A comparison of pretreatments on release of sugars from sweet sorghum bagasse for bioethanol production

Dilute acid pretreatment and steam pretreatment were evaluated for maximum sugars release and ethanol production from sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB). The fermentation potential of the condensate and hydrolysate obtained from steam pretreatment (10 kg/cm², 10 minutes) and dilute acid hydrolysis (1% (w/w) sulphuric acid, 25% substrate loading) respectively, was checked with Pichia stipitis NCIM 3497 and Debaryomyces hansenii sp. Ethanol production and yield using acid hydrolysate was higher with Debaryomyces hansenii sp. (28.4 g/L and 0.37 g/g respectively) as compared with Pichia stipitis NCIM 3497 (21.9 g/L and 0.29 g/g respectively).     

A review on microplastic pollution in the mangrove wetlands and microbial strategies for its remediation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mangroves are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world harboring huge biological diversity. The prime ecological roles of mangroves are...     

High frequency of antibiotic tolerance in deep subsurface heterotrophic cultivable bacteria from the Rozália Gold Mine,Slovakia

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Rozália Mine, with its long mining history, could represent an environmental threat connected with metal contamination and associated...     

Assessment of prenatal mercury exposure in a predominately Caribbean immigrant community in Brooklyn, NY

Prenatal mercury exposure and its fetotoxic effects may be of particular concern in urban immigrant communities as a result of possible contributing cultural factors. The most common source of exposure in these communities is ingestion of fish and shellfish contaminated with methylmercury. Other sources of exposure may occur in ritualistic practices associated with Hispanic and Caribbean-based religions. This study 1) assessed total mercury levels in both random urine specimens from pregnant women, and in cord blood; and 2) examined environmental sources of exposure from a convenience sample in a predominantly Caribbean immigrant population in Brooklyn, New York. A questionnaire designed in collaboration with health professionals from the Caribbean community assessed the frequency of fish consumption, ritualistic practices, occupational exposures, and use of dental amalgams and mercury-containing skin and household products. The geometric mean for total mercury in cord blood was 2.14 μg L(-1) (95%CI: 1.76-2.60) (n = 78), and 0.45 μg L(-1) (95%CI: 0.37-0.55) (n = 183) in maternal urine corrected for creatinine (μg g(-1)). Sixteen percent of cord blood mercury levels exceeded the estimated equivalent of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Reference Dose (5.8 μg L(-1) blood). Predictors of cord blood mercury included maternal fish consumption and foreign birth of the mother. Predictors of urine mercury included foreign birth of the mother, number of dental amalgams, and special product use. There were no reports of mercury use in ritualistic practices or in cosmetics; however some women reported use of religious medals and charms. This study characterized risk factors for mercury exposure in a sample of urban, predominantly Caribbean-born blacks. Findings may help target interventions in this population, which might include appropriate fish selection and consumption frequency during pregnancy, and safe handling of mercury-containing products in the home.     

Sea-level rise and coastal vulnerability: an assessment of Andhra Pradesh coast,India through remote sensing and GIS

The eustatic sea-level rise due to global warming is predicted to be about 18 to 59 cm by the 2100 (IPCC 2007), which necessitates identification and protection of vulnerable sections of coasts. Assessment of vulnerability level of Andhra Pradesh (AP) coast as an example is demonstrated in this study using five physical variables, namely coastal geomorphology, coastal slope, shoreline change, mean spring tide range, and significant wave height. A coastal vulnerability index was prepared by integrating the differentially weighted rank values of the five variables, based on which the coastline is segmented into low-, moderate-, high-, and very high risk categories. About 43% of the 1,030-km-long AP coast is under very high-risk, followed by another 35% under high-risk if the sea level rises by ~0.6 m displacing more than 1.29 million people living within 2.0 m elevation in 282 villages in the region.