Traces of mercury, a neuro-toxic heavy metal, from coal particles have found their way into the Mandovi and the edible oysters harvested from the river, a study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, and the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has found.
The study suspects that the river gets the mercury most likely from coal handling at Goa’s Mormugao Port though the mercury content in oysters was found to be within permissible limits.
Explaining the findings, Parthasarthy Chakraborty, a professor at IIT-Kharagpur who led the study, said the researchers measured levels of mercury at various points along the Mandovi and found that levels of mercury increased closer to the mouth of the river.
