Environmental Pollution

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman
Professor Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) Dhaka, BANGLADESH
Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman
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Types of Pollution
Water

Pollution Air Pollution Soil Pollution Noise Pollution

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

Sources of Pollution

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

Water Pollution

Point source

Non-point source

Industrial effluent

Municipal waste

Agricultural runoff

Atmospheric

Textile

Tannery

Dyeing

Thermal

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

Air Pollution

Global

Local

Industrial Gaseous emission Thermal

Natural

Industrial

Natural

Marshlands

Gaseous

Landfills

Forests

Thermal

Gaseous

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

Soil Pollution

Industrial
Liquid effluent Sludge Toxic Chemicals

Man-made
Landfills

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

Noise Pollution
Machines Industrial Exhaust

Vehicular
Sources Construction Operation

Demolition
Other

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

Industrial Effluent Discharge

Numerous textile and tannery industries in Bangladesh Required to have ETP Expensive to treat effluent Owners reluctant to spend money on non-productive issues such as ETP Engineers tend to compromise with the owners Technology to treat textile dye may not always be economically viable Buyers and consumers expect good governance & implementation of rules Enforcement of regulations inadequate in the past; at present more strictly enforced

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

Some Examples

Industrial wastewater discharge in Turag river

Sewage discharge in Balu river

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman
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Waste materials dumping in Turag river

Sewage discharge in Bongshi river

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

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Dysfunctional ETP

Sludge Cake

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Sewage outfall

Hatirjheel

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

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Thermal Plume Discharge in Sitalakhhya River

Shiddhirgonj Power Plant Outfall

Haripur Barge-Mounted Power Plant

CDC Globeleque Power Plant

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Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

Pertinent Issues

Two Combine Cycle power plants on either banks of the river One has a side bank discharge, the other has a submerged single-port discharge A third STPP is planned just u/s of these two The river water quality has already deteriorated to an unacceptable level Govt. and funding agencies plans to install the new plant at this location because of existing cable network Aquatic environment is at a stake Professional ethics necessitates wastewater safe disposal for the aquatic environment Solution cooling tower for the thermal discharge may provide a safe disposal option

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

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Water Quality Mapping using Biological and Chemical Indicators

Water Quality Map provides a good visual picture of pollution status of river It can be presented to managers and decision makers as a good visualization aid

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

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Rivers Selected
Based on reconnaissance visits and discussion with local people, 20 sites on 5 rivers around Dhaka city were selected for sampling and analysis. River includes: On the Western side of Dhaka city Part of Bongshi river and Turag river from Tongi bridge upto its confluence with Buriganga. Southern side of Dhaka city part of Dhaleshawri river and Buriganga Northern side of Dhaka city Tongi khal and part of Balu river Eastern side of Dhaka city Balu river and part of Shitalakkhya river

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

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Chemical Analysis

Macroinvertebrate Classification

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

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Effect of Untreated Wastewater Discharge

Water Quality Map around Dhaka

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

Industrial effluent discharge

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Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, on the banks of the Baghmati river which meets the Ganges downstream Stream-fed river; dries up in winter and floods during monsoon Dammed just d/s of the temple to hold water Cremation is done on the pedestals constructed along the banks Extremely polluted due to untreated domestic wastewater disposal and solid waste disposal into the river People bathe in this water as a part of the religious ritual
Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman
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Expectations of the Society

Community at large no longer trust the experts as they used to and Environmental Professionals are no exception Society expects the organizations to be environmentally certified and demonstrate responsible and ethical governance Social and Environmental development projects are expected to adhere to the ethical obligations.

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

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Shared Responsibility
The

responsibilities do not rest with the Engineers only. Government, Policy Makers, General Populace, Entrepreneurs should share the responsibilities Good governance in every sector is essential to ensure ethical management of the environment
Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman
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Media and Environmental Awareness

Erin Brockovich

The movie portrays the environmental disaster due to contamination of drinking water at Hinkley, California. Chromium (VI), a carcinogen, caused by a Pacific Gas & Energy Ltd.

The pipeline was constructed in 1952. The company knew that Hinkley GW was being contaminated through their pipeline but tried to cover up.
The case was settled in 1996 for $333 million in a direct action law suit. Another lawsuit, against this company alleges contamination near PG&E Kettleman Hills compressor station in Kings County, California
Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman
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Media and Environmental Awareness

A Civil Action
Tannery industry in Wooburn, MA dumped toxic waste on the ground The poison percolated into the water table and was pumped by two wells into the drinking water Eight neighborhood children died of leukemia. Their families sued Beatrice Foods and W. R. Grace, the megafirms responsible for the pollution It was difficult for the adversary system to determine whether toxins dumped by these companies made the children sick Relying on the adversary system and lay juries to find the truth simply compounded the disaster and created more tragedy.
Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman
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Accountability ?

On June 15, 1997 a massive blowout of the drilling well took at the 1st drilling site of Occidental at Magurchara, Sylhet, BD

The explosion of gas turned into an inferno, towering over 300 feet and spreading to the surrounding villages, rainforest and cropland
As required, Oxy submitted and EIA report a priori but DOE objected to some issues and didnt provide an environmental clearance certificate 245Bcf of gas was burnt out amounting to a loss of $685million. Environmental damage was estimated to be ~$105million. No compensation was paid and Oxy transferred its share to Unocal for a 28.57% share in 3 producing wells in Yemen Recently, Unocal has transferred its share to Chevron and the whole compensation issue is in limbo
Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman
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In Conclusion

Professional ethics is essential for ensuring a safe and sound environment The responsibilities rest upon not only on the Engineers but also on the policy makers, govt. and non-govt. organizations, donor agencies as well as the general public Good governance in every sector is essential to ensure ethical management of the environment Communication between the professionals and policy makers-end users provides the key to success

Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman

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