Shocking Pollution Alert: Dhaka Ranks as the 8th Most Polluted City This Sunday!

Dhaka, the bustling capital of Bangladesh, has earned a spot among the cities with the worst air quality. On a recent Sunday morning, it recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 167. This score falls into the ‘unhealthy’ category, signaling a health risk for many residents.

The AQI measures air pollution and indicates how clean or polluted the air is in a given area. An AQI value between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, meaning that most people can enjoy outdoor activities without worrying too much. As the numbers rise, so do health risks. An AQI between 101 and 150 is deemed ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while a score of 151 to 200 is simply ‘unhealthy’. Scores from 201 to 300 indicate ‘very unhealthy’ conditions, and anything above 300 is labelled ‘hazardous’, posing serious risks.

Other major cities like Beijing, Delhi, and Kathmandu are also struggling with air quality, often recording even higher AQI scores. For instance, Beijing scored 228, Delhi 219, and Kathmandu 195.

The AQI in Bangladesh considers five main pollutants: particulate matter (both PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Unfortunately, Dhaka often faces serious air pollution, especially during the winter months, although conditions tend to improve with the arrival of the monsoon.

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution contributes to an estimated seven million deaths each year globally. This is largely due to increased risks of serious health issues like stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.