Cauvery river is polluted with an extraordinarily high concentration of pharmaceutical contaminants like ibuprofen, plastics, flame retardants, and heavy metals.
High concentration of pharmaceutical contaminants like ibuprofen, plastics, flame retardants, heavy metals and pesticides, have polluted the waters of the Cauvery river, which in turn has increased the risk to human health and environment, reveals a study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. // A team of researchers from IIT Madras quantified the seasonal distribution of emerging contaminants and pollutants in the Cauvery.
‘There is a need for regularly monitor rivers and their tributaries for contamination by pharmaceutical products and to upgrade wastewater treatment systems.’
The team collected water from 22 locations along the entire stretch of the river. They also set up 11 sampling stations near discharge points of partially treated or untreated wastewater and 11 locations near intake points of water supply systems. The quality of water at the catchment sites was also monitored. They found pharmaceutical contaminants including anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen and diclofenac, anti-hypertensives such as atenolol and isoprenaline, enzyme inhibitors like perindopril, stimulants like caffeine, antidepressants such as carbamazepine, and antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin.
There was also significant contamination by metals such as arsenic, zinc, chromium, lead and nickel.
"Our observations are alarming. So far, not much is known about how pharmaceutical contaminants affect human health and the ecosystem over time," said Dr Ligy Philip, Nita and KG Ganapathi Institute Chair Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, in a statement.
"The team's environmental risk assessment has shown that pharmaceutical contaminants pose medium to high risk to the selected aquatic lifeforms of the riverine system," she added.
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Worldwide, water quality of the river systems has been deteriorating due to various anthropogenic activities.
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There was also a need to upgrade wastewater treatment systems to reduce the levels of emerging contaminants in receiving water bodies such as rivers.
Source-IANS