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Pollution Levels in the Arkavati River
The report highlights severe pollution in the Arkavati River, with pollutants surpassing both Indian and international standards.
Key Findings
- Pollutants Examined:
- 65 unique water pollution parameters
- 20 unique sediment pollution parameters
- Pollution Sources:
- Physicochemical pollutants
- Pesticides
- Heavy metals
- Hazardous organic compounds
- Pesticides: Harmful substances like heptachlor and DDT were found at levels 25,022 times over the US EPA guidelines.
- Heavy Metals: Mercury detected at levels 26 times above Canada's Sediment Quality Guidelines.
- Industrial Pollutants: PAHs such as Dibenz[a,h]anthracene found at 3,076 times the US EPA guidelines.
- Nutrients: Phosphorus levels causing eutrophication at all sites.
Health and Environmental Risks
- Risks include cancer and hormone disruptions.
- Heavy metals contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Monitoring and Regulation
Inadequate monitoring practices are blamed for the severe pollution levels.
- The Central Pollution Control Board emphasizes comprehensive sampling site classification.
- Karnataka State Pollution Control Board's program under the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP) is deemed inadequate, using basic rankings without addressing emerging contaminants.
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