This presentation is about the air quality in Bangladesh. It also includes the consequences of poor air quality.

1. Air Pollution in Bangladesh

2. Introduction
• Air pollution has become a matter of great concern for us in recent years. Those who are
living in cities in Asian countries including Dhaka have already realized how seriously air
pollution has been poisoning life and degrading the environment. People living in major
towns of Bangladesh experience the problems of air pollution in varied degrees.
• It says the life of a South Asian child will be shortened on average by 30 months as they
grow up in current high levels of air pollution.
• The State of Global Air 2019, which used data from the period 1990 to 2017, observed
that life expectancy in Bangladesh would have seen the highest expected gain of nearly
1.3 years if air pollution levels met the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
• Air quality in Asia remained stubbornly poor, especially in Bangladesh the entire
population has remained exposed to PM2.5 levels above 35 microgram per cubic meter
(µg/m3) since 1990

3. Present Condition
• Bangladesh, one of the most densely-populated countries in the world, has been struggling with
air pollution for long
• The air quality of Dhaka city shows that the concentration of suspended particles in the ambient
air is many times higher than normal.
• This air, which the city dwellers and road users regularly breathe, contains lead in concentrations
reportedly almost ten times higher than the government safety standard set by the Department
of Environment (DOE).
• About 50 tons of leads are emitted into Dhaka city's air annually and the emission reaches its
highest level in dry season (November-January), revealed a study conducted by scientists of BAEC
• The density of lead in the air of Dhaka city in dry season reaches 463 monograms, the highest in
the world
• At peak hours Dhaka air at Motijheel Commercial Area has been found to contain 100 ppm of
Carbon Monoxide

4. Present Condition

5. Reasons and Consequences of Air Pollution
• Air pollution in Dhaka is serious due to increasing population and associated motorization
• Diesel-run vehicles account for more than 80% of the air pollution in Dhaka as most of them fail
to comply with the approved emission standard, said a recently published survey report.
• Faulty vehicles, especially diesel run vehicles, brick kilns, and dust from roads and construction
sites and toxic fumes from industries, coal power plants contribute to air pollution.
• The main pollutants from gasoline powered internal combustion engines are carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide particulates of lead compound and unburned
carbon particles. Emissions from diesel engines are smoke, carbon monoxide, unburned carbon,
nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide.
• Nearly 60% of the dwellers said they contract diseases because of air pollution
• Air pollution seriously affects the respiratory tract and causes irritation, headache, asthma, high
blood pressure, heart ailments and even cancer. If this trend of air pollution continued, those
living in major cities including the metropolis will become exposed to these ailments and also
other complications. The mental faculty of children will be adversely affected by lead pollution,
which can also affect the central nervous system and cause renal damage and hypertension.

6. Conclusion
• Bangladesh has yet to be implemented a National Air Quality Standard
• There are no detail air quality regulations based on which Environmental
Impact Assessment could be done
• Very few works have been done on air quality measurements and national
air pollutants estimates in Bangladesh
• National steering committee constituting experts is urgently established to cope
with the problem
• Formulating guidelines for policy makers, city planners, traffic
engineering practitioners towards mitigating traffic pollution problems and
make recommendations for setting National Air Quality Standard is urgently
necessary