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Cement, specifically Portland cement is now used for construction and rapid urbanization worldwide. Though development of cement industry in Bangladesh takes back to early fifties this industry is in rapid growth state from about a decade, involving a large number of worker population. High alkalinity of cement and its tiny content of water soluble chromate can cause occupational skin diseases to workers who are involved with any type of cement handling activities. Cement industry workers are mainly low income group people and are driven by poverty, illiteracy, overpopulation and thus can pay little or no attention for health protection and treatment. Therefore, this study aims to identify skin disease status of workers in a Bangladeshi cement industry. Study was conducted amongthe workers working in a particular cement industry in south-west region of Bangladesh, at Labanchara, Rupsha Khulna. Data was collected by questionnaire survey method using modified version of standard questionnaire, which was drafted and pre-tested based on the reconnaissance survey. The study found that workers were suffering from various irritant dermatitis, allergic dermatitis and cement burn of different parts of their body, significantly in hand, forearm and leg. Study revealed, lack of proper sanitation and maintenance of safety equipment, coupled with habit of smoking and working for many years are mostly responsible, besides regular dust exposure for the association of skin diseases in cement workers.

Assessment of natural background levels (NBLs) of compositional groundwater parameters helps to identify the potential threats to groundwater resources. This study is the first attempt to apply the pre-selection-based BRIDGE (Background cRiteria for the IDentification of Groundwater thrEshold) methodology to calculate the NBLs and threshold values (TVs) of major groundwater constituents in the southwest Bengal Basin, Bangladesh. A database consisting of 78 groundwater samples was used to assess the NBLs and associated TVs of the major groundwater parameters (EC, Ca

Water quality is the critical environmental determinant that influences the agricultural production and therefore, the economy that solely depends on its agricultural productions. Batiaghata Upazilla is one of the major crop productive areas of Khulna region and the agricultural production here largely depends on the natural water of the Shailmari River system around it. The present study was conducted to assess the suitability of this coastal river water for irrigational use. 66 water samples were collected during this study in three consecutive agricultural seasons, viz., pre-monsoon (22), monsoon (22) and post-monsoon (22) from 11 sampling stations within the river system considering the high (11) and ebb (11) tides for each station. Standard methods were followed throughout the study period for the collection of the samples and analysis of major physicochemical parameters (pH, EC, TDS, salinity, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, HCO3, SO4, NO3 and PO4). Hydrocehmical characterization using Piper trilinear diagram shows that the water of the river system is Na-Cl dominated saline water type in pre-monsoon, whilst most of the samples of the river and the connected channel are characterized as fresh water of Ca-Mg-Na-HCO3 and Ca-Na-Mg-HCO3 types in monsoon and post-monsoon respectively. The calculated values of chemical indices like SAR, %Na, KI, PI and MH using the results of the analysed parameters indicate that the river water is chemically unsuitable for use in irrigation during pre-monsoon, while in the monsoon and post-monsoon the river water is within good to permissible limit for the use in the agricultural fields. However, high %Na, KI and MH values with high salinity of the channel water limit its use in agricultural applications in monsoon and post-monsoon. The USSL (United States Salinity Laboratory) diagram depicts that the river water is C4-S4 type with very high salinity and sodium content in pre-monsoon, while in other seasons the water is mostly C1-S1, C2-S1 or C2-S2 types (low to moderate salinity and sodium) in the river. Wilcox diagram shows that the river water is “suitable” for irrigation during monsoon and post-monsoon as the most of the samples range within “Excellent to Good” and “Good to permissible” categories, while it is “unsuitable” for crop irrigation during pre-monsoon when SAR (Sodium Adsorption Ratio) and EC (Electrical Conductivity) values of the water reach to their peaks.