Heavy pollution by industries in the Greater Kochi area is affecting backwaters, making fishes dangerous to eat as they carry harmful metals, according to a new study.
The study by the Department of Marine Technology, Cochin University for Science and Technology (Cusat), and the National Centre for Coastal Research, NIOT Campus, Chennai, revealed heavy metal contamination in various species of fish and shellfish in the Cochin estuarine system (CES) in the backwaters from Aroor to Eloor, the industrial belt of Kochi.
The report published in the international science journal Springer said at least three metals — zinc, cadmium, and chromium — exceeded the toxicity threshold outlined in the sediment quality guidelines, and cadmium and lead exceeded the standards of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
