It is true -- with urbanization there is development of industries and demand for more labour and transport. There is need for more fossil fuels and energy to sustain the workforce. But how often did we think about the adverse effects those things will have on the future, particularly our children?
How polluted our cities are has been all over news, with Dhaka being the most polluted city in the world according to the US AQI.
The human body senses any kind of change in the environment. The body uses homeostasis (tendency to maintain equilibrium) to keep its temperature and biological mechanisms static or favourable according to its need.
How often are you irritated, exhausted, infuriated by the environment around you? It’s an indication that something is not quite right. In fact, very wrong.
How often do you leave your house irritated by the constant dust and fumes, unbearable temperature, and humidity? How often do you question the authorities out of rage and anger?
Outdoor pollution may be common for decades, but “indoor pollution” is also taking a toll on our daily activities.
To understand the cause of this pollution, there is a dire need of knowing what pollutants are and how they affect our environment and also our physical and mental health. Only then will we understand the cause behind the problems, and be able to take proper legislative measures to control it.
Fine particles or particulate matter are an airborne complex mixture of organic and inorganic substances. According to the State of Global Air 2017 (SG), India and Bangladesh have experienced some of the largest increases in PM2.5, with a total of 122,400 deaths in Bangladesh in 2015 alone, attributable to this fine particle pollution.
It alone has a high probability of being deposited in the smaller conducting airways of the lungs. The source of this PM is fuel, tobacco combustion, cleaning operations, cooking, etc. Chronic exposure to these particles leads to cardiovascular diseases (commonly, high blood pressure) and respiratory distress, and to a greater extent, lung cancer.
Particulate emission is mainly responsible for increased death rates and respiratory problems for the urban population.
Others include carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, which are specifically responsible for symptoms of asthma and bronchitis, especially in children, who are most susceptible to these conditions.
Lead is increasing in our atmosphere at an alarming rate, which is responsible for low IQ among children up to six years of age. Outdoor activities for children increase their risk of lead exposure. About 50 tons of lead is emitted into Dhaka city’s air annually, and the emission reaches its highest level in the dry season (November-January).
The density of lead in the air of Dhaka in dry season reaches 463 monograms, the highest in the world. The current level of blood lead concentration in adults in Dhaka is approximately 50 times the amount considered to lower the IQ by 1 point.
Sulphur dioxide being another notorious air pollutant gets mixed with rain water, and causes acid rain, a concept that most people are familiar with. It pours down, destroying crops, soil, livestock, plants, aquatic eco-systems, and acts as irritants for our skin and eyes. Consequently, not only are we affected by sulphur dioxide directly, but also through the food we eat.
A foggy appearance on a hot, humid summer night tells us how polluted the environment has become due to our own doing, and that there is no escape from its consequences. It’s not fog, it’s called smog -- a mischievous mixture of ozone and nitrogen dioxide emitted from vehicles, industry emissions, and volatile organic compounds.
In 2015, the Department of Environment assessed the composition of PM2.5 in the air of Dhaka and found that 58% was attributable to brick kilns, 10% to motor vehicles, 8% to road dust, 8% to fugitive lead emissions, 8% to soil dust, and 7% to biomass burning.
Diesel-run vehicles account for more than 80% of the air pollution in Dhaka, as most of them fail to comply with the approved emission standards. Currently, there are more than 8,000 traditional brick kilns active in Bangladesh, which are considered as the major sources of air pollution in the country.
It is high time that we take appropriate steps and rectify these problems through urgent legislative measures before it is too late, before we leave this world in the hands of our children.
There are laws that already exist on paper, but the authorities have failed to implement them practically. If we are unable to withstand this environmental catastrophe at this stage, how do we expect our children to endure the same, 100 years from now?
Tyfur Rahman is a freelance contributor.
