The impact of human waste hair reprocessing occupation on environmental degradation-A case study from rural West Bengal, India.

Human hair is considered as a potential biowaste worldwide, and improper disposal of hair can create multiple environmental problems. Due to unique characteristic features, human waste hair can be efficiently utilized for versatile applications, from agricultural industries to fashion industries. There is a huge business of human hair in many multinational countries and also in some rural areas of India. The continuous demand of such keratinous waste for human need in turn is producing residual waste at an alarming rate that causes environmental degradation. Therefore, our study aims to investigate the possible impacts of waste hair reprocessing activity on environmental health in rural India, citing examples from Radhapur village. Physico-chemical parameters of pond water and soil from the dumpsite were assessed. Along with this, elemental profile of waste hair, pond water and soil was estimated. To assess the deterioration of water quality, zooplankton diversity was also measured. Water quality index showed that the studied ponds are unsuitable for drinking purpose and aquaculture. The Shannon index further indicated comparatively lower diversity of zooplankton community in the studied ponds. Due to the presence of total organic carbon and available N-P-K, the soil can sustain the growth and survival of plants; however, the risk of toxic metal accumulation may be persisted. Hence, to enhance the utilization of waste hair in a large scale, a policy framework is extremely required that will incorporate environmental and social well-being and provide necessary support towards sustainable development. Future study needs to be carried out to eliminate the toxic elements from the water and soil using some phytoremediation strategies.