A research scholar from Mahatma Gandhi University will participate in India’s second winter expedition to the polar region. M. Vishnu Sreejith from the School of Environmental Sciences will be part of the third batch of the expedition, which is led by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and set to begin on March 1.
As part of MG University’s research project, Vishnu will study the presence of microplastics and similar pollutants in the Arctic snowfall. The Principal Investigator of this project is Dr. C.T. Aravindakumar, Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University and Senior Professor at the School of Environmental Sciences.
During the Polar Night, an extreme cold period when sunlight is minimal in the Arctic, the research and study activities are designed to adapt to these challenging conditions.
MG University is conducting detailed research on how microplastics and other airborne pollutants travel long distances and accumulate in the polar region, which poses challenges to climate and environmental balance. Dr. Aravindakumar stated that the findings from this study would help in policy-making for controlling atmospheric pollution.
Since 2013, Mahatma Gandhi University’s Department of Environmental Science has been actively involved in studies as part of India’s Arctic expeditions. These studies are conducted under the leadership of the International Centre for Polar Studies (ICPS), which was established in collaboration with NCPOR and other university departments.
Last year, Dr. K.R. Baiju, Syndicate Member of MG University and Dean of the School of Environmental Sciences, participated in India’s first winter expedition to the polar region.
