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PU study assesses Ravi pollution to save agriculture, health
PU study assesses Ravi pollution to save agriculture, health


LAHORE: (Wednesday, July 18, 2018): A study by Punjab University’s PhD candidate has highlighted the need of establishment of environmental quality standards of persistent organic pollutants and their regular environmental monitoring in the region to avoid unforeseen threats to country’s agricultural export and public health.

Punjab University College of Earth and Environmental Sciences’ Ph.D. candidate Mujtaba Baqar has completed his Ph.D. degree in the subject of environmental sciences under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sajid Rashid Ahmad. The topic of his research was “Assessment of Selected Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in River Ravi and its Northern Tributaries, Pakistan” that exhibited scientific novelty as affirmed by the four international publications from the dissertation in the highly reputed international scientific journals. The research study was a pioneer investigation to assess the persistent organic pollution levels in the tributaries of River Ravi which are principally affected by the ongoing usage of banned pesticides in the Rachna Doab. According to the researcher, the significant levels of ecological and human carcinogenic risks were evaluated and considerable transboundary pollution load from Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir was identified in the study. The findings of the research established environmental inventory from the region that would help the country fulfill the commitments made under the national implementation plan to the Stockholm Convention, to which Pakistan is a party.