Air in Dhaka to Be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

Despite light to heavy rain in several areas of the city on Friday morning, the air quality in Dhaka remained bad for sensitive groups.

According to IQAir, Dhaka was fourth on the list of cities with the worst air quality in the world at 9:00 am, with an air quality index (AQI) score of 104.

The top three cities on the list were Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Lahore, Pakistan, with AQI ratings of 170, 112, and 106, respectively.

An AQI result of 51 to 100 is regarded as "moderate," one of 101 to 150 as "unhealthy," one of 201 to 300 as "very unhealthy," and one of 301 or higher as "hazardous," offering significant health hazards to locals.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.

Air pollution has always been a problem in Dhaka. Winter is often when the air quality deteriorates, and monsoon season is when it gets better.

One of the leading causes of mortality and disability globally continues to be air pollution.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people year around the world, mostly due to an increase in fatalities from heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute respiratory infections.