DHAKA: Air pollution entails a massive cost amounting to Taka 124 billion a year in the capital alone in terms of lost human health and life, an economic evaluation of the contamination shows.

The figure comes to 3-4 percent of the country’s national GDP. After evaluating economic impacts, the study found over Taka 93 billion comes as the total cost of death, Taka 15 billion as cost of chronic bronchitis and Taka 4 billion as cost of restrictive activity days.

The study also found Taka one billion as cost for treatment of respiratory diseases, Taka five billion cost of asthma attacks and Taka six billion as cost of respiratory symptoms diseases.

Smoke emits from chimney as a Bangladeshi female worker carries clay at a brick field at Saver, outskirts of Dhaka

Prof AK Azad and Prof S Jahan of Environmental Science Discipline of Khulna University (KU) and Prof J Sultana of Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET) conducted the study, presented at an International Conference recently.

Air pollution is causing a serious threat to public health in most of the urban centres in the developing countries, according to experts. Dhaka is regarded as one of the most polluted cities in the world.

There have, however, been significant improvements with the phasing out of black smoke- emitting two-stroke three- wheelers.
“Three pollutants – suspended particulate matter (SPM), Sulphur dioxide and air-borne lead-pose a significant air pollution problem, having major public health impacts,” says the study.

Source: demotix.com
BDST: 0935 HRS, NOV 18, 2013
SR/BSK