Industrial Iron Pollution Disrupts Ocean Nutrient Cycles:
A study finds that industrial iron pollution depletes ocean nutrients and disrupts marine ecosystems, posing major ecological risks.
- Human-released iron boosts spring phytoplankton blooms and accelerates nutrient loss, worsening ocean nutrient depletion amid climate change.
- These threaten the entire marine food chain, from zooplankton to whales, especially affecting species unable to migrate or adapt.
- Phytoplankton are microscopic algae with chlorophyll that need sunlight to grow and form the base of the marine food chain, but excess nutrients can trigger toxic harmful algal blooms (HABs) affecting marine life and humans.
- India’s Iron and Steel Sector Emissions: India’s iron and steel industry contributes 5% to national GHG emissions.
- The iron and steel industry causes significant pollution due to the use of coal and iron ore. Furnace operations release sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
- Additionally, it generates wastewater, hazardous waste, and solid waste, leading to air, water, and soil pollution.
