AQI: Dhaka air second worst in world on Tuesday morning
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Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon
Dhaka ranked second on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality on Tuesday morning.
Dhaka’s air was in the unhealthy zone, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 173 at 9am.
India’s Delhi, Indonesia's Jakarta and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Kinshasa occupied the first, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 255, 167 and 163, respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered unhealthy, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be poor and a reading of 301 to 400 is considered hazardous, posing serious health risks to residents.
In Bangladesh, the AQI score is based on five criteria 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.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
Per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.
Source: UNB