Air Quality in Dhaka Remains in ‘Moderate’ Zone

This morning, Dhaka's air quality remained in the "moderate" range. Dhaka is now ranked 22nd out of all cities in the world for having the poorest air quality, with an air quality index (AQI) score of 83 at 9:25 am.

A'moderate' AQI of 50 to 100 is regarded as having good air quality. However, a tiny minority of persons who are highly sensitive to air pollution may have a mild health concern.

The top three cities on the list were Doha, Qatar; Baghdad, Iraq; and Johannesburg, South Africa, with AQI scores of 165, 157, and 156, respectively.

An AQI of 101 to 200 is regarded as "unhealthy," especially for vulnerable populations.

Similar to this, an AQI rating between 201 and 300 is rated "poor," while one between 301 and 400 is "hazardous," offering 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 death and disability worldwide continues to be air pollution. Numerous studies have shown that breathing contaminated air increases a person's risk of heart disease, chronic respiratory conditions, lung infections, and cancer.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution claims the lives of seven million people annually.