Sri Lanka climbs out of world’s top polluted cities, but still falls short of WHO standards
- CNL Reporter
- March 15, 2025
- News
- WHO
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After months and a series of media reports highlighting that Sri Lanka’s air quality had been deteriorating, the country was not featured in 2024’s top 50 list of world’s most air-polluted cities and narrowly sitting on 51, based on Swiss air quality monitoring firm, IQAir.
Despite the good news though, the island nation had not made it to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) air quality standards, featuring a filtered list of only seven countries.
Average concentrations of small, hazardous airborne particles are known as PM2.5, as set by WHO, posing significant health risks when inhaled, potentially reaching deep into the lungs.
The WHO recommends levels of no more than 5 mg/cu m, a standard met only by a handful of countries.
24-hour average exposures should not exceed 15 µg/m3 more than 3 – 4 days per year, WHO adds.
Though in the last few days, the Daily Mirror reported Jaffna and Monaragala Districts had recorded unhealthy air quality levels, the rest of the country remained in good stead.
In the top 10 were the usual suspects of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, along with other African nations.
From last December until January this year, the country’s air quality hit severe levels, partly due to the neighbouring nation’s air moving south to the country.
