Tolerance of transgenic canola plants (Brassica napus) amended with plant growth-promoting bacteria to flooding stress at a metal-contaminated field site

The growth of transgenic canola (Brassica napus) expressing a gene for the enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase was compared to non-transformed canola exposed to flooding and elevated soil Ni concentration, in situ. In addition, the ability of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas putida UW4, which also expresses ACC deaminase, to facilitate the growth of non-transformed and transgenic canola under the above mentioned conditions was examined. Transgenic canola and/or canola treated with P. putida UW4 had greater shoot biomass compared to non-transformed canola under low flood-stress conditions. Under high flood-stress conditions, shoot biomass was reduced and Ni accumulation was increased in all instances relative to low flood-stress conditions. This is the first field study to document the increase in plant tolerance utilizing transgenic plants and plant growth-promoting bacteria exposed to multiple stressors.     

Total dissolved and bioavailable elements in water and sediment samples and their accumulation in Oreochromis mossambicus of polluted Manchar Lake

The concentrations of 15 elements were determined in water, sediment and tissues of fish (Oreochromis mossambicus) collected from five sampling stations of Manchar Lake in 2005 for two successive seasons, winter (WS) and summer (SS). Elements analysis was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry with flame (FAAS) and electrothermal (ETAAS) modes, using multielement standard solution. The obtained results show that, the trace and toxic elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) and macronutrients (Al, Ca, K, Mg and Na) concentrations in lake water were above the recommended drinking water standards by WHO. Concentrations of Na detected in lake water in WS and SS, were in the range of 445.5-562.7 and 420.6-643.5 mgl(-1), respectively. While among toxic elements As concentration in both seasons, have been found in the range of 60.4-88.9 and 64.9-101.8 microgl(-1) respectively, these values are 6-10 times higher than the permissible limit of WHO. The mean concentrations of elements understudy in muscles of fish were found as 2.35, 1.39, 0.46, 2.3, 1517.9, 2.2, 2.4 and 188.9 mgkg(-1) for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively. High accumulation of toxic elements in fish tissues is indicating that some of the metal contaminants are entering the food chain. Correlations among the variables were identified by multivariate analysis. The extraction of elements from sediments with EDTA, to predict the bioavailability of trace and toxic elements, has shown that among them As, Cd and Zn were the most bioavailable elements in lake sediment.     

Statistical evaluation of hydrobiological parameters of Narmada River water at Hoshangabad City, India

Narmada is considered to be the lifeline of the state of Madhya Pradesh in Central India. The Narmada water is used for bathing, drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes. The city sewage and industrial effluent from Security paper mill at Hoshangabad drains in the Narmada River and pollutes the water quality. Urban sewage enters into Narmada through main nallas. River water quality at Hoshangabad has become a matter of concern due to continuous changing environment and increasing social and industrial activity that influence the water quality directly or indirectly. The present investigation is undertaken to study the effect of domestic sewage and effluent from Security paper Mill on the water quality and ecology of river Narmada at Hoshangabad. The study is carried on at four sites along with the bank of river Narmada. Water samples from four stations were collected, out of which three main sewage mixing points of the city and one fresh water site are taken into account. The samples collected were analyzed, as per standard methods parameters such as Temperature, pH, were measured in-situ. The statistical evaluations were also made. The result showed increase in BOD, Nitrates, Phosphates and Total Coliforms, No. of phytoplanktons. The results revealed that most of the water samples were below or out of limited; according to the WHO, BIS standards.     

Catalytic conversion of waste tyres into valuable hydrocarbons

Tyre recycling has become a necessity because of the huge piles of tyres that represent a threat to the environment. The used tyres represent a source of energy and valuable chemical products. Waste tyres were pyrolysed catalytically in a batch reactor under atmospheric pressure. Calcium carbide was used as a catalyst to explore its effect on pyrolysis product distribution. The effect of temperature, amount of catalyst and time on the yields of the pyrolysed products was investigated. Char yield decreased with increase of pyrolysis temperature while total gas and liquid yields increased. The liquid fraction was obtained with boiling point up to 320 °C. The physical and chemical properties of the pyrolysed products obtained were characterized. The catalytic pyrolysis produced 45 wt.% aromatic, 35 wt.% aliphatic and 20 wt.% of polar hydrocarbons. The distillation data showed that ∼80% of oil has boiling point below 270 °C which is the boiling point for 50% of distilled product in commercial diesel oil. The oil fraction was found to have high gross calorific value; GCV (42.8 MJ kg⁻¹). Its Specific gravity, viscosity, Kinematic viscosity, freezing point and diesel index were also within the limits of diesel fuel. The char residues were studied to investigate their characteristics for use as a possible adsorbent. Surface area of char before and after acid demineralization was determined to determine the adsorptive features for waste water treatment.     

Characterization, Source Identification and Apportionment of Selected Metals in TSP in an Urban Atmosphere

To understand the metal distribution characteristics in the atmosphere of urban Islamabad, total suspended particulate (TSP) samples were collected on daily 12 h basis, at Quaid-i-Azam University campus, using high volume sampler. The TSP samples were treated with HNO₃/HClO₄ based wet digestion method for the quantification of eight selected metals; Fe, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni and Cd by FAAS method. The monitoring period ran from June 2001 to January 2002, with a total of 194 samples collected on cellulose filters. Effects of different meteorological conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction on selected metal levels were interpreted by means of multivariate statistical approach. Enhanced metal levels for Fe (930 ng/m³), Zn (542 ng/m³) and Pb (210 ng/m³) were found on the mean scale while Mn, Cr, Co and Ni emerged as minor contributors. Statistical correlation study was also conducted and a strong correlation was observed between Pb-Cr (r=0.611). The relative humidity showed some significant influence on atmospheric metal distribution while other meteorological parameters showed weak relationship with TSP metal levels. Regarding the origin of sources of heavy metals in TSP, the statistical procedure identified three source profiles; automobile emissions, industrial/metallurgical units, and natural soil dust. The metal levels were also compared with those reported for other parts of the world which showed that the metal levels in urban atmosphere of Islamabad are in exceedence than those of European industrial and urban sites while comparable with some Asian sites.     

Sustaining Asia's groundwater boom: An overview of issues and evidence

This article suggests that Asia’s groundwater socio‐ecology is at an impasse. Rapid growth in groundwater irrigation in South Asia and the North China plains during the period 1970–95 has been the main driver of the agrarian boom in these regions. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China account for the bulk of the world’s use of groundwater in agriculture. On the plus side, groundwater development has provided sustenance to agrarian economies and millions of rural livelihoods. On the downside, it has created chronic problems of resource depletion and quality deterioration. While problems of groundwater depletion, pollution and quality deterioration are indeed serious, so are the consequences of the degradation of the resource for those that have come to precariously depend upon groundwater irrigation. Three problems currently afflict groundwater use: depletion due to overdraft; water logging and salinization; and pollution due to agricultural, industrial and other human activity. The pathology of the decline in groundwater socio‐ecology reflects a remarkably similar pattern across regions. The critical issue for Asia now is: what might be done to sustain and revive these groundwater socio‐ecologies vital to the region’s economy? This article reviews a variety of techno‐institutional approaches. However, transposing lessons from the industrialized world uncritically in the Asian context may not work. A more nuanced understanding of the peculiarities of Asia’s groundwater socio‐ecology is needed.     

Biodegradation during contaminant transport in porous media: V. The influence of growth and cell elution on microbial distribution

This study investigated the interaction between microbial growth and cell elution, and their influence on resultant microbial distribution between the aqueous and solid phases during solute transport in a sandy, low-organic-carbon-content porous medium. Miscible displacement experiments were conducted with salicylate as the model compound, and with different initial conditions (e.g., substrate concentrations and cell densities) to attain various degrees of microbial growth. For each experiment, salicylate and dissolved oxygen concentrations as well as cell densities were monitored in the column effluent. Cell densities were also measured in the porous medium at the beginning and end of each experiment. Total microbial growth was determined in two ways, one based on a cell mass balance for the system and the other based on total amount of salicylate degraded. For conditions yielding a considerable amount of microbial growth, the majority of the biomass was associated with the aqueous phase (68-90%). Conversely, under minimal-growth conditions, most cells (approximately 60-70%) were attached to particle surfaces. Significant cell elution was observed for most conditions, the rate of which increased in the presence of the substrate. The results suggest that the increase in aqueous-phase cells observed for the experiments exhibiting the greatest growth is associated with the production of new cells, and that under appropriate conditions aqueous-phase biomass can contribute significantly to contaminant biodegradation.     

Economics of reservoir sedimentation and sustainable management of dams

Accepted practice has been to design and operate reservoirs to fill with sediment, generating benefits from remaining storage over a finite period of time. The consequences of sedimentation and project abandonment are left to the future. This 'future' has already arrived for many existing reservoirs and most others will eventually experience a similar fate, thereby imposing substantial costs on society. Such costs could be avoided if sedimentation was minimized and dams were allowed to live forever. The fact that the world's inventory of suitable reservoir sites is limited provides an additional reason for encouraging the sustainable management of dams. This paper provides a framework for assessing the economic feasibility of sediment management strategies that would allow the life of dams to be prolonged indefinitely. Even if reduced accumulation or removal of sediment is technically possible, its economic viability is likely to depend on physical, hydrological and financial parameters. The model presented incorporates such factors and allows a characterization of conditions under which sustainable management would be desirable. The empirical implementation of the model draws upon the substantial amount of technical information available. We analyze the sustainability of reservoirs, with a focus on the trade-off between such sustainability and the short to medium term benefits which a reservoir is expected to produce. The results show that, for a very wide range of realistic parameter values, sustainable management of reservoirs is economically more desirable than the prevailing practice of forcing a finite reservoir life through excessive sediment accumulation.     

Flood regime and leaf fall determine soil inorganic nitrogen dynamics in semiarid riparian forests.

Flow regulation has reduced the exchange of water, energy, and materials between rivers and floodplains, caused declines in native plant populations, and advanced the spread of nonnative plants. Naturalized flow regimes are regarded as a means to restore degraded riparian areas. We examined the effects of flood regime (short [SIFI] vs. long [LIFI] inter-flood interval) on plant community and soil inorganic nitrogen (N) dynamics in riparian forests dominated by native Populus deltoides var. wislizenii Eckenwalder (Rio Grande cottonwood) and nonnative Tamarix chinensis Lour. (salt cedar) along the regulated middle Rio Grande of New Mexico. The frequency of inundation (every 2-3 years) at SIFI sites better reflected inundation patterns prior to the closure of an upstream dam relative to the frequency of inundation at LIFI sites (> or =10 years). Riparian inundation at SIFI sites varied from 7 to 45 days during the study period (April 2001-July 2004). SIFI vs. LIFI sites had higher soil moisture but greater groundwater table elevation fluctuation in response to flooding and drought. Rates of net N mineralization were consistently higher at LIFI vs. SIFI sites, and soil inorganic N concentrations were greatest at sites with elevated leaf-litter production. Sites with stable depth to ground water (approximately 1.5 m) supported the greatest leaf-litter production. Reduced leaf production at P. deltoides SIFI sites was attributed to drought-induced recession of ground water and prolonged inundation. We recommend that natural resource managers and restoration practitioners (1) utilize naturalized flows that help maintain riparian groundwater elevations between 1 and 3 m in reaches with mature P. deltoides or where P. deltoides revegetation is desired, (2) identify areas that naturally undergo long periods of inundation and consider restoring these areas to seasonal wetlands, and (3) use native xeric-adapted riparian plants to revegetate LIFI and SIFI sites where groundwater elevations commonly drop below 3 m.     

Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Hair and Nails of Young Pakistanis: Correlation with Dietary Elements

Hair and nail samples from young Pakistani adults were separately analyzed for quantification of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations. The concentrations of these metals were also analyzed in commonly consumed local foods to evaluate potential correlation of hair and nail concentrations with diet. Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from 0.349 to 0.999, demonstrating diet to be a significant contributor for accumulation of heavy metals in humans.