Threats Imposed by the Aluminum Utensil Manufacturing Industry: A Comprehensive Analysis of its Environment and Health Impacts through a Case Study at Chattogram, Bangladesh

Abstract

Aluminum utensils are a daily necessity for cooking and related activities in the world. Consequently, the production of such items, particularly in the developing nations of South Asia and Africa, is extremely labor-intensive and poses immense threats to the workers’ health due to an unsafe working environment. However, no research has been carried out in South Asia to quantify the impact of such working conditions on the air quality index (AQI) and particulate matter (PM) in the aluminum cookware industry. Hence, in this study, AQI, PM2.5, and relative humidity were measured at a factory in Chattogram to analyze the threats imposed on the workers of the aluminum cookware manufacturing industries in the sub-continent. Moreover, structured questions and in-depth interviews were administered to the workers and owners in order to assess the gravity of the situation and policy drawbacks. The workers and owners were aware of the negative impacts, but the main problems were caused by the corrupt department for industrial investigations. However, most of the workers were found to have experienced severe accidents when the AQI was quite high. These issues were not addressed due to a lack of training for the owner’s unawareness. Results demonstrated that the AQI and PM levels exceed the WHO standard and the workers are prone to different health issues. Hence, public intervention and policy implications are required to improve the working environment for aluminum cookware manufacturers, particularly through the provision of protective clothing.