Laboratory and Field Assessment of Arsenic Testing Field Kits in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India

High concentrations of arsenic in ground waters in West Bengal and Bangladeshhave become a major cause for concern in recent years. Given the enormity and the severity of the problemof arsenic poisoning, a task of evaluating the commercially available arsenic detection field kits for their capabilities was undertaken. In the light of the findings, generic specificationswere recommended which could form the basis forindigenous manufacture of these kits in the arsenic affected countries. This article presents the results of the laboratory and fieldevaluation conducted in Bangladesh and West Bengalof five arsenic testing field kits. The salient features of the kits, their merits and limitationshave been brought out. Based on the criteria of kitdesign, quality of chemicals used, colourcomparator charts, detection range, time required for analysis, cost etc., a comparative ranking ofthe kits has been made to facilitate the choice of the kit to meet specific requirements.     

Emissions of VOCs at Urban Petrol Retail Distribution Centres in India (Delhi and Mumbai)

Air pollution has assumed gigantic proportion killing almost half a million Asians every year. Urban pollution mainly comprises of emissions from buses, trucks, motorcycle other forms of motorized transport and its supporting activities. As Asia's cities continue to expand the number of vehicles have risen resulting in greater pollution. Fugitive emissions from retail distribution center in urban area constitute a major source. Petrol vapours escape during refueling adding pollutants like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene to ambient air. This paper discusses a study on fugitive emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) at some refueling station in two metropolitan cities of India, i.e., Mumbai and Delhi. Concentration of VOCs in ambient air at petrol retail distribution center is estimated by using TO-17 method. Concentration of benzene in ambient air in Delhi clearly shows the effect of intervention in use of petroleum and diesel fuel and shift to CNG. Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) model is used to estimate source contributions. At Delhi besides diesel combustion engines, refueling emissions are also major sources. At Mumbai evaporative emissions are found to contribute maximum to Total VOC (TVOC) concentration in ambient air.     

Electro-oxidation of the dye azure B: kinetics,mechanism, and by-products

In this work, the electrochemical degradation of the dye azure B in aqueous solutions was studied by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), electro-Fenton, and anodic oxidation processes, using Pt/carbon-felt and boron-doped diamond (BDD)/carbon-felt cells with H₂O₂ electrogeneration. The higher oxidation power of the electro-Fenton (EF) process using BDD anode was demonstrated. The oxidative degradation of azure B by the electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals (^?OH) follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics. The apparent rate constants of the oxidation of azure B by ^?OH were measured according to pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The absolute rate constant of azure B hydroxylation reaction was determined by competition kinetics method and found to be 1.19?×?10⁹ M^?1 s^?1. It was found that the electrochemical degradation of the dye leads to the formation of aromatic by-products which are then oxidized to aliphatic carboxylic acids before their almost mineralization to CO₂ and inorganic ions (sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium). The evolution of the TOC removal and time course of short-chain carboxylic acids during treatment were also investigated.     

Bioleaching of copper from large printed circuit boards for synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The present study described a process for copper (Cu) bioleaching from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). The 45 (±?0.18) mg/g Cu was...     

A comprehensive review on the carcinogenic potential of bisphenol A: clues and evidence

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Bisphenol A [BPA; (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2] is a synthetic chemical used as a precursor material for the manufacturing of plastics and resins. It gained...     

Incineration at Bayou Bonfouca Remediation Project

The Bayou Bonfouca hazardous waste site is located in Slidell, Louisiana, approximately 96 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of New Orleans. This site is ranked number 1,006 on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a remedial investigation in 1986 and determined the primary potential exposure sources to be groundwater, surface waste piles, and contaminated sediment in Bayou Bonfouca. Based on the results of investigations, EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality chose a remedy that involves dredging contaminated sediment from the bayou, excavating contaminated waste piles and soil, and incinerating the solid wastes in a transportable incinerator. The site remedy, which included incineration, was specified in the Record of Decision signed in March 1987.

Of the total 142,000 megagrams (Mg) (157,000 tons) of waste to be incinerated, approximately 119,000 Mg (132,000 tons) consist of hazardous sediment from the bayou; 22,600 Mg (25,000 tons) consist of lightly contaminated soils and waste piles, cellulosic materials, and other miscellaneous wastes on the ground. The solid wastes are primarily low heat content sediment and soils and cellulosic materials with polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations from milligrams per kilogram (parts per million) levels up to two percent. The dredged bayou sediment will be dewatered in six, 115-cubiometer (150-cubic-yard) plate and frame filter presses before processing in the incinerator. A rotary-kiln-based single train incinerator is deployed at Bayou Bonfouca to process the solid waste feed.

On-site pilot studies indicated that the PAHs in groundwater could be removed by on-site pumping, treatment, and discharge of treated effluent to the bayou. The groundwater treatment plant went on-stream in June 1991. Treatment involves oil/water separation, filtration, carbon bed adsorption, and aeration.

IT Corporation-OH Materials, a joint venture, was awarded a contract in May 1991 and a notice to proceed in February 1992 to remediate and restore the Bayou Bonfouca site. The remediation project includes air quality monitoring and controls, site preparation, dredging and excavation, bayou bank stabilization and monitoring, equipment mobilization and erection, the trial burn, incineration, demobilization, and site closure. The project completed a successful trial burn in November 1993, and the commercial operation began in December 1993. The expected duration of the project is 40 months from mobilization to site closure.     

Evidence of new particle formation during post monsoon season over a high-altitude site of the Western Ghats,India

The formation of ultrafine particles, their growth, and associated characteristic features has been studied during new particle formation events over a high-altitude station of the Western Ghats during the 2014 post-monsoon season. Most of the events were observed during noon time where particle bursts in the nucleation-mode size range from 5 to 25 nm followed by sustained growth in size. This phenomenon persists for ～4–8 h with a growth rate of 1–2 nm h^–1. Peak concentrations of nucleation-mode particles during the event generally vary from 2300 to 5000 cm^–3. The mean growth rate is 1.4 ± 0.42 nm h^–1, particle formation rate is 1.14 ± 0.22 cm^–3 s^–1, coagulation sink is 0.35 ± 0.22 cm^–3 s^–1, and condensational sink is 15.4 ± 2.6?×?10^–3 s^–1. All these values are comparable with earlier results from Indian region. Comparison of size-segregated particle number concentration during days of new particle formation events and those without new particle formation were carried out showing a distinct variation in nucleation and Aitken mode with least variability associated with the accumulation mode.     

Chemiluminescence in evaluating thermal oxidative stability of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers. III. Emulsion-grade products

The thermal oxidative stability of various formulations based on emulsion-grade ABS was studied by the chemiluminescence technique. Emulsion products were found to be essentially less stable than ionic mass polymerization resins. Among the antioxidants studied, Santonox R is clearly more efficient than Irganox 1076 and Irganox 3114, and its superiority is reflected primarily in improved induction period values. The introduction of Tinuvin 770 and Tinuvin 328 UV stabilizers into emulsion resins does not change the durability of the products. In mixtures where both Irganox 1076 and UV stabilizers are present, a certain antagonistic effect was noted at high UV stabilizer concentrations.     

Vermiculture and waste management: study of action of earthworms Elsinia foetida, Eudrilus euginae and Perionyx excavatus on biodegradation of some community wastes in India and Australia

The practice of vermiculture is at least a century old but it is now being revived worldwide with diverse ecological objectives such as waste management, soil detoxification and regeneration and sustainable agriculture. Earthworms act in the soil as aerators, grinders, crushers, chemical degraders and biological stimulators. They secrete enzymes, proteases, lipases, amylases, cellulases and chitinases which bring about rapid biochemical conversion of the cellulosic and the proteinaceous materials in the variety of organic wastes which originate from homes, gardens, dairies and farms. The process is odour free because earthworms release coelomic fluids in the decaying waste biomass which has anti-bacterial properties which kills pathogens. The species used in India were Indian blue (Perionyx excavatus), African night crawler (Eudrilus euginae) and the Tiger worm (Elsinia foetida). E. foetida was used in Australia. E. euginae was found to have higher feeding, growth and biodegradation capacity compared to other two species.Earthworm action was shown to enhance natural biodegradation and decomposition of wastes (60–80 percent under optimum conditions), thus significantly reducing the composting time by several weeks. Within 5 to 6 weeks, 95–100 percent degradation of all cellulosic materials was achieved. Even hard fruit and egg shells and bones can be degraded, although these may take longer.     

Can conservation and development interventions in the Indian Central Himalaya ensure environmental sustainability? A socioecological evaluation

In biodiversity-rich areas, both conservation and socioeconomic development are at the core of discussions among various stakeholders, such as local people, policymakers, conservationists, resource management professionals, economists, researchers/scientists, and so forth. Various innovations are being provided that aim at promoting both improved livelihood for the people and the conservation and management of natural resources in the Central Himalaya of India. Many studies point out the factors responsible for the tremendous decline of natural resources and also how they have affected the local people’s livelihood options. In this context, the current study was undertaken to evaluate the potential of various solutions/innovations that are being implemented in the Himalayas of India. Unfortunately, only a few are found to be successful in both conservation and sustainable livelihood development. This study reveals that people are still looking for more viable solutions that could help them improve their lifestyle, as well as facilitating ecosystem conservation and supporting existing biodiversity. Based on the present study, it is argued that an in-depth empirical study of any region is a necessary process prior to offering solutions to achieve the desired goals, as considered by development agencies and policy-planners.