Science TechnologyThursday, 9 July 2026·The Hindu - Science
IIT Guwahati develops blue-green algae material to remove 66.2% lead from polluted water
IIT Guwahati researchers developed a biological material from cyanobacteria that can remove lead from contaminated water.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In 2026, a team from IIT Guwahati led by Professor Debasish Das reported in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering that cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can remove 66.2% of lead from contaminated water.
Key specifics
- The study was led by Professor Debasish Das of IIT Guwahati.
- Co-authors included Professor Tapas Kumar Mandal and postdoctoral fellow Abhijeet Mahana.
- The research was published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.
- Exopolysaccharides (EPS) in algae removed 66.2% of lead from polluted water.
- The team said the material could be a greener alternative to chemical precipitation, membrane filtration and ion exchange.
Exam lens
Question type: Science and environment, biotechnology-based water treatment, 66.2% lead removal, IIT Guwahati, EPS, cyanobacteria. TNPSC may ask which biological material can absorb lead and why it is considered a renewable alternative.