IIT-Guwahati team finds pond algae remove 66% lead from water

Technology Jul 09, 2026

Researchers at IIT-Guwahati have come up with a new way to tackle lead pollution in water by using blue-green algae, the kind you see in ponds.
Led by Professor Debasish Das, the study found that the EPS (exopolysaccharides) organism within these algae can soak up about 66% of toxic lead, making contaminated water much safer.

Used algae can boost soil health

Here's the smart part: the algae make a sticky substance that grabs onto lead and helps pull it out of the water.
Afterward, the used algae can even boost soil health.
With over 275 million Indian children exposed to dangerous lead levels and city groundwater often unsafe, the team is now working on scaling this up for bigger cleanups, especially for industrial waste.