks 4th worst in Air Quality Index

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

Dhaka had an AQI score of 164 at 08:30am. The air was classified as ‘unhealthy’.

Thailand’s Chiang Mai and Serbia’s Belgrade and India’s Kolkata occupied the top three spots in the list of cities with worst air quality with AQI scores of 192, 182 and 166 respectively.

When the AQI value is between 151 and 200, every city dweller, particularly members of sensitive groups, may begin to experience adverse 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).

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