Air pollution continues to choke Dhaka

Dhaka's air was once again hazardous on Thursday as the capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) was found to be 323 at 10am, making it rank first in the list of the world's most polluted cities.

Ghana's Accra and Nepal's Kathmandu took the second and third spots, with the 'Very Unhealthy' AQI scores of 196 and 176.

An AQI between 301 to 400 is ranked 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. The range 101 and 200 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. The range between An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be ‘unhealthy’ while a range between 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy.’

'Good' AQI is between 0 and 50, where air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.

The AQI between 51 and 100 is termed 'moderate.' Pollution in this range may pose a moderate health concern for a very small number of individuals. People who are unusually sensitive to ozone or particle pollution may experience respiratory symptoms.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants – Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.

Air pollution has always been a problem in Dhaka. Winter is often when the air quality deteriorates, and monsoon season is when it gets better.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people per year throughout the world, primarily due to an increase in fatalities from heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute respiratory infections.

/KN/