Repercussions of rivers pollution
By: Vijay Kumar H K
A new study found that freshwater fish across the country have high levels of ‘forever chemicals,’ a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals that do not degrade easily in our environment.
Despite being phased out of industries in our country over two decades ago, the most commonly found chemical was perfluoro-octane sulfonic acid (PFOS), demonstrating the unintended, far-reaching consequences of failing to properly regulate the use of these long-lasting substances.
People and wildlife, as well as rivers, rely on clean, healthy freshwater ecosystems for survival. Rivers such as the Yamuna, Narmada, Brahmaputra, and Krishna are indicator species, which means their presence in a waterway indicates the health of the ecosystem.
When the water is contaminated, rivers can consume large amounts of pollutants through their food. The only way to protect rivers and other wildlife is to restore damaged ecosystems and keep our rivers clean by implementing science-based policies that regulate harmful substances such as PFOS chemicals.
Across the country, researchers discovered fish with detectable levels of hazardous chemicals. Despite the fact that these chemicals were identified as a health risk long ago, they were used for a variety of industrial and manufacturing purposes for many decades and, in many cases, are still used today.
According to the researchers, PFOS is present in the bloodstreams of more than 15% of Indians according to studies. These chemicals have been linked to an increased risk of cancer, reproductive harm, immune system suppression, and a variety of other medical conditions in humans.
Water pollution prevention is critical for protecting the health of people and major rivers.
(The author is an Environmentalist based at Raichur, Karnataka)
KV News
