From Kannur to Ny-Alesund, researcher tracks pollutants into the Arctic
GITAM researcher Manoj Panayamthatta Rayaroth collected fjord water and glacier meltwater in Svalbard as part of the Indian Arctic Expedition 2026-27 to study how organic pollutants transform in ice and reach the sea.
Manoj Panayamthatta Rayaroth, Assistant Professor at GITAM School of Science, traveled from Kannur to Ny-Alesund, Norway, as part of the Indian Arctic Expedition 2026-27. He spent time collecting water samples from fjord water, glacier meltwater, and glacier-fed rivers. The Arctic's remoteness makes it a crucial site for climate research, as pollutants released elsewhere can eventually reach the region.
Mr. Rayaroth's journey to the Arctic began in his college days when he learned about Arctic research from scientists who had returned from the region. He has since worked on endosulfan removal and conducted postdoctoral research in several countries before joining GITAM. The research aims to study how organic pollutants transform in Arctic ice and meltwater and reach the sea.
The samples are expected to return to Visakhapatnam in a month or two. Mr. Rayaroth hopes that students will be given opportunities to participate in such national research projects in the future.
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