Dhaka’s air unhealthy for sensitive groups this morning

Dhaka’s air ranked 8th most polluted in the world on Friday morning as per the Air Quality Index (AQI).

The air in Dhaka was categorised as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, with an AQI score of 124 at 8:45 am.

Israel’s Tel Aviv, Pakistan’s Lahore and China’s Wuhan occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 313, 187, and 162, respectively.

When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 151 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, 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 the winter and improves during the monsoon.