Harmful metals detected in Buriganga sludge

The Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) has detected the presence of harmful heavy metals in the Buriganga sludge, which is dangerous for public health.
There is a presence of harmful matter like chromium in the Buriganga river sludge, the report prepared by the Institute of Glass and Ceramic Research and Testing (IGCRT) under BCSIR revealed it in its findings, quoted The Independent.  
The analysis of the Buriganga sludge was carried out according to the standard volumetric, gravimetric and spectrophotometric methods.
The Department of Environment (DOE) supplied the soil of Buriganga to BCSIR for testing the presence of heavy metals on January 13. The IGCRT in its analytical test detected seven metals in the Buriganga sludge.
Director of IGCRT Dr Kazi Nasrin Farooque and senior scientific officer of IGCRT Dr AJM Tahuran Neger jointly conducted the test on February 14.
Professor Mohibur Rahman, Director, Centre for Excellence, told The Independent that if the harmful sludge was dumped on  agricultural fields, chromium, the most vulnerable for public health, might enter vegetables and fruits.
He said: “There is high risk if the Buriganga sludge finds a place in cultivable lands.”
There might be organic matter in the river garbage, Prof Rahman said adding: “Instant use of garbage for construction of houses wouldn’t be harmful, but if there is any organic matter it might generate gas through decomposition. There is a risk of gas explosion after a certain period of time.”
Material balance is not maintained in its report,   Prof Rahman said adding: “The report didn’t specify the percentage of silicate or clay material, tannery resources and other components in the Buriganga garbage.”
Considering the risk of using the Buriganga garbage, the government should allocate at least Tk one crore for research purpose, he said.
An official of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) told The Independent that they requested the IGCRT again to specify the tolerable limit of the heavy metals found in the Buriganga garbage for public health.
The BIWTA is dumping untreated sludge since January 6 at different points of Shoalmachi, Keraniganj, Pagla and Amin Bazar areas.
The four companies engaged for lifting garbage were supposed to lift three lakh cubic metres of sludge in three months since January 6. But they removed only 81,410 cubic metres of garbage from the river bed in 76 days till March 23, according to |the daily progress report of the drive which ends on April 6.
Of the four companies, Techno SB JV removed only 22, 957 cubic metres (CM) of garbage, the Pacific Marine Services 10,290CM, Farzana AEP JV 24,390CM and M/S Akhter Hossain 23,773CM.
The people of Keraniganj areas are still dumping industrial and household wastes into the river.
About 2,000 tonnes of garbage are being dumped into the river every day from 42 points and by two lakh people of Keraniganj, Babubazar, Waizghat, Badamtoli, Kamrangirchar and Jinjira, sources in the BIWTA said.
The cost of removing three lakh cubic metres of garbage from a one kilometre radius of the river was fixed at Tk 5.32 crore.

Courtesy of The Independent