How bricks are stacked impacts air high quality in Bangladesh : Goats and Soda : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa1%2F20%2Fd2bd05dc4fe5b9cbe7b492f6bfc8%2Findia-brick-kilns-1.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa1%2F20%2Fd2bd05dc4fe5b9cbe7b492f6bfc8%2Findia-brick-kilns-1.jpg" class="img" alt="Smoke comes out from kiln at a brickfield on the outskirt of Dhaka, Bangladesh on February 6, 2021. The world is going through a speedy urbanization and Bangladesh is not an exception from this. Such rapid urbanization generates a massive demand for bricks as it is one of the key ingredients to build concrete structure. To meet this growing need, numbers of brick making field have been increasing at an alarming rate in Bangladesh. Most of them took place in farming lands which causes reduction of agricultural production. We know that burning coal causes tremendous emission of Carbon-Di-Oxide (CO2) gas which is primarily responsible for climate change. Brick making fields use coal as fuel to burn raw bricks. Burning coal is also foremost cause of acid rain, and toxic air pollution. Workers work here from dawn to dusk still their wage is not up to the minimum standard." fetchpriority="high"/> Smoke comes out from kilns at a brickfield on the outskirt of Dhaka, Bangladesh on February 6, 2021. Ahmed Salahuddin/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photographs/NurPhoto cover caption

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Ahmed Salahuddin/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photographs/NurPhoto Throughout the dry winter months in Bangladesh, hundreds of employees shovel thousands and thousands of tons of coal into kilns throughout the nation. As columns of hand-packed bricks bake and harden, darkish plumes of smoke pour out of greater than 8,000 smokestacks that mark the skyline of each rural and concrete areas.

"It is a number of black smoke, impacting the employees and close by villagers, but in addition the general air high quality of the area," mentioned Sameer Maithel, an engineer with Greentech Data Options, a consulting agency in Delhi, India.

Bangladesh's air persistently ranks among the many most polluted on Earth. Brick kilns contribute wherever from 10 to 40% of the tiny particles that make up that air pollution. These particles can enter our lungs and even our bloodstream, inflicting well being issues, together with respiratory illnesses, stroke and even cognitive issues.

However one thing so simple as stacking the bricks a distinct approach may put a big dent in that air pollution, in response to a brand new research of over 275 kilns revealed in Science by Maithel and his colleagues.

"That is fantastic proof of how easy low value interventions can have a big effect on vitality use," mentioned William Checkley, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins College who wasn't concerned within the research. "If we are able to implement these, we may have a big impression in vitality use and emissions, enhancing air high quality all through southeast Asia."

The need of brick Bricks are the principle constructing block for Bangladesh. The densely populated and quickly urbanizing nation produces practically 30 million bricks a 12 months – greater than 90% from loosely regulated, coal-burning kilns.

"It is fairly easy and cheap to arrange traditional-style brick kilns, in order that they've simply proliferated," mentioned Nina Brooks, a worldwide well being researcher at Boston College.

The method goes one thing like this: First, dun-colored clay bricks are molded with a wood field and stacked within the solar to dry. Subsequent, lots of of hundreds of bricks are stacked within the firing chamber and lined with ash. Then, employees shovel heaps and many coal because the bricks fireplace, firming them up.

"The combustion effectivity of those brick kilns is de facto low," mentioned Brooks, which means they find yourself burning much more coal than they should, "Which is why they're so closely polluting right here."

Every kiln can make use of as much as 200 employees. They're probably the most instantly impacted by the smoke, with one research discovering practically 80% report some form of respiratory issues. However they don't seem to be the one ones. Kilns are sometimes near densely populated areas, including to the smog that comes from metropolis life.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4659x3106+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fda%2F45%2F367ff4314767bdd9cd48fa327d6b%2Fgettyimages-509388806.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4659x3106+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fda%2F45%2F367ff4314767bdd9cd48fa327d6b%2Fgettyimages-509388806.jpg" class="img" alt="DHAKA, BANGLADESH - FEBRUARY 10: Brick workers balancing huge stacks of the blocks on their heads as the carry them from the kiln near Dhaka, Bangladesh on February 10, 2016. About 11,000 brickfields are established across Bangladesh to meet the growing demand of construction works as urbanization rises rapidly in the country." loading="lazy"/> Brick employees steadiness stacks of bricks on their heads because the carry them from the kiln close to Dhaka, Bangladesh. Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/Anadolu Company/Getty Photographs/Anadolu cover caption

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Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/Anadolu Company/Getty Photographs/Anadolu Whereas there are rules on the place kilns can and might't function, they don't seem to be at all times adopted, mentioned Brooks. "We discovered that 77% of brick kilns are illegally positioned too shut to a college."

Fashionable, high-tech kilns produce considerably much less air pollution, however they're as much as 25 occasions dearer to construct and function. "They've not likely taken off," mentioned Brooks.

As an alternative, the crew appeared for options that might be simpler and cheaper for the common brick producer to undertake.

Easy interventions In his a long time of working with brick kiln homeowners in India as a consulting engineer, Maithel has observed questionable practices.

Many kiln operators pack too many bricks within the kiln too tightly, he mentioned. That tight spacing chokes out oxygen stream, which is required for environment friendly burning. It additionally means sizzling coals get caught on the high of the stack as an alternative of falling to the underside, main some bricks to be overbaked and others not fired sufficient.

He is additionally observed that employees usually shovel coal in bouts, working arduous in groups of two or three, after which all taking breaks collectively. That leads to uneven fueling, which might stymie effectivity too.

As an vitality techniques engineer, Maithel knew that just a few easy modifications may actually assist. Merely stacking the bricks in a zig-zag sample that will increase airflow and guaranteeing coal will get delivered extra persistently ought to assist the kilns function extra effectively, he mentioned."The higher you'll be able to present gas and air mixing, the likelihood of black smoke shall be much less."

To see if such easy interventions may assist cut back air air pollution and enhance income, the crew deliberate an enormous experiment throughout 276 kilns. One group of kiln homeowners and employees had been taught the best way to implement these interventions. One other group acquired the identical coaching plus information on how the modifications would get monetary savings. The management group acquired no coaching.

Then, throughout firing season within the winter, the researchers measured numerous elements of kiln efficiency, together with gas use.

So, did it work? The outcomes had been promising.

Kilns that adopted these measures noticed important advantages. On common, gas use dropped by about 23 p.c, the research discovered. The researchers estimate that would scale back the carbon dioxide and particulate matter popping out of the kilns by about 20%.

"We confirmed that easy, low-cost interventions can actually cut back air pollution," mentioned Mahbubur Rahman, an environmental well being researcher on the Worldwide Centre for Diarrhoeal Illness Analysis, Bangladesh.

And the modifications improved each employee circumstances and the underside strains for kiln homeowners. Over the season, they'd saved near $40,000 every due to lowered gas use, mentioned Brooks. Brick high quality went up as effectively.

The truth is, kiln homeowners had been so impressed {that a} 12 months later, people who had adopted the brand new practices had been nonetheless working towards them.

However to essentially make a dent in Bangladesh's air air pollution, many extra kilns must signal on. The analysis crew, which incorporates scientists from the U.S., India and Bangladesh, are actually working with the Bangladeshi authorities to develop this coaching.

"It is a hopeful story," Brooks says, "of a spot the place options are fairly possible."

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