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, October 14 — Dhaka has been placed fifth on the list of cities with the most polluted air globally, having an AQI score of 159 at 8:59 am this morning.

The air in Dhaka was categorized as “unhealthy for vulnerable groups” based on the air quality index.

Lahore in Pakistan, Delhi and Kolkata in India, and Doha in Qatar took the top four positions on the list, with AQI readings of 221, 194, 187, and 162 respectively.

If the AQI level for particle pollution falls within 50 to 100, the air quality is categorized as ‘moderate’. When it ranges from 101 to 150, it is labeled as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’. A range of 151 to 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, while 201 to 300 is described as ‘very unhealthy’. An AQI of 301 or higher is classified as ‘hazardous’, presenting significant health dangers to the population.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool used to communicate the daily air quality, helping individuals understand how clean or contaminated the air in a specific city is and what potential health impacts could be relevant to them.

The air quality index in Bangladesh considers five contaminants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone.

Dhaka has been facing challenges with air pollution for a long time. The air quality typically becomes poor in winter and improves during the rainy season.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for approximately seven million deaths globally each year, primarily because of higher death rates from stroke, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.