Dhaka: Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh on Saturday morning has created a record with the most polluted air quality in the world. According to the air quality and pollution city ranking, the air was classified as ‘hazardous’.
An Air Quality Index between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’ while 201-300 is ‘very unhealthy’ and 301-400 is considered ‘hazardous.’ The hazardous air quality will further pose severe health risks to the citizens of Bangladesh.
China’s Beijing, Uzbekistan’s Tashkent, and Iraq’s Baghdad, all these three capital cities, with AQI scores of 238, 220, and 179, respectively, occupied the second, third, and fourth spots, the country’s leading media outlet, United News of Bangladesh reported.
The World Air Quality Report of different cities in the world is published by Swiss-based organisation ‘IQAir.’ The Air Quality Index (AQI) is used for reporting daily air quality. It tells how clean or polluted the air is and what associated health effects might be a cause for concern. The AQI focuses on the health effects people may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.
The AQI is calculated for five major air pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone.
Bangladesh has been grappling with severe air pollution challenges. According to a study done by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, air pollution is responsible for 102,456 deaths annually in Bangladesh, reports the country’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, air pollution kills millions of people worldwide every year. WHO data shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. WHO is working with countries to monitor air pollution and improve air quality. From smog hanging over cities to smoke inside the home, air pollution poses a major threat to health and climate.
(IANS)
