Sustainability Assessment Model of the Buriganga River Restoration Project in Bangladesh: A System Dynamics and Inclusive Wealth Study

The Bangladesh government initiated the Buriganga River Restoration Project in 2010 to clean the heavily polluted Turag-Buriganga River. This study assessed the dynamic impact of the project on intergenerational well-being and developing a sustainable river system. The project outcomes were modeled for three future scenarios—varying waste control, streamflow, and migration control levels. System dynamics modeling—based on Streeter-Phelps’ water quality model and inclusive wealth (IW) index—was applied to secondary data (including remotely sensed data). The simulation model indicated that the project (with increasing streamflow up to 160 m3/s) will not ensure sustainability because dissolved oxygen (DO) is meaningfully decreasing, biological oxygen demand (BOD) is increasing, and IW is declining over time. However, sustainability can be achieved in scenario 3, an integrated strategy (streamflow: 160 m3/s, waste control: 87.78% and migration control: 6%) that will ensure DO of 8.3 mg/L, BOD of 3.1 mg/L, and IW of 57.5 billion USD in 2041, which is equivalent to 2.22% cumulative gross domestic product by 2041. This study is the first to use combined modeling to assess the dynamic impacts of a river restoration project. The findings can help policymakers to achieve sustainability and determine the optimal strategy for restoring polluted rivers.

Phytoremediation of EMS Induced Brassica juncea Heavy Metal Hyperaccumulator Genotypes

Buriganga, an economically important river of Dhaka, Bangladesh, is highly polluted by different toxic heavy metals. In this study, phytoremediation of EMS induced Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L) genotypes against three pollutants viz. lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and cadmium (Cd) of Buriganga riverbank soil was assessed in field condition. Among 1-, 2- and 3% EMS induced genotypes, better seed germination rate, germination speed and plant survival rate were observed in 1% EMS induced genotype, BE21. The highest concentration of Pb, Cr and Cd were also obtained in the leaf of BE21 genotype and therefore was considered as a super-hyperaccumulator genotype. Concentration of Pb in the next generation of this genotype was approximately two-fold higher in the root (91.53 mg/kg dry weight, DW); three-fold higher in the shoot (33.31 mg/kg DW) and leaf (28.35 mg/kg DW), and more in the fruit (5.59 mg/kg DW) than the control. Concentration of Cr was approximately two-fold in the root (57.02 mg/kg DW), shoot (18.51 mg/kg DW) and leaf (14.98 mg/kg DW), and more in the fruit (6.15 mg/kg DW) of BE21 genotype compared to the control. Cd concentration was more in the root (1.96 mg/kg DW), leaf (0.52 mg/kg DW) and fruit (0.19 mg/kg DW) and less in the shoot (0.19 mg/kg DW) of BE21 genotype than the control. Root, shoot, leaf and fruit of BE21 altogether accumulated 98-, 73- and 87% Pb, Cr and Cd, respectively and can thus be utilized to remove heavy metals of Buriganga River. As like root, shoot and leaf, fruit also accumulated heavy metals; hence those plants which are used in phytoremediation should not be used as food or fodder. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of developing EMS induced hyperaccumulator genotype of B. juncea for phytoremediation of Buriganga riverbank soil of Bangladesh.

Analysis of water samples of four central rivers of Bangladesh

Four central rivers of Bangladesh were selected for this research. The name of the rivers is Buriganga, Dhaleshwari, Shitalakshya and Meghna. The Electrical Conductivity (EC), pH, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), and Salinity of the four river waters were evaluated. The EC values of the water of the Buriganga, Dhaleshwari, Shitalakshya and Meghna rivers were found to be 366.0, 299.2, 290.4 and 130.8 µS/cm respectively. Similarly, the pH values of 7.67, 7.38, 7.30 and 7.18 were found for the river waters of the Buriganga, Dhaleshwari, Shitalakshya and Meghna respectively. The EC and pH values were found higher for the Buriganga river water than that of the other three river waters. The TDS and salinity of the Buriganga river water were found 180 mg/l and 0.72% respectively. On the other hand, the TDS and salinity of the Meghna river water was found lower compared to the other three rivers. From this research, this is clear that the quality of the Meghna river water is much better than the river waters of the Buriganga, Dhaleshwari, and Shitalakshya. The quality of the Buriganga river water was found inferior. Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh, stands on the bank of the Buriganga river, and as a result a large number of unban waste goes directly to the river Buriganga. As a result, the water of Buriganga became polluted. This investigation proved that the Meghna river water quality is still much better and suitable for many applications.

Industrial Waste Management and Environment: A Study in Kamrangirchar (Raised Land), Dhaka

Kamrangirchar is a raised land and industrial area situated on the bank of the Buriganga River in Dhaka city. The industries of this area are producing a huge amount of solid and liquid wastes all of which are disposed into the Buriganga river and other nearby places. This study attempts to explore the scenario of industrial waste management in Kamrangirchar (raised land) and its effect on the surrounding environment. The methodology of this study includes in-depth interviews and tries to explore the ways of managing waste properly. This study tries to explore more effective ways of managing industrial waste for a sound and safe environment. Environmental pollution has been a major global problem nowadays. Nature is being destroyed because of the excessive exploitation of the environment. Some elements of the environment and ecology like forests, natural sources of water, land, and air are gradually being polluted in Bangladesh, although these are essential for survival. Lack of awareness of the industrial units, poor implementation of the government policy of industrial waste management, inappropriate initiatives to dispose of the waste properly, and ineffective laws are responsible for the improper management of industrial waste in Kamrangirchar which is affecting the environment directly and indirectly.

Evaluation and Monitoring of Water Quantity and Quality of the Buriganga River in Bangladesh using Multi-temporal Landsat Images

Buriganga River, the study area, is one of the most polluted and decreasing expeditiously its area in Bangladesh due to rapid urbanization, effluents of industries and factories surrounding the river, sewage disposal from Dhaka City and some anthropogenic activities. The objective of this study is to evaluate and monitor the water quantity and quality of the river using satellite remote sensing techniques. Unsupervised and indices based classification were used to derive and monitor landuse-landcover (LULC), surface water distribution (SWD), land surface temperature(LST) and total suspended material (TSM) using four sets of Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI/TIRS images of the study area from 1989 to 2015. The indices are Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI). LULC classification results showed that the water bodies and vegetation decreased and consequently urban as well bared area increased from 1989 to 2015. Results of indices (NDVI and NDWI) analysis are similar to that of unsupervised LULC outputs, that is, the water bodies decreased with increasing urban structures of the study area. The surface water distribution monitoring results from the suitable change detection GIS model indicate that the water bodies have decreased about 31.07% and accretion rate increased rapidly from 1989 to 2015 along the river bank due to urbanization and accretion activity is more prominent in north, northeast, northwest, south, southeast and eastern part. The study also shows that the rate of TSM is sporadically increasing during the study period i.e., the maximum and minimum value of TSM was 56215.53 and 1956 mg/l in 1989 and 14188714.35 mg/l and 333942 mg/l in 2015 respectively; this indicates that the water is harmful for aquatic life. Both the analyzed satellite image outcome and in situ observations reveal that land surface temperature is also increased in some part of the study area. The study results could be used to make policy for upgrading the water quality and to maintain the extent and water quantity for agriculture, navigation and fisheries sectors of the Buriganga River. The Dhaka University Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vol. 8(1), 2019, P 61-69

Characterization and antibiogram profile of bacteria isolated from Buriganga river

Selected bacterial isolates from the surface water of Buriganga river were characterized by morphological, biochemical characteristics and sequence-based PCR-amplified fragments of 16S rRNA. All isolates were rod shaped and Gram-positive. The isolates were confirmed as Chryseobacterium arthrosphaerae strain FDAARGOS 519, Bacillus cabrialesii strain TE 3, Bacillus tequilensis KCTC strain 13622(T), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DSM 7 strain ATCC 23350, Bacillus subtilis strain E20 and Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis strain 168 based on sequence analysis. A phylogenetic tree was constructed that showed only one major cluster comprising of two sub-clusters grouping Chryseobacterium arthrosphaerae in one and Bacillus tequilensis in another. Chryseobacterium arthrosphaerae strain FDAARGOS 519 was susceptible to all antibiotics at different ranges, while Bacillus tequilensis KCTC strain 13622(T) and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DSM 7 strain ATCC 23350 were found to be resistant to polymyxin only but sensitive to other antibiotics. However, Bacillus cabrialesii strain TE 3 was resistant to polymyxin and neomycin, while Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis strain 168 was resistant to polymyxin, vancomycin and rifampicin.