Air Quality and Morbidity in Dhaka City, Bangladesh: an estimation of the contribution of brick kilns to air quality & their potential to affect human health Public

Abstract

As a densely populated South Asian megacity, Dhaka, Bangladesh, struggles with high levels of ambient air pollution. One of the major sources of emissions in Bangladesh is the brick industry. Annually, brick kilns emit kilotons of particulate matter (PM), a hazardous component of air pollution, into the environment. Exposure to PM has been shown to be associated with several increased morbidities. A quantitative estimation of the contribution of brick kilns to the concentration of PM in Dhaka city's air was calculated based on kiln production and spatial density of kilns in surrounding the city. These estimates were used to generate the approximate number of excess cases of several morbidities and their associated costs. The estimated contribution of brick kilns in the area surrounding Dhaka was 42.8 ug/m³ PM10 and 25.7 ug/m³ PM2.5. These increased exposure levels resulted in over 21,000 disability adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to chronic bronchitis, lower respiratory infection in children, respiratory related hospital admissions and emergency room visits, restricted activity days, and respiratory symptoms. The cost of these morbidities was estimated at 118 million USD. These estimates support the further development and implementation of new, cleaner brick kilns in Dhaka, Bangladesh and in similar areas in South Asia.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1

2. Methods............................................................................................................. 5

2.1 Identification and Location of Brick Kilns .................................. .... .... . ................... 5

2.2 Conversion to Concentration Contribution ............................ ... .... ... ....................... 5

2.3 Comparison with Observational Data ................................ ... .... ............................ 6

2.4 Health Outcomes and Cost Analysis .................................. ... .... ............................ 7

2.5 Emission Inventory............................................................ .... ............................. 7

3.Results ............................................................................................................... 9

3.1 Identification and Location of Brick Kilns ......................................... ... ... ........ .........9

3.2 Conversion to Concentration Contribution .................................... ... ...... ........ .........9

3.3 Comparison with Observational Data .................................................... ......... ....... 9

3.4 Health Outcomes and Cost Analysis .................................................... ......... .........9

4. Discussion ................................................................................ .. ........................11

5. Conclusions and Recommendations ..................................................... ........ ......... 14

5.1 Summary .................................................................................. . ..................... 14

5.2 Conclusions .............................................................................. ... .. ................... 14

5.3 Recommendations for Further Work ..................................................................... 15

References............................................................................................................... 17

Tables .................................................................................................................... 26

Figures ....................................................................................................................29

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Environmental Health
Degree	MSPH
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health
Mot-clé	bangladesh air pollution respiratory health brick kilns south asia dhaka
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Saikawa, Eri , Emory University
Committee Members	Tolbert, Paige, Emory University
Partnering Agencies	Does not apply (no collaborating organization)

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