Lahore most polluted city, Pakistan third among countries: Survey

IQAir report says India and Pakistan skilled the worst air high quality within the Central and South Asian areas in 2022.

Lahore air pollution
Autos transfer amid dense smog in Lahore, Pakistan [File: Mohsin Raza/Reuters]

Lahore in Pakistan has jumped greater than 10 locations to change into town with the worst air on the earth in 2022, in line with an annual international survey by a Swiss maker of air purifiers.

The report printed on Tuesday by IQAir additionally mentioned Pakistan stood third among the many international locations with probably the most polluted air, whereas Bangladesh was the fifth and India eighth.

IQAir measures air high quality ranges based mostly on the focus of lung-damaging airborne particles often known as PM2.5. Its annual survey is extensively cited by researchers and authorities organisations.

Lahore’s air high quality worsened to 97.4 micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic metre from 86.5 in 2021, making it the most polluted metropolis globally.

Hotan, the one Chinese language metropolis within the prime 20, adopted Lahore with PM2.5 ranges of 94.3, an enchancment from 101.5 in 2021.

The subsequent two cities within the rankings have been in India: Bhiwadi, on New Delhi’s outskirts had air pollution ranges at 92.7, and the nationwide capital adopted shut behind at 92.6.

The World Well being Group (WHO) recommends a most PM2.5 focus of 5 micrograms per cubic metre.

Whereas Chad had a mean degree of 89.7, Iraq, which had the second most polluted air for a rustic, averaged 80.1.

Pakistan, which had two of the 5 cities with the worst air in 2022, stood third within the country-wide rating at 70.9, adopted by Bahrain at 66.6.

Bangladesh’s air high quality improved from 2021, when it was tagged because the nation with the worst air. It's ranked fifth within the newest report, with PM2.5 ranges coming all the way down to 65.8 from 76.9.

India’s air seven occasions worse than WHO ranges

India has among the most polluted cities on the earth, however ranked eighth within the newest report, with PM2.5 ranges at 53.3.

The report mentioned India and Pakistan skilled the worst air high quality within the Central and South Asian areas, the place practically 60 % of the inhabitants lives in areas the place the focus of PM2.5 particles is a minimum of seven occasions greater than WHO’s really helpful ranges.

It mentioned one in 10 individuals globally have been dwelling in an space the place air air pollution poses a menace to well being. Based on WHO, some seven million individuals worldwide die prematurely annually resulting from ambient air air pollution.

The US Pacific territory Guam had cleaner air than any nation, with a PM2.5 focus of 1.3, whereas Canberra had the cleanest air for a capital metropolis, with 2.8.

The IQAir index was ready utilizing information from greater than 30,000 air high quality displays in additional than 7,300 places in 131 international locations, territories and areas.

In the meantime, one other analysis printed by the Lancet Planetary Well being journal mentioned nearly your complete international inhabitants breathes polluted air, with solely 0.001 % dwelling in locations the place the PM2.5 ranges usually are not exceeding annual air high quality limits.

On common throughout the globe, the every day restrict of publicity to ambient PM2.5 particles advocate by the WHO was exceeded on greater than 70 % of days in 2019, in line with the findings.

For his or her research, the analysis group led by Yuming Guo from Melbourne’s Monash College decided particulate matter air pollution on the premise of measured values and pc fashions for the years from 2000 to 2019.

Based on their findings, the worldwide PM2.5 annual common was 32.8 micrograms per cubic metre of air, with the best worth measured in East Asia, at 50, adopted by South Asia with 37.2 and North Africa with 30.1.

PM2.5 ranges have been lowest in Australia and New Zealand (8.5), the remainder of Oceania (12.6) and South America (15.6).

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