As Eid-ul-Azha holidays begin and the city streets see less traffic, Dhaka’s air quality is in the `moderate` zone this morning (June 27, 2023), reports UNB.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 68 at 9:20 am, Dhaka ranked 19th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
South Africa`s Johannesburg, Pakistan`s Lahore and USA`s Chicago occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 169, 159 and 154, respectively.
An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered `unhealthy`, AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be `very unhealthy`, while 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.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.
