Dhaka air 3rd most polluted in the world this morning Riyadh and Lahore in top spots

News Desk    |    ০৭:৫৩ পিএম, ২০২২-০২-২০

The air quality in Dhaka was reported 'unhealthy' this morning and it occupied the third position in the air quality index (AQI).

The AQI score was recorded at 173 at 10:07am in the capital. Saudi Arabia's Riyadh and Pakistan's Lahore occupied the first two spots with AQI scores of 209 and 183, respectively.

An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.

Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.

AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.

In Bangladesh, the AQI 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.

A report by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank in March 2019 pointed out brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from construction sites as the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka.

With the advent of winter, the city's air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction work, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.

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 a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.