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Heavy Metal and Metalloid Pollution of Soil, Water and Foods in Bangladesh: a Critical Review

M. Mominul Islam
Key Laboratory for Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050021, China and University of Chinese, Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Md. Rezaul Karim
Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Technology, Islamic University, Kushtia 7003, Bangladesh

Xin Zheng
Key Laboratory for Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050021, China

Xiaofang Li
Tel.: +86-311-85822874
Key Laboratory for Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050021, China and CMLR, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Bangladesh is a densely populated developing country. Both industrialization and geological sources have caused widespread heavy metal and metalloid pollution in Bangladesh, which is now posing substantial threats to the local people. In this review, we carried out one of the most exhaustive literature analyses on the current status of Bangladesh heavy metal and metalloid pollution, covering water, soil, and foods. Analysis showed that soils near high traffic and industrial areas contain high concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids. Agricultural land and vegetables in sewage-irrigated areas were also found to be heavy metal- and metalloid-contaminated. River water, sediment, and fish from the Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakhya, and Karnaphuli rivers are highly contaminated with cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and chromium (Cr). Particularly, groundwater arsenic (As) pollution associated with high geological background levels in Bangladesh is well reported and is hitherto the largest mass poisoning in the world. Overall, the contamination levels of heavy metals and metalloids vary among the cities, with industrial areas being most polluted. In all, this review provides a quantitative identification of the As, Pb, Cd, and Cr contamination hotspots in Bangladesh based on the literature, which may be useful to environmental restorationists and local policy makers.

Keywords: Heavy metals, Metalloids, Pollution, Industrialization, Food, Toxicity

Location: In Bangladesh (Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakhya, and Karnaphuli rivers are highly contaminated)

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Commodity: Water pollution, Contamination of soil, Heavy metal

Objectives:

To conduct an extensive literature review in order to systematically evaluate the heavy metal and metalloid pollution status of heavy metals and metalloids in Bangladesh in recent decades.

Methodology:

Soil Heavy Metal and Metalloid Pollution: Major sources of soil heavy metal and metalloid pollution include municipal wastes, industrial effluents, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. Irrigation with contaminated groundwater and river water are also responsible for soil contamination. Heavy metal and metalloid pollution of farmland and crops can substantially impact food safety as well as human health. Soils in Bangladesh polluted by heavy metals and metalloids have been found to be impacted by various pollution sources. In Bangladesh, cultivation in the dry season mostly depends on irrigation by deep shallow tube wells (STWs). Bangladesh has the highest percentage of As-contaminated STWs, and yearly increases of up to 0.1 mg of As per kg of soil can occur as a result of irrigation, especially in paddy fields. Duxbury et al. stated that paddy fields irrigated with As-contaminated water for ten years would add 5–10 mg/kg As into soil. Agricultural soil irrigated with Shitalakhya river water in Narayangonj presents elevated Pb (28.13 mg/kg), Cd (0.97 mg/kg), and Cr (69.75 mg/kg), which are higher than safe limits. Rice is the staple food in Bangladesh, with average rice consumption of 400 to 600 g per day by an adult. Therefore, risks from inorganic As in rice from regions of high soil As pollution may affect local people directly. Industrial wastes and chemical pesticides have also contributed to soil As contamination in Bangladesh. In urban areas, untreated effluents from industries are directly adding heavy metals and metalloids into the nearby water and soil. A number of studies on farmland nearby the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) indicated that irrigation with contaminated sewage water increased soil heavy metal and metalloid load. Hasnine et al. [40] stated that agricultural fields nearby the DEPZ displayed Cr concentrations of 2753.2 mg/kg in the surface soil and 1039.2 mg/kg in the sub-surface layer. Results by Rahman et al. showed that in the dry season agricultural soil nearby the DEPZ contained 4043 mg/kg of As and 49.66 mg/kg of Cr. Wastewater from the Hazaribagh leather industrial area in Dhaka was found to be responsible for high Cr (976 ± 153 mg/kg) concentrations in the local soil. Soils from several industrial areas in Gazipur and Barisal also presented much higher Cd than the recommended values. Mining has a great impact on soil heavy metal and metalloid load in some parts of Bangladesh. Coal, coal ash, and coal- fired boilers have great impacts on environmental Pb. Soil from the coal mine affected farmland at Barapukuria, Dinajpur, was shown to contain excess Pb at a level of 433 ± 5.66 mg/kg. Some other important sources for soil heavy metals and metalloids pollution in Bangladesh have been reported as well. Industrial and urban effluents release large quantities of heavy metals and metalloids, which are responsible for high heavy metals and metalloids in soil and water. Soil from Chittagong and Bogra city were found to be polluted by Cd mainly due to rapid industrialization and urbanization in recent decades. Excessive use of phosphate fertilizers and pesticides are responsible for increasing heavy metals and metalloids in the soils of commercial and residential vegetable plots in Pakshi, Pabna. Water Heavy Metal and Metalloid Pollution: Most areas of Bangladesh are rainy regions that are rich in rivers. The river systems and rainfall provide an important way for the regional and cross-regional dispersal of pollutants, particularly heavy metals and metalloids. The heavy metal and metalloid water pollution in Bangladesh has been well documented in recent years. Bangladesh is a riverine country, and rivers have a great impact on its transportation, fisheries, and industrial activities. The biodiversity and ecology of rivers can be substantially affected by metal and metalloid contamination. Untreated and partially treated effluents from industries are the main cause of elevated heavy metals and metalloids in river water. The water of the Buriganga River in the Hazaribagh area receives daily about 22,000 L of toxic wastewater from 200 tanneries. Frequent irrigation with this river water can contaminate agricultural soil and ultimately affect crop yield as well as food safety. Crop Heavy Metal and Metalloid Pollution: As a tropical country, Bangladesh produces more than 90 kinds of vegetables and 60 kinds of fruits. Environmental pollution and nature of the soil directly affect the heavy metal and metalloid content in foods. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers containing heavy metals and metalloids are both major sources of heavy metals and metalloids in foods. Some trace metals are essential in plant nutrition; however, excess heavy metals and metalloids can accumulate in various edible and non-edible parts of plants [85]. Basically, leafy vegetables are more liable to heavy metal and metalloid contamination, due to their rapid growth and direct transfer of metals and metalloids to the leafy parts. Irrigation with As-contaminated groundwater is the primary cause of food As contamination in Bangladesh. Organic As in foods is considered to be less harmful. However, As-contaminated crops may contain a large portion of inorganic As. Besides drinking water, food As exposure was also found to an be important pathway responsible for As poisoning. Alam et al. found that vegetables grown in the Samta village were contaminated by As. Rice from Brahmanbaria also was observed to contain As (0.24 mg/kg) and Cd (0.331 mg/kg) in higher concentrations than the established safe limits. Safe limits for main metals and metalloids in foodstuffs are as follows: As 0.1 mg/kg; Pb 0.05 mg/kg; Cd 0.05 mg/kg; and Cr 2.3 mg/kg.

Source of Information: Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 2825;

Article Link (Online Journal): doi:10.3390/ijerph15122825

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Heavy metal and metalloid contamination from both geological and industrial sources has become a major issue for the people of Bangladesh in recent years. Results in the literature clearly showed that heavy metal and metalloid risks in Bangladesh are associated mainly with mining, industrialization, and urbanization. Dense river systems allow the heavy metals and metalloids to be dispersed more easily in some parts of Bangladesh. This review provides one of the most exhaustive literature reviews on the heavy metal and metalloid pollution status in Bangladesh and indicates the urgent need for all relevant sectors to control the emission of heavy metals in Bangladesh

Knowledge Management: Journal