Air Quality in Dhaka Remains in ‘Moderate’ Zone

The air quality in Dhaka this morning was considered to be "moderate." Dhaka was the 16th worst city in the world at 9:04 am, with an air quality index (AQI) score of 90.

With AQI scores of 156, 139, and 134, respectively, the top three cities on the list were Jakarta in Indonesia, Lahore in Pakistan, and Baghdad in Iraq.

An AQI score between 50 to 100 is considered to be "moderate" air quality, which is considered to be acceptable. However, a very small proportion of people who are extremely sensitive to air pollution may experience health issues.

AQI score between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', and a reading of 301+ 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.

Air pollution has always been a problem in Dhaka. Usually, the winter is when the air quality becomes bad, and the monsoon 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 claims the lives of seven million people annually.