Pollution Research Paper

AMBIENT AIR QUALITY AT ROADSIDE IN DHAKA CITY

M.J.B. ALAM, M.H. RAHMAN AND M.A. JAIGIRDAR

Abstract

Usually roadsides are the most polluted locations in a city. As the city dwellers, particularly the commuters, arc bound to usc the roads for a substantial time, the ambient air quality at roadsides of the city is of vital importance in the assessment of its environmental condition. The objective of this paper is to assess the level of pollution on the Roads of Dhaka City. It also analyses the effect the level of pollution on the health of the road users on the basis of permissible limits of various pollutants and exposure time. This paper reports the level of CO, SO, and NO2 pollution at the roadsides of the city. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is estimated at various locations of the city. From this study it can be concluded that at more than seventy-per cent locations the roadside air environment is severely polluted and the rest of the location are highly polluted. This environmental condition has very serious implications on the health of the inhabitants of the city, particularly the commuters. causing eye and skin irritation, headache, breathing problem etc. It is also evident from the study that the pollution level is closely related to the density of motor vehicles plying on the roads. With the increase in the number of motor vehicles caused by economic growth and industrialization, the level of pollution is expected to worsen further in the future. Some measures to improve the situation arc suggested.