Shawdesh Desk:

Dhaka has ranked 32nd on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an Air Quality Index score of 68 at 9:20am on Monday morning.

Today’s air was classified as ‘moderate’ and the city’s air quality continues to be moderate for the past few days, according to the AQI index.

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 and above is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.

Pakistan’s Lahore, Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kinshasa and United Arab Emirates’ Dubai occupied the first, second and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 186, 179 and 171 respectively.

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.

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 Organisation, 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.