Microplastics slipping into sewage water even after treatment: ICMR

Bhopal: Even after treatment, Bhopal's sewage water isn't free of pollution. An ICMR study has revealed that treated effluent still carries 10 to 15 microplastic particles in every litre, while the leftover sludge contains 7 to 9 particles in every gram.These plastics are not visible to the naked eye. They include polyethylene and polypropylene from packaging, and polyester and PET fibers shed from synthetic clothes during washing. In other words, everyday household waste is slipping through sewage treatment plants and entering the environment.Three of Bhopal's sewage plants use the same technology — Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs) were analysed. While effective at removing organic waste, SBRs are not designed to filter out microplastics. As a result, treated water still carries these particles into rivers and wetlands. Experts warn that this is more than just a technical detail. Microplastics can be eaten by fish and aquatic life, mix into soil when sludge is reused in farming, and even become airborne dust. Over time, they can enter the food chain and reach humans.Earlier on Feb 5, TOI had reported Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is upgrading its Arera Hills laboratory to strengthen water safety checks. BMC city engineer Udit Garg explained that the new facility will be able to detect sewage-borne bacteria like Hypobacteria — the same organism that caused concern during the Indore contamination scare. In addition, the lab will now screen for microplastics in the water supply, a growing environmental and health issue. The Arera Hills filtration plant lab is the only NABL-accredited facility under BMC.Microplastics severely impact human health. Through multiple routes microplastics can invade the human body and cause multiple changes via a downstream cascade of events that cause the body to experience pathophysiological effects, which can lead to a multitude of disorders including sleep disorders, obesity, cancer, Parkinson's disease, and others, according to another ICMR study released two years before.The study also highlights particular concern for the Bhoj wetland and Upper Lake, which supplies drinking water to nearly 40 percent of Bhopal's residents.