toxic-metals-found-drifting-in-himalayan-clouds-pose-new-risks

A new study has uncovered a hidden danger drifting high above the Himalayas, revealing that clouds once believed to deliver pure drinking water are instead transporting toxic heavy metals from polluted lowlands to some of the world’s highest and most fragile ecosystems.

 

This alarming discovery highlights serious health risks linked to these airborne pollutants, which pose potential threats ranging from cancer to developmental disorders.

 

 

Researchers at the Bose Institute, an autonomous entity under the Department of Science and Technology, have identified significant levels of toxic metals such as cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in non-precipitating clouds during the early monsoon season over the Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas.

 

Pollution levels in clouds over the Eastern Himalayas were found to be 1.5 times higher than in the Western Ghats, primarily due to emissions from heavy traffic and industrial activity in the foothill regions nearby.

 

 

Led by Dr. Sanat Kumar Das, the atmospheric research team used detailed statistical modelling to trace the sources of these metals and to quantify the related health risks. Their analysis shows that children in the affected areas face a 30 pc higher risk of health issues compared to adults.

 

Inhalation emerged as the main route of exposure, particularly for non-carcinogenic diseases, with toxic metals dissolved in cloud water infiltrating human systems through skin contact, breathing polluted air and consuming rainwater.

 

 

The study also flagged an increased carcinogenic risk from inhaling dissolved chromium (Cr), underlining the growing threat posed by cloudborne pollutants.

 

While Indian clouds remain relatively less polluted than those over China, Pakistan, Italy and the USA, the findings shatter the longstanding belief in pristine mountain rain and highlight the urgent need for monitoring airborne pollution to safeguard vulnerable high-altitude communities.

 

 

Published recently in the journal Environmental Advances, the research opens new avenues for atmospheric pollution studies and public health strategies, casting clouds in a new light as unsuspected carriers of toxic metals from industrialised regions to remote mountainous areas.