About Fifty percent of children in Bangladesh are suffering from problems taking a breath.
A study on ten schools in Dhaka shows that exhaust gases and fine particles are stocked in the classrooms. Most of Dhaka’s schools are beside roads or grocery or vegetable marketplaces.
And also, vegetable markets are seen set up in front or beside the school premises. Exhausted gases from vehicles and dust from roads or/and marketplaces easily enter classrooms which can’t get out from there and stock due to lack of ventilation.
Children stay at school most of the parts in the day, and they inhale those with breath. Continuous inhalation of polluted gasses, dust, and dust particles causes children breathing problems.
Science Magazine Environment Research Communication published this study.
The study was conducted in collaboration with Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the Global Centre for Clean Air Research of the UK, Philadelphia, and the Huston University of the US.
The ten schools where the study was conducted Nawbabpur Govt. School, Kamalapur High School, New Model High school, University of Laboratory High School, Khilgaone Girls School and College, Motijheel Model High School, Maniknagar Model High school, Ahmed Bug High school, and Badda High school.
The study measured the amount of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 in the air in schools, which are harmful to humans. And it also measured the amount of NO2, Volatile organic, and CO2. But it found about three times more than the amount the WHO fixed as a standard.
As per WHO standards, PM10 contains a maximum of 45 millimicrons and PM2.5 of 15 millimicrons per hour in the air. If it has more, it will be harmful to humans. But it was found hazard air with harmful gasses and very harmful limited PM2.5 and PM10 in the class Rooms.
During the study, there tested 250 children on their normal breathing capacity with a Flow meter and found 40% of children couldn’t take their normal breathing. Most children have been found to have some problems with air pollution.
When asked, the DG of the Primary Education Department said, “We have taken the initiative to upgrade old schools’ buildings including adequate ventilation systems, and constructing the new ones will include enough ventilation systems.”
