Dhaka’s air quality remains in ‘moderate’ zone

This morning, Dhaka's air quality remained in the 'moderate' range.

At 9:06 am on Wednesday, the city recorded an air quality index (AQI) score of 78, placing it 17th among cities worldwide with relatively poor air quality, UNB reports.

An AQI of 50 to 100 is considered 'moderate,' indicating an acceptable air quality level. However, a small number of individuals who are highly sensitive to air pollution may experience moderate health concerns.

Leading the list were Uganda's Kampala, Indonesia's Jakarta, and the USA's Chicago, with AQI scores of 157, 154, and 131, respectively.

An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups.

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

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.

Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.