Dhaka Ranks 22nd Globally For Air Pollution

Dhaka ranked 22nd among the world's most polluted cities on Thursday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 82, according to the latest global air quality data.

At 9:35 am, the capital's AQI stood at 82, placing its air quality in the "Moderate" category.

Under the AQI scale, a score between 51 and 100 is considered moderate, meaning the air quality is generally acceptable. However, it may pose a moderate health concern for a small number of unusually sensitive individuals, including people with asthma, heart disease and older adults.

Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo topped the global pollution list with an AQI score of 157, followed by Kampala in Uganda with 149 and Johannesburg in South Africa with 137.

According to AQI standards, a reading between 101 and 150 is considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups," 151 to 200 is "unhealthy," 201 to 300 is "very unhealthy," while a score above 301 is classified as "hazardous," posing serious health risks.

The AQI is a daily indicator that measures air pollution levels and helps assess their potential impact on public health.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and ozone (O₃).

Dhaka has long struggled with poor air quality, with pollution levels typically worsening during the dry winter months and improving during the monsoon season.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution contributes to an estimated seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.