Guangzhou tops list of most polluted cities; Dhaka ranks 5th

Guangzhou, a major city in China, has topped the list of cities with the worst air pollution. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, ranked fifth on the list.

The data was obtained from the Air Quality Index (IQAir) at 8:43 am on Sunday (April 13).

According to the index, Guangzhou recorded an air quality score of 296, placing it in the ‘very unhealthy’ category. Chongqing, another Chinese city, ranked second with a score of 196, which falls under the ‘unhealthy’ category. Shenzhen and Chengdu—also Chinese cities—ranked third and fourth, respectively.

Dhaka stood in fifth place with an air quality score of 179, which is also classified as ‘unhealthy.’

As per the index, a score between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good,’ 51 to 100 is ‘moderate,’ and 101 to 150 is ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups.’ A score between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy,’ while 201 to 300 falls into the ‘very unhealthy’ category. Any score above 301 is classified as ‘hazardous.’