Effect of UV-A radiation as an environmental stress on the development,longevity, and reproduction of the oriental armyworm, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mythimna separata</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The ultraviolet light (UV-A) range of 320–400 nm is widely used as light trap for insect pests. Present investigation was aimed to determine the effect of UV light-A radiation on development, adult longevity, reproduction, and development of F₁ generation of Mythimna separata. Our results revealed that the mortality of the second instar larvae was higher than the third and fourth instar larvae after UV-A radiation. As the time of UV-A irradiation for pupae prolonged, the rate of adult emergence reduced. Along with the extension of radiation time decreased the longevity of adult females and males. However, the radiation exposure of 1 and 4 h/day increased fecundity of female adults, and a significant difference was observed in a 1 h/day group. The oviposition rates of female adults in all the treatments were significantly higher than the control. In addition, UV-A radiation treatments resulted in declined cumulative survival of F₁ immature stages (eggs, larvae, and pupae). After exposure time of 4 and 7 h/day, the developmental periods of F₁ larvae increased significantly, but no significant effects on F₁ pupal period were recorded.     

Exploring Patterns of Seafood Provision Revealed in the Global Ocean Health Index

Sustainable provision of seafood from wild-capture fisheries and mariculture is a fundamental component of healthy marine ecosystems and a major component of the Ocean Health Index. Here we critically review the food provision model of the Ocean Health Index, and explore the implications of knowledge gaps, scale of analysis, choice of reference points, measures of sustainability, and quality of input data. Global patterns for fisheries are positively related to human development and latitude, whereas patterns for mariculture are most closely associated with economic importance of seafood. Sensitivity analyses show that scores are robust to several model assumptions, but highly sensitive to choice of reference points and, for fisheries, extent of time series available to estimate landings. We show how results for sustainable seafood may be interpreted and used, and we evaluate which modifications show the greatest potential for improvements.     

Evaluation of Beta‐naphthoxyacetic Acid for Mutagenic Activity in the Salmonella/mammalian Microsome Assay

1,3‐β‐d‐Glucan derived from baker's yeast was chemically modified in two steps yielding crosslinked carboxymethyl glucan as the sodium salt (2). After cation exchange with hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, a hydrophobic adsorbent (3) was obtained which showed an excellent binding of the estrogenic mycotoxin zearalenone with a maximum adsorption of up to 183 mg/g. Compound 3 additionally showed a relatively high adsorption capacity for the trichothecene T‐2 toxin of at least 10 mg/g. Starting from 2, various derivatives were prepared by cation exchange using quaternary ammonium salts bearing substituents besides methyl from four to 18 carbon atoms. The adsorption of T‐2 toxin on these derivatives were compared with compound 3 leading to the conclusion that 3 is the best adsorbent of all investigated tetraalkylammonium‐modified derivatives of 2.     

Genotoxicity of methyl parathion in short‐term bacterial test systems

Abstract

Genotoxicity of the insecticide methyl parathion was investigated in Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli bacterial test systems for the detection of back mutations and DNA‐damage. Methyl parathion was mutagenic to S. typhimurium strain TA100 after activation with rat liver microsomal and cytosolic enzymes. In DNA repair tests, methyl parathion was effective in inducing damage to the S. typhimurium strain TA1538 which lack excision repair compared to the strain TA1978 which is proficient in excision repair mechanisms. Normal laboratory light conditions had no effect on the mutagenicity tests, however, exposure of methyl parathion in the petri dish containing the tester strain TA100 and rat liver microsomal and cytosolic enzymes reduced the mutagenic activity and increased the toxic effects of methyl parathion.     

Appraisal of the groundwater balance components from multi-remote sensing datasets in a semi-arid region

Semi-arid regions across the globe are fronting water crises, signaling a challenge to ensure future water security. Given the high inter-seasonal rainfall variability and unrestrained groundwater extraction, the precise quantification of groundwater flow components in an aquifer system is a priority. To address this challenge, we used high-resolution remote sensing (RS) data (Landsat and IRS) and GIS modeling (SEBAL, ArcCN) to spatially quantify major groundwater balance (GWB) components, viz., evapotranspiration (ET), rainfall recharge (R), surface runoff (Q), groundwater extraction (PG), irrigation return flow (IRF), and ultimately changes in groundwater storage (ΔS) in a small semi-arid crystalline representative watershed. Results show that a total of ~?230 mm of groundwater is extracted during 2008–2009, creating a negative impact on the groundwater resource, which is further enhanced by limited recharge and high ET. A decrease of approximately 65 mm in groundwater storage is observed in a single hydrological year, and given a very low specific yield, this decrease will introduce large water level decline. The study establishes that declining groundwater level in the watershed is a direct result of over-extraction, and owing to this scenario, efficient irrigation and land use policies are suggested as potential approaches to minimize extraction specifically in the dry season. Our methodology provides a systematic assessment of vital GWB components at a high spatial resolution and an insight on various sustainable mitigation methods. This methodology is useful in the planning and management of groundwater resources, particularly in water-stressed areas.     

Mercury accumulation in selected tissues of shrimp Penaeus merguiensis from Musa estuary,Persian Gulf: variations related to sex,size, and season

The levels of mercury in tissues of Penaeus merguiensis from Musa estuary, northwest of the Persian Gulf, were investigated. This study assessed the relationship between mercury levels in hepatopancrea, gill, and muscle with sex, size, and season. The order of mercury concentrations in tissues of the shrimp P. merguiensis was as follows: hepatopancreas > gill > muscle. There was a positive correlation between mercury concentrations in shrimp species with sex and size of its food items. We expected to see higher mercury levels in tissues of female species because they are larger and can eat larger food items. Also, there was a positive correlation between mercury concentrations in shrimp species with its food source. Therefore, female species feed more on shrimp and plant and are contaminated with high levels of mercury. There was significant difference (p?<?0.05) in mercury levels between different seasons; higher mercury levels were found in July (summer season).     

Speciative distribution and bioavailability of metals in agricultural soils receiving industrial wastewater

In order to assess the metal pollution status of agricultural lands of Mandi Bahauuddin receiving industrial wastewater, 35 top soil samples were investigated for the determination of selected metal levels, i.e., Fe, Cu, Cd, Cr, Ca, Ni, and Pb by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy under optimum analytical conditions. The distribution of these metals in different operationally defined chemical fractions was also determined by using the sequential extraction technique. The highest mean total concentration was found for Fe while the least one was observed for Pb. All the studied metals were found to be present at levels much enhanced than national and international standards. Moreover, most of the metals were distributed principally in residual fraction with the exception of Ni which was found to be associated mainly with oxidizable fraction. The significant correlations were observed between Fe-Mn oxide-bound and residual fractions and exchangeable and oxidizable fractions for most of the metals. The highest mobility was exhibited by Ni that evidenced its enhanced bioavailability in the soil. The multivariate statistical analyses in terms of principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) revealed multiple sources for various geochemical fractions of different metals. CA also revealed that the nonresidual fractions of most of the metals were very closely associated while PCA presented a distinctive behavior of Ca in the soil. It was therefore suggested that in order to avoid the metal contamination arising from industrial wastewater, appropriate remediation strategies must be adopted.     

Impact of anthropogenic activities on water quality of Lidder River in Kashmir Himalayas

The pristine waters of Kashmir Himalaya are showing signs of deterioration due to multiple reasons. This study researches the causes of deteriorating water quality in the Lidder River, one of the main tributaries of Jhelum River in Kashmir Himalaya. The land use and land cover of the Lidder catchment were generated using multi-spectral, bi-seasonal IRS LISS III (October 2005 and May 2006) satellite data to identify the extent of agriculture and horticulture lands that are the main non-point sources of pollution at the catchment scale. A total of 12 water quality parameters were analyzed over a period of 1 year. Water sampling was done at eight different sampling sites, each with a varied topography and distinct land use/land cover, along the length of Lidder River. It was observed that water quality deteriorated during the months of June–August that coincides with the peak tourist flow and maximal agricultural/horticultural activity. Total phosphorus, orthophosphate phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, and ammoniacal nitrogen showed higher concentration in the months of July and August, while the concentration of dissolved oxygen decreased in the same period, resulting in deterioration in water quality. Moreover, tourism influx in the Lidder Valley shows a drastic increase through the years, and particularly, the number of tourists visiting the valley has increased in the summer months from June to September, which is also responsible for deteriorating the water quality of Lidder River. In addition to this, the extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides in the agriculture and horticulture lands during the growing season (June–August) is also responsible for the deteriorating water quality of Lidder River.     

Sustainability of winter tourism in a changing climate over Kashmir Himalaya

Mountain areas are sensitive to climate change. Implications of climate change can be seen in less snow, receding glaciers, increasing temperatures, and decreasing precipitation. Climate change is also a severe threat to snow-related winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. The change in climate will put further pressure on the sensitive environment of high mountains. Therefore, in this study, an attempt has been made to know the impact of climate change on the snow precipitation, water resources, and winter tourism in the two famous tourist resorts of the Kashmir Valley. Our findings show that winters are getting prolonged with little snow falls on account of climate change. The average minimum and maximum temperatures are showing statistically significant increasing trends for winter months. The precipitation is showing decreasing trends in both the regions. A considerable area in these regions remains under the snow and glacier cover throughout the year especially during the winter and spring seasons. However, time series analysis of LandSat MODIS images using Normalized Difference Snow Index shows a decreasing trend in snow cover in both the regions from past few years. Similarly, the stream discharge, comprising predominantly of snow- and glacier-melt, is showing a statistically significant declining trend despite the melting of these glaciers. The predicted futuristic trends of temperature from Predicting Regional Climates for Impact Studies regional climate model are showing an increase which may enhance snow-melting in the near future posing a serious threat to the sustainability of winter tourism in the region. Hence, it becomes essential to monitor the changes in temperature and snow cover depletion in these basins in order to evaluate their effect on the winter tourism and water resources in the region.