A growing public health crisis

The open burning of plastic and polythene in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh has become a serious and growing threat to public health. An especially alarming practice occurs during the early hours of the morning when city corporation cleaners sweep the streets. 

Rather than transporting collected plastic and other waste to designated disposal sites, it is frequently piled up and burned on the spot. Such uncontrolled burning releases toxic pollutants into the air, posing both immediate and long-term health risks to nearby communities.

Dhaka is already home to a large population suffering from asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Daily exposure to smoke from burning plastic further worsens these conditions. Elderly individuals, children, students, pedestrians, rickshaw pullers, traffic police officers, and residents living along busy streets frequently experience breathing difficulties due to these emissions. Over time, such exposure increases the risk of severe respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, as well as cardiovascular disorders.

Plastic constitutes a significant portion of the waste generated in Dhaka. When plastic materials are burned in open environments at relatively low temperatures, combustion is incomplete. This process releases a range of hazardous substances into the atmosphere, including dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These microscopic particles are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing systemic health damage.

Long-term exposure to these pollutants has been linked to chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function, cardiovascular complications, and various forms of cancer. Dioxins, in particular, are recognized as highly toxic chemicals and potential carcinogens. They can disrupt the endocrine system, interfere with hormonal balance, and adversely affect reproductive health and fetal development.

Several key measures should be prioritized: Strictly prohibit and enforce the ban on open burning of plastic and municipal waste. Establish systems for the separate collection and scientific management of plastic waste. Ensure transparency and accountability in city corporation waste management operations. Reduce reliance on single-use plastics and promote environmentally sustainable alternatives. Develop community-based waste management initiatives at the local level

The immediate health impacts are also significant. Smoke from burning plastic can cause eye irritation, throat pain, coughing, headaches, and acute breathing problems. For individuals with asthma or other respiratory diseases, such exposure can trigger severe attacks and potentially life-threatening complications. Children are particularly vulnerable because their respiratory systems are still developing and they inhale more air relative to their body weight than adults.

The long-term consequences may be even more alarming. Studies suggest that prolonged exposure to even low levels of toxic air pollutants significantly increases the risk of lung cancer, liver cancer, skin cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Dhaka already faces a growing burden of respiratory illness, and continued exposure to toxic emissions from burning plastic may further aggravate this public health challenge.

Another overlooked consequence of plastic burning is environmental contamination. After burning, the remaining ash and partially combusted particles settle into soil and nearby water bodies. During rainfall, these toxic residues are washed into canals, wetlands, and rivers. Aquatic organisms absorb these chemicals, which then accumulate along the food chain and ultimately reach humans through food and drinking water. In this way, the health risks extend beyond air pollution to include contamination of ecosystems and food supplies.

The root of the problem lies in ineffective waste management practices. Instead of systematically collecting and transporting waste to designated disposal or recycling facilities, open burning is often used as a quick and convenient method to reduce visible garbage. However, what appears to be a simple solution is in fact creating a silent and widespread public health hazard.

This issue deserves urgent attention at the highest levels of government. Strong regulatory enforcement and effective monitoring are essential to completely eliminate open burning of plastic and other waste materials.

Several key measures should be prioritized: Strictly prohibit and enforce the ban on open burning of plastic and municipal waste. Establish systems for the separate collection and scientific management of plastic waste.

Ensure transparency and accountability in city corporation waste management operations. Reduce reliance on single-use plastics and promote environmentally sustainable alternatives. Develop community-based waste management initiatives at the local level.

Burning plastic in open spaces may temporarily reduce visible waste, but it silently increases the long-term burden of disease and environmental damage. The dark smoke drifting across the busy streets of Dhaka is gradually eroding the fundamental right of citizens to breathe clean air.

Protecting public health requires immediate, coordinated, and science-based action. Without decisive intervention today, the toxic legacy of plastic burning will be inherited by future generations.