Dhaka, Mar 1 (V7N) – On Saturday morning, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, registered the worst air quality in the world, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 304 at 9:04 AM, classifying it as ‘hazardous.’ This level of pollution is a major health concern for residents and has raised alarms worldwide about the city's worsening air quality.

Air Quality Rankings

In the global air quality rankings, Dhaka was at the top, followed by cities with similarly high pollution levels. Beijing, the capital of China, came in second with an AQI score of 238, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, followed with 220, and Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, recorded an AQI of 179. These rankings highlight the significant air pollution issue in Dhaka compared to other major cities around the world.

Health Risks of High AQI Levels

The AQI is a measure of air pollution, and it categorizes the pollution levels into different ranges, each representing the potential health impact:

151-200: Unhealthy – Everyone may experience health effects.

201-300: Very Unhealthy – Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects.

301-400: Hazardous – Health warning of emergency conditions. The entire population is likely to be affected.

Dhaka's AQI level of 304 falls into the ‘hazardous’ category, indicating severe health risks to the city’s residents. Prolonged exposure to such high levels of pollution can cause a wide range of respiratory and cardiovascular issues, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing health conditions.

The Cause of Air Pollution in Dhaka

Dhaka's air quality is mainly affected by five pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. These pollutants are produced by various sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial activities, construction dust, and the burning of biomass for cooking.

In the winter months, Dhaka’s air quality tends to worsen significantly due to an increase in dust, vehicle emissions, and the use of stoves for heating. However, the air quality improves during the monsoon season when rainfall helps clear out pollutants from the air.

Global Health Impact of Air Pollution

The World Health Organization (WHO) has long warned about the dangers of air pollution. According to WHO, air pollution is responsible for approximately seven million deaths worldwide each year. The leading causes of these deaths are stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and respiratory infections, all of which are aggravated by prolonged exposure to polluted air.

Experts have stressed that the long-term health impacts of air pollution can have devastating consequences, particularly for children, who are more vulnerable to the effects of polluted air, including stunted lung development and respiratory diseases.

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