Heavy metals in water is concerning
By: Vijay Kumar H K
Heavy metal refers to any metallic chemical element that has a relatively high density (usually more than 5 gram per cubic centimetre) and is poisonous at low concentrations.
The most popular heavy metals are lead, zinc, mercury, nickel, cadmium, copper, chromium, and arsenic. Although these heavy metals can be detected in traces; they are still hazardous. other metals such as silver, iron, manganese, molybdenum, boron, calcium, antimony, cobalt , etc. are commonly available in wastewater and need to be removed.
The presence of heavy metals in wastewater has been increasing with the growth of industry and human activities, e.g., plating and electroplating industry, batteries, pesticides, mining industry, rayon industry, metal rinse processes, tanning industry, fluidized bed bioreactors, textile industry, metal smelting, petrochemicals, paper manufacturing, and electrolysis applications industries are responsible for contaminating water bodies in the country.
The heavy metal contaminated wastewater finding its way into the environment, threatening human health and the ecosystem in the country as per reports. The heavy metals are non-biodegradable and could be carcinogenic thus, the presence of these metals in water by improper amounts could result in critical health issues to living organisms.
Heavy metals in water will also lead to several neurological problems in humans including Alzheimer`s disease, Parkinson`s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater is of prime importance at present for a clean environment and human health.
Rivers containing large quantity of heavy metals is a menace. India`s major rivers are contaminated by one or more heavy metals, exceeding safe limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
The Indian National Science Academy reports that the major hazardous metals of concern for India in terms of their environmental load and health effects are lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, copper, and aluminium, that are released into the water through anthropogenic activities.
It is important to develop filters to treat these effluents that are released into water bodies by industries to prevent pollution. There are different methods for efficient removal of heavy metals from water.
Adsorption method is highly efficient low-cost, and ease of operation method. Therefore, our central Ministry of Mining should make a mandatory rule as soon as possible for industries across the country to adopt adsorption technology to treat large amounts of water contaminated with heavy metals.
(The author is an e environmentalist hailing from Raichur, Karnataka)
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