Hyderabad's groundwater contaminated with pharmaceutical and agrochemical compou

Hyderabad: A recent study revealed alarming levels of organic micropollutants in the form of pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds in the groundwater in Hyderabad. The study, ’Pharmaceuticals and Agro-Chemicals in Groundwater of Hyderabad,’ has exposed the presence of harmful compounds, primarily pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, in the groundwater.The scientists also found the presence of urinary metabolites in the groundwater, suggesting that domestic wastewater and sewage infiltration had played a significant role in contaminating the aquifers.The study conducted by a group of scientists identified approximately 250 different polluting compounds across all samples. They used a technique called ‘non-targeted screening analysis using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight (LC-QTOF).’Pharmaceutical compounds dominated in all samples, constituting more than 50 per cent of the detected compounds. Agrochemical compounds, including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other pesticides, comprised between 10 and 20 per cent of the detected compounds.It said that the alarming revelation underscored that over 70 per cent of the detected compounds in Hyderabad's groundwater were pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.

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