Publications by authors named "R Chandrajith"

Freshwater salinisation is a growing problem worldwide, affecting surface and groundwater resources. Compared with other global environmental issues, freshwater salinisation has been studied extensively in North America, Australia, and Europe but less so in South America, Asia, and Africa. Both the natural and anthropogenic sources can contribute for freshwater salinisation, through the concentration of dissolved salts in water rising above its normal levels.

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Article Synopsis
  • Chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) poses a significant health threat to farming communities in Sri Lanka's semi-arid regions, with environmental factors suspected to play a role in its causes.
  • A study focused on the Wilgamuwa region identified and analyzed 92 water sources for various chemical elements, finding that groundwater quality is heavily impacted by higher concentrations of silica (Si), fluoride (F), and total hardness (TH).
  • The findings indicate that 73% of water sources are of poor quality, and health risks from fluoride and silica exposure vary among genders and age groups, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring of environmental health impacts in vulnerable communities.
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The understanding of global carbon has rarely extended to small-scale tropical river basins. To address these uncertainties, this study aims to investigate the importance of rock weathering and organic matter turnover in the carbon cycle in a terrain dominated by crystalline silicate rocks. The geochemical composition of the dissolved and particulate carbon phases (DIC, DOC and POC) and their stable carbon isotopes were studied in the Deduru Oya River in Sri Lanka.

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Introduction: Chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) is a leading cause of death of adults in Sri Lanka's dry region.

Methods: We initiated the Kidney Progression Project (KiPP) to prospectively follow 292 persons with Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 20 to 60 ml/min per 1.73 m living in a CKDu endemic area.

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Chronic kidney disease with uncertain etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka has attracted much attention as a global health issue. However, how environmental factors in local drinking water induce kidney damage in organisms is still elusive. We investigated multiple environmental factors including water hardness and fluoride (HF), heavy metals (HM), microcystin-LR (MC-LR), and their combined exposure (HFMM) to elucidate their toxic effects on CKDu risk in zebrafish.

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