Kufos research contribute to Indian polar research programme on Arctic pollutants

Kochi: As part of a study to trace invisible pollutants in the Arctic region, two young researchers of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) have collected samples and conducted tests as part of the Indian polar research programme. They did their sampling under India's Summer and Winter Arctic Expeditions 2025-26, organized by National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) under the Union ministry of earth sciences (MoES). The research project titled ‘Pesticidal POPs and Chemicals of Emerging Arctic Concern (CEACs) in the Arctic Fjords, Rivers, and Lakes' was led by Prof Anu Gopinath, head of the department of aquatic environment management, Kufos. The project was carried out in collaboration with Paromita Chakraborty, professor at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu, who served as the co-principal investigator. "The proposal was selected by NCPOR for both the summer and winter components of the expedition, highlighting its scientific importance in ongoing Arctic environmental studies," said Anu Gopinath. As part of the project, research scholar Kirthiga S S participated in the summer batch, where she carried out field-based scientific investigations in Aug 2025. The expedition involved environmental sampling and observations in Arctic aquatic systems, including fjords, rivers and lakes. To further advance the project, her colleague Dhinesh R joined the winter expedition in March this year, continuing the field investigations and scientific activities under extreme Arctic conditions. The participation of researchers in both seasonal expeditions enabled the team to collect valuable environmental data under varying climatic and ecological conditions in the polar region. During both expeditions, the research team collected environmental samples from various Arctic aquatic environments. These samples will undergo detailed chemical analysis and geospatial assessment to determine pollutant concentrations, transport pathways and potential ecological impacts. In addition to the expedition activities, the team has also published a research article titled ‘Baseline investigation, GIS-based sediment transport index and risk assessment for microplastics and pesticides profiling in the inter-fjord Arctic systems' in the internationally reputed Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.