Lahore most polluted metropolis, Chad worst amongst international locations in 2022: survey – Pakistan

Lahore jumped greater than 10 locations to develop into the town with the worst air on the earth in 2022, in keeping with an annual world survey by a Swiss maker of air purifiers.

The report printed on Tuesday by IQAir additionally mentioned that Chad in central Africa had changed Bangladesh because the nation with essentially the most polluted air final yr.

IQAir measures air high quality ranges primarily based on the focus of lung-damaging airborne particles often called 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 meter from 86.5 in 2021, making it essentially 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 following two cities within the rankings had been Indian: Bhiwadi, on Delhi’s outskirts, had air pollution ranges at 92.7, and Delhi adopted shut behind at 92.6.

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

Whereas Chad had a median 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 has a number of 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 area, the place almost 60 per cent 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 useful ranges.

It mentioned one in 10 individuals globally had been residing in an space the place air air pollution poses a risk to well being.

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