Brick Kilns
Traditional coal-fired brick kilns in Bangladesh are responsible for 11% of the country’s annual PM2.5 emissions and 17% of annual CO2 emissions – making them a leading national contributor to air pollution, as well as a key global driver of climate change. The Luby Lab collaborates with local partners to help modify brick manufacturing across South Asia to reduce harm to the environment and health.
Research Themes: Reducing air pollution, improving health
- How can we scale improvements in brick kiln management across South Asia?
- What are the population health benefits of reducing brick kiln emissions?
- What next generation improvements can encourage kiln owners to further reduce kilns emissions?
- How can we reduce soil consumption in brick manufacturing?
- Can we use agricultural residue as fuel to displace some of the coal used in brick manufacturing?
Watch how zero-cost zig-zag brick kiln upgrades can deliver cleaner air and improve health, featuring Dr. Luby:
Read more about our Brick Kilns work here:
Select Publications
Brooks et al. 2025, "Reducing emissions and air pollution from informal brick kilns: Evidence from Bangladesh"
Lee et al. 2021, “Scalable deep learning to identify brick kilns and aid regulatory capacity”
Brooks et al. 2023, “Health consequences of small-scale industrial pollution: Evidence from the brick sector in Bangladesh”
Miller et al. 2024, “A Business Case for Human Rights at Work? Experimental Evidence on Labor Trafficking and Child Labor at Brick Kilns in Bangladesh”
Brooks et al. 2024, “Building blocks of change: The energy, health, and climate co-benefits of more efficient brickmaking in Bangladesh”
Sherris et al. 2021, “Associations between ambient fine particulate matter and child respiratory infection: The role of particulate matter source composition in Dhaka, Bangladesh”