Green tech cuts harmful gases from brick kilns

Staff Reporter :

Research led by Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has revealed that installing eco-friendly chimneys equipped with Carbon Purification Technology (CPT) in brick kilns can reduce air pollution by up to 58 per cent, providing a significant solution to one of the nation’s largest sources of toxic emissions.

Under the guidance of environmental scientist Professor Dr Murad Ahmed Faruk, the study found that modern CPT systems markedly lower emissions of hazardous gases such as particulate matter (PM2.5), methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide – all major contributors to respiratory illnesses and climate change.

A pilot CPT installation was conducted at a brick kiln in Kushtia Namapara, Muktagachha upazila, Mymensingh. Laboratory analysis at
the Bangladesh Institute of Technology’s ‘Soil Ecology and Fertility’ lab showed a dramatic reduction in particulate matter from 314 mg/litre to 32 mg/litre.

Methane emissions fell by 90 per cent, carbon dioxide by 32 per cent, and nitrous oxide by 50 per cent.

“These fine particles and gases are especially harmful to children’s health,” Dr Faruk said, highlighting the urgent need to implement CPT technology across the country’s estimated 8,500 brick kilns, many of which still operate using outdated, highly polluting methods.

The CPT system, invented in 2020 by Ali Hossain, operates through a water-based filtration process that converts black smoke into white steam, effectively removing toxic pollutants.

“My aim is not profit but environmental protection,” Hossain said. “The technology uses groundwater spray chambers to purify industrial emissions, reducing air pollution to near zero.”

Ruhul Amin, proprietor of ABC Bricks in Muktagachha, noted that the technology also delivers economic advantages. “Production costs have decreased because the carbon sludge captured from the smoke is reused in brick-making,” he explained. “It benefits both the environment and business.”

The eco-chimney system comprises an eight-chamber water spray unit that traps carbon particles from the smoke, releasing only harmless white steam into the air.

The collected carbon residue is recycled, while the used water undergoes treatment in a containment basin.

Professor Faruk stressed that adopting such sustainable technologies is now essential rather than optional. “Widespread implementation of this innovation could be transformative in creating a greener Bangladesh,” he said.