Dhaka’s air ‘very unhealthy’ this morning

Dhaka’s air quality backed to the ‘very unhealthy’ zone on Thursday morning, UNB reports.

With an air quality index (AQI) score of 201 at 8:20 am, the metropolis ranked second in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.

An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.

Ghana’s Accra occupied the first spot with an AQI of 202 and India’s Delhi and Mumbai ranked the third and fourth position respectively.

Meanwhile, an AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups.

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.

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.