Solar ponds—a mini review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A solar pond is a simple system that collects and stores heat for thermal and electrical applications. Heat storage and heat extraction are the key...     

Effect of water stress on carbon isotope discrimination and its relationship with transpiration efficiency and specific leaf area in Cenchrus species

Carbon isotope discrimination (CID) has been proposed in estimating transpiration efficiency (TE) in plants indirectly To identify variations for TE and specific leaf area (SLA) and their association with CID, a glasshouse experiment was conducted using six prominent species of Cenchrus. A significant increase in TE (3.50 to 3.87 g kg(-1)) and decrease in SLA (219.50 to 207.99 cm2 g(-1)) and CID (13.72 to 13.23% per hundred) was observed from well watered to stress condition. Results indicated a direct relationship of SLA with CID (r = 0.511* and 0.544*) and inverse relationship between TE and CID (r = -0.229 and -0.270) However the relationship of TE with CID was insignificant. A positive and significant relationship was visualized between TE and dry matter production in both control (r = 0.917**) and stress (0.718**) treatments. Relationships of total dry matter with SLA and CID were monitored insignificant and negative in control and positive in stress treatment indicated difference in dry matter production under two treatments. It seems that, in Cenchrus species, CID was influenced more by the photosynthetic capacity than by stomatal conductance, as indicated by its positive relationship with SLAin both control (r = 0.511) and stress (r = 0.544) conditions and negative relationship with root dry matter production under control (r = -0.921**) and stress (r = -0.919***) condition. Results showed good correspondence between CID and SLA, indicating that lines having high TE and biomass production can be exploited for their genetic improvement for drought.     

RESEARCH: Land Use Characteristics and Water Quality: A Methodology for Valuing of Forested Buffers

In this study, water quality and basin characteristics data from different basins of the Fish River basin, Baldwin County, Alabama, were used to develop a valuation model. This valuation model is based on the effectiveness of “contributing zones” identified and delineated using methods described by Basnyat and others (Environmental Management]1999] 23(4):539–549). The “contributing zone” delineation model suggests that depending on soil permeability, soil moisture, depth to water table, slope, and vegetation, buffer widths varying from 16 m to 104 m must be maintained to assimilate or detain more than 90% of the nitrate passing through the buffers. The economic model suggests the value of retiring lands (to create the buffers) varies from $0 to $3067 per ha, depending on the types of crops currently grown. The total value of retiring all areas identified by the contributing zone model is $1,125,639 for the study area. This land value will then form the basis for estimates of the costs of land management options for improving (or maintaining) water quality throughout the study area.     

Multiple antibiotic resistance patterns of rhizospheric bacteria isolated from Phragmites australis growing in constructed wetland for distillery effluent treatment

Susceptibility patterns of 12 different antibiotics were investigated against rhizospheric bacteria isolated from Phragmites australis from three different zones i.e. upper (0-5 cm), middle (5-10 cm), lower (10-15 cm) in constructed wetland system with and without distillery effluent. The major pollutants of distillery effluent were phenols, sulphide, heavy metals, and higher levels of biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) etc. The antibiotic resistance properties of bacteria were correlated with the heavy metal tolerance (one of distillery pollutant). Twenty-two species from contaminated and seventeen species from non-contaminated site were tested by agar disc-diffusion method. The results revealed that more than 63% of total isolates were resistance towards one or more antibiotics tested from all the three different zones of contaminated sites. The multiple-drug resistance property was shown by total 8 isolates from effluent contaminated region out of which 3 isolates were from upper zone, 3 isolates from middle zone and 2 isolates were from lower zone. Results indicated that isolates from contaminated rhizosphere were found more resistant to antibiotics than isolates from non-contaminated rhizosphere. Further this study produces evidence suggesting that tolerance to antibiotics was acquired by isolates for the adaptation and detoxification of all the pollutants present in the effluent at contaminated site. This consequently facilitated the phytoremediation of effluent, which emerges the tolerance and increases resistance to antibiotics.     

Correction to: Water‑induced erosion potentiality and vulnerability assessment in Kangsabati river basin,eastern India

Environment, Development and Sustainability -