The air quality of Dhaka showed signs of improvement on Monday morning.
The capital was ranked 7th worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) with a score of 134, around 8am.
The air quality was classified as ‘moderate’.
Myanmar’s Yangon, China’s Shenyang, China’s Chengdu occupied the first three spots in the list of cities with worst air with scores of 175, 162, and 154 respectively.
When the AQI value is between 101 to 150 it means ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’.
Although general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI range, people with lung disease, older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air.
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.
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. Its air quality usually improves during monsoon.