SOIL is not just dirt beneath our feet. It is the foundation of life. It feeds us, supports biodiversity and shapes human health. But in Bangladesh, this vital layer of earth is turning toxic. Few notice it, but the ground that grows our rice and vegetables is slowly poisoning us.
The Department of Environment鈥檚 2023 report reveals that 45 per cent of agricultural land in the country is polluted with heavy metals 鈥� lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and nickel. These are found at levels three to eight times above what is safe for humans. The impact is twofold: shrinking crop yields and rising health problems. A 2021 World Bank study estimated that lead exposure alone causes IQ loss in 35,000 children every year in Bangladesh. This crisis is not abstract. It has sources, symptoms and solutions.
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Sources
THE largest sources of soil pollution are factories, fertilisers, e-waste and exhaust fumes. In Narayanganj, Savar and Gazipur, factories discharge over 20,000 litres of untreated waste into rivers and farmland every day. Tannery waste is particularly dangerous. Chromium-6, a carcinogen, is dumped into the environment at levels between 5,000 and 7,000 milligrams per kilogram. The World Health Organization鈥檚 limit is 0.05. A 2022 government survey found that 90 per cent of farmland around the Hazaribagh tannery zone has unsafe chromium levels.
Another major driver is fertiliser use. According to the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, urea application has risen by 300 per cent over two decades. Phosphate fertilisers also carry cadmium. About 60 per cent of chemical pesticides remain in the soil and enter the food chain.
Urban soil is no safer. Dhaka generates 400,000 tonnes of e-waste a year 鈥� mostly from phones, batteries and laptops. Barely 5 per cent is recycled. When burned, e-waste releases lead, mercury and cadmium into the air and soil. Emissions from cars add more lead, settling into the ground in busy areas.
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Effects on health
THE risks are already visible. A 2022 study by icddr,b found cadmium in vegetables grown around Dhaka at levels 11 times higher than what WHO considers safe. Cadmium causes kidney damage and bone disease. Chromium-6 is linked to stomach and lung cancer.
Children are especially at risk. At Dhaka Medical College Hospital, doctors found that 40 per cent of children have blood lead levels above the WHO safety mark of 5 micrograms per decilitre. The damage is permanent. Lead exposure reduces IQ by 5 to 10 points. It increases the risk of developmental delays and autism. The World Bank estimates that the economic cost of lead pollution in Bangladesh is $15.9 billion per year.
Other harms are less visible but just as serious. Dr Mahbubur Rahman, an environmental scientist, warns that heavy metals can damage DNA, leading to birth defects such as spina bifida. Contaminated crops also lose nutrients like zinc and iron. This leads to hidden hunger and widespread malnutrition.
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Hollow enforcement
BANGLADESH has legal tools to fight soil pollution. The Environment Conservation Act (1995), the National Environmental Policy (2018) and the Soil Health Act (2021) all mention soil protection. But enforcement is weak.
The relocation of tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar was meant to fix the problem. It did not. Nearly 60 per cent of the new tanneries began operating without Effluent Treatment Plants. A 2023 report found that half of all industrial units in the country lack environmental clearance. Pollution continues, unchecked.
Local governments are unprepared. Union parishads lack data, trained staff and basic monitoring tools. According to NGO surveys, 70 per cent of farmers have never tested their soil. Without such testing, they cannot know whether their land is fertile or poisoned.
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Path forward
ON THE scientific front, bioremediation methods, like the pilot project in Mirpur led by Dr Farida Yasmin from the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, offer promising solutions. In this study, sunflowers and Indian mustard were used to absorb heavy metals, specifically chromium, from the soil. These plants successfully removed up to 40 per cent of chromium, demonstrating the potential of low-cost, eco-friendly soil rehabilitation techniques. Furthermore, research into mycorrhizal fungi is also gaining momentum. These fungi have the capacity to absorb heavy metals from contaminated soil, acting as natural cleansers.
At the same time, organic farming could play a pivotal role in reducing soil pollution. Composting, for instance, increases soil health by raising its pH level, which in turn reduces the solubility of toxic metals, making them less available to crops. Countries like the Netherlands have successfully employed nano-iron particles to remove up to 90 per cent of arsenic from contaminated soil. Investment in such technologies could be critical for solving Bangladesh鈥檚 pollution crisis.
However, scientific solutions alone will not suffice. Policy reforms must accompany these efforts. One potential reform is the use of real-time IoT sensors to track factory emissions and waste disposal. These sensors could be placed in key industrial areas to monitor pollution levels and ensure compliance with environmental standards. By using these sensors, regulators would have immediate access to data, making it easier to enforce pollution control laws. Moreover, subsidies for organic fertilisers and soil-cleaning crops could encourage farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, reducing the need for harmful chemical inputs. In addition, the introduction of a comprehensive e-waste recycling system, similar to Singapore鈥檚 model, would mitigate the environmental risks posed by growing electronic waste. A 2022 report by the Department of Environment states that Bangladesh now generates approximately 3 million tons of e-waste annually, with only a small portion undergoing proper recycling. The rest is often dumped, incinerated, or inefficiently processed, leading to severe environmental and health hazards.
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Global lessons
OTHER countries have taken strong actions to combat soil pollution, and their experiences offer valuable lessons for Bangladesh. For example, Japan鈥檚 response to the Minamata mercury disaster of 1970 provides a clear illustration of the power of strict regulatory measures. Following the disaster, which was caused by industrial mercury dumping into water sources, Japan enacted the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2013. This led to the development of stringent regulations on the disposal of hazardous substances and the establishment of programmes for soil decontamination. Today, Japan uses AI-based machines and robotics for soil decontamination, reflecting the country鈥檚 commitment to technological innovation in addressing environmental pollution.听
Similarly, the Netherlands has set ambitious environmental goals, such as making 50 per cent of its farmland organic by 2030. This move is part of the country鈥檚 strategy to reduce reliance on synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers, which are key contributors to soil degradation. The Netherlands has also pioneered sustainable farming practices that prioritise soil health, demonstrating that policies focused on long-term environmental sustainability can yield positive results. Bangladesh could consider similar initiatives, integrating organic farming into its agricultural policies to reduce the toxic burden on its soil and promote sustainable food production.
Singapore offers another example in the realm of e-waste management. The city-state has implemented one of the world鈥檚 most successful e-waste recycling systems, processing around 60 per cent of its electronic waste. This reduces the amount of harmful materials like lead and mercury from being released into the environment. In contrast, Bangladesh鈥檚 e-waste problem remains largely unregulated, with much of it being burnt or dumped in landfills, leading to severe soil contamination. By implementing an efficient, nationwide e-waste recycling programme similar to Singapore鈥檚, Bangladesh could mitigate this growing environmental threat.
Soil pollution is not only an environmental concern. It is a national security threat. Around 62 per cent of the population depends on agriculture. If the soil becomes poisoned, the whole country suffers. This crisis has been allowed to grow in silence. We need stronger laws, modern science and public action. The future of food, health and life in Bangladesh depends on what we do next.
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Arghya Protik Chowdhury is a student of environmental science at Bangladesh University of Professionals.