Assessing lead in milk and environmental samples elicited from a used lead acid battery separation factory in Dinajpur district of Bang

Abstract

Bangladesh is a developing country where rapid industrialization taking place now a days. Almost half of the industry’s lead supply is sourced from ULABs in Bangladesh that is recycled by informal small enterprises. Lead (Pb) is a pervasive environmental pollutant with potential public health hazards a contaminant from industrial origin. The first reported lead outbreak in livestock was happened in 2020 at Magura district. At present, this type of lead out break is being observed in print media. In the year 2021, there was a lead outbreak in Fulbari upazila of Dinajpur district. This study was done on the base on that outbreak. The aim of this research was to determine lead in cow milk and environmental samples nearby the recycling factory in that outbreak area. We have collected 22 milk samples and 9 environmental samples (3 water, 3 soil and 3 green rice leaf) and 4 old rice straw (hay) after 10months later of outbreak to measure the lead concentration. The mean concentration of lead in milk was found 1.24±0.65 with a minimum of 0.32 ppb and a maximum of 2.57 ppb after 10 months later of the outbreak. The lead content in the green rice leaves was 9.65 ppb, 4.01 ppb, and 5.72 ppb at the distance of 10m, 100m and 500m, respectively. Whereas the lead content in the soil was 32.85 ppb 10m, 28.56 ppb 100m, and 31.13 ppb 500m, and the lead content in the water was 5.35 ppb 10m, 4.87 ppb 100m, and 6.21 ppb 500m 10 months later. It’s a matter of concern that all the milk samples tested positive for the lead however did not accede the maximum level. Although lead is present in various components of the environment, it is not above the tolerable level. Building awareness at farmers’ level is essential about lead poisoning and further study is needed to identify the presence of lead in food chain both in human and animal to avoid public health hazard by one health approa