Environment and Occupational Health in Bangladesh: WHO

Introduction:

WHO’s program for environment and occupational health aims at building capacity of relevant government organizations to reduce environmental health risks through research, policy advice, and awareness raising activities. Under this programme technical and policy supports are being provided to the major component of environment which are key determinants of health: Indoor Air Pollution, Occupational Health and Arsenicosis.

Country situation:

Occupational Health:

Generally, major thrust in industry sector is given on higher production and greater economic returns. Entrepreneurs often consider the regulatory compliances and related administrative costs as a deterrent to productivity. As such occupational health & safety considerations remains ignored.

Poor level understanding and even ignorance exists among the stake holders particularly among the employers and public agencies related to ensure Occupational Health and Safety.

Training and awareness programs are as such necessary focusing personnel like physicians, welfare officers, safety officers, inspectors, administrators, managers.

Arsenicosis:

Arsenic is ingested in human body mainly through drinking of contaminated ground water. High concentration of arsenic was first detected in shallow tube well of Chomogram Village of Chapainowabgonj district. Consequently 8 arsenicosis patients were identified by the fact findings group of the department of OEH, NIPSOM in 1994.

A comprehensive medical case definition has been agreed for arsenicosis that enables accurate detection of patients. Health personnel have been trained to better handle illness caused by arsenic. Considerable research has been undertaken to better understand the health impact of arsenic exposure and to try to develop an effective treatment protocol. Knowledge and understanding of arsenic health risk improved from applied research studies in Bangladesh. For long term knowledge development and impact it is felt that arsenic should be incorporated in medical curriculum. Forty percent (40%) of 20 million affected people have gained access to safe water source. Rural people are aware of complications resulted from Arsenicosis

Indoor Air Pollution:

Almost 92% of Bangladeshi population use biomass fuel for cooking. Women and children are exposed to high levels of IAP and contribute substantially to under-five mortality due to Acute Lower Respiratory Infection and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease death in women. Recent WHO estimates indicate that more than 32,000 ALRI deaths in children under-five and nearly 14,000 COPD deaths are attributable to solid fuel use. In Bangladesh total disease burden due to IAP is estimated to be 3.6%

Switching from smoke producing solid fuel to cleaner energy source should be ideal. This may not be possible in the context of present economic condition of majority of households. However, well designed improved stoves can be promoted which are able to reduce pollution between 50-90% increased level of combustion. Further, use of improved stoves can reduce the time spent by women for collecting fuel that is associated to alleviating drudgery and reducing vulnerability of achieving to MDG3. In fact addressing IAP can make a positive contribution to achieving most of the Millenniums Development Goals (MDG).

WHO Contribution:

Ø      WHO has provided technical support for developing a TOT manual along with simplified Bangla version on Indoor Air Pollution (IAP). A pool of trainers has been developed to build capacity of community towards reducing the harmful effect of IAP.

Ø      National framework on health impact of IAP was developed and supported research on health effect of biomass fuel combustion on women and children.

Ø      A national strategy for health and safety has been developed in English and Bangla.

Ø      Draft profile of construction sectors on safety and health was produced. A base data on prevalence of occupational injuries in the country has been developed.

Ø      A considerable number of health personnel have been trained to better handle illness caused by arsenic.

WHO Current collaboration:

The WHO Bangladesh provided technical assistance for developing a compendium of recent research studies on occupational health in Bangladesh. It also supported studies on workplace injuries at two tertiary level hospitals and a pilot epidemiological study on prevalence of occupational injury in Bangladesh. There are provision in the current biennium workplan to provide necessary support for developing education and training materials for health professional, and workers.

WHO has identified a few areas to research on Arsenic epidemiology; Multi-center multi-drug trial; Arsenic in food stuffs.  Follow up of the first identified arsenicosis cases as undertaken in the current work plan might yield valuable information regarding present status of those patients. Assessment of drinking water source and health status of the people of that village might be also informative for researcher.

Source: WHO – Country Office for Bangladesh. 7 September 2010

http://www.whoban.org/en/Section3/Section40/Section60.htm

Labour, rights groups call for workplace safety:

Various labour and rights organisations on Thursday observed the World Day for Safety and Health at Work-2011 with a call for ensuring safety at workplaces.

This year the day focused on the implementation of an occupational safety and health management system as a tool for continual improvement in the prevention of workplace incidents and accidents.

Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation organised a seminar titled ‘Occupational Health and Safety Rights in Bangladesh: Challenges and Way Forward’ at the National Press Club to mark the day.

While presenting the keynote paper, the foundation’s research consultant M Shahadat Hossain Khan said the workers of Barapukuria coal mine were deprived of their rights according to International Labour Law.

The speakers alleged that Barapukuria Coal Mine Authority did not pay overtime to the lowly paid miners who sometimes have to work more than the scheduled eight hours duty.

The only Chinese doctor at the site refused to treat Bangladeshis, most of whom suffer from asthma, cough, eczema, sinusitis, and foot infections, labour leaders said demanding appointment of a local doctor to take care of the workers.

Citing newspaper statistics, OSHE executive director AR Chowdhury Ripon said in Bangladesh 424 workers were critically injured and 586 were killed as a result of occupational accidents from January to 20 April this year.

He added that occupational accidents mostly happened in mineral resources industries like Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd.

Source: New Age. 29 April 2011

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/national/17001.html

Managing industrial waste and protecting environment in Bangladesh:

Bangladesh has achieved steady economic growth of almost 6% annually over the last decade while half the population still lives under poverty line. Bangladesh is one of the Next 11 (N11), which have a great prospect of becoming middle income countries within a few years. Bangladesh is likely to achieve the status by 2021.

However, Bangladesh faces a range of problems including the environmental one. The country confronts with drought, flood and other natural hazards almost every year. The quality of soil has deteriorated due to use of chemical fertilisers, unplanned land use, undesirable encroachment into forest areas for agriculture and settlements and indiscriminate disposal of hazardous industrial wastes.

Temperature is rising for the reason of global worming, which is caused by emission of carbon and other gases increasing sea water level.

The surface water of the country is polluted through disposal of untreated industrial effluents and municipal waste water, runoff pollution from chemical fertilizers and pesticides and oil and lubes spillage in the coastal area from the operation of sea and river ports and ship wreckage.

Air pollution is one of the man-made environmental disasters that is creating environmental hazard all over the world. There are two major sources of air pollution in Bangladesh, namely vehicular emissions and industrial emissions, which are mainly concentrated in the cities. There are also numerous brick-making kilns working in dry season all over Bangladesh, which is another source of air pollution. Almost all of these kilns use coal and wood as their source of energy, resulting in the emissions of sulfur-dioxide and volatile organic compounds.

The depletion of biodiversity is the result of various kinds of human interventions by way of destruction and degradation of land, forest and aquatic habitats. These activities encompass the sectors of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, urbanisation, industry, transport, tourism, energy, chemicals and minerals etc. In the fisheries sector, unplanned shrimp cultivation has negative impact on environment. It has caused serious environmental damage that has harmed fish and other aquatic species.

A World Bank report has said Bangladesh could save between $200 million and $800 million per year if air pollution is reduced in just four major cities. There is another report saying homeless street children, local streetwalkers, and rickshaw pullers in the city of Dhaka pose a definite threat to the air pollution. Young children are mostly exposed to cadmium (Cd) through inhalation of smoke and contaminated soil including dust from the industrial emission and sewage sludge.

There is high concentration of lead (Pb) in the environment from variety of chemicals and other products based on lead and gasoline, batteries used; and also products like paints, ceramics, pigments etc are not under scrutiny to control lead content creating high concentration of lead in the environment.

The Textile industry is the fastest growing sector in Bangladesh. It accounts for almost 75% of annual foreign currency earnings. But this sector is also a source of major environmental pollution.

The wastewaters and other effluence released by the textile sector, which are characterized by high alkalinity, high biological oxygen demand (BOD) and high-suspended solids, are often disposed off in nearby rivers, canals, ponds or lakes without proper treatment. Wastewater released by those industries contains toxic refractory dye at a high concentration. Most of the dyes used in the textile industry are non-biodegradable.

The water of the Buriganga is now so polluted that all fish have died, and increasing filth and human waste have turned it like a black gel. Even rowing across the river is now difficult for it smells so badly.

The Bangladesh Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) in its report says a large number of the 8000-12000 workers at the tanneries suffers from gastrointestinal, dermatological and other diseases that could be related to the pollution and that 90% of them die before they reach the age of 50.

The affected area is Hazaribagh, where 240 tanneries are located on 25 hectares of land. Most of the tanneries are 30-35 years old and use mineral tanning processes that discharge about 6000 cubic metres of liquid effluent and 10 tonnes of solid waste every day, according to figures from the Bangladesh government and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

The liquid and solid industrial wastes greatly pollute the topsoil, which is highly productive and suitable for plant growth. Industrial wastes bring about great changes in the physical characteristics and chemical composition of the soil. Thus, industrial wastes lead to deterioration of soil quality.

Bangladesh has wide use of DDT as a pesticide although there is Pesticide Ordinance of 1971 and Pesticides Rules, 1985, making mandatory condition of registering DDT with relevant authority. There is no record of quantity of DDT used with the Plant Protection Wing (PPW) or Pesticide Association of Bangladesh (PAB). The use of DDT by City corporation is rampant.

There is no regulation of handling of the equipment with printed circuit board (PCBs). Since there is no disposal mechanism for PCB waste including the obsolete equipment, waste liquid with PCBs and solid PCB waste (metal, non-metal or soil contaminated with PCBs) generated by the leaks, damaged equipment or remediation and cleaning of facilities and sites contaminated with PCBs, many of these find their way in to the landfills.

Ship breaking sites are another threat since they release Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) into the environment. The concerns have grown since this is a growing industry in Bangladesh.

There are around 20-25 ship breaking yards where over 50 old ships are dismantled annually. It is a known fact that old ships contain PCBs in their electrical systems, paints and coatings, cables, lubricants, engine oils etc. In 1998, about 90% of the world's old ships were disposed in these areas. Based on the most conservative estimates the total quantity of PCBs from the ship breaking sector is around 22.5 tonnes. A significant quantity of PCBs have been disposed in the ground as well as spilled into the environment.

Bangladesh has production facilities for iron and steel, copper, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, brass, and magnesium; foundries and thermal non-ferrous metal production as nickel. Of these Iron and steel and Aluminum production are the biggest contributors of dioxins and furans in the environment. The release is largely to air and through residues. The entire category however contributes approximately 31.98 g TEQ/a as per the estimates.

Power generation and heating including power plants run on fossil fuel; domestic cooking and heating are done using biomass and fossil fuels and others. This category is estimated to release 79.49gTEQ/a of dioxins and furans to the environment. Fossil fuels are the main sources of power generation and heating in Bangladesh. This category includes processes and practices that involve combustion of fossil fuel, biogas and others.

Production of mineral products includes cement, brick, glass, ceramic and others. The total release from this category is estimated at 9.091gTEQ/a. This largely includes processes carried out at high temperature. Bangladesh produces 15,000,000 tonnes of cement; 145,763 tonnes of lime, 25,376,000 tonnes of brick, 16,720 tonnes of glass and 94,680 tonnes of ceramics.

Brick kilns and cement factories are the largest contributors of dioxins. There are over 100 cement factories across the country most of them concentrated in and around Chhatak, Ayeenpur, Dhaka, Chittagong and Mongla. Similarly, there are over 6,000 brick kilns located near towns or major construction sites.

Transport sector in Bangladesh is one of the predominant sectors in terms of energy consumption. The transportation is largely based on petroleum oils and natural gas. Leaded fuel was banned in 1999. This category together is estimated to release 1.514 gTEQ/a of dioxins, a large part contributed by 4-stroke engines, 2-stroke engines, diesel engines and heavy oil fired engines.

The writer is a part-time teacher of Leading University. He can be reached at e-mail: shah@banglachemical.com

Source: The Financial Express. By M S Siddiqui. 2 July 2010

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?page=detail_news&news_id=104780&date=2010-07-02