Guwahati, June 18 -- Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed a biological treatment process that uses naturally occurring bacteria to remove lead from acidic industrial wastewater, offering an alternative to conventional chemical treatment methods.

The research was carried out by Professor Pranab Kumar Ghosh of the Department of Civil Engineering and research scholar Sreekanth Yadav Golla. The findings have been published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.

According to the researchers, wastewater generated during battery recycling is a major source of lead pollution. Exposure to lead can adversely affect cognitive development in children, damage the nervous system and cause long-term health problems, according to a...