Dhaka Sitting on a Plastic Bomb: Issues and Concerns around Waste Governance, Water Quality, and Public Health

Md Nadiruzzaman,Afsana Afrin Esha,Hosna Jahan Shewly

doi:10.3390/earth3010002

Abstract

Plastic, an offer of modernity, has become one of the essential parts of our everyday life. However, it is presenting a massive threat in altered forms, to our health and environment. Plastic does not only pollute the surface environment, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, but toxic elements released from plastics also percolate down the surface and contaminate groundwater, which we often use as ‘safe’ drinking water. This probable future risk is deeply rooted in the entire governance infrastructure of plastic waste which could potentially lead to contamination of groundwater. Thus, a state-sponsored ‘safe drinking water’ initiative could contrarily produce a ‘risk society’. A recent study finds 81% of tap water samples collected worldwide contained plastic pollutants, which means that annually we may be ingesting between 3000 and 4000 microparticles of plastic from tap water. Based on review, ethnographic observations and interviews, and lived experience in a plastic-wrapped city (Dhaka), this paper sheds light on the complex interface of plastic, water, and public health, on the relevance of Beck’s ‘risk society’ to understand this complexity, and on replicating the idea of ‘risk society’ in the case of Bangladesh. Through understanding the plastic–groundwater–waste management nexus, this paper highlights and advocates for a new strategy of plastic governance in modern states.

Highlights

In the early twentieth century, the invention of Bakelite, the world’s first synthetic plastic, laid the foundation of the Polymer Age
Plastic set up the conditions for consumerism and international trade and, while the existing systems themselves became progressively reliant upon the diverse forms of plastic [2]
This particular issue becomes problematic when we look into the entire governance of plastic waste management, pollution at plastic - groundwater interface, and how a state-sponsored ‘safe drinking water’ campaign could contrarily produce a ‘risk society’ in the global South and beyond

Summary

Introduction

In the early twentieth century, the invention of Bakelite, the world’s first synthetic plastic, laid the foundation of the Polymer Age. Humans had benefited from polymers since roughly about 1600 BC when the ancient Mesoamericans first manufactured natural rubber into balls, figurines, and bands [1]. Moving forwards, men had relied progressively on plastics and rubber. Experiments first began with horns, natural polymers, natural rubber, resins, and waxes, until the nineteenth century, when modern thermoplastics were developed. Plastic set up the conditions for consumerism and international trade and, while the existing systems themselves became progressively reliant upon the diverse forms of plastic [2]. Due to its complying property to withstand the effects of the environment, adjustable characteristics, and being untouched by time itself, plastic soon became the fuel for development

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Conclusion