Dhaka air world’s worst on Friday morning

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, has once again topped the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI of 239 at 8:24 am on Friday.

The air was classified as “very unhealthy,” according to the air quality index.

Apart from this, Pakistan's Lahore, India’s Delhi and Kolkata and Iraq’s Baghdad occupied the second, third, fourth and fifth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 223, 219, 199 and 187 respectively.

Notably, the air quality score between 101 and 150 is considered 'unhealthy for vulnerable groups', between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' while between 201 and 300 is considered 'very unhealthy'. The AQI score of 300+ is considered 'risky' or ‘hazardous’, which poses a serious health risk to residents.

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.

AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on five characteristics of air pollution: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3).

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.