stop lead use

Lead Elimination Project

Background

USED LEAD ACID BATTERY

Lead-acid Batteries (LAB) and Used Lead-acid Batteries (ULAB) are some of the burning concerns related to environmental pollution and population exposure. These categories of batteries have long been used due to their efficiency to store energy for sufficiently long periods and also for their capacity to provide a high cranking power for short periods. Since LAB are recycled and reused in several sectors being termed as ULAB, the recycling is often associated with a great deal of lead pollution in soil, and water that ultimately causes harm to human health. A large number of contaminated sites are found in Bangladesh where ULAB recycling continues by both informal and formal sector.
 
ESDO started working on ULAB in 2017 and did a baseline study in 2018. In 2020, the organization engaged in a pilot project with UNEP and Pure Earth on the ESM of ULAB. Activities covered by the project include an assessment study of ULAB recycling in Bangladesh, the organization of a stakeholder planning and coordination meeting, the development of a national strategy on ULAB recycling, and a comprehensive review of Bangladesh framework.
 
In 2020, ESDO has conducted a regulatory review, through analyzing Bangladeshi laws and referring to the regulations of other relevant countries and has also made recommendations for improvements on ULAB management. A detailed draft on legal and regulatory framework of Bangladesh is provided in this report. These assessments have identified the gaps in the current regulatory and institutional framework that need to be addressed to ensure the environmentally sound management of chemicals, including lead battery waste.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

TOXIC ALUMINUM COOKWARE IN BANGLADESH

In 2018, ESDO published a study report on “Aluminum Cookware: A Major Source of Toxic Metal Contamination in Bangladesh”.

Aluminum cookware are being used for cooking purpose all over the world. Most of the cookware, used in South Asian countries including Bangladesh, is made up of aluminum. Cost effectiveness and heat conductance account for its popularity. Despite being harmless in lower concentrations, high aluminum intake results in chronic health effects in the long run. In Bangladesh high demand of aluminum cookware have led to more and more development of aluminum cookware manufacturing industries. Due to its availability and comparatively reasonable price the use of aluminum cookware is now widespread.

To assess the level of metal exposure from aluminum cookware, to determine the demand of these cookware and to identify the level of awareness among the local people about the issue Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO took the initiative of conducting extensive study in Bangladesh.

This report contains how the study was conducted, the analyzed results, an overview of current situation of aluminum cookware used in Bangladesh, the risk associated during manufacture of aluminum cookware, the source and pathway of exposure of
aluminum to human, health and environmental impacts, a generalized conclusion and recommendation for further investigation.

Considering the health risk from aluminum published in various study reports, such initiative was taken by ESDO. Aluminum can leach into food, especially when heated. Studies have shown a link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum. Aluminum has also been linked to DNA damage and aging of cells, breast and prostate cancer, osteoporosis, and can damage or irritate may other systems.2

Most of the aluminum cookware found in local market of Bangladesh are made of scrap metals. During the analyses it was observed that among the metal released from low grade aluminum pots lead content is high. Whether from higher grades higher level of copper are released. Four aluminum cookware samples from the local market of Bangladesh were collected by ESDO team and analyzed in a laboratory of San Francisco which showed an average of 216mg aluminum, 6μg Arsenic, 7.5μg Cadmium, 2μg Lead exposure per serving.

Aluminum Cookware