Targeting toxins in the rivers of Bangladesh and the role of open access

For Dr Tasrina Rabia Choudhury opens in new tab/window, a Bangladeshi chemist, a career in science was inspired by her passion for the world around her:

I have a fascination with the natural world. I also have a desire to help solve environmental pollution, to ensure a quality and safe life for mankind.

Tasrina is Principal Scientific Officer and Quality Manager in the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory of the Atomic Energy Centre of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission opens in new tab/window in Dhaka. She has an MSc and PhD in Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from the University of Dhaka opens in new tab/window, Bangladesh. Her dedicated work has led to the publication of numerous papers and prestigious awards, including the 2024 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award for Early Career Women Scientists in the Developing World.

The focus of Tasrina’s research is analyzing and addressing major and minor trace essential and toxic elements in different environments. She has intensively studied heavy metal contamination in water and other ecosystems, examining the impact on human health and working on solutions. She explains:

Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and chromiumetc — as well as emerging contaminants like microplastics — pose significant risks to environmental quality and public health due to their persistence, toxicity and widespread occurrence. Finding ways to identify and remove those contaminants is a critical area of environmental science. It can make a huge difference to people’s health.

Tasrina’s research has involved extensively investigating the river systems throughout the coastal regions of Bangladesh. This year, she was the lead author of a groundbreaking study opens in new tab/window appraising heavy metal contamination in five coastal river systems, published open access in Elsevier’s journal Regional Studies in Marine Science opens in new tab/window. Using advanced techniques, the research team conducted a detailed analysis of metal distribution and pollution levels:

We uncovered extreme levels of contamination significantly above safe limits and found that the source was primarily human-made. Urbanization, industrial activities, or unrestricted disposal of waste into water bodies, were all contributing to that contamination. This study clearly shows the need for urgent and effective water management strategies in Bangladesh’s coastal regions.

Spreading the word through open access

Tasrina and her research team have investigated the river systems throughout the coastal regions of Bangladesh extensively, developing innovative solutions for remediation. To promote their adoption, spreading the word is key. To this end, Tasrina has authored various studies, most of which are published open access in Elsevier journals.

This year, she was the lead author of a groundbreaking study appraising heavy metal contamination in five coastal river systems opens in new tab/window, published open access in Elsevier’s journal Regional Studies in Marine Science opens in new tab/window. Using advanced techniques, the research team conducted a detailed analysis of metal distribution and pollution levels:

We uncovered extreme levels of contamination significantly above safe limits and found that the source was primarily human-made. Urbanization, industrial activities or unrestricted disposal of waste into water bodies, were all contributing to that contamination. This study clearly shows the need for urgent and effective water management strategies in Bangladesh’s coastal regions.

She was also the lead author on a remediation study using sawdust opens in new tab/window, which was published open access in Elsevier’s journal Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology.

We established a removal technique of chromium (Vl) from contaminated water using nano zero-valent iron supported by sawdust aiming to enhance pollutant remediation efficiency. Sawdust is more economical and easily available and it was modified with zero-valent iron, it transformed into an excellent adsorbent, rendering it highly effective for chromium removal.

In addition, she is the lead author on a newly published paper on microplastics opens in new tab/window in Elsevier’s Journal of Contaminant Hydrology.

Due to some prominent characteristics of plastics, their diverse uses and their low cost, plastic utilization and production have grown rapidly globally. This work represents the impact of MP pollution in multi-environmental compartments like sediment, surface water, groundwater and biota, especially on human health and their suggestive mitigation strategies, Tasrina explained.

In addition, she is a co-author on a new study in Elsevier’s journal Cleaner Water opens in new tab/window, also published open access. By developing advanced techniques, the research team was able to remove toxic Cr, Cu and Cd from waste water.

In addition, she co-authored “Molecular characterization and human health risk assessment of multi-drug and heavy metals tolerant bacteria from urban river water opens in new tab/window,” published open access in Elsevier’s journal Desalination and Water Treatment. Here, the research team conducted a detailed study characterizing the multi-drug and heavy metal-resistant bacteria and their human health risks in the six major urban rivers. Tasrina explained:

In this study, we isolate and characterize the bacteria showing multiple resistance to metals along with antibiotics employing molecular techniques, evaluate the potential human health risks associated with these bacterial strains by multiple heavy metals resistance (MHMR) and multiple antibiotics resistance (MAR) indexes and hemolytic assay.

Establishing a specialist laboratory

To support her research in this area, Tasrina has established an ISO/IEC 17025 opens in new tab/window certified analytical chemistry laboratory. The facility specializes in the analysis of trace and toxic metals within a wide range of substances, from water to soil and food items.

Here, Tasrina has been able to work on the development of advanced materials and technologies for water purification. One solution of note has been the synthesis of metal-phenolic nanocomposite sorbents and Nanostructured Bi-metallic Biochar:

“These technologies have the potential to provide cost-effective and efficient methods for purifying water sources, particularly in regions where access to clean water is limited,” she explains.

Finding solutions that work for the local community has also been an important factor. Tasrina has conducted extensive research into synthesizing magnesium oxide nanoparticles from Tamarindus Indica pulp. Commonly known as tamarind, this plant is widely cultivated in Bangladesh, where it is used for spice and as a medicinal:

Exploring the use of indigenous materials and technologies opens up a lot of community benefits. The use of tamarind in particular has the potential to empower local communities and promote sustainable development. It can be sourced locally, and it’s cost effective.

Tasrina’s research has also delved into emerging environmental challenges, including heavy metal contamination in road dust and the environmental implications of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 era. She comments:

I feel committed to trying to understand and address contemporary public health issues. I want to help pave the way for the development of innovative strategies that can help ensure the wellbeing of future generations.

Navigating career obstacles

While Tasrina has been able to achieve a high level of success with her work, her professional journey has not always been straightforward:

As a scientist from a developing country, limited resources, lack of access to advanced technology and funding constraints can all create obstacles. I would say resilience, determination, and passion for scientific inquiry have really helped.

One barrier Tasrina faced was getting access to high quality training opportunities in the early stages of her career. Her way around this was to look for alternative paths and to make use of whatever resources were available:

Collaboration has been an extremely important part of my work. Working with peers, both locally and internationally, has provided valuable support. When you work with other researchers around the world, it helps overcome your limitations and broaden the scope of your research.

Overcoming gender bias

In Tasrina’s view, women from the Global South face unique challenges that can hold them back from a career in science. These include cultural norms and stereotypes that may discourage women from pursuing a career in science or other STEM fields:

We often see in the global South that traditional gender roles can place domestic dutis above professional pursuits for women. That’s made worse by a lack of affordable childcare or the necessary support systems needed to maintain work-life balance.

For women who do pursue a career in science, Tasrina believes there can be obstacles to achieving a high level of success. Potential gender bias in academic and research settings, along with a lack of female role models and mentors, can make it harder to progress. There are, however, a growing number of success stories, Tasrina notes:

“In spite of the obstacles, and the traditional thinking about women’s roles, many women in the Global South are breaking barriers and making significant contributions to scientific research and innovation. You only have to look to the other OWSD winners for examples.”

Tasrina believes more initiatives to promote mentorship for female scientists, greater provision of training and support and, in some cases, policy changes, would all help to create a more inclusive scientific community.

Leveling the playing field through open access publishing

As a scientist from a developing country, Tasrina says the process of publishing requires considerable effort and perseverance:

Access to high-impact journals can sometimes be limited due to financial constraints or a lack of institutional subscriptions. This means careful selection is needed to find suitable platforms. Language barriers can also complicate the process.

Despite this, Tasrina has found many routes to success in achieving high visibility with research:

I have been involved with many collaborations, including with organizations like the IAEA opens in new tab/window, World Bank opens in new tab/window and UNIDO opens in new tab/window. Collaborating with international partners and participating in research networks is so important to gain access to resources and expertise. It’s also a huge help to get research more widely shared.

Tasrina also highlights how open access publishing — along with increased recognition of the importance of diverse perspectives — are gradually leveling the playing field for researchers from developing countries:

Open access publishing represents a transformative shift in scholarly communication. It can democratize knowledge and foster greater collaboration and innovation, and … that collaboration can be hugely helpful for researchers like myself.

The fact that open access publications can be easily and widely accessed represents a great opportunity, Tasrina says:

Publishing via open access can lead to greater citations and broader dissemination of findings. That in itself can accelerate progress in addressing societal challenges.

Tasrina also sees significant benefits for open access in promoting transparency and reproducibility in research:

When data and findings are freely available, that means they can be easily scrutinized and validated, which can enhance credibility and reliability of the research. With that increased confidence in the research, you’d hopefully see even more reuse of data for further exploration and discovery.

Open access publishing also presents challenges, particularly for researchers working with constrained resources. These include the charges associated with some journals, which can create a financial barrier. Tasrina concludes:

“Open access holds great promise. But, if there is going to be more equal access, some of the challenges around the cost of publishing do need to be addressed. This way we can harness its full potential and benefits.”

Creating a sustainable future

If open access holds great promise for the future of science, then it is a great match with Tasrina’s ambitions:

My overarching goal as an environmental scientist is to make a positive impact on the world by contributing to the protection of our natural resources. I also want to help promote environmental justice and equity for all communities. Through my work, I hope to contribute to creating a more sustainable and resilient future for our planet and its inhabitants.