Dhaka’s air quality ‘moderate’ as city ranks 18th globally

Dhaka ranked 18th among the world’s cities with the worst air quality on Sunday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 84 at 11:12 am. According to the AQI scale, the city's air quality was classified as ‘Moderate,’ posing moderate health concerns for a very small number of unusually sensitive individuals, such as people with asthma, heart disease, or older adults. DR Congo’s Kinshasa topped the global pollution list with an AQI score of 211, followed by Kuching in Malaysia with 191 and Kampala in Uganda with 185. An AQI reading of 101 to 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups,’ while 151 to 200 is classified as ‘unhealthy.’ A reading between 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy,’ and anything above 301 is categorized as ‘hazardous,’ posing serious health risks. The AQI provides a daily indication of air quality by measuring the level of pollution and its potential impact on human health. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants—particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Dhaka has long faced serious air pollution problems, with air quality generally deteriorating during the winter months and improving during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution contributes to around 7 million deaths worldwide annually, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.