Changes in amino acid profile and metal content in seeds of Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea) grown under various fly-ash amendments

Seeds of Cicer arietinum L. plants are edible and a valuable source of protein. Accumulation of toxic metals in the edible part of the plant, grown in fields close to fly-ash (FA) landfills, may pose a threat to human health. In the present study, the effects of FA and its amendments with different ameliorants viz., garden soil (GS), press mud (PM) and saw dust (SD), on total soluble protein contents, amino acid composition and metal accumulation in seeds were investigated in var. CSG-8962 and var. C-235 of C. arietinum. Plants accumulated adequate amounts of essential metals viz. Fe, Cu, Zn in seeds, while the toxic metals such as Cd and Cr were taken up in smaller quantities. The accumulation of Cr and Cd was less in var. C-235 than var. CSG-8962. Amendment of FA with PM enhanced the amount of soluble protein and amino acids in both varieties and was found to be superior among all tested ameliorants. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis of amino acids showed better response in var. C-235 as compared to var. CSG-8962. Thus var. C-235 seems to be suitable for cultivation in FA contaminated areas due to more accumulation of essential metals and less accumulation of toxic metals in seeds. Application of PM may further improve the growth of plants and nutritional quality of seeds.     

Predictive modelling of piezometric head and seepage discharge in earth dam using soft computational models

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Predictions of pore pressure and seepage discharge are the most important parameters in the design of earth dams and assessing their safety during the...     

Biodiversity of earthworm resources of arid environment

Biodiversity of earthworms was studied in arid zone of Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. A total nine species of earthworms were recorded from different pedoecosystems of desert environment. These species were Pontoscolex corethrurus, Amynthas morrisi, Metaphire posthuma, Lampito mauritii, Perionyx sansibaricus, Ocnerodrilus occidentalis, Dichogaster bolaui, Octochaetona paliensis and Ramiella bishambari. They belonged to the families Glossoscolicidae, Megascolicidae, Ocnerodrilidae and Octochaetidae. The species P. sansibaricus, O. paliensis and P. corethrurus were reported for the first time from Rajasthan. The earthworm fauna of Jodhpur district were either exotic peregrine or native peregrine. Exotic species like A. morrisi and M. posthuma, and native peregrine species like L. mauritii were widely distributed in arid region. They appear to be better adapted to withstand drought conditions, as they have enteronephric meronephridia and excrete their urine into the guts for conservation of water in their bodies.     

Efficacy of various amendments for amelioration of fly-ash toxicity: growth performance and metal composition of Cassia siamea Lamk

Plants of Cassia siamea Lamk were grown in garden soil (control), fly-ash (100%) and fly-ash amended by various ameliorants (cowdung manure, press-mud, garden soil; 1:1, w/w). The plants survived in fly-ash (100%) though their growth was less in comparison to the treatments. Fly-ash+press-mud (1:1, w/w) proved to be the best combination as growth (total biomass, leaf number, photosynthetic area, total chlorophyll and protein) was significantly high in this treatment followed by cowdung manure and garden soil. Leaves and roots accumulated significant amount of Cu, Zn, Ni and and Fe. However, the concentration of all the metals was more in roots than leaves except Ni. Although, fly-ash contains high amount of metals but the metal uptake was more in the plants grown in fly-ash+press-mud mixture. Inspite of high metal availability in fly-ash and press-mud mixture, plant growth was good. This might be attributed to the some metal detoxification mechanism active in this treatment. The present study concluded that C. siamea seems to be a suitable plant for developing a vegetation cover on fly-ash dumps.     

Biomimicry: How the environment serves as a guide for technological advancements

Multiple ecological tactics, like the ones described here, can be imitated to strongly affect these two components in the construction sector. This article provides an in-depth examination of the literature on biomimicry-based strategies intended to enhance building designs. This analysis is motivated by the rising need for energy legislation to achieve future local goals and provide a framework for use in Panama. These biomimicry-based methods have undergone more review and evaluation, and the incorporation of organism-based design for three of Panama's climate types has been proposed. Therefore, a SWOT analysis assisted in realizing the full potential that biomimicry-based techniques might have in raising the likelihood of satisfying local and international regulatory standards. In order to design constructions using biomimicry, multidisciplinary collaboration is required. This gives a competitive edge for better-trained human resources and expands horizons in the conventional construction industry. Finally, the analysis provided here might act as the preliminary step for the additional technical assessment using numerical and experimental procedures.     

Metal characterization of airborne particulate matters in a coastal region

The concentrations of suspended particulate matter in the air of the Orissa Sand Complex had an average value of 128 ± 10 µg m^?3 in residential areas and 170 ± 8 µg m^?3 in mining areas. PM₁₀ levels in residential areas were found to have an average of 35 ± 10 µg m^?3, in mining areas 45 ± 10 µg m^?3. The distribution of some elements is also discussed here. Inhalation doses were observed to be higher in summer than in winter and the rainy season. The highest dose rate was for the age group of 1 year, and health risks were found to be highest for the same. For adults, inhalation dose and health risk are 1.3 times higher in mining than in residential areas.     

Carbon abatement in the fuel market with biofuels: Implications for second best policies

A carbon tax on fuel would penalize carbon intensive fuels like gasoline and shift fuel consumption to less carbon intensive alternatives like biofuels. Since biofuel production competes for land with agricultural production, a carbon tax could increase land rents and raise food prices. This paper analyzes the welfare effect of a carbon tax on fuel consisting of gasoline and biofuel in the presence of a labor tax, with and without a biofuel subsidy. The market impacts of a carbon tax are also compared with that of a subsidy. Findings show that if a carbon tax increases biofuel demand, the tax interaction effect due to higher fuel prices is exacerbated by higher land rent and food prices and greater erosion of the carbon tax base. Thus, the second best optimal carbon tax for fuel is lower with biofuel in the fuel mix, especially if biofuel is subsidized.     

Using plants for health: Indigenous knowledge in health care in a tribal region of Bihar,India

While the potential of indigenous knowledge for health care is fully recognised in the literature and by many health professionals, the practices of so many indigenous peoples go unrecorded and untested. Indigenous knowledge remains essentially untapped, an unwritten resource involving information, language and skills in many groups, languages, cultures and environments. An attempt is made in this paper to identify selected indigenous health technologies in a tribal area of Bihar State, India; to describe the treatments, their application and preparation; and to link the traditional practice with the relevant scientific information to test or determine the validity of the practices. These practices were found to be effective in the treatment of a variety of health problems, and most were also scientifically confirmed. The paper argues, however, that other plant uses practised by tribal people still need to be explored: in order to popularise more widely the authenticated practices; to preserve indigenous knowledge; to integrate or blend it with scientific knowledge so that health professionals and healthcare users may benefit from a wider range of healthcare strategies which are environmentally unthreatening.     

Risk assessment due to ingestion of natural radionuclides and heavy metals in the milk samples: a case study from a proposed uranium mining area, Jharkhand

Ingestion of radionuclides and heavy metals through drinking water and food intake represents one of the important pathways for long-term health considerations. Milk and milk products are main constituents of the daily diet. Radionuclides and heavy metals can be apprehended in the ecosystem of the East Singhbhum region which is known for its viable grades of uranium, copper and other minerals. For the risk assessment studies, samples of milk were collected from twelve villages around Bagjata mining area and analysed for U(nat), ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁰Th, ²¹⁰Po, Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu and Ni. Analysis of the results of the study reveals that the geometric mean of U(nat), ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁰Th and ²¹⁰Po was 0.021, 0.24, 0.23 and 1.08 Bq l^???1, respectively. The ingestion dose was calculated to be 12.34 ??SvY^???1 which is reflecting the natural background dose via the route of ingestion, and much below the 1 mSv limit set in the new ICRP recommendations. The excess lifetime cancer risk was estimated to be 1.72 × 10^???4 which is within the acceptable excess individual lifetime cancer risk value of 1 × 10^???4. The geometric mean of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Ni was 4.91, 0.29, 4.77, 0.56 and 0.48 mgl^???1, respectively; whereas the daily intake was computed to be 0.44, 0.03, 0.43, 0.05 and 0.04 mg/day, respectively. Pb was not detected in any of the samples. The hazard quotient revealed that the intake of the heavy metals through the ingestion of milk does not pose any apparent threat to the local people as none of the HQ of the heavy metals exceeds the limit of 1.