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Bangladesh · Tier 2
385 days · 2024–2026 · 5 sensors
Moderate confidenceSeasonal historical data — not for today's readings. For current air quality: IQAir ↗ · Methodology →
Independent modelled estimate for reference. Our data uses station sensors which may cover different years and locations. Methodology →
Berkeley Earth conversion: 22.0 µg/m³ PM2.5 ≈ 1 cigarette/day. This compares population-level mortality risk, not individual clinical outcomes. Acute vs chronic exposure differs significantly.
AQLI methodology: each 10 µg/m³ PM2.5 above WHO baseline (5.0 µg/m³) ≈ 0.98 years of life expectancy lost. Calculated from annual mean PM2.5 (long-term exposure), not annual median.
24-hour pattern from the most recent 7 days of hourly data. Dimmed arcs are unsafe for the selected activity.
This is a short-term trend view (not live minute-by-minute monitoring).
How does the air here compare to other health risks — and to peer cities?
Every day of the year, colored by PM2.5 air quality band.
The baseline view is No mask. You can switch to Surgical, KN95, or N95 to see a planning range for mask-adjusted exposure. Smoking-aware mode is optional and off by default.
Data-backed city context for Dhaka, with practical interpretation.
500+ brick kilns around Dhaka operate during dry winter, combined with vehicle emissions and biomass cooking
Affects: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
Pre-monsoon heat and dust with reduced dilution
Affects: Mar
Heavy rainfall washes out particulates
Affects: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Dhaka residents lose an estimated 12.0 years of life expectancy on average due to PM2.5 air pollution — compared to living in a city that meets WHO air quality guidelines.
Each bar shows estimated life-years lost due to that risk factor. The orange bar is Dhaka. Gray bars are risk comparisons.
Source: AQLI methodology — each 10 µg/m³ above the WHO 5 µg/m³ baseline ≈ 0.98 life-years lost. Population-level statistical estimates, not individual predictions. Methodology →
Tip: tap a day cell to pin details, tap outside to close.
All-years view shows the median across available years per calendar day. Individual year views show actual measured values. Methodology →
Smoking-aware mode is optional. Turn it on only if you want combined smoking + air burden estimates.
Berkeley Earth conversion: 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 ≈ 1 cigarette/day. Statistical communication tool — not a clinical diagnosis.
Planning estimate from monthly median PM2.5 values. Air-equivalent burden is additive and does not replace smoking burden.
Based on monthly median PM2.5 values. Actual exposure varies by fit, wear time, location, activity, and daily conditions. Methodology →
Dhaka records the highest annual median PM2.5 in our dataset: 121.6 µg/m³. This equates to 12.01 years of life expectancy lost under AQLI methodology—the equivalent of breathing 5.5 cigarettes worth of pollution every day of the year. For comparison: Delhi, the second most polluted city we track, has an annual median of 60.5 µg/m³. Dhaka is roughly double.
The winter crisis (November–February) is severe by any standard. January median: 232 µg/m³—100% of days recording Hazardous in our dataset. The primary driver is Dhaka's ring of brick kilns: over 500 kilns surrounding the city operate during the dry winter season, burning coal and biomass to fire bricks for construction. Combined with vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, and biomass cooking across the dense urban area, these sources produce some of the worst urban air quality documented anywhere.
The monsoon (June–September) provides relative relief. June through August medians range 30–37 µg/m³—still Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups by WHO standards, but the only months where outdoor activity is broadly feasible.
If visiting Dhaka, June through August is the only window for extended outdoor activity. Year-round, N95 masks are recommended outdoors. The health impact of long-term residency in Dhaka is among the most severe of any major city tracked by our data.
Data: OpenAQ API v3 · WHO 2021 AQI Guidelines · Berkeley Earth · Methodology →