Dhaka has ranked sixth among cities with the worst air quality, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 129 at 9:20 am on Sunday.

The air was classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” posing a health risk to children, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues.

The AQI score showed slight improvement from Saturday’s 152, which was categorised as “unhealthy.”

Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi, and Chile’s Santiago ranked first, second, and third on the list, with AQI scores of 179, 159, and 156 respectively.

The AQI measures air pollution based on five pollutants—PM10, PM2.5, NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. In Bangladesh, air pollution worsens during winter and improves with the arrival of monsoon rains.

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes approximately seven million deaths globally each year due to heart and lung-related diseases.

MN/