Women are risking their lives to wash cement bags beside the Surma River in Sylhet. It is harmful to their health, and plastic dust is filling the river bed too which damages the environment. Exposure to high levels of cement dust irritates their nose and throat, which could lead to occupational asthma and other illnesses. Mortar can also contain respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which is also found in concrete and can lead to the development of silicosis or scarring of the lungs, which results in a loss of lung function and severe shortness of breath. Sylhet, Bangladesh.

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Photo credit: © Rafayat Khan / Alamy / Afripics
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