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Dhaka’s air quality world's worst Tuesday morning
Dhaka has topped the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 251 at 8:21 am on Tuesday morning.
The air quality was classified as “very unhealthy” according to the AQI Index.
Iraq’s Baghdad, Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek and Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kinshasa occupied the second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 248, 222 and 220, respectively.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections, reports UNB.