Dhaka ranks 4th among cities with most polluted air this morning

Dhaka's air quality is ‘unhealthy’ this morning, reports UNB.

With an air quality index (AQI) score of 173 at 8:58am, Dhaka ranked 4th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.

Thailand’s Chiang Mai, Pakistan’s Lahore and India’s Delhi occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 274, 187 and 180, respectively.

An AQI score between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’ while the score between 201 and 300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and the score between 301 and 400 is 'hazardous' that poses severe health risks to residents.

In Bangladesh, the AQI score is measured 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.

According to 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.