The Water Poverty Index: An application in the Indian context

For developing countries, the proportion of households covered by improved water resources is conventionally used to assess the water stress situation. However, in a developing country like India with a high population growth rate, water demand and supply are considerably mismatched. An agro-based economy with large variations in socio-economic conditions and changing rainfall patterns across the states imposes greater challenge on water resources. Therefore, there is a need to assess the water situation across the country in a holistic manner. This paper proposes application of the Water Poverty Index as a comprehensive policy tool to assess actual water-stress situation across 20 major states in India. This index covers important socio-economic parameters such as access, capacity, use and environment in addition to water resources of each state. The results and findings are expected to be of use to policymakers and implementing agencies. In view of policy formulation, a state performing well on a Water Poverty Index component can act as a benchmark for another state.     

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.     

A simplified method for sampling and analysis of high volume surface water for organic contaminants using XAD-2

A simple compressed-gas driven system for field processing and extracting water for subsequent analyses of hydrophobic organic compounds is presented. The pumping device is a pneumatically driven pump and filtration system that can easily clarify at 4 L/min. The extraction device uses compressed gas to drive filtered water through two parallel XAD-2 resin columns, at about 200 mL/min. No batteries or inverters are required for water collection or processing. Solvent extractions were performed directly in the XAD-2 glass columns. Final extracts are cleaned-up on Florisil cartridges without fractionation and contaminants analyzed by GC-MS. Method detection limits (MDLs) and recoveries for dissolved organic contaminants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides are reported along with results of surface water analysis for the San Francisco Bay, CA.     

Absence of metallothionein 3 expression in breast cancer is a rare but favorable marker that is under epigenetic control

Cadmium (Cd²⁺), a known carcinogen, mimics the effects of estrogen in the uterus and mammary gland suggesting its possible involvement in the development and progression of breast cancer. This lab showed through analysis of a small set of archival human diagnostic specimens that the third isoform of the classic Cd²⁺ binding protein metallothionein (MT-3) is not expressed in normal breast tissue, but is expressed in some breast cancers and that expression tends to correlate with a poor disease outcome. The goals of this study were to verify that overexpression of MT-3 in a large set of archival human diagnostic specimens tends to correlate with poor disease outcome and define the mechanism of MT-3 gene regulation in the normal breast epithelial cell. The results showed that MT-3 was expressed in approximately 90% of all breast cancers and was absent in normal breast epithelium. The lack of MT-3 staining in some cancers correlated with a favorable patient outcome. High frequency of MT-3 staining was also found for in situ breast cancer suggesting that MT-3 might be an early biomarker for breast cancer. The study also demonstrated that the MCF-10A cell line, an immortalized, non-tumorigenic model of human breast epithelial cells, displayed no basal expression of MT-3, nor was it induced by Cd²⁺. Treatment of the MCF-10A cells with the demethylation agent, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, or the histone deacetylase inhibitor, MS-275, restored MT-3 mRNA expression. It was also shown that the MT-3 metal regulatory elements are potentially active binders of protein factors following treatment with these inhibitors suggesting that MT-3 expression may be subject to epigenetic regulation.     

Irrigation with domestic wastewater: responses on growth and yield of ladyfinger Abelmoschus esculentus and on soil nutrients

Domestic wastewater is generated continuously and in large quantities. It can serve as an alternative water nutrient source for irrigation. In the present study Abelmoschus esculentus L. (Ladyfinger) was irrigated using untreated wastewater (T1), treated wastewater (T2) and rainwater (T3) in pot experiments. The effect was seen on nutrient fortication, growth and yield of the plant and the nutrient status of the soil. Additionally the build up of Cr, Cu and Zn from the irrigation water were anlayzed in different parts of the plant biomass and in the soil. The sapling survival rate was found to be 87% in T1 followed by T2 and T3. Root shoot ratio under different treatments was found in the order T3 (0.46) >T2 (0.35) >T1 (0.31). The chlorophyll a, b and carotene content in the leaves (mg g(-1)) was found to be 6.3, 0.5, 0.9 under T1, 4.8, 0.4, 0.8 under T2 and 3.2, 0.3, 0.5 under T3 respectively and all the three varied in the order T1>T2>T3. The same trend was found in case of total dry matter (g) T1 (6.3) >T2 (3.7) >T3 (2.3) at p < or = 0.05. There was a considerable increase in nutrients in the soil under T1 and T2 as compared to T3 after final harvest. The organic matter (%), NO3-N and PO4(3-) (mg kg(-1)) content post harvest soil was found to be 3.4, 71, 90 under T1 and 2.9, 52, 63 under T2 respectively. Also, there was an increase in cations Na, K, Ca and Mg in the soil irrigated with T1 and T2 after the final harvest. Thus irrigation with wastewater generally increased soil fertility. Only a small percentage of the heavy metal was bioaccumulated by the plant parts from the irrigation water. There was hardly any metal accumulation in fruits. Bulk of the metal ions remained in the soil.     

Role of bioinoculants and organic fertilizers in fodder production and quality of leguminous tree species

The comparative effect of dual inoculation of native N fixer (Rhizobium) and AM fungi consortia with different organic fertilizers (vermicompost and farm yard manure) on fodder production and quality of two leguminous tree species (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de. Wit. and Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr.) in silvopastoral system and their impact on the fodder production of un-inoculated Panicum maximum Jacq. under cut and carry system. After three years of plantation maximum tree survival was in L. leucocephala in all the treatments in comparison to S. sesban while fodder production was more in S. sesban for initial two years and in third year it accelerated in L. leucocephala. Dual inoculation with vermicompost significantly improved fodder production, fodder quality and rhizosphere microflora in L. leucocephala but in S. sesban dual inoculation was at par with single inoculation of N fixer, AM fungi and control (without inoculation). The grass production was higher with L. leucocephala for two years while in third year it was more with S. sesban. The association of Rhizobium with AM fungi in L. leucocephala was better than in S. sesban.     

Water Resource Potential in Northern India: Constraints and Analyses of Price and Non-Price Solutions

The paper examines the linkages between water depletion, continuous population growth and economic development viewed primarily as agricultural development. This is done within a framework of a dynamic simulation model of ecological-economic type over extended periods of time. It is found that intensive agriculture, driven by an increase in the cropping intensity as a result of increase in area under paddy crop, has led to an increased gap between the demand for and supply of water resources, in particular subsurface resources. The consequent fall in water table may lead to constraints in the use of water. This has strong inequity implications in the resource use as well as threats to future of agricultural development in the region. It is revealed that a mix of interventions based on price solutions, non-price solutions and institutional set up are decisive in bringing a sustainable development and use of resource. The paper concludes with emphasising the role of state/government in achieving the desired goal.     

General plume dispersion model (GPDM) for point source emission

Gaussian-based dispersion models are widely used to estimate local pollution levels. The accuracy of such models depends on stability classification schemes as well as plume rise equations. A general plume dispersion model (GPDM) for a point source emission, based on Gaussian plume dispersion equation, was developed. The program complex was developed using Java and Visual basic tools. It has the flexibility of using five kinds of stability classification schemes, i.e., Lapse Rate, Pasquill–Gifford (PG), Turner, σ–θ and Richardson number. It also has the option of using two types of plume rise formulations – Briggs and Holland’s. The model, applicable for both rural and urban roughness conditions, uses meteorological and emission data as its input parameters, and calculates concentrations of pollutant at the center of each cell in a predefined grid area with respect to the given source location. Its performance was tested by comparing with 4-h average field data of continuous releases of SO₂ from Dadri thermal power plant (Uttar Pradesh, India). Results showed that the Turner scheme used with Holland’s equation gives the best outcome having a degree of agreement (d) of 0.522.