Rivers Of India Facing Metal Pollution : Center For Science And Environment Report
The Center for Science and Environment has reported that rivers of India are facing severe metal pollution.
- Three out of every four river monitoring stations in India have observed alarming levels of heavy toxic metals such as lead, iron, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and copper.
Heavy Metals:
- Heavy metals may be defined as elements with an atomic number larger than 20 and an atomic density greater than 5 g cm-3 that must possess metal-like characteristics. Example: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, uranium etc.
- Heavy metal pollution has been caused in our rivers, soils, and environment as a result of rapidly growing agriculture and metal industries, improper waste management, heavy use of fertilizers, and pesticides.
- Agricultural and industrial operations, landfilling, mining, and transportation are the primary sources of heavy metals in groundwater.
- Through the agricultural water runoff heavy metals reach upto river.
- Discharge of wastewater from industries (like the tannery industry which is a big source of chromium heavy metals) directly into river bodies intensified the severity of the heavy metal pollution.
- Heavy metals have the property of long persistent in plants, animals and environment.
