The heavy metal being provoked into the trophic cycle

Heavy metals

A belated realization that Waterborne diseases are anthropogenic

Water quality and human health coupling, a critical ground reality, has qualitatively percolated into the collective psyche of the nations. It was in the mid-19th century that John Snow dumped the blame for the incessant outbreaks of Cholera in London at the doorstep of a common open-cut well in the city. Regular outbreaks of the diseases of mass destruction such as cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis A were not connected to the drinking water sources in the past. Even today, the outbreaks of epidemics are attributed to gods and demigods in tribal?societies of the world. Latest estimates say, as per WHO estimates, 3.4 million people die of water-borne diseases, mostly in the countries of Africa and Asia. And every day 4000 infants and children die of them, making poor water quality the most dangerous threat to child health. The deleterious bouts of cholera and typhoid in the western cities and the research into the real cause for the same led to the advances in handling pathogens. The mischief perpetrated by bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans, ameba, etc. is now well documented and modern science is braced to manage the eventualities.

It was much later that the million-dollar truth dawned on the scientific community that water pollution is not necessarily limited to microorganisms alone. The unicellular goblins are just the tip of the iceberg, the water quality conundrum is more complex than meets the eye. Edward Gibbon in his landmark masterpiece, ‘The history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire,’ points out a few major reasons for the collapse of the empire, including the attack of vandals, the advent of Christianity, etc.?But one of the major causes is lead poisoning. The piped?water system in the eternal city led to universal poisoning of the drinking water supplies.

In 1971, when Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign state breaking away from Pakistan, one of the major problems plaguing the thickly populated country in the Ganga- Brahmaputra deltaic region, was waterborne diseases. Tens of thousands used to perish in the outbreaks of cholera and typhoid. The issue was that most of the surface water sources were vulnerable to fecal contamination, given the poor conditions of hygiene. The world health organization came out with a perennial solution to this menace looming large over the country, mining of deep groundwater. Tube wells were installed across the country and waterborne diseases by far became a thing of the past. After many decades, the suppressed menace, like the dreaded hydra, expressed itself in another shape. In many regions of the country, cancer became a new normal. Arsenic poisoning was the villain, even today people are paying a heavy price for the shortcut to water pollution.

Perils of mining and industrialization

Heavy metal pollution is a grave threat to human health, and the threat has taken an ugly turn in the recent centuries owing to mining and industrial progress. Generally, heavy metals do not feel their way to the water bodies.?Weathering and runoff can push trace levels of heavy metals into the food chain causing biological magnification. This had been a localized issue all along. With increased mining activities and industrial action, many sleeping dogs were let loose into the biogeochemical cycles. The natural sequestration dynamics in place in the terrestrial, aquatic and biotic environments are also disturbed by the disruption of the pH buffers. Increased acidity bolsters the mobility of metals in the aquatic medium. The curious side of the picture is that most of the mining activities are in the third world and consumption is in the first world. Thus, the poor countries are at the bad end of the spectrum. For example, the US comprising?4.5% of the world’s population, uses about 20% of the world's metals and 25% fossil fuels.?

The culprits are a wide range of metals with an atomic number greater than 20 and exclude alkali metals, alkaline earth, lanthanides, and actinides. The most dangerous culprits on stage are arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, and mercury. As the freshwater sources are generally to the acidic side and seawater slightly basic, the terrestrial organisms are more affected by the mobilization of metals. Mines of acidic nature, ores advected in the runoff,?the metallurgical processes, and coal-based industries play a mischievous role in the scheme of things. In an acidic environment, the electron transfer reactions release phytotoxic and zootoxic oxyradicals and hydroxyls with the metal ions. Gastrointestinal and kidney dysfunction, nervous system disorders, skin lesions, vascular damage, immune system dysfunction, birth defects, and cancer?are some of the proven impacts of heavy metal poisoning. The deadliest metal among them all, mercury, is capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier too, hence even at ppb levels, Hg can be dangerous.

To put the genii back in the bottle

Though Pandora’s box has been opened, modern science has designed various mechanisms to reign in the threat. And, as the world is more sensitized about water quality, legislative interventions have been happening since the mid-20th century. The US clean water act of 1948, which has undergone subsequent amendments, is a pioneer in this regard. This has induced many other countries to follow the suit. So much so that in many developed countries of Western Europe the public water supply systems are so reliable that bottled water is not anymore in vogue in the high-profile meetings.?

Clean water and air are recognized as one?fundamental right of the citizens in many parts of the world.?Acid rains provoked by various oxides of nitrogen and sulfur released by fossil fuels exacerbate the acidic nature of freshwater sources, adding to the toxicity of water bodies. Also, fecal contamination, The influx of agrochemicals, and unchartered?industrial and mining waste make the quality of surface water sources nebulous, the constitutional guarantees notwithstanding. The technological advancements need to reach the less accomplished nations too, to manage the dirty chemicals let loose.?

The emerging technology landscape

Against this backdrop, it would be pertinent to take a look at the recent breakthroughs in the technological advances in dealing with the heavy metal threat in potable water sources. The easiest way to carry out this mission is to take recourse to the Techtracker tool, introduced by Relecura. It is an AI/ML-powered innovative tool that sheds light on any technology of your interest.

The report tells us that there has been a remarkable hike in publications after 2019. And a lion's share of the publications is from China. The US, Japan, Korea, Canada, India, etc. also have made their presence but China enjoys a monopoly in the field. The major area of innovation is in wastewater treatment, and physical and chemical processes (catalysis and separation) as it is a matter of major concern in the industrialized world. Almost all companies leading the innovation process are from China. Easy mining Sweden has made a strong presence amidst the deluge of Chinese companies. The major players are Daramic, Onya, Para and Co. Ltd., KX Technologies, etc.?

The emerging technologies include Solid sorbent or filter aid compositions, Sorbents for chromatography (Coatings on a core, the core being particle or fiber shaped, e.g. encapsulated particles, coated fibersm, Particle form, comprising of?inorganic material >> comprising silica or silicate, comprising inorganic material >> comprising oxides or hydroxides of metals not provided for in group B01J20/04 >> comprising aluminium oxide or hydroxide; comprising bauxite) Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage, Use of specific compounds during water treatment, and Components to be removed in separation process (Mercury or mercury compounds).

The emerging companies in the field are OMYA, BEIJING ZKGR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TECH CO LTD, PARA CO LTD, EASYMINING SWEDEN AB, INSTRACTION GMBH, KX Technologies, SOUTH CHINA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, JOO HWANG YOON, NORTH CHINA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY and a few other Chinese companies.

For more details, please click on the link: https://tracker.relecura.com/index.php/dashboard/openShareLink/82444857f09e0d5779d7454a2c790e93

Conclusion

Industrialization and natural resource mining progressed to meet the demands of the world and to solve certain problems faced by our civilization. But those essential economic activities were fraught with some other problems. Life on earth had to pay a painful price in terms of environmental quality in the long run. Every problem, however, has a built-in solution as well. The scientific community has been vigilant enough to identify the solutions dormant in each problem. Given the current capabilities, heavy metal toxicity does not have to be a grave threat to life anymore. The critical factors, however, are awareness creation and percolation of appropriate technology to the right strata of the pyramid.