Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, ranked third worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday morning.
It had an AQI score of 213 around 8:10am. The air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’, reports UNB.
Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar and Pakistan’s Lahore were on the top two positions on the list of cities with worst air with scores of 254 and 215 respectively.
Everyone may experience more serious health effects when the AQI score is between 201 and 300.
When the value is more than 300, the air quality is considered hazardous and the entire population is more likely to be affected.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs 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 (O3). The Department of Environment has also set national ambient air quality standards for these pollutants. These standards aim to protect against adverse human health impacts.
Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, has long been grappling with air pollution. The air quality usually improves during monsoon.
