Dhaka's air quality continued to be 'unhealthy' on Saturday.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 170 at around 8:58 am, the metropolis ranked fourth on the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi and Pakistan’s Karachi occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 350, 217 and 184, respectively.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', and poses serious health risks to residents.
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 in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as one of the factors in 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, as a result of stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
