Hyderabad\'s groundwater contaminated with pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds
Hyderabad: A recent study revealed alarming levels of organic micropollutants in the form of pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds in the groundwater in Hyderabad. The study, ’Pharmaceuticals and Agro-Chemicals in Groundwater of Hyderabad,’ has exposed the presence of harmful compounds, primarily pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, in the groundwater.
The scientists also found the presence of urinary metabolites in the groundwater, suggesting that domestic wastewater and sewage infiltration had played a significant role in contaminating the aquifers.
The study conducted by a group of scientists identified approximately 250 different polluting compounds across all samples. They used a technique called ‘non-targeted screening analysis using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight (LC-QTOF).’
Pharmaceutical compounds dominated in all samples, constituting more than 50 per cent of the detected compounds. Agrochemical compounds, including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other pesticides, comprised between 10 and 20 per cent of the detected compounds.
It said that the alarming revelation underscored that over 70 per cent of the detected compounds in Hyderabad's groundwater were pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.
A closer examination of samples from Sanathnagar revealed 63 per cent of pharmaceutical compounds and 20 per cent of agrochemical compounds among the total detected compounds, highlighting the acute contamination in this area.
The samples collected from Tarnaka and Jubilee Hills had the least proportion of pharma and agrochemical contamination but were by no means exempt from the contamination crisis. Here, pharmaceuticals accounted for 30 per cent of the total compounds and agrochemicals 12 per cent.
This striking distribution of compounds further underscores the urgent need for comprehensive measures to mitigate the pollution of Hyderabad's groundwater. The prevalence of pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds in this vital resource emphasises the potential health risks to the region's population and also raises concerns about their long-term effects on human health.
The researchers hint at discharges into the environment from pharmaceutical and agrochemical companies for the groundwater contamination crisis.
