2024-07-14 21:33:58
Due to the rain in the capital Dhaka, the air quality has improved somewhat. Air Quality Index (AQI) scores showed the same picture.
Dhaka’s air quality was at ‘moderate’ level on Friday (July 12) morning.
The city is ranked 66th in the list of cities with air pollution in the world with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 53 at 8:50 am. The AQI score of the city was 67 and 63 respectively on the previous 2 days i.e. Wednesday and Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kinshasa, Uganda’s Kampala and Indonesia’s Jakarta occupy the top three spots with AQI scores of 171, 164 and 162 respectively.
An AQI score between 51 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ or ‘acceptable’. An air quality between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, an AQI score between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’.
Between 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’, an AQI score of 301+ is considered ‘risky’, posing a serious health risk to residents.
AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on 5 characteristics of pollution. They are Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3).
Dhaka has been plagued by air pollution for a long time. Its air quality generally becomes unhealthy during winters and improves slightly during monsoons.
According to a report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank in March 2019, the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka are brick kilns, vehicle fumes and dust from construction sites.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution has increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. As a result, approximately 7 million people die worldwide each year.