Ahmedabad: These tiny creatures love heavy metal. It’s not music we mean, but toxic metals like cadmium, mercury, chromium, lead and zinc: stuff that not only cause cancer but also trigger impairments in humans after they seep into our soil and groundwater. A five-year research at the Central University of Gujarat (CUG) has zeroed in on a special group of microbes — mainly bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes — that not only munch on these deadly wastes but also turn the land useful by a process of bio-cleansing.

Delhi's air is no doubt polluted and gains from CNG have been frittered away. But the air in some residential areas can be far more toxic than we imagine. A study by school of environmental sciences at JNU, published in last month's Atmospheric Pollution Research (APR) journal, has found the content of chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) higher than the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) standards. In short, continued exposure to these inhalable carcinogenic metals can lead to grave health risks in future.

Depletion of groundwater and its increasing pollution could be leading to a silent, nationwide public health crisis as aquifers in many stretches across India are becoming unfit for drinking, according to the government’s own figures. Depletion of groundwater and its increasing pollution could be leading to a silent, nationwide public health crisis as aquifers in many stretches across India are becoming unfit for drinking, according to the government's own figures.

Honey might be no longer `nectar' for users. For, a test conducted by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found that it was more of a sugar served with antibiotics. The genuineness of the honey notwithstanding, the producers are turning their venture into one of the `sweetest' businesses.
A prime example of it is laundering of Chinese honey to United States (US) and Europeon Union (EU) through third world countries including India. China is the biggest producer and exporter of honey.

Untreated Industrial Effluent Dumped On Yamuna Floodplain
New Delhi: The next time you stop along the Yamuna to buy those fresh leafy vegetables, think twice. A study carried out by The Energy Research Institute (TERI) has found that the continuous dumping of untreated industrial effluent and sewage into the river has contaminated the riverbed soil, and several vegetables, specifically the green leafy ones, contain high levels of toxic metals.