Dhaka’s Air Quality Improves But Still Unhealthy: AQI

Although the air quality of Dhaka showed signs of improvement on Friday morning, it was listed as 'unhealthy' in the Air Quality Index (AQI).

The capital was rated 12th worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) with a ranking of 104.

Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi, and China’s Shenyang, occupied the first three spots in the list of cities with the worst air with scores of 183, 169, and 144 respectively.

When the AQI value is between 101 to 150 it means ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’.

Even though the general population is not expected to be impacted by this AQI spectrum, people with cardiovascular disease, older adults and children are at higher risk for exposure to ozone, whereas people with cardiac and pulmonary disease, older adults and children are at higher risk for the concentration of pollutants in the environment.

AQI, a database for the measurement of everyday air quality, tells citizens how healthy or unhealthy the environment in a given area is and what health consequences might be of interest to them.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is focused on five pollutant criteria-Particle Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone.

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution. Its air quality usually improves during monsoon.

Source: UNB