Lahore has once again topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities, as its Air Quality Index on Thursday morning was recorded at ‘Unhealthy’.
According to IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitor, Lahore had the highest level of pollution in its air in the world, which has been categorized as ‘Unhealthy’ with its air quality index measured at 175 around noon on Thursday.
The PM2.5 (particulate matter) concentration in the capital city of Punjab was recorded at 14.1 times higher than the WHO annual air quality guideline value.
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers. The term is employed to characterize the levels of particles in both outdoor and indoor environments.
According to the IQAir data, the second most polluted city in the world is New Delhi in India, with an air quality index of 166 (Unhealthy) and the main pollutant being PM2.5.
The monitor reported that the concentration of PM2.5 in the Indian capital is 16.8 times more than WHO guideline value.
Interestingly, around this time every year, Lahore and New Delhi keep switching positions to remain at the top of the list of most polluted cities in the world.