Air in Dhaka in ‘Moderate’ Zone

The air quality in Dhaka is'moderate' this morning as rain continues to fall.

At 9:10 am, Dhaka had an air quality index (AQI) value of 95, placing it ninth on the list of cities with the worst air quality in the world.

The top three cities on the list were Johannesburg, South Africa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Jakarta, Indonesia, with AQI ratings of 193, 161, and 160, respectively.

An AQI level between 51 and 100 is regarded as "moderate," between 101 and 150 as "unhealthy," between 201 and 300 as "very unhealthy," and a reading of 301 or above is regarded as "hazardous," providing significant health hazards to locals.

The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five criterion pollutants: ozone, NO2, CO, SO2, and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5).

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.