IQAir report ranks Baghdad as the sixth-most polluted city in 2023
Gas flares burn at an oilfield in Iraq. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The 2023 World Air Quality Report issued this week by IQAir revealed that the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, is the sixth-most polluted city worldwide in 2023.
The report said that Bangladesh was the country with the most polluted air last year.
IQAir measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5.
The annual survey is widely cited by researchers and government organizations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum PM2.5 concentration of five micrograms per cubic meter.
In 2022, Iraq was the second-most polluted country worldwide, according to IQAir’s report.
While Bangladesh had an average level of 79.9, Iraq, which had the sixth most polluted air for a country, averaged 43.8 micrograms per cubic meter, more than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline.
French Polynesia in the South Pacific had cleaner air than any country, with a PM2.5 concentration of 3.2, while San Juan in Puerto Rico had the cleanest air for a capital city, with 2.7.
Data on PM2.5 air quality from 7,812 cities in 134 countries, regions, and territories is compiled in the 2023 World Air Quality Report.
IQAir is a Swiss technology company that empowers individuals, organizations, and governments to improve air quality through information, collaboration, and intervention.