A recent study by researchers from the Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Assam, and the Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat on the groundwater in the Brahmaputra floodplains has revealed some alarming information. The study has detected the presence of arsenic, uranium and fluorides (compounds of the element fluorine) that can affect the wellbeing of the people in this region.
The study from IISc found a previously unidentified yeast-like symbiont inside the lac insect Kerria lacca, which gives the insect its distinctive red colour and, may also provide other nutrients in return for shelter.