New Delhi: In 2022, Lahore in Pakistan will have the worst air in the world, according to a global survey conducted annually by the Swiss air purifier maker.
Chad, a country in Central Africa, replaced Bangladesh as the country with the worst air pollution in 2017, according to a report released by IQAir on Tuesday.
IQAir assesses air quality based on the concentration of PM2.5, which can damage the lungs. Its annual survey is often cited by researchers and government agencies.
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The amount of PM2.5 particles in the air in Lahore is expected to increase from 86.5 micrograms in 2021 to 97.4 micrograms in 2022, making it the most polluted city in the world.
Hotan, after Lahore, was the only Chinese city in the top 20 with PM2.5 levels of 94.3, down from 101.5 in 2021.
The Indian city of Bhiwadi, which is near Delhi, and Delhi, which was not far behind at 92.6, were the next two in the rankings. The maximum PM2.5 concentration recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
Iraq had the second most polluted air of any country, with an average level of 80.1, compared to Chad's average of 89.7. In 2022, two out of five cities in Pakistan were to have the worst air quality. Pakistan ranked third with a score of 70.9, followed by Bahrain with a score of 66.6.
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Bangladesh's air quality has improved as it was named the country with the worst air in 2021. It ranks fifth in the latest report, with PM 2.5 levels coming down from 76.9 to 65.8. With PM2.5 levels at 53.3, India, which has some of the world's most polluted cities, was ranked eighth in the most recent report.
In the Central and South Asian region, where about 60% of the population lives in areas where concentrations of PM2.5 particles are at least seven times higher than WHO recommended levels, the report said air quality in India and Pakistan is the worst.
According to the report, one in ten people worldwide live in areas where air pollution poses a risk to their health. Guam, a US territory in the Pacific, had the cleanest air of any country with a PM2.5 concentration of 1.3, while Canberra had the cleanest air of any capital city with a PM2.5 concentration of 2.8.
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Data from more than 30,000 air quality monitors in more than 7,300 locations in 131 countries, regions and territories were used to create the index.