Dhaka ranked second in the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality as it registered an air quality index (AQI) score of 194 at 9:05 am on Tuesday, which puts the capital in the "unhealthy" category.
An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be "unhealthy" while 201 and 300 are considered "very unhealthy", and 301 to 400 are "hazardous", posing serious health risks to residents.
Myanmar's Yangon and India's Delhi occupied the first and third places with AQIs of 196 and 191 respectively.
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 increasing a person's chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections, and cancer, according to several studies.
