Chiang Mai ranked the most polluted city in the world on Saturday
The northern Thai city of Chiang Mai was ranked as the most polluted in the world on Saturday, according to air-quality monitoring website IQAir.
Chiang Mai registered an air quality index (AQI) of 188 on Saturday. The scale has six categories: 0-50 (good air quality), 51-100 (intermediate), 101-150 (unhealthy for some groups), 151-200 (unhealthy), 201-300 (very unhealthy), and over 301 (hazardous).
The 10 cities with the worst air pollution in the world as of 11.43am according to IQAir were:
1. Chiang Mai, Thailand – 188
2. Kathmandu, Nepal –176
3. Delhi, India – 161
4. Dhaka, Bangladesh – 158
5. Kuwait City, Kuwait – 155
6. Yangon, Myanmar – 150
7. Kolkata, India – 147
8. Manama, Bahrain – 144
9. Tashkent, Uzbekistan – 144
10. Doha, Qatar – 137
Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, was in 13th place with an AQI of 129 on Saturday.
IQAir also listed top 10 areas in Thailand with worst air quality on Tuesday morning, as follows:
1. Mae Mo district, Lampang province – 222
2. Chiang Rai province – 199
3. Muang district, Chiang Mai province – 188
4. Hang Dong district, Chiang Mai province – 179
5. Nakhon Pathom province – 158
6. Mukdahan province – 157
7. Phra Pradaeng district, Samut Prakan province – 154
8. Khon Kaen province – 153
9. Uttaradit province – 152
10. Samut Sakhon province – 150
AQI measures six types of air pollutants, namely PM2.5 (fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less), PM10, ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide.
