Web Desk
KARACHI: Residents of the country’s financial hub woke on Tuesday to a deteriorated air quality, which made Karachi the most polluted city in the world this morning.
According to Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) value stood at 237, a level classified as “very unhealthy” by the group.
The concentration of toxic PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter small enough to enter the bloodstream when inhaled — was measured at 162 µg/m³, which is 32.4 times higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
The worsening air quality can be a result of the city’s cold weather, as the smog and air pollution issues are common during winter when lower temperatures trap the dust particles closer to the ground.
The minimum temperature in Karachi was recorded at 10.5 degrees Celsius during the past 24 hours, the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) data showed. The mercury level is expected to range between 9°C and 11°C during the next one day.
