Staff Reporter
With the start of New Year, Lahore has set new world records as has made it to the list of the top five most polluted cities of the world, according to data from IQAir.
The provincial metropolis along with Karachi have been ranked in the list of cities experiencing increasing air pollution.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency regards air quality as satisfactory when the AQI is under 50.
On Wednesday, the AQI revealed that particulate matter [hazardous particles] in Lahore was recorded at 150. Both these readings are very unhealthy.
It is to be noted that Lahore was ranked the second most polluted city in the world in October 2019 when its AQI ranking shot to 328. Since then, the city of gardens has been regularly topping the AQI chart for its lowest air quality. Smog has become an annually recurring environmental threat in the provincial capital.
Smog is formed by a mixture of pollutants and water vapor in the atmosphere. It can cause health problems such as asthma, flu, coughing, allergies, bronchial infections, and heart problems.
Prolonged exposure to environmental pollution also results in shortened life expectancy. These risks may be reduced by wearing masks, managing gaseous vehicular emissions, using eco-friendly products, and reusing and recycling.
