UNB, Dhaka :
Air pollution largely contributes to visibility reduction during dry season, causing accidents on the country’s roads and waterways, said environmental experts here on Thursday.
According to them, a visibility reduction is probably the most apparent symptom of air pollution. Visibility degradation is caused by absorption and scattering of light by particles and gases in the atmosphere.
“Some road and waterway accidents recently occurred in the country due to poor visibility. And air pollution is largely contributing to visibility reduction here,” Dr Abdus Salam, a chemistry professor of Dhaka University, told a press conference on the university campus after a two-day regional workshop.
At least nine people, including Land Minister Shamsur Rahman’s son, were killed in road crashes on Bangabandhu Bridge in Tangail and Chuadanga on January 9 last. All the accidents are believed to be taken place due to poor visibility during foggy weather.
Dhaka University, US Department of State and Arcadis, USA, jointly arranged the workshop on ‘Emission from Brick Kilns’ at
Mukarram Hussain Khundkher Biggan Bhaban on the campus.
About Dhaka city’s air pollution, Prof Abdus Salam said the level of PM 2.5 concentration on average is 63 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter air) here, but the permissible level of World Health Organization (WHO) is 25 µg/m3.
Particulates Matter (PM) 2.5 is a fined particle, which is extremely harmful to human health and may cause many dangerous diseases like cancer. According to a study published in 2011 shows that during non-monsoon period PM 10 concentration varies from 100 µg/m3 to 250 µg/m3 and PM 2.5 varies from 70 µg/m3 to 165 µg/m3.
Prof Salam said brick kilns, fossil oil-run vehicles and engines, and coal-burning are generating black carbon here, polluting the country’ s air. “About 38 percent of black carbon is coming from the country’s traditional brick kilns.”
He said, black carbon is adversely affecting agriculture, human health and ecosystem as well.
Air pollution largely contributes to visibility reduction during dry season, causing accidents on the country’s roads and waterways, said environmental experts here on Thursday.
According to them, a visibility reduction is probably the most apparent symptom of air pollution. Visibility degradation is caused by absorption and scattering of light by particles and gases in the atmosphere.
“Some road and waterway accidents recently occurred in the country due to poor visibility. And air pollution is largely contributing to visibility reduction here,” Dr Abdus Salam, a chemistry professor of Dhaka University, told a press conference on the university campus after a two-day regional workshop.
At least nine people, including Land Minister Shamsur Rahman’s son, were killed in road crashes on Bangabandhu Bridge in Tangail and Chuadanga on January 9 last. All the accidents are believed to be taken place due to poor visibility during foggy weather.
Dhaka University, US Department of State and Arcadis, USA, jointly arranged the workshop on ‘Emission from Brick Kilns’ at
Mukarram Hussain Khundkher Biggan Bhaban on the campus.
About Dhaka city’s air pollution, Prof Abdus Salam said the level of PM 2.5 concentration on average is 63 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter air) here, but the permissible level of World Health Organization (WHO) is 25 µg/m3.
Particulates Matter (PM) 2.5 is a fined particle, which is extremely harmful to human health and may cause many dangerous diseases like cancer. According to a study published in 2011 shows that during non-monsoon period PM 10 concentration varies from 100 µg/m3 to 250 µg/m3 and PM 2.5 varies from 70 µg/m3 to 165 µg/m3.
Prof Salam said brick kilns, fossil oil-run vehicles and engines, and coal-burning are generating black carbon here, polluting the country’ s air. “About 38 percent of black carbon is coming from the country’s traditional brick kilns.”
He said, black carbon is adversely affecting agriculture, human health and ecosystem as well.
