A study involving Bangladeshi and international researchers has found potentially harmful chemical contaminants in Dhaka city’s water supply, raising concerns about long-term public health risks.
The findings, first presented in November last year in the presence of officials from Dhaka WASA, recently drew renewed attention after former civil servant Mahbub Kabir Milon highlighted the issue in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
The research was conducted by a team from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University in collaboration with Sweden’s Umeå University. Water samples were collected from eight zones of Dhaka WASA and analysed in a Swedish laboratory.
Tests detected PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), along with traces of pesticides and pharmaceutical compounds. PFAS are widely known as persistent chemicals that can accumulate in the human body over time and have been linked to serious health risks, including cancer.
Abdul Kaium, chairman of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and a member of the research team, confirmed the findings to TIMES of Bangladesh. He said the report had been submitted to the Chief Adviser’s Office late last year, after which a committee was formed to examine the issue.
He added that the study was conducted at a preliminary stage using “grafting sampling” methods.
“If WASA and the relevant authorities had approved a more in-depth study, we could have tested water samples from around 800 locations across Dhaka,” he said, noting that such an expanded study could have provided clearer insights as well as recommendations for mitigation.
According to him, the international research team was willing to fund and support further investigation, but Dhaka WASA did not show interest in pursuing it.
In response, Dhaka WASA’s public relations officer Abdul Kader said the agency had only recently become aware of the findings. “We will review this with our expert team,” he told TIMES, adding that the organisation has its own equipment and research data. “After comparing these findings with our own, we will provide an official briefing.”
The issue gained wider public attention after Mahbub Kabir Milon described the findings in a social media post, stating that he had informed the managing director of Dhaka WASA and shared the identities of the researchers involved. He said the managing director had invited him to discuss the matter further next week.
In his post, Milon also warned that consuming drinking water containing PFAS, pesticides and pharmaceutical residues is unprecedented. He called for separate testing of surface and groundwater sources, alongside a detailed analysis of root causes and associated risk factors.
The study’s findings have not yet been independently verified by authorities, but they have prompted calls for further investigation into the safety of Dhaka’s water supply and the potential implications for public health.
