Ship breaking industry causing water pollution in coastal area
A Correspondent :
The ship breaking industry that had developed along the coastal areas of Sitakunda thana stretching from Fouzderhat to Barabkunda is posing a serious threat to marine water creating pollution. Due to the reason, 21 species of marine fish in Bay of Bengal have been depleted from Bangladesh water body.
Toxic substances coming out of ship breaking activities polluting the sea water causing the harm. Besides, marine scientist mentioned that several marine species including the blue whale that was found dead at Kattali Sea beach several years ago faced the danger due to toxic elements that were released from different ships in the water body without disposal of poisonous chemicals. The soil of the locality contain heavy element of chemicals mixed with water.It contains 0.5 to 2.7 ppm of mercury, 0.5 to 21.8 ppm of lead, 220 ppm of chromium, 0.3 to 2.9 ppm cadmium, 2.6 to 5.6 ppm of iron, 5.2 to 23.2 ppm of calcium, 6.5 to 10.57 ppm of magnesium. During the scrapping of old ships, different types of poisonous chemicals including oil used in the ships are spread in the yards. Spill-over these poisonous chemicals and oils in the sea near the coast is causing a serious threat on the maintenance of healthy environment.
According to several survey, the marine fishes including Aspisoa Katamach, Nemipscol, Dora Bailla, Foton, Kala Poa, Chapti, Grunti, Kala Tailla, Nandi Bailla, Kalthu Baillah, Koiputi, Prica, , Lamba Kukur Jib, Kala, Dosa Chau, Khika, Lohamuri, Bungda, Tiktiki are decreasing day by day. According to the reports, random disposal of toxic oil and other substances from the dirty ships were the main reason for depleting the fish species. “The oxygen is dissolved at marine water seabed following the high emission of oil, mercury, asbestos from the ship breaking industries”, experts said.”I cannot understand why the government is not taking Necessary step yet to save our huge marine fish resources”, Professor Hossain also asked.” Government is to issue proper guidelines yet regarding emission of toxic substances from ship scraps to marine water and this is the main cause of decrease of fish species in Bay of Bengal”
Though ship breaking has earned a good reputation for being a profitable industry in developing countries there are a number of environmental and human health hazards. Depending on their size and function, scrapped ships have an unladened weight of between 5,000 and 40,000 tons (the average being 13000+), 95% of which is steel, coated with between 10 and 100 tons of paint containing lead, cadmium, organotins, arsenic, zinc and chromium.
Ships also contain a wide range of other hazardous wastes, sealants containing PCBs, up to 7.5 tones of various types of asbestos and; several thousands liters of oil (engine oil, bilge oil, hydraulic and lubricants oils and grease). Tankers additionally hold up to 1,000 cubic meters of residual oil. Most of these materials have been defined as hazardous waste under the Basel Convention. In Bangladesh, ships containing these materials are being cut up by hand, on open beaches, with no consideration given to safe and environmentally friendly waste management practices. Ships are not properly cleaned before beaching. Generally, an eyewash test is carried out to certify that a ship is free from dangerous chemical and fumes. Ship breaking activities is a threat to both the terrestrial and marine environment as well as to public health. It is like a mini version of a city that discharges every kind of pollutants a metropolis can generate like liquid, metal, gaseous and solid pollutants.
The ship breaking industry that had developed along the coastal areas of Sitakunda thana stretching from Fouzderhat to Barabkunda is posing a serious threat to marine water creating pollution. Due to the reason, 21 species of marine fish in Bay of Bengal have been depleted from Bangladesh water body.
Toxic substances coming out of ship breaking activities polluting the sea water causing the harm. Besides, marine scientist mentioned that several marine species including the blue whale that was found dead at Kattali Sea beach several years ago faced the danger due to toxic elements that were released from different ships in the water body without disposal of poisonous chemicals. The soil of the locality contain heavy element of chemicals mixed with water.It contains 0.5 to 2.7 ppm of mercury, 0.5 to 21.8 ppm of lead, 220 ppm of chromium, 0.3 to 2.9 ppm cadmium, 2.6 to 5.6 ppm of iron, 5.2 to 23.2 ppm of calcium, 6.5 to 10.57 ppm of magnesium. During the scrapping of old ships, different types of poisonous chemicals including oil used in the ships are spread in the yards. Spill-over these poisonous chemicals and oils in the sea near the coast is causing a serious threat on the maintenance of healthy environment.
According to several survey, the marine fishes including Aspisoa Katamach, Nemipscol, Dora Bailla, Foton, Kala Poa, Chapti, Grunti, Kala Tailla, Nandi Bailla, Kalthu Baillah, Koiputi, Prica, , Lamba Kukur Jib, Kala, Dosa Chau, Khika, Lohamuri, Bungda, Tiktiki are decreasing day by day. According to the reports, random disposal of toxic oil and other substances from the dirty ships were the main reason for depleting the fish species. “The oxygen is dissolved at marine water seabed following the high emission of oil, mercury, asbestos from the ship breaking industries”, experts said.”I cannot understand why the government is not taking Necessary step yet to save our huge marine fish resources”, Professor Hossain also asked.” Government is to issue proper guidelines yet regarding emission of toxic substances from ship scraps to marine water and this is the main cause of decrease of fish species in Bay of Bengal”
Though ship breaking has earned a good reputation for being a profitable industry in developing countries there are a number of environmental and human health hazards. Depending on their size and function, scrapped ships have an unladened weight of between 5,000 and 40,000 tons (the average being 13000+), 95% of which is steel, coated with between 10 and 100 tons of paint containing lead, cadmium, organotins, arsenic, zinc and chromium.
Ships also contain a wide range of other hazardous wastes, sealants containing PCBs, up to 7.5 tones of various types of asbestos and; several thousands liters of oil (engine oil, bilge oil, hydraulic and lubricants oils and grease). Tankers additionally hold up to 1,000 cubic meters of residual oil. Most of these materials have been defined as hazardous waste under the Basel Convention. In Bangladesh, ships containing these materials are being cut up by hand, on open beaches, with no consideration given to safe and environmentally friendly waste management practices. Ships are not properly cleaned before beaching. Generally, an eyewash test is carried out to certify that a ship is free from dangerous chemical and fumes. Ship breaking activities is a threat to both the terrestrial and marine environment as well as to public health. It is like a mini version of a city that discharges every kind of pollutants a metropolis can generate like liquid, metal, gaseous and solid pollutants.