Solve pollution. Save lives. Protect the planet.

#8/12, Block-A, Lalmatia
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Our Team
DR. MAHFUZAR RAHMAN

Country Director

MITALI DAS

Communications Lead

FAISAL MAHMOOD

Program Officer

KAWSAR RAHMAN

Admin and Finance Officer

MIZANUR RAHMAN

Consultant

ENGLISH | BANGLA

About Pure Earth Bangladesh

Pure Earth Bangladesh started its journey in 2011 and has made progress in expanding capacity, building partnerships, and carrying out foundational research, mainly on the lead sources, toxic site assessments (300+ toxic‌ ‌sites were assessed‌ in Bangladesh), lead remediation program (conducted first known lead remediation that ‌resulted‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌35%‌ ‌decline‌ ‌in‌ ‌children’s‌ ‌blood lead levels).

Pure Earth Bangladesh has recently extended its research efforts to identify the lead sources in consumer products including spices and cookware. Pure Earth Bangladesh has partnered with government agencies to develop and implement a Health and Pollution Action Plan (HPAP).

Pure Earth Bangladesh works cooperatively in partnerships that include governments, NGOs, civil society organizations, research institutes, universities, and media agencies to reduce lead exposure, raise awareness, and design and implement innovative solutions to save lives. Here we believe that Together, we can solve lead pollution.

The Toxic Truth

Hundreds of people pledged to prevent lead pollution

With the slogan – “Together, we can solve lead pollution”, hundreds of community people, local leaders, government and non-government representatives, police, and media reporters participated in the community and stakeholder engagement event held in Khulna.

One in 36 million: Story of Childhood lead poisoning in Bangladesh

The Toxic Truth

Lead pollution is a silent killer.

 

The potential lead sources in Bangladesh are lead-acid battery manufacturing and recycling, spices (turmeric), lead-based paint, toys, aluminum cookware, ceramic foodware, e-waste, contaminated food, pigments, amulets, jewelry-making, gold waste processing, cosmetics, religious powders, and traditional medicines.

 

 

Programmatic Solutions

Research on Lead Sources
Research on Lead Sources

Expanding the investigation for potential sources of lead exposure and poisoning, Pure Earth Bangladesh conducted a Rapid Marketplace Screening (RMS) in 2021-2022 in four major districts: Dhaka, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Barishal. The preliminary findings show that 96 samples are lead-positive among 367 samples; major sources were aluminum cookware, ceramic foodware, local paints, toys, amulets, pigments, and other non-food items.

Toxic Site Assessments
Toxic Site Assessments

In 2016, Pure Earth with a local partner in Bangladesh, the University of Dhaka Department of Geology, began identifying toxic hot spots. Within just 6 months, they found 115  contaminated sites. As of 2021, Pure Earth has identified and assessed more than 300 toxic sites. Based on this data, the World Bank estimates there are more than 1,000 such informal ULAB smelting sites across the country.

Lead Remediation Program
Lead Remediation Program

In 2018, Pure Earth completed the first known lead remediation in Bangladesh in Kathgora, Savar which resulted in a 35% decline in children’s blood lead levels. In May 2022, the second remediation took place in Mirzapur, Tangail. This remediation project has ensured a lead-free, safe environment for 600+ villagers. Also, 200 children’s blood lead levels were tested and environmental samples were collected and analyzed to further understand the contributing sources of lead pollution.

Advocacy and Campaigns
Advocacy and Campaigns

Pure Earth’s online and offline campaign and advocacy strategy successfully reached about 50 million people and helped to raise awareness and mobilized community members, youth, government officials, and relevant stakeholders to take unified actions to solve lead pollution. Click to know more!

The Toxic Truth

The‌ ‌chief‌ ‌concern‌ ‌of‌ ‌lead‌ ‌exposure‌ ‌is‌ ‌its‌ ‌impact‌ ‌on‌ ‌children’s‌ ‌brains.

Lead‌ ‌causes‌ ‌permanent‌ ‌brain‌ ‌damage‌ ‌and‌ ‌IQ‌ ‌loss ‌hence ‌decreasing ‌economic‌ ‌productivity.‌ ‌ ‌Productivity‌ ‌losses‌ ‌from‌ ‌lead‌ ‌exposure‌ ‌reduce‌ ‌Bangladesh’s‌ ‌GDP‌,‌ ‌thus‌ ‌lead‌ ‌is‌ ‌not‌ ‌only‌ ‌a‌ ‌health‌ ‌issue‌ ‌but‌ ‌a‌ ‌poverty-reduction‌ ‌issue.‌ ‌It also undermines many cross-cutting development areas including education, societal stability, and violence.



The Toxic Truth

Knowledge and Advocacy Materials

Knowledge and advocacy materials on the impact, sources, and solutions to lead pollution are to raise awareness, bring changes in the social and behavioral aspects, and advocate to prevent lead pollution. The materials are for various stakeholders including community members, health workers, government and non-government agencies, policy and decision-makers, and media agencies.

“Pure Earth has brought government agencies and battery companies together to ensure sound management of battery recycling.”
Dr. Syed Shahjahan Ahmed
Deputy Secretary
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
“The government has made the eradication of lead exposures a priority to protect the environment for future generations.”
Ahmed Shamim Al Razi
Additional Secretary
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
“It is important to identify all the sources of lead poisoning. 
One of the targets of SDG is to reduce chemical waste by 2030.”
Robed Amin
Line Director, NCDC
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)

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