The River Ganges is celebrated as a symbol of purity and divinity. For many, Ganga remains the potion of faith, with its endless life-giving waters. Scores of devotees perform their ceremonial ablutions at a ghat on the Ganges River after sunrise.
But over the years, reports emerged of Ganga’s rapidly deteriorating water quality.
A recent report points to the presence of heavy metals in Varanasi Ganga, which reportedly is putting human health at risk. It poses a severe risk to aquatic life, too.
Banaras Hindu University, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow and the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, conducted the joint research.
Springer Nature published the study titled, ‘Ecological and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals Bioaccumulation in Ganga Fish near Varanasi’ on December 26.
Prof Vijay Nath Mishra of the Department of Neurology, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, was quoted as saying by Nationalheraldindia.com, “We designed our study to achieve a holistic approach by not only estimating the concentration of heavy metals (lead, manganese, chromium, and cadmium) in the river water at different sites based on human anthropogenic activities but also in aquatic life at the same sites, particularly fish netted for human consumption on daily basis.”
“We found that mean concentration in Ganga water was 1.29 mg/L for Pb, 1.325 mg/L for Mn, 0.169 mg/L for Cr, and 0.161 mg/L for Cd, which were above the safe limit defined by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) in drinking water.”
According to the report, fish, including exotic and invasive species, were examined for the presence of metals in their tissues. The highest concentration of Pb was observed in the liver of Carpio (Cyprinus carpio) (8.86 µg/g) and lowest in the muscles of Baikari (Clupisoma garua) (0.07 µg/g). Maximum HI value was recorded in Carpio, the most consumed fish by in the region.
Mishra claimed that the presence of heavy metals was observed in the river water, sediment, and edible fishes of the Ganga in the Varanasi district.
The concentration of studied heavy metals was found to exceed permissible limits set by international standards.
Fisheries department assistant director, Deepanshu Singh, told the media outlet, “We will look into the matter and will find out sources from which heavy metals flow into the river in order to take preventive measures.”
The significance of this study lies in the fact that routine evaluations help detect early indicators of contamination, put appropriate controls in place, and increase public awareness of the risks associated with toxic substances in water sources.
Also Read: Rhea Chakraborty Rings in New Year with Temple Visit in Dubai
