Algae and bacteria clean a polluted Indian canal to irrigation-safe levels
Vishwakarma R, Gupta N, Gautam D, Koranga M, Vaswani P
Phytoremediation
Farmers downstream of industrial zones often irrigate crops with water carrying chemical and biological contaminants that accumulate in soil and produce, and this study shows a low-tech biological treatment can restore those channels to safe use within a year.
A canal running through a city in northern India had become badly polluted with industrial waste and sewage, making the water unsafe for the farmers who depend on it. Scientists added commercial blends that encourage helpful algae and bacteria to grow in the canal, and over a year those tiny organisms broke down the waste, consumed excess nutrients, and boosted oxygen levels dramatically. By the end, the water was clean enough to use for irrigation, and the approach cost far less than conventional treatment plants.
Key Findings
BOD dropped 85% and COD dropped 79% after year-long biological treatment with microalgae and bacterial consortia.
Microalgal populations grew nearly sevenfold, driving dissolved oxygen levels roughly 20-fold higher than pre-treatment baselines.
Total nitrogen fell 30% and ammoniacal nitrogen fell 46%, making treated water suitable for agricultural reuse.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers dosed a heavily polluted 47-million-liter-per-day canal in Punjab, India with microalgae- and bacteria-boosting nutrients for a year, cutting organic pollution by up to 85% and nearly eliminating excess nitrogen. The treated water became suitable for reuse in irrigation, offering a low-cost, nature-based fix for waterways degraded by industrial and urban runoff.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Year-long cumulative effect assessment of water quality and sludge reduction in Jayanti Ki Rao channel through strategized biological treatment using principal component analysis-a case study.
Jayanti Ki Rao (JKR) Choe, a prominent channel in Kharar, Punjab, has faced significant pollution challenges due to industrial discharges and urban runoff, threatening crop productivity, health and...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Street trees cut heat deaths by 39 percent in European cities
Trees in your local park or street aren't just pretty — they are literally keeping people alive during heatwaves, and planting even a modest number of the ri...
Water quality encompasses the chemical, physical, and biological properties of water that determine its suitability for various uses and the health of aquatic ecosystems. For plant scientists, water quality is a critical research area because aquatic and wetland plants are both highly sensitive
arrow_forward Explore topic