Bio-concentration of chromium—an <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> phytoremediation study at South Kaliapani chromite mining area of Orissa,India

Mine waste water at South Kaliapani usually contains toxic levels of hexavalent Cr(VI). The present in situ study was conducted at South Kaliapani chromite mine area in Orissa state, India, to assess the phytoremediation ability of three plants, namely, rice (Oryza sativa L.), paragrass (Brachiaria mutica), and an aquatic weed (Eichhornia crassipes), in attenuating Cr(VI) from mine waste water and to correlate the bio-concentration factors (BCF) of Cr. Water hyacinth (E. crassipes) showed 24% to 54% reduction whereas paragrass (B. mutica) was able to reduce 18% to 33% of Cr(VI) from mine water. This reduction was studied over a period of 100 days of plant growth. The reduction was observed through a passage of a sum total of 2,000 sq. ft. cultivated plots and ponds separately. Reduction in Cr(VI) content in mine water varies with plant age as well as with the distance of passage. Cr accumulation and BCF values increased with high soil Cr levels as well as the age of plants. High BCF and transportation index (Ti) values, i.e., 10,924 and 32.09, respectively, were noted for water hyacinth. The Ti values indicated that the root-to-shoot translocation of Cr was very high after 100 days of growth. The total accumulation rate was maximum (8.29 mg Cr kg dry biomass^− 1 day ^− 1) in paragrass. The BCF values for roots were noted to be higher than those of leaves, stems, and grains of the 125-day-old plants. Hence, paragrass and water hyacinth may be used as tools of phytoremediation to combat the problem of in situ Cr contamination.     

Utilization of agricultural waste biomass and recycling toward circular bioeconomy

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The major global concern on energy is focused on conventional fossil resources. The burning of fossil fuels is an origin of greenhouse gas emissions...     

Development of socio-economic impact assessment methodology applicable to large water resource projects in India

SUMMARY

The genesis of socio-economic impact assessment (SIA) in India is pressure from funding agencies like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and similar institutions. Of late, these institutions have stressed appraisal of environmental concerns as a pre-condition for financial support to large infra-structure projects. However, SIA studies are easier to conceptualise than to implement, because the issues involved are nebulous, complex, highly nuanced, difficult to define, and not easily amenable to quantification. These are some of the reasons for the cursory treatment of socioeconomic impact studies in India as a formality to satisfy monitoring and funding agency requirements and not as a tool for ensuring maximum social good through the developmental process. However, proper implementation of the concept of SIA in essential in attaining the goals of sustainable development. Ensuring social justice, i.e. preventing the continued impoverishment, displacement, social dislocation, and marginalisation of the weaker sections of Indian society, who always seem to bear the burden of adverse effects of such large infra-structure projects in disproportionate numbers, is also a goal of SIA. Increasing ambivalent attitudes and mounting opposition towards the implementation of large water resources projects of late in India necessitate systematic, transparent, and exhaustive consideration of all relevant socioeconomic issues before implementation of such projects. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive methodology for SIA for large water resource projects in India. The methodology was based on the review of the literature and other means and implicitly addresses the major goals of SIA — sustainable development and the achievement of social justice related to development.     

Connecting the dots between inflammatory cascades of obesity and COVID-19 in light of mortal consequences—a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Obesity is a term that has recently been referred to describe a condition in which a person has become a diseased vessel. Obesity’s internal...