Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka has ranked fourth among cities with the worst air quality. The city had an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 152 at 9am on Tuesday (September 17).
Pakistan’s Lahore (183), Portugal’s Lisbon (162) and India’s Delhi (154) recorded the worst air among cities around the world, according to the IQAir ranking.
Dhaka’s air quality was ranked unhealthy, but the PM2.5 concentrations in Dhaka was 11.3 times higher than the WHO annual air quality guideline value.
An AQI score between 51 and 100 means the air quality is moderate. It is categorised as unhealthy for sensitive groups if the score remains between 101 and 150.
When the score ranges between 151 and 200, it is considered unhealthy.
Being one of the world’s most densely-populated cities in the world, Dhaka has been struggling with poor air quality for a long time. The quality deteriorates further during the summer and winter but improves slightly in the monsoon.
A 2019 study by the Department of Environment and the World Bank identified automobile smoke, dust from building sites, and brick kilns as the three primary sources of air pollution in the city.
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