What is pollution:

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment

that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of chemical
substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants, the
components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or
naturally occurring contaminants. Pollution is often classed as point
source or nonpoint.

Different Types of Pollution

Air Pollution
Air pollution is defined as any contamination of the atmosphere that disturbs
the natural composition and chemistry of the air. This can be in the form of
particulate matter such as dust or excessive gases like carbon dioxide or
other vapors that cannot be effectively removed through natural cycles, such
as the carbon cycle or the nitrogen cycle.
Air pollution comes from a wide variety of sources. Some of the most
excessive sources include:

Vehicle or manufacturing exhaust

Forest fires, volcanic eruptions, dry soil erosion, and other natural
sources
Building construction or demolition

Depending on the concentration of air pollutants, several effects can be

noticed. Smog increases, higher rain acidity, crop depletion from inadequate
oxygen, and higher rates of asthma. Many scientists believe that global
warming is also related to increased air pollution.

Water pollution

Water pollution involves any contaminated water, whether from chemical,

particulate, or bacterial matter that degrades the water's quality and purity.
Water pollution can occur in oceans, rivers, lakes, and underground
reservoirs, and as different water sources flow together the pollution can
spread.
Causes of water pollution include:

Increased sediment from soil erosion

Improper waste disposal and littering

Leaching of soil pollution into water supplies

Organic material decay in water supplies

The effects of water pollution include decreasing the quantity of drinkable

water available, lowering water supplies for crop irrigation, and impacting
fish and wildlife populations that require water of a certain purity for
survival.

REASONS OF POLLUTION IN
BANGLADESH
AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution in capital city Bangladesh has gone higher than Mexico City and
Mumbai killing thousands prematurely each year. According to the

Department of Environment (DoE), the density of airborne particulate matter

(PM) reaches 463 micrograms per cubic meter (mcm) in the city during
December-March period - the highest level in the world. Mexico City and India
follow Bangladesh with 383 and 360mcm respectively. An estimated 15,000
premature deaths, as well as several million cases of pulmonary, respiratory
and neurological illness are attributed to poor air quality in Bangladesh,
according to the Air Quality Management Project (AQMP), funded by the
government and the World Bank.
Vehicular air pollution is a major cause of respiratory distress in urban
Bangladesh. If pregnant mothers come across excessive pollution, it may
cause premature death of their children. According to the National Institute
of Diseases of Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), nearly seven million people in
Bangladesh suffer from asthma; more than half of them are children. Cases
of children suffering from bronchitis and chronic cough have also shot up in
recent years. Children breathe more air relative to their lung size than adults.
They spend more time outdoors, often during midday and afternoons when
pollution levels are generally highest. WHO air quality guidelines (2005)
recommend a maximum acceptable PM level of 20mcm; cities with 70mcm
are considered highly polluted. Airborne lead is the worst of the harmful PMs.
By penetrating the lungs and entering the blood stream, lead may cause
irreversible neurological damage as well as renal disease, cardiovascular
effects, and reproductive toxicity. The phasing out of petrol-driven two-stroke
auto-rickshaws in 2003 and their replacement with four-stroke versions,
which use a much cleaner burning fuel (compressed natural gas),
significantly decreased the volume of air contaminants. But, according to
DoE sources, a sharp increase in the number of vehicles and construction
sites in 2004-2008 led to a deterioration of Bangladesh's air quality.
Old, poorly serviced vehicles, 1,000 brick kilns, dust from roads and
construction sites, and toxic fumes from industrial sites are major sources of
air pollution. So, the authorities should take the initiative to reduce air
pollution in Bangladesh city.

Water pollution
It was once the lifeline of the Bangladeshi capital. But the once mighty
Buriganga river, which flows by Dhaka, is now one of the most polluted

rivers in Bangladesh because of rampant dumping of industrial and human

waste.
Much of the Buriganga is now gone, having fallen to ever insatiable land
grabbers and industries dumping untreated effluents into the river,
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, he told
reporters.
The plight of the Buriganga symbolises the general state of many rivers in
Bangladesh, a large flat land criss-crossed by hundreds of rivers which
faces an uphill battle to keep them navigable and their water safe for
human and aquatic lives.
Bangladesh has about 230 small and large rivers, and a large chunk of the
countrys 140 million people depend on them for a living and for
transportation.
But experts say many of them are drying up or are choked because of
pollution and encroachment.
A World Bank study said four major rivers near Dhaka the Buriganga,
Shitalakhya, Turag and Balu receive 1.5 million cubic metres of waste
water every day from 7,000 industrial units in surrounding areas and
another 0.5 million cubic metres from other sources.
Unabated encroachment that prevents the free flow of water, dumping of
medicinal waste and waste of river passengers have compounded the
problem, making the water unusable for humans and livestock.
Unfortunately, all

these

bad

things

encroachment,

dumping

of

industrial waste and other abuses occur in full knowledge of the

authorities, said Professor Abdullah Abu Saeed, an eminent campaigner
for Save Buriganga, Save Lives.
Among the top polluters are dozens of tanneries on the banks of the
Buriganga. The government recently initiated a move to relocate the
tanneries outside the capital, and also asked illegal encroachers to vacate
the river.

But environmental groups say they defy such orders by using their political
links or by bribing people.

In this photo because of the tanary waste the river near it has become
polluted and its colour has turned into black.
SEPTIC TANK
Environmentalists say the Buriganga, or the Old Ganges once famous for a
spectacular cruise, is worst affected.
The river flows by the capital Dhaka, a city of 12 million people, which largely
depends

on

the

Burigangas

water

for

drinking,

fishing

and

carrying

merchandise.
The pollutants have eaten up all oxygen in the Buriganga and we call it
biologically dead. It is like a septic tank,
There is no fish or aquatic life in this river apart from zero oxygen survival
kind of organisms.

Chemicals such as cadmium and chromium, and other elements such as

mercury carried by the industrial waste are also creeping into the ground
water, posing a serious threat to public health.

If the pollution is not controlled, we will face a serious health crisis in a

year or two or at best three years,
Bangladesh enacted a law in 1995 making it compulsory for all industrial
units to use effluent treatment plants in a bid to save river waters from
pollution, but industry owners often flout the rule.
Many of them have this plant. But they dont use it as it is expensive.
We want the rivers fully dredged, their illegal occupation ended and the
laws strictly enforced to prevent abuse of waterways,
Environmentalists say they are hopeful.
Not many days ago Singapore River was also like our Buriganga. But they
cleaned it up and now turned it into a great resource,

Noise Pollution
The noise pollution is also a major health hazard in Bangladesh. According to
World Health Organization (WHO), 60 decibel (DB) sound can make a man
deaf temporarily and 100 DB sound can cause complete deafness. According
to the Department of Environment (DOE), the perfect sound condition for
Bangladesh is 45 dB for the daytime and 35 dB for the night in peaceful areas
and 50 dB for the daytime and 40 dB for the night in residential areas. The
main sources of noise pollution are industries, motorized vehicles,
construction works and indiscriminate use of loudspeaker. At present noise
level in Dhaka city are estimated ranging from 60 to 100 decibel. If present
situation continues then by the year 2017, 50% people of Dhaka city will loss
30 decibel of hearing power.

Assignment of
Environment
Management

Submitted by:
Name: Sameer Al Hossain
Id: BBA160105700

Submitted to:
Associate professor:
Shayama Akhter