Dhaka has once again topped the list of world cities with the worst air quality. The capital's air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 190 around 12am Wednesday. India’s Delhi and Dubai occupied the next two spots, with AQI scores of 182 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 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. Read: Urban noise pollution, wildfires among biggest emerging environmental threats: UN 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 during winter and improves during monsoon. A report by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank in March 2019 pointed out that the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka "are brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from construction sites". With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, 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 heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies. Read: Government to implement an action plan for sustainable plastic management: Environment Minister 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.

The worst fears of many residents of Dhaka have come true -- the densely populated metropolis is now the world's most polluted city. On Wednesday, the capital's air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 269 at 10.11am. China’s Wuhan and India’s Delhi occupied the next two spots, with AQI scores of 252 and 214, respectively. 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. Read: Experts seek winter plan to fight Dhaka’s air pollution Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy during winter and improves during monsoon. A report by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank in March 2019 pointed out that the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka "are brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from construction sites". With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources. Read: Lung cancer on the rise in Bangladesh: Report 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 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.

The densely populated metropolis continues to dominate the list of cities with the worst air quality in the world. On Tuesday, Dhaka was ranked the world's second-most polluted city, as its air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 200 at 11am, which is considered ‘unhealthy'. China’s Wuhan occupied the top spot with an AQI score of 218, while India’s Kolkata ranked third with an AQI of 193 in the latest list of world cities with the worst air quality. An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be ‘unhealthy’ particularly for sensitive groups. Active children and adults, particularly those with respiratory diseases such as asthma are usually advised to avoid all outdoor activities in this situation. Read: Experts lament lack of steps to check air pollution in Dhaka city