Dhaka placed 6th in 'worst air-quality' index

UNB

Published: March 13, 2021, 03:23 PM

Dhaka placed 6th in 'worst air-quality' index

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh has been placed six position in terms of worst air quality, according to the air quality index (AQI).

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.

An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered "unhealthy", particularly for sensitive groups.

Dhaka's air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 190 around until Saturday.

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.

China's Shenyang, Saudi Arabia's Riyadh and Thailand's Chiang Mai occupied the first three spots with AQI scores of 280, 261 and 229, respectively.

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. Its air quality usually improves during monsoon.

In recent times, the air quality has degraded to such a degree that the High Court had to issue a nine-point directive for taking steps to improve the quality.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.

Over 80 percent living in urban areas, which monitor air pollution, are exposed to air quality levels that exceed WHO guideline limits, with low- and middle-income countries most at risk.

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