Ganges River Dolphin: An Overview of Biology,Ecology, and Conservation Status in India

Ganges River dolphin, Platanista gangetica gangetica, is one of the three obligatory freshwater dolphins in the world and is distributed in the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Sangu–Karnaphuli River systems in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. This species is facing considerable threats to its survival, and its population has dwindled from 4000 to 5000 in the early 1980s to 3500 in 2014 in the distribution range. This article reviews current status of the sub-species, habitat use, and the potential threats that the dolphins face for their survival (details of taxonomic status and genetics, evolutionary adaptations and anatomical peculiarities, physical adaptation, primitive characteristics, biology, behavior, surfacing behavior and dive times, mating and birth, and life span/age have been placed as Electronic Supplementary Materials). Recommendations have been made for the protection and developing strategies for the conservation of this Endangered and endemic sub-species.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-014-0534-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Assessing seasonal and spatial trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Indian agricultural regions using PUF disk passive air samplers

The first survey of persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations in air across several Indian agricultural regions was conducted in 2006-2007. Passive samplers comprising polyurethane foam (PUF) disks were deployed on a quarterly basis at seven stations in agricultural regions, one urban site and one background site. The project was conducted as a sub-project of the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network. In addition to revealing new information on air concentrations of several organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the study has demonstrated the feasibility of conducting regional-scale monitoring for POPs in India using PUF disk samplers. The following analytes were detected with relatively high concentrations in air (mean for 2006 and 2007, pg/m³): α- and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) (292 and 812, respectively); endosulfan I and II (2770 and 902, respectively); p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDT (247 and 931, respectively); and for the sum of 48 PCBs, 12,100 (including a site with extremely high air concentrations in 2007) and 972 (when excluding data for this site).     

Detention Outlet Retrofit Improves the Functionality of Existing Detention Basins by Reducing Erosive Flows in Receiving Channels

By discharging excess stormwater at rates that more frequently exceed the critical flow for stream erosion, conventional detention basins often contribute to increased channel instability in urban and suburban systems that can be detrimental to aquatic habitat and water quality, as well as adjacent property and infrastructure. However, these ubiquitous assets, valued at approximately $600,000 per km² in a representative suburban watershed, are ideal candidates to aid in reversing such cycles of channel degradation because improving their functionality would not necessarily require property acquisition or heavy construction. The objective of this research was to develop a simple, cost‐effective device that could be installed in detention basin outlets to reduce the erosive power of the relatively frequent storm events (~ < two‐year recurrence) and provide a passive bypass to maintain flood control performance during infrequent storms (such as the 100‐year recurrence). Results from a pilot installation show that the Detain H₂O device reduced the cumulative sediment transport capacity of the preretrofit condition by greater than 40%, and contributed to reduced flashiness and prolonged baseflows in receiving streams. When scaling the strategy across a watershed, these results suggest that potential gains in water quality and stream channel stability could be achieved at costs that are orders of magnitude less than comparable benefits from newly constructed stormwater control measures.     

Degradation of 1,4-dioxane using advanced oxidation processes

Introduction  

In the nuclear industry 1,4-dioxane is used as a solvent in liquid scintillation technique for measuring low-energy beta-emitters such as ³H or C¹⁴ in aqueous media. Improper disposal of 1,4-dioxane can contaminate the ground and surface waters. Conventional wastewater treatment processes like chemical treatment, air stripping, carbon adsorption, and biological treatment are ineffective for the degradation of 1,4-dioxane.     

Modeling and optimization of trihalomethanes formation potential of surface water (a drinking water source) using Box–Behnken design

Purpose  

The present research aims to investigate the individual and interactive effects of chlorine dose/dissolved organic carbon ratio, pH, temperature, bromide concentration, and reaction time on trihalomethanes (THMs) formation in surface water (a drinking water source) during disinfection by chlorination in a prototype laboratory-scale simulation and to develop a model for the prediction and optimization of THMs levels in chlorinated water for their effective control.     

Survival of the cleanest? Evidence from a plant-level analysis of pollutant emissions in Canadian pulp and paper industry, 2005–2013

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - We capitalize on access to plant-level data in examining the changes in emissions of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), and...     

Determination of hierarchical relationships among sustainable development goals using interpretive structural modeling

This paper analyses the complex interactions among the seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs) and presents them in a hierarchical framework using interpretive structural modeling technique. The driving and dependence powers of each of these goals have been ascertained to help the developing and least developed countries improve their strategic orientation for a particular goal within a given time frame. This would also help them in prioritizing their resource allocations on a specific SDG by focusing on its hierarchical ranking on one hand and driving and dependence powers on the other.     

Sewage as a resource: a case study of afforestation using sewage irrigation in Jaipur,Rajasthan, India

Summary Human beings use huge quantities of water every day for drinking, cleaning and various cultural functions and dispose of it as wastewater within sewage. With increase in population, the magnitude of this waste is multiplying enormously and beyond the recycling capacity of local ecosystems to become a major health and environmental hazard. Re-use of wastewater for afforestation purposes in the form of sewage silviculture combines the dual benefit of water conservation with environmental sanitation. Such experiments are being carried out at the World Forest Arboretum in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Biological treatment of the sewage before application, to improve its irrigational quality, to remove harmful chemicals and to prevent the risk of these passing into the human food chain is being undertaken. The aquatic weeds Lemna and Eichhornia are being used to purify the wastewater. The technique is both economically viable and ecologically sustainable.Dr Rajiv K. Sinha is assistant professor in Human Ecology at the University of Rajasthan.     

The design of blanket wash solvents with environmental considerations

The search for new solvents is often driven by (a) the need to replace solvents whose continued use pose a threat to environmental health and safety, (b) the needs of new applications and processing requirements, (c) a response to changing environmental regulations and (d) a response to market demands. For example, many traditional solvents are on the environmental ‘hit list’ and are to be phased out within the next few years. In particular, cleaning solvents, which are used as blanket washes in the lithographic printing industry present a number of environmental concerns including health and safety. To respond to these concerns and more importantly to respond to rapidly changing operational requirements and market forces, there is a need for efficient and systematic strategies for ‘just in time’ optimal design of solvent alternatives. A good strategy has to consider simultaneously, performance objectives, system interactions and environmental constraints. The object of this paper is to identify and discuss the issues in the design of cleaning solvents (blanket washes) in the printing industry and how environmental and health factors can be accounted for. We do this in the context of a framework for product design. As a proof-of-concept, blanket wash solvents are designed.