Dhaka's Air Quality Still in the 'Moderate' Range

Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the ‘moderate’ zone this morning (July 10, 2023).

With an air quality index (AQI) score of 73 at 9:10 am, Dhaka ranked 20th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, reports UNB.

The United Arab Emirates' Dubai, Qatar's Doha and Pakistan’s Karachi occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 171, 160 and 154, respectively.

An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with acceptable air quality. However, there may be a health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', and a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.

Read: Air pollution: 7 vehicles, 6 brick kilns fined over Tk 20 lakh

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.

Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in the winter and improves during the monsoon.

Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.

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