Dhaka keeps grappling with toxic air

Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka ranked the second worst in Air Quality Index (AQI) for the second consecutive day on Thursday morning.

It had an AQI score of 198 at 09:32 am. The air was classified as ‘unhealthy’.

Thailand’s Chiang Mai and Afghanistan’s Kabul occupied the first and third spots in the list of cities with the worst air quality with AQI scores of 238 and 170 respectively.

When the AQI value is between 151 and 200, every city dweller may begin to experience adverse effects in their health, particularly members of sensitive groups.

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).

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution. Its air quality usually improves during monsoon.

Source:UNB