83 of 100 most polluted cities in India: Report

Bangladesh, Pakistan and India bottom in air quality rankings
Most polluted major US city was Columbus, Ohio
Only seven countries meet WHO air quality standard

Updated: Mar 20, 2024 / 01:13 PM CDT

Women enter a taxi wearing masks as an air quality health advisory was issued in New York on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki).

(NewsNation) — Nearly all of the 100 cities with the worst air pollution worldwide are in Asia last year, according to a new report.

The report by IQAir, which tracks air quality worldwide, highlights the alarming impact of the climate crisis on global health, specifically for countries with high vulnerability to the climate crisis.

Analysts found 83 of these highly polluted cities were in India, with pollution levels exceeding the World Health Organization’s guidelines by more than 10 times.

The study focused on fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, are small airborne particles which pose damage to the lung and significant health risks when inhaled, contributing to respiratory illnesses and other health issues.

Average concentrations of PM2.5 reached 79.9 micrograms per cubic meter in Bangladesh in 2023, and 73.7 micrograms in Pakistan. The WHO recommends no more than 5 micrograms.

“Because of the climate conditions and the geography (in South Asia), you get this streak of PM2.5 concentrations that just skyrocket because the pollution has nowhere to go,” said Christi Chester Schroeder, air quality science manager at IQAir, via Reuters.

In 2022, Bangladesh was ranked with the fifth-worst air quality; India was eighth.

Indian pollution also increased last year, with PM2.5 levels about 11 times higher than the WHO standard. India’s New Delhi was the worst-performing capital city, at 92.7 micrograms.

Central and South Asia ranked poorly in terms of air quality, with counties like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Tajikistan facing severe pollution challenges.

According to the report, 92.5% of the 7,812 locations in 134 countries, regions and territories analyzed average air quality last year exceeded WHO’s PM2.5 guidelines.

The most polluted major U.S. city was Columbus, Ohio, and the most polluted city in the U.S. was Beloit, Washington, the report found.

For the first time, Canada surpassed the U.S. in regional pollution rankings with the region’s 13 most polluted cities located within its borders.

Only seven countries — Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand — met the WHO annual PM2.5 guidelines in 2023.

Reuters contributed to this story.