Published Paper Details:

Pollution by mercury is one such silent epidemic that affects almost all the biota connected in a food chain and food web of the ecosystem. Once mercury, in any form, enters the food chain, its concentration goes on increasing by many folds from the first trophic level to the last trophic level. The present study was planned to find out the status and extent of mercury pollution in and around the industry, nearer to Rushikulya River and Bay of Bengal. The analysis of the effluent in the past indicated the highly toxic nature of the effluent and its impact on the environmental parameters. The present study indicated that the effluent discharged from the industry, effluent in the effluent canal, solid waste dumping site, effluent soaking pond near the river bank, leaching effluent and sites where effluent joins the river is highly contaminated with mercury contained effluent. Significant level of mercury was detected in all aquatic and terrestrial samples tested. The effluent significantly altered the physico-chemical properties of the water bodies impacting the physico-chemical parameters. The dissolved oxygen was seriously affected which impacted the aquatic animals. Presence of elemental mercury in effluent and solid waste can be methylated by bacteria to ionic and inorganic forms which can pose a serious threat to the environment and available biota at the contaminated site. The effluent needs to be treated physically, chemically and biologically and after proper treatment the effluent can only be discharged in to the natural environment for protection of aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna and most important is to protect the human beings inhabiting in the contaminated areas.