AQI report announces most polluted city of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Lahore topped the list of the world's most polluted cities, while Karachi fell to the eighth position.

According to data from the Air Quality Index (AQI), the amount of polluted air in Lahore was measured at 348 particulate meters, resulting in the city's air being deemed critically unhealthy. According to the classification, pollution levels between 151 and 200 are damaging to health, and pollution levels between 201 and 300 are severely harmful to health.

Health professionals have warned asthma and respiratory patients to be cautious if pollution levels exceed 301 parts per billion. Smog is an atmospheric pollution resulting from the discharge of hazardous gases and the mixing of airborne dust particles.

Smog has extremely harmful effects on human health, including symptoms such as cold, cough, sore throat, breathing difficulties, and irritation of the eyes, which affect people of all ages. Smog also causes damage to human health that may not be immediately apparent but can cause chronic diseases such as lung damage or cancer to develop in anyone. Children and the elderly are the most susceptible to the effects of smog; thus, they should remain indoors when the pollution level rises.