Research Projects

The increasing pollution from both natural and anthropogenic sources has significantly impacted surface water quality, particularly in urban/peri-urban wetlands. Heavy metals, which come from both natural and anthropogenic sources, are transported through the biological matrix into living organisms, exacerbated by their latent bioaccumulation and biomagnification properties in freshwater ecosystems. These heavy metals can act as effective carcinogens to wildlife and humans. Waterbirds, being at the top trophic level, are more prone to heavy metal toxicity and can serve as excellent indicators of pollution status. In the doctoral research, PI developed an integrated exposure risk assessment model for heavy metal contamination in herbivorous waterbirds, considering food and bottom sediment pathways. His current post-doctoral research proposal focuses on improving this model by working on an omnivorous species, the Tufted Duck, considering animal food resources and hydrophytic vegetation. The study will consider eight important heavy metals (Fe, As, Hg, Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cr) and their seasonal variation in a particular wetland. Two important wetlands in the Purulia district of West Bengal will be selected, which are age-old wintering grounds for migratory waterbirds. The physicochemical conditions of these two wetlands under different degrees of anthropogenic interference will provide an opportunity to compare water quality under different degrees of anthropogenic interference. The ultimate goal of this work is to formulate sustainable conservation strategies for the biota and habitats around the globe based on the findings of this study.