Effects of untreated hospital effluents on the accumulation of toxic metals in sediments of receiving system under tropical conditions: Case of South India and Democratic Republic of Congo

Physicochemical and ecotoxicological analyses have been performed to assess the quality of sediments receiving untreated hospital effluents from Indian and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hospitals. The sediments were collected monthly and characterized for grain size, organic matter, total organic carbon, total carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, toxic metals and ecotoxicity. The results highlight the high concentration of toxic metals from the Indian hospital effluent receiving systems, especially for Cr, Cu, As, Zn and Hg. On the other hand, the metal concentrations in the sediment receiving system from DRC are low (e.g. maximum Hg and Zn concentration were 0.46 and 48.84 mg kg⁻¹ respectively). Ostracods exposed to sediment samples H2 (September month sample) and H3 (June and September month samples) were found dead after 6 d of exposure whereas the higher mortality rate for Congo sediments was 23% but was accompanied with 33 ± 7% of growth inhibition. The results of this study show the variation of sediment composition on toxic metal levels as well as toxicity related to both, the type of hospitals and the sampling period. Additionally, hospital effluent disposal practices at the study sites can lead to the pollution of water resources and may generate risks for aquatic organisms and human health.     

Occurrence of toxic metals and their selective pressure for antibiotic-resistant clinically relevant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes in river receiving systems under tropical conditions

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The co-occurrence of heavy metals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) from hospital effluents spreading into...     

Isolation,mass cultivation,and biodiesel production potential of marine microalgae identified from Bay of Bengal

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, marine microalgae were isolated from the Bay of Bengal, and their biodiesel production potential was investigated. Five different...     

Evaluation of vibrant muscles over the shoulder region among workers of the hand screen printing industry

This study focuses on evaluation of the muscle activities associated with shoulder pain among workers of the hand screen printing (HSP) industry. Activities of three major muscles which showed higher muscle activity for a HSP job were observed for fatigue using surface electromyography (SEMG). The anatomical sites were chosen on the basis of a statistical survey and a visual inspection conducted before the experiment. Activities of the deltoid, teres major and infraspinatus were recorded using SEMG and the nature of muscle activities was studied for about 50?m of cloth printing. Data collected were processed using LabVIEW 2014 and the activities were analyzed using statistical tests and regression analyses. The results showed an increased risk of shoulder disorders with an increase in working time. Some of the risks which might cause disorders were predicted from the results; inspection and possible mitigations were suggested.     

Visible light photocatalysts from low-grade iron ore: the environmentally benign production of magnetite/carbon (Fe3O4/C) nanocomposites

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles coated with dextrose and gluconic acid possessing both super-paramagnetism and excellent optical properties have been...     

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment,waste management,and energy sectors: a deeper look into the long-term impacts

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The COVID-19 pandemic not only has caused a global health crisis but also has significant environmental consequences. Although many studies are...     

Chemical,physical and biological methods to convert lignocellulosic waste into value-added products. A review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Actual agricultural practices produce about 998 million tonnes of agricultural waste per year. Therefore, converting lignocellulosic wastes into energy, chemicals,...