Date:22/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/22/stories/2006112200130200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Salem

Young researchers detect health threats

Staff Reporter

DIRECT INTERACTION: Students from Cluny Matriculation Higher Secondary School undertaking a study on biodiversity in sewage environment.

Salem: The increasing level of pollution and unsanitary conditions in the residential colonies in Pachapatti and Vellakuttai pose serious threat to human health, said a study done by a team of four young girls of the Cluny Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Salem.

The study, on `Biodiversity in Sewage Environment' was carried out by a team led by G. Brinda Sri, a Standard VI student, in Pachapatti and Vellakuttai.

Unhealthy conditions

In these places, people lived very close to heavily clogged drainage channels and stagnated wastewater.

The three other members of the team were V. Divya, P. Magdalin and T. Vinothini, all students of Standard VI. The team was guided by their teacher Shanthi.

The young researchers, after collecting and testing the sewage samples from these areas in the laboratory, found the presence of both pathogenic (salmonella typhi) and non-pathogenic microorganisms. Larval stage of cluex mosquito was also found.

"Though deadly pathogens do live in the sewage, people are not alarmingly affected by them.

Main reasons behind it are the presence of normal flora and other saprophytic organisms.

If the beneficial microorganisms are killed by pollution, the pathogens will cause disease.

Therefore biodiversity and its balance is essential for the human even in the sewage environment," the study report said.

Mosquito menace

The team also found that the people were suffering from mosquito menace and they wanted officials to take steps to control the menace.

The team suggested in the report that people could use mosquito nets and biological method with BTI Briquetters.

These two-inch floating rings contain bacillus thuringenesis, which is consumed by mosquito larvae and which kills them.

They should use this in places where water stagnates, so that they could protect themselves from illnesses.