Landfills leach toxic waste into Dhaka's groundwater

Problems

• Landfills in Bangladesh

  For years, landfills in Bangladesh, such as the Amin Bazar facility near Konda, have polluted the environment and posed a health threat to the people. The waste spreads into nearby neighborhoods and farms, and toxic substances permeate the ground, with no protective layers or adequate waste disposal facilities. Dhaka is served by four major landfills, all of which have left a serious environmental impact on the soil and groundwater of surrounding areas through what’s known as leachate pollution.

• Consequences of uncontrolled dumping of garbage into the river

  Open canals flow with untreated tannery effluent, garbage, and human and animal waste flowing into the Buriganga River less than a mile away. Huge mounds of discarded leather, destined for glue factories, line the canals. Feral dogs eat the leftovers and fight over them with each other. Tanners use different chemicals and acids at different stages of leather processing. After removing the hair, they use chromium sulfate with other chemicals to tan the skin. 

• Effects of chromium

  Chromium stains the skin blue (known at this stage of the process as "wet blue") and leaves stains on the workers' skin. Although chromium sulfate is less toxic than the notoriously dangerous hexavalent chromium from which it is derived, it is a serious skin and respiratory irritant. Some workers had blackened and peeling skin on their hands and feet from prolonged exposure to tanning chemicals. But none of the workers we spoke to seemed aware of or concerned about the dangers of the chemicals they work with every day. Some workers develop a persistent dry cough, believed to be caused by inhalation of sulfuric acid and other toxic fumes.

• The main hazardous material

  Radioactive waste is the main hazardous material, the negative impact of which can be reduced only through the natural process of radioactive decay. The decay process cannot be enhanced by any technology known to man. Therefore, safe storage for a certain period, during which the level of radioactivity will reach a safe limit, is the usual method of disposal of radioactive waste.

• Use of radioactive substances in Bangladesh

  In Bangladesh, the use of radioactive materials is limited to scientific research conducted in a few facilities using mainly 32P and some clinical applications where 131I is used to treat hyperthyroidism at nine nuclear medicine centers in different cities and cities managed by the Atomic Energy Commission Bangladesh (BAEC). BAEC is also responsible for licensing users of radioactive materials and monitoring their safe use, as well as for the proper storage of radioactive waste before disposal. When the radioactivity in the waste reaches the recommended safe level, it is usually discharged into the normal sewage system.

• What the research shows

  The study, by researchers at Dhaka’s Jahangirnagar University, found toxic metals in the surface and groundwater in the vicinity of the landfill sites, at concentrations higher than the safe limits determined by the Department of Environment and the World Health Organisation (WHO). This happens through the process of leachate pollution, in which toxic liquids and heavy metals leak into the soil from solid waste that’s dumped in non-engineered landfills. 

• Toxic substances in vegetables

  The study also found toxic chemicals in rice crops and various vegetables being grown near the landfills, such as lead, cadmium, nickel, and manganese. The authors warn that consuming this food puts people at high risk of cardiomyogenic cancer. The study didn’t find the immediate presence or impact of heavy metals in people living near the sites. However, experts say the contamination is a process of slow poisoning, with a chronic effect on human health that’s not always immediately apparent. 

• Lack of a toxic waste management program

  There’s also growing concerned over electronic waste pollution, as Bangladesh lacks appropriate legislation and systematic e-waste management strategies. The country produces 3 million metric tons of e-waste annually, including from ship-breaking yards, according to another recent study. 

• Harm from discarded electronics

  The leachate from dumped e-waste, including from cellphones, refrigerators, TVs, computers, and air conditioners, also contains toxic heavy metals and chemicals that are detrimental to animals, humans, and the environment, the study says.