Cytotoxic, phytotoxic, and mutagenic appraisal to ascertain toxicological potential of particulate matter emitted from automobiles

Vehicular air pollution is a mounting health issue of the modern age, particularly in urban populations of the developing nations. Auto-rickshaws are not considered eco-friendly as to their inefficient engines producing large amount of particulate matter (PM), thus posing significant environmental threat. The present study was conducted to ascertain the cytotoxic, phytotoxic, and mutagenic potential of PM from gasoline-powered two-stroke auto-rickshaws (TSA) and compressed natural gas-powered four-stroke auto-rickshaws (FSA). Based on the increased amount of aluminum quantified during proton-induced X-ray emission analysis of PM from TSA and FSA, different concentrations of aluminum sulfate were also tested to determine its eco-toxicological potential. The MTT assay demonstrated significant (p?<?0.001) dose-dependent cytotoxic effects of different concentrations of TSA, FSA, and aluminum sulfate on BHK-21 cell line. LC₅₀ of TSA, FSA, and aluminum sulfate was quantified at 16, 11, and 23.8 μg/ml, respectively, establishing PM from FSA, a highly cytotoxic material. In case of phytotoxicity screening using Zea mays, the results demonstrated that all three tested materials were equally phytotoxic at higher concentrations producing significant reduction (p?<?0.001) in seed germination. Aluminum sulfate proved to be a highly phytotoxic agent even at its lowest concentration. Mutagenicity was assessed by fluctuation Salmonella reverse mutation assay adopting TA100 and TA98 mutant strains with (+S9) and without (?S9) metabolic activation. Despite the fact that different concentrations of PM from both sources, i.e., TSA and FSA were highly mutagenic (p?<?0.001) even at lower concentrations, the mutagenic index was higher in TSA. Data advocate that all tested materials are equally ecotoxic, and if the existing trend of atmospheric pollution by auto-rickshaws is continued, airborne heavy metals will seriously affect the normal growth of local inhabitants and increased contamination of agricultural products, which will amplify the dietary intake of the toxic elements and could result in genetic mutation or long-term health implications.     

Environmental toxicology and biogeochemistry of ecosystems

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

The influence of technological innovation and human capital on environmental efficiency among different regions in Asia-Pacific

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study employs super-efficiency DEA model with desirable inputs and an undesirable output in calculating environmental efficiency values in...     

Composite use of numerical groundwater flow modeling and geoinformatics techniques for monitoring Indus Basin aquifer, Pakistan

The integration of the Geographic Information System (GIS) with groundwater modeling and satellite remote sensing capabilities has provided an efficient way of analyzing and monitoring groundwater behavior and its associated land conditions. A 3-dimensional finite element model (Feflow) has been used for regional groundwater flow modeling of Upper Chaj Doab in Indus Basin, Pakistan. The approach of using GIS techniques that partially fulfill the data requirements and define the parameters of existing hydrologic models was adopted. The numerical groundwater flow model is developed to configure the groundwater equipotential surface, hydraulic head gradient, and estimation of the groundwater budget of the aquifer. GIS is used for spatial database development, integration with a remote sensing, and numerical groundwater flow modeling capabilities. The thematic layers of soils, land use, hydrology, infrastructure, and climate were developed using GIS. The Arcview GIS software is used as additive tool to develop supportive data for numerical groundwater flow modeling and integration and presentation of image processing and modeling results. The groundwater flow model was calibrated to simulate future changes in piezometric heads from the period 2006 to 2020. Different scenarios were developed to study the impact of extreme climatic conditions (drought/flood) and variable groundwater abstraction on the regional groundwater system. The model results indicated a significant response in watertable due to external influential factors. The developed model provides an effective tool for evaluating better management options for monitoring future groundwater development in the study area.     

Environmental assessment,microstructural behaviour,stress–strain characteristics,and effect of exposure to extreme temperature on sustainable concrete made with dolomite mining residues

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mining and extraction of stones and minerals play a significant role in many countries economic growth in the world. The production of dolomite...     

Trace metals in fish,sediment and water from the south west coast of the Arabian sea,Pakistan

Concentrations of ten metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and Hg) in the edible muscle of Arius maculatus captured from eight different near‐shore and off‐shore sites off the south west coast of the Arabian Sea, Pakistan, were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Relevant water and sediment samples from the sites were also analysed for the metals. Zinc showed the highest metal concentration (6.763 μg/g, wet weight) in the muscle of the fish, while Mn and Hg showed lowest level (0.019 μg/g, wet weight). Of all the metals investigated, largest scatter (measured as σ) was observed for Zn (σ = 2.058 /μg/g) in fish muscle, for Fe and Mn in sediment (σ = 27481 and 44.50 μg/g) and for As in water (σ = 0.270 μg/L). The metal distribution data pertaining to water, fish and sediment were examined on the basis of simple metal correlations. The statistical study revealed that Ni, Cr, Pb and Cu had significant positive correlations (r > 0.830 at ρ = 0.01). The finding substantiated a trace metal concentration gradient in the area, thereby indicating that the local marine environment is contaminated by anthropogenic sources.