Dhaka's air still unhealthy for sensitive groups on the holiday, AQI 115
Even on Friday, the weekly holiday, the air quality in the capital Dhaka remained at a health-risk level. On Friday morning the air-quality index marked Dhaka's air as unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the Switzerland-based organisation IQAir.
In IQAir's updated data on Friday morning (30 October), Dhaka's Air Quality Index (AQI) score was 115. The main pollutant in the air is the ultrafine particle PM2.5, at a concentration of 41 micrograms per cubic metre.
Under IQAir's scale, an AQI of 0 to 50 is good, 51 to 100 is moderate or acceptable, 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, and 151 to 200 is unhealthy. A score of 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and above 300 is hazardous. By that measure, Dhaka's Friday-morning air fell into the unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups category.
Children, the elderly, and people with breathing difficulties and heart disease face the greatest health risk from air pollution. The report also notes that polluted air is riskier for pregnant women.
Staying for long in polluted air can cause various respiratory problems. In such conditions, people are advised not to go out unnecessarily and to wear a suitable mask when they do go out.
Meanwhile, Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is also in a worrying state among the world's polluted cities. IQAir data puts the city's AQI at 228, in the 'very unhealthy' category.
