With an air quality index (AQI) score of 153 at 9 am on Sunday, the capital of Bangladesh ranked fourth in the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality being in the 'unhealthy' zone.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Thailand’s Chiang Mai, Nepal’s Kathmandu, and China’s Wuhan occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 162, 159, and 157, respectively.
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.
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.
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.
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