Air more toxic than ever

• Air pollution now more lethal due to increase in PM 2.5
• PM 2.5 increased 23pc in last 24 years
• Air pollution is 15 times higher than WHO guideline
• Air quality worsened in last 5 years

Air quality of Bangladesh is now more deadly than before as concentration of Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) saw a rise by 11.8 percent in the past 24 years from 1995 to 2019, reveals a study.

Particulate matter is the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many of which are hazardous. This complex mixture includes both organic and inorganic particles, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and toxic gases.

The accumulation of PM 2.5 rose to  63.4 microgram per cubic meter from  51.6 microgram per meter during this time, the secondary data analysis shows.

As per Bangladesh National Air Quality Standard, the safe level of concentration of PM 2.5 is 15 microgram per meter, while its 50 micrograms for PM 10.

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) came up with the report after analysing secondary information as part of their broader research titled "CPD-Green City Initiative" in a press conference yesterday.

PM (particulate matter) is the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many of which are hazardous. This complex mixture includes both organic and inorganic particles, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and toxic gases.

Syed Yusuf Sadaat, research fellow of CPD who compiled the secondary data, informed that since 1995, PM 2.5 increased by an overwhelming margin in the last 24 years, while the fastest rise was seen since 2015.

"PM 2.5 was found to be 70.7 microgram  per cubic meter in 2015. Four years down the line, it was calculated to be 80.4 microgram per cubic meter," he said, adding that PM 10 also saw an increase from 126.5 microgram per cubic meter to 145.6 microgram per cubic meter during the same period.

Brick Kilns, vehicles, coal-fired plants and construction materials are the main sources of air pollution, the analysis added.

As per World Bank data, around 200,000 people die in Bangladesh from  air pollution  related diseases every year. According to WHO, air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.