Dhaka, Nov 24 – The capital city of Dhaka has ranked second worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI).
Dhaka had a score of 258 at 9am on Sunday, indicating that the air quality was very unhealthy. India’s Kolkata and Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia occupied the first and third spots respectively.
When the AQI value is between 201 and 300, every city dweller may begin to experience health effects.
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 (O3). The Department of Environment has also set national ambient air quality standards for these pollutants. These standards aim to protect against adverse human health impacts.
Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, has been battling air pollution for a long time. – UNB
