Dhaka’s air quality was in the ‘moderate’ category on Friday morning, ranking 14th among cities with the worst air quality.

At 9:35am, the city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 97, according to air monitoring data.

Meanwhile, Kinshasa, the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, topped the list with an AQI score of 159, making it the world’s most polluted city at the time.

Pakistan’s Lahore ranked second with an AQI score of 157, followed by Indonesia’s Jakarta with 152.

An AQI score between 51 and 100 is considered moderate, indicating acceptable air quality. However, people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution may experience minor health effects.

An AQI score between 51 and 100 is considered "moderate," indicating acceptable air quality, although some pollutants may pose a moderate health concern for a small number of unusually sensitive individuals.

An AQI reading between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while 151–200 is categorised as ‘unhealthy’. Readings between 201 and 300 are regarded as ‘very unhealthy’, and levels above 301 are considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to the population.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), and ozone.

Dhaka frequently experiences deteriorating air quality, particularly during the dry winter months, while conditions generally improve during the monsoon season.

Experts say prolonged exposure to polluted air can cause respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases and other health complications, particularly among children, older adults and people with existing health conditions.