Pooja Singh is an assistant professor in Pune. Her group studies water hyacinth in rivers near the city. They suggested using the plant to make biodegradable sanitary pads and to turn a problem into a resource.
Their project won an Elsevier Foundation award at the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Conference in Pune. The work aims to reduce water pollution and plastic waste, improve menstrual hygiene, and support women in rural communities by creating income and workshops.
Difficult words
- water hyacinth — a fast growing water plant that causes problems
- biodegradable — able to decay naturally and not cause pollution
- sanitary pad — a product used to absorb menstrual bloodsanitary pads
- pollution — dirty or harmful substances in the environmentwater pollution
- plastic waste — used plastic materials that people throw away
- menstrual hygiene — practices and products to keep periods clean
- workshop — a meeting for training or practical group workworkshops
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think using water hyacinth to make pads could help the environment? Why?
- How could workshops help women in rural communities?
- Would you use a biodegradable sanitary pad if it was available? Why or why not?
Related articles
New oral Listeria vaccine shows promise against colorectal cancer
Researchers report a modified oral vaccine made from Listeria that primes immune cells in the gut and limits tumor growth in mice. The vaccine worked best when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors and caused few side effects.
MRI and AI measure fluid flow in the brain
Researchers combined MRI scans with physics-informed AI to estimate slow fluid flow in the brain’s glymphatic system, which helps clear waste and is linked to Alzheimer’s. The team trained AI on dye videos and collected animal baseline data.
Uzbekistan builds large waste-to-energy plants with Chinese partners
Uzbekistan began construction of two waste-to-energy plants with Chinese firms in July 2025 and plans at least seven plants by 2027. The projects aim to burn waste and produce electricity, but critics raise transparency and health concerns.