New Delhi: A new study by a team of scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur shows a significant reduction of heavy metal pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Ganga water, informed the Ministry of Science and Technology on Monday.
The scientists analysed daily geochemical record of the Ganga river and showed that reduced industrial discharge during 51 days of mandated nationwide lockdown decreased the dissolved heavy metal concentrations by a minimum of 50 per cent.
In contrast, inputs from agricultural runoff and domestic sewage like nitrate and phosphate remained almost the same as these sources were not impacted by the nationwide confinement.
The research was supported by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), a bilateral organisation under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and US Department of States. It was published by 'Environmental Science and Technology Letters'.
