Tashkent among the ten most polluted cities in the world
Published
The Uzbek capital Tashkent is among the ten cities with the worst air quality worldwide at the end of October 2026. According to the air quality platform IQAir, the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) is above 150. This means that the air can be unhealthy for people, especially for children, older people and those with respiratory diseases.
According to IQAir, the main cause is autumn dust from the deserts of Central Asia. The wind carries fine dust particles over long distances into the city. There, authorities and measuring stations record particularly high levels of PM10. These are fine dust particles with a diameter of no more than ten micrometres, which can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract.
For the residents of Tashkent, the high dust load means they should be cautious when outdoors. In such situations, experts recommend reducing physical exertion outdoors and keeping windows closed. Whether and when air quality improves again depends primarily on weather conditions.
For Switzerland, the situation in Tashkent is not directly relevant. However, it shows how strongly dust from dry regions can affect air quality in distant regions.
Sources: IQAir
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