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Negative Effects of the Urban River Pollution on the Environment and Human Health in Bangladesh
Summary
This study examines the severe pollution affecting Bangladesh's urban rivers, including the Buriganga and Karnaphuli, over the past 40 years. Researchers found that contaminants from industrial discharge, urbanization, and waste disposal have led to high metal concentrations, particularly during the dry season, posing threats to downstream ecosystems and public health.
Based on research findings, Bangladesh’s river water, crucial for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use, has long been in a terrible situation. There have been numerous instances of significant contamination in the waterways surrounding Dhaka city, including the Buriganga River, and in Chattogram city, including the Karnaphuli River, over the past 40 years. The existing data demonstrate that other urban rivers, particularly Karatoa, Teesta, Rupsa, Pasur, and Padma, are also in severe condition due to the disposition of huge pollutants. Contaminants flowing with the water have severely polluted the downstream areas of the rivers. High metal concentrations are frequently observed in river water during the dry season. In the Buriganga River and at certain locations in the Turag, Balu, Sitalakhya, and Karnaphuli Rivers, the presence of dissolvable oxygen (DO) is nearly zero. NO3, NO2, and PO4-3 pollution has also occurred in many rivers. Most rivers have Cr, Zn, Fe, Pb, Cu, Cd, Mn, As, and Ni concentrations beyond the legal limit for drinking water. In contrast, some rivers have metal concentrations above the legal irrigation water limit. The majority of the rivers, particularly the peri-urban rivers in Dhaka city, Teesta, Korotoa, Rupsha, Karnaphuli, and Meghna Rivers, have significantly higher metal concentrations, according to sediment data. Metal concentrations in sediment are generally higher than USEPA standards in most rivers. Metal concentrations in fish and crops demonstrate metal bioaccumulation. The trend in metal concentration follows the order of water, fish, and sediment. It has been shown that crops irrigated with tainted water contain dangerous metals. The analysis of daily intake data on carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic substances reveals that consuming contaminated food can seriously impact human health.
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