Geospatial technology for assessment of soil erosion and prioritization of watersheds using RUSLE model for lower Sutlej sub-basin of Punjab,India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Erosion of soil by water coupled with human activities is considered as one of the...     

Sustainable poverty alleviation through a forestry project in Tamilnadu State of India

The World Development Report 2000–2001 recommends action on three complementary and synergistic fronts for poverty alleviation – promoting opportunity, facilitating empowerment and enhancing security. This paper analyses the Tamilnadu Forestry Project, funded by US$100 million from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, for community forestry. The project was launched in 1997–1998 in this southern state of India and has evolved into a comprehensive poverty alleviation programme for the forest abutting villages where the proportion of poor people is largest. It endeavours to explain how the project provides the above three elements at the local level for sustainable poverty alleviation. Regeneration of forests, improvement of basic infrastructure through integration of line departments and promotion of alternate livelihoods provide ample economic opportunities. Establishment of Village Forest Councils, and delegation of sufficient powers to these Councils, has empowered the poorest of the poor. Tree assets, promotion of alternate income generation activities and water harvesting structures have provided security by reducing vulnerability to natural vagaries, particularly drought. In this project, the restoration of biodiversity and people development go hand in hand in a synergistic way that makes the project worth replicating elsewhere in the country and other parts of the world, with suitable modifications.     

Hydrologic Controls on Nitrogen and Phosphorous Dynamics in Relict Oxbow Wetlands Adjacent to an Urban Restored Stream

Although wetlands are known to be sinks for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), their function in urban watersheds remains unclear. We analyzed water and nitrate (NO₃^?) and phosphate (PO₄^3?) dynamics during precipitation events in two oxbow wetlands that were created during geomorphic stream restoration in Baltimore County, Maryland that varied in the nature and extent of connectivity to the adjacent stream. Oxbow 1 (Ox1) received 1.6‐4.2% and Oxbow 2 (Ox2) received 4.2‐7.4% of cumulative streamflow during storm events from subsurface seepage (Ox1) and surface flow (Ox2). The retention time of incoming stormwater ranged from 0.2 to 6.7 days in Ox1 and 1.8 to 4.3 days in Ox2. Retention rates in the wetlands ranged from 0.25 to 2.74 g N/m²/day in Ox1 and 0.29 to 1.94 g N/m²/day in Ox2. Percent retention of the NO₃^?‐N load that entered the wetlands during the storm events ranged from 64 to 87% and 23 to 26%, in Ox1 and Ox2, respectively. During all four storm events, Ox1 and Ox2 were a small net source of dissolved PO₄^3? to the adjacent stream (i.e., more P exited than entered the wetland), releasing P at a rate of 0.23‐20.83 mg P/m²/day and 3.43‐24.84 mg P/m²/day, respectively. N and P removal efficiency of the oxbows were regulated by hydrologic connectivity, hydraulic loading, and retention time. Incidental oxbow wetlands have potential to receive urban stream and storm flow and to be significant N sinks, but they may be sources of P in urban watersheds.     

Recent advances in nanomaterial developments for efficient removal of Hg(II) from water

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - “Water” contamination by mercury Hg(II) has become the biggest concern due to its severe toxicities on public health. There are different...     

Longitudinal variability in streamwater chemistry and carbon and nitrogen fluxes in restored and degraded urban stream networks

Stream restoration has increasingly been used as a best management practice for improving water quality in urbanizing watersheds, yet few data exist to assess restoration effectiveness. This study examined the longitudinal patterns in carbon and nitrogen concentrations and mass balance in two restored (Minebank Run and Spring Branch) and two unrestored (Powder Mill Run and Dead Run) stream networks in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Longitudinal synoptic sampling showed that there was considerable reach-scale variability in biogeochemistry (e.g., total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), cations, pH, oxidation/reduction potential, dissolved oxygen, and temperature). TDN concentrations were typically higher than DOC in restored streams, but the opposite pattern was observed in unrestored streams. Mass balances in restored stream networks showed net uptake of TDN across subreaches (mean ± standard error net uptake rate of TDN across sampling dates for Minebank Run and Spring Branch was 420.3 ± 312.2 and 821.8 ± 570.3 mg m(-2) d(-1), respectively). There was net release of DOC in the restored streams (1344 ± 1063 and 1017 ± 944.5 mg m(-2) d(-1) for Minebank Run and Spring Branch, respectively). Conversely, degraded streams, Powder Mill Run and Dead Run showed mean net release of TDN across sampling dates (629.2 ± 167.5 and 327.1 ± 134.5 mg m(-2) d(-1), respectively) and net uptake of DOC (1642 ± 505.0 and 233.7 ± 125.1 mg m(-2) d(-1), respectively). There can be substantial C and N transformations in stream networks with hydrologically connected floodplain and pond features. Assessment of restoration effectiveness depends strongly on where monitoring is conducted along the stream network. Monitoring beyond the stream-reach scale is recommended for a complete perspective of evaluation of biogeochemical function in restored and degraded urban streams.     

Elucidation of the tidal influence on bacterial populations in a monsoon influenced estuary through simultaneous observations

The influence of tides on bacterial populations in a monsoon influenced tropical estuary was assessed through fine resolution sampling (1 to 3 h) during spring and neap tides from mouth to the freshwater end at four stations during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Higher abundance of total bacterial count (TBC) in surface water near the river mouth, compared to the upstream, during pre-monsoon was followed by an opposite scenario during the monsoon When seasonally compared, it was during the post-monsoon season when TBC in surface water was highest, with simultaneous decrease in their count in the river sediment. The total viable bacterial count (TVC) was influenced by the depth-wise stratification of salinity, which varied with tidal fluctuation, usually high and low during the neap and spring tides respectively. The abundance of both the autochthonous Vibrio spp. and allochthonous coliform bacteria was influenced by the concentrations of dissolved nutrients and suspended particulate matter (SPM). It is concluded that depending on the interplay of riverine discharge and tidal amplitude, sediment re-suspension mediated increase in SPM significantly regulates bacteria populations in the estuarine water, urging the need of systematic regular monitoring for better prediction of related hazards, including those associated with the rise in pathogenic Vibrio spp. in the changing climatic scenarios.     

An update on pathophysiology and treatment of sports-mediated brain injury

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a neurological disorder which represents a major health issue worldwide. It causes mortality and disability among all...     

Ecological Engineering Practices for the Reduction of Excess Nitrogen in Human-Influenced Landscapes: A Guide for Watershed Managers

Excess nitrogen (N) in freshwater systems, estuaries, and coastal areas has well-documented deleterious effects on ecosystems. Ecological engineering practices (EEPs) may be effective at decreasing nonpoint source N leaching to surface and groundwater. However, few studies have synthesized current knowledge about the functioning principles, performance, and cost of common EEPs used to mitigate N pollution at the watershed scale. Our review describes seven EEPs known to decrease N to help watershed managers select the most effective techniques from among the following approaches: advanced-treatment septic systems, low-impact development (LID) structures, permeable reactive barriers, treatment wetlands, riparian buffers, artificial lakes and reservoirs, and stream restoration. Our results show a broad range of N-removal effectiveness but suggest that all techniques could be optimized for N removal by promoting and sustaining conditions conducive to biological transformations (e.g., denitrification). Generally, N-removal efficiency is particularly affected by hydraulic residence time, organic carbon availability, and establishment of anaerobic conditions. There remains a critical need for systematic empirical studies documenting N-removal efficiency among EEPs and potential environmental and economic tradeoffs associated with the widespread use of these techniques. Under current trajectories of N inputs, land use, and climate change, ecological engineering alone may be insufficient to manage N in many watersheds, suggesting that N-pollution source prevention remains a critical need. Improved understanding of N-removal effectiveness and modeling efforts will be critical in building decision support tools to help guide the selection and application of best EEPs for N management.     

Electrospun ZnO Nanoparticles Doped Core–Sheath Nanofibers: Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties

Coaxial electrospinning technique was used to fabricate the core–sheath composite nanofibers of ZnO nanoparticle (Nps) (10%, 20% w/w) doped polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) (as sheath) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (as core). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra were confirmed the weak forces arise between ZnO Nps, PMMA and PVA matrixes. The hexagonal (wurtzite) structure of ZnO Nps with ~?30.8 nm of diameter was confirmed from the X-ray diffraction pattern. The morphology and microstructure of core–sheath composite nanofibers were confirmed from the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is clearly seen from the TEM images that the PMMA encapsulate the PVA core. Core–sheath composite nanofibers were assessed against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) bacteria through quantitative, disk diffusion and viable cell count methods. It was found that ZnO Nps doped core–sheath nanofibers were effectively inhibit the growth of gram positive bacteria, B. subtilis.     

Energy budget of Pieris brassicae L. larvae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) fed on four host plant species

Energy budgets were evaluated for the larval development of Pieris brassicae fed on leaves of Brassica oleracea var. capitata, B. oleracea var. botrytis, B. oleracea var. sarson and Nasturtium montanum. Food consumption, assimilation and tissue growth values were maximum for the larvae fed on B. oleracea var. capitata and minimum for the larvae fed on N. montanum. Mean values of approximate digestibility (AD), efficiency of conversion of digested food into body tissue (ECD) and efficiency of conversion of ingested food into body tissue (ECI) fall within the values reported for other leaf-eating lepidopterans. An equivalent weight of the following materials had calorific values in the order given: faeces < food plant < larval stages < pupal stage.