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Dhaka ranked 15th among the world’s most polluted cities on Saturday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 88 at 9:03am. According to the AQI ranking, the capital’s air quality was classified as ‘moderate’.
Malaysia’s Kuching, Indonesia’s Jakarta and China’s Chengdu ranked as the world’s three most polluted cities at the time, with AQI scores of 267, 161 and 152, respectively.
Under the AQI scale, readings between 50 and 100 are considered ‘moderate’, indicating generally acceptable air quality. However, unusually sensitive individuals may experience minor health effects and are advised to limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity.
An AQI reading of 101–150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while 151–200 is categorised as ‘unhealthy’. Readings of 201–300 are considered ‘very unhealthy’, and levels above 301 are classified as ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks.
The AQI is used to report daily air quality and provide information about the level of air pollution and its potential health effects.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone.
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically deteriorating during the winter months and improving with the arrival of the monsoon.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for around seven million deaths worldwide each year, mainly from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
