With an air quality index (AQI) score of 91 at 9:20 am, Dhaka ranked 13th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. However, there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
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The USA's Seattle, the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai and USA’s Portland occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 178, 173 and 168, 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 300+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
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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. Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.