The residents of Dhaka city have a good piece news: the mega city's air quality remains moderate as the metropolis with an air quality index (AQI) score of 64 at 10 am on Sunday ranked 28th in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
When the AQI remains between 51 and 100, the air quality is acceptable, reports UNB. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Iran’s Tehran, Indonesia’s Jakarta and Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 177, 164 and 152, respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
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.
