Abstract

Dhaka City is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Although the city wide average air pollution level is still below the allowable limit set by the Department of Environment and WHO, the level of air pollution in the road sides of the city far exceeds the limit. The road users frequently complain about eye and skin irritation, breathing problem and headache. This paper reports the level of air pollution by oxides of nitrogen, (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) at the roadsides of the city. The Air Quality Index (AQI) at many points of the city is found to be above 200 which is much higher than the acceptable limit of 50 for fairly clean air. The paper also discusses about the probable consequences of these pollutants on the health of the inhabitants of the city.