The air pollution situation in Dhaka has further deteriorated, with the capital city ranking second in the air quality index table by IQAir.

At noon on Wednesday, the city had an AQI score of 216. Pakistan’s Lahore led the table with an AQI score of 264, followed by Bosnia Herzegovina’s Sarajevo, which registered a score of 207.

The other cities in the top ten were Delhi, Kolkata, Kabul, Karachi, Accra, Bishkek, and Kuwait City.

The air quality measurement depends on the particulate matter or PM10 and extra fine particulate matter or PM2.5 measured on a scale of parts per million.

Besides PM2.5 and PM10, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and air pollution in the ground-level ozone are considered while determining the air quality index. The higher the AQI score, the more hazardous the air becomes.

The air quality in an area is considered 'good' when the AQI ranges from 0 to 50. When the AQI remains in the range of 51-100, the air quality is considered 'moderate'.

With an AQI of 101-150, the air becomes unhealthy for vulnerable groups, including children, elderly people and asthma patients. The air becomes unhealthy for everyone when AQI hovers from 151-200. An AQI in the 201-300 range is considered 'very unhealthy' and the air becomes hazardous when the index rating crosses 301.

Since the onset of winter, the number of patients visiting hospitals with various respiratory diseases has increased in Dhaka. Those suffering from respiratory diseases due to the unhealthy air have been advised by healthcare professionals to avoid going outside and to use masks when going out in cases of emergency.

Dhaka registered an AQI score of 286 at 10 am on Wednesday, marking the highest level of air pollution in the city over the past month.