Dhaka: Dhaka’s air quality maintained a moderate level on Friday morning, registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 97 at 9:20am. With this score, Dhaka was positioned 20th among the world’s most polluted cities at that time.

According to United News of Bangladesh, Kampala in Uganda topped the list with an AQI score of 186, followed by Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia with 179, and Jakarta in Indonesia with 176. An AQI score ranging from 50 to 100 is deemed ‘moderate’, indicating acceptable air quality levels. Scores between 101 and 150 are categorized as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while those between 151 and 200 are classified as ‘unhealthy’.

AQI readings ranging from 201 to 300 fall under the ‘very unhealthy’ category, while scores above 301 are deemed ‘hazardous’, posing significant health risks. The AQI serves as a daily gauge of air quality, reflecting the cleanliness or pollution levels of the air and the potential health effects that may arise from pollution.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is determined based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and ozone.