Dhaka Air Quality Remains Moderate, Ranks 18th Globally

Dhaka's air quality remained in the 'moderate' category on Saturday morning, ranking 18th among the world's most polluted cities, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI).

At 9:35am, the capital recorded an AQI score of 86, indicating acceptable air quality, though it may pose a moderate health concern for a small number of unusually sensitive individuals.

According to the AQI ranking, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kampala in Uganda, and Jakarta in Indonesia topped the list of the world's most polluted cities, with AQI scores of 188, 173, and 149, respectively.

Under the AQI scale, a score between 50 and 100 is considered 'moderate', while 101–150 is classified as 'unhealthy for sensitive groups'. Scores between 151 and 200 are deemed 'unhealthy', 201–300 are 'very unhealthy', and readings above 300 are considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks.

The AQI is a daily measure of air quality that indicates how clean or polluted the air is and the potential health effects associated with it.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and ozone.

Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Air quality typically deteriorates during the dry winter months and improves with the arrival of the monsoon.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for around seven million deaths worldwide each year, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.