Occupational and environmental health hazards in brick kilns
Abstract
Introduction: Industrial safety and a healthy environment reduce the illnesses, injuries, and accidental incidents of the workers as well as property damages. The study aimed to identify the health risk issues and assess their impacts on labors around the brick kiln areas in Bangladesh.
Materials and methods: The study conducted a survey based on a structured questionnaire to collect health-related compliance from the brick kiln workers. It also selected 12 brick kiln clusters in Rajshahi and Gazipur districts, and several samplings were made. The analyzed data were compared with the prescribed national and international standards.
Results: The survey results showed that the respondents were suffering from different diseases like respiratory and skin diseases, eye irritation, fatigue, hearing problem, headache, etc., due to the occupational hazard in the kiln areas. The study results illustrated that the particulate matter pollutants, including PM2.5, PM10, and SPM were found higher than the permissible standard that caused asthmatic disease. Most of the physicochemical parameters for surface water analysis exceeded the permissible standard indicating water pollution occurred around the kiln areas. The sound level was found higher than the acceptable level of Department of Environment, Bangladesh (DoE) standard 75 dB.
Conclusion: The study observed that brick kiln emitted gases caused huge pollution in the areas threatened the human health and the crusher machine created the high intensity of noise resulted in significant adverse health impacts of the brick kiln labor. However, most of the labors were not well aware of occupational safety and hazards, and health-related compliances in the kiln areas.
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Hazardous of Brick Kiln Worker at High Intensity
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2019; 35(1), 2220-2223.
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Environmental Laws of Bangladesh. 2003; p. 212-214.
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bio tests to evaluate the toxicity of sediment from Mpumalanga,
South Africa. J. Water South Africa. 2017; 43(3):
409–412.
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GIS and multivariate statistical analysis for regional
scale assessment of heavy metal soil contamination: a
critical review. Environmental Pollution. 2017; 231:
1188-1200.
33. Islam R, Mostafa MG. Characterization of textile dyeing
effluent and its treatment using polyaluminium chloride.
J. App. Wat. Science. 2020; 10:119 (Springer Nature).
Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-020-
01204-4.
34. World Health Organization (WHO). Assessing the burden
of disease from work-related hearing impairment at
national and local levels, Protection of the Human Environment.
Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004.
35. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
USA. Criteria for a recommended standard: occupational
noise exposure. Cincinnati, OH: NIOSH; 1998. Available
from: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/98-126.html.
36. Ambreen N, Rahman Z, Khan T, Khan A. Status of Occupational
Health and Safety in Brick Kiln Industries at
Hatter Industrial Estate Haripur, Pakistan. Journal of Environment.
2012; 01 (02): 56-63.
37. Archana S, Silan V, Kant S. Maternal healthcare and perinatal
mortality among brick kiln migrant workers: A case
study. National Medical Journal of India. 2014; 27(5):
280-282.
Rapid Assessment of Bonded Labour in Brick Kilns. Afghanistan:
International Labor Organization; 2011. p. 4.
2. Mishra L. Human Bondage: Tracing Its Roots in India.
India: SAGE Publications; 2011.
3. Pakistan Institution of Labor Education and Research. Unfree
labor in Pakistan: Work, debt and bondage in brick
kilns (Working Paper No. 24). Geneva: International Labour
Office; 2004. p. 19.
4. Samra FD, Jilani Z. The State of Pakistan’s Children: An
Annual Report. Islamabad: SPARC; 1997.
5. National Coalition against Bonded Labor. Report to the
State of Boded Labor in Pakistan. Islamabad, Pakistan;
2009.
6. Ahmed S, Hossain I. Applicability of air pollution modeling
in a cluster of brickfields in Bangladesh. Chemical
Engineering Research Bulletin. 2008; 12: 28-34.
7. Zuskin E, Musajbegovic J, Schachter EN, Kern J, Docko-
Jelinic J, Godnic-Cvar J. Respiratory findings in workers
employed in the brick-manufacturing industry. J. Occup.
Environ. Medicine. 1998; 40(9): 814-820.
8. Hai DN, Chai SK, Chien VC, Keifer M, Takaro T, Yu. Son PH, et al. An occupational risk survey of a refractory
brick company in Ha Noi, Vietnam. Int. J. Occup. Environ.
Health. 2001; 7(3): 195-200.
9. Mazumdar M, Goswami H, Debnath A. Brick Industry as
a Source of Pollution-Its Causes and Impacts on Human
Rights: A Case Study of Brick Kilns of Palasbari Revenue
Circle. International Journal of Humanities & Social
Science. 2018; 6 (3): 220-240.
10. Prabhakar VK. Water Pollution: Problems and Prospects.
New Delhi: Anmol Publications Pvt. Limited; 2001.
11. Arndt V, Rothenbacher D, Brenner H, Fraisse E,
Zschenderlein B, Daniel U, et al. Older workers in the
construction industry: results of a routine health examination
and a five-year follow up. J. Occupational and Environmental
Medicine. 1996; 53(10): 686–691.
12. Hessel P. Hearing loss among construction workers in
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine. 2000; 42(1):57.
13. Palmer K, Pannett B, Griffin M. Occupational exposure
to noise and hearing difficulties in Great Britain. University
of Southampton for the Health and Safety Executive.
2001; Contract Report 361.
14. Saha MK, Ahmed SJ, Sheikh AH, Mostafa MG. Occupation
Hazardous of Brick Kiln Worker at High Intensity
Noisy Environment. J. of Industrial Pollution Control.
2019; 35(1), 2220-2223.
15. Waitzman N, Smith K. Unsound conditions: work-related
hearing loss in construction, Washington, DC. Center
to Protect Worker’s Rights, 1998; 1960−1975.
16. Jamatia A, Chakraborty S, Chakrabarti S, Das MK. 2014.
Assessment of Ambient Noise Quality in Jirania Brick
Industries Cluster: a Case Study. International Journal of
Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT). 2014; 3
(9).
17. Lemon TB. The future of occupational safety and health.
International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics.
2001; 7(4): 403-408.
18. International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
(IPEC). A health approach to child labour-Synthesis
report of four country studies on child labour in the brick
industry. Geneva: International Labour Office; 2014.
19. Joshi SK, Dudani I. 2008. Environmental health effects
of brick kilns in Katmandu valley. Katmandu Univ. Med.
J. 2008; 6(1): 3-11.
20. Shahid S. Recent trends in the climate of Bangladesh.
Climate Research. 2010; 42(3): 185-193.
21. Bangladesh Gazette, Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards).
2005; 19th July: 7568-7569p.
22. Prevention and Control of Pollution Notification, Central
Pollution Control Board, India. NAAQS (National
Ambient Air Quality Standards). 2009; 18th November.
23. Ideal Atmospheric Condition (IAC): International Organization
for Standardization. Natural Gas-Standard
Reference Conditions. Geneva: Switzerland; 1996.
Available from: http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/
catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=20461.
24. Sabbioni E, Goetz L, Bignoli G. Health and environmental
implications of trace metals released from coal-fired
power plants: An assessment study of the situation in
the European Community. Science Total Environment.
1984; 40: 141–154.
25. Bryan NS, Loscalzo J. Nitrite and Nitrate in Human
Health and Disease. Cham: Springer International Publishing;
2017.
26. Albers PN, Wright CY, Voyi KVV. Household fuel use
and child respiratory ill health in two towns in Mpumalanga.
South African Medical Journal. 2015; 105(7):
573–577.
27. Department of Environment (DoE). A Compilation of
Environmental Laws of Bangladesh. 2003; p. 212-214.
28. United States Geographical Survey (USGS). Turbidity
and Water: Standard for inland surface water. Available
from: http: //www.usgs.gov.(special-topic/water-scienceschool/
science/turbidity-and-water?qt-science_center_
objects=0#qt science).
29. Bangladesh Gazette, Ministry of Environment and Forest,
Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Environmental Conservation Rule (ECR). 1997.
30. World Health Organization (WHO). Guidelines for
Drinking Water Quality (3rd ed.). Geneva: World Health
Organization; 2003. Available from: https: www.who.int/
water_sanitation_health/dwq/en/.
31. Cloete YC, Shaddock BF, Nel A. The use of two micro
bio tests to evaluate the toxicity of sediment from Mpumalanga,
South Africa. J. Water South Africa. 2017; 43(3):
409–412.
32. Hou D, Connor DO, Nathanail P, Tian L, Ma Y. Integrated
GIS and multivariate statistical analysis for regional
scale assessment of heavy metal soil contamination: a
critical review. Environmental Pollution. 2017; 231:
1188-1200.
33. Islam R, Mostafa MG. Characterization of textile dyeing
effluent and its treatment using polyaluminium chloride.
J. App. Wat. Science. 2020; 10:119 (Springer Nature).
Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-020-
01204-4.
34. World Health Organization (WHO). Assessing the burden
of disease from work-related hearing impairment at
national and local levels, Protection of the Human Environment.
Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004.
35. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
USA. Criteria for a recommended standard: occupational
noise exposure. Cincinnati, OH: NIOSH; 1998. Available
from: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/98-126.html.
36. Ambreen N, Rahman Z, Khan T, Khan A. Status of Occupational
Health and Safety in Brick Kiln Industries at
Hatter Industrial Estate Haripur, Pakistan. Journal of Environment.
2012; 01 (02): 56-63.
37. Archana S, Silan V, Kant S. Maternal healthcare and perinatal
mortality among brick kiln migrant workers: A case
study. National Medical Journal of India. 2014; 27(5):
280-282.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 5 No 2 (2020): Spring 2020 | |
| Section | Original Research | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/japh.v5i2.4242 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Air; Brick kiln; Labor health; Noise | ||
| Rights and permissions | |
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Saha M, Ahmed SJ, Sheikh MAH, Mostafa M. Occupational and environmental health hazards in brick kilns. JAPH. 2020;5(2):135-146.
