Impact of Post-Methanation Distillery Effluent Irrigation on Groundwater Quality

Molasses-based distilleries generate large quantities of effluent, which is used for irrigation in many countries including India. The effluent is rich in organic and inorganic ions, which may leach down and pollute the groundwater. An on-farm experiment was conducted to assess the impact of long-term irrigation with post-methanation distillery effluent (PMDE) on nitrate, sulphate, chloride, sodium, potassium, and magnesium contents in the groundwater of two sites in northwest India. Electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and colour were also determined to assess the chemical load in the groundwater. Nitrate content in the groundwater samples ranged from 16.95 mg L⁻¹ in the unamended fields to 59.81 mg L⁻¹ in the PMDE-amended fields during the 2-year study (2001–2002). Concentrations of TDS in water samples from tubewell of the amended field was higher by 40.4% over the tubewell water of the unamended field. Colour of the water samples of the amended fields was also darker than that of the unamended fields. The study indicated that the organic and inorganic ions added through the effluent could pose a serious threat to the groundwater quality if applied without proper monitoring.     

Social behaviour in genetically heterogeneous groups of Dictyostelium giganteum

The Dictyostelid or cellular slime moulds (CSMs) are soil amoebae with an asexual life cycle involving social behaviour and division of labour. The most obvious distinction is between ‘germ line’ or pre-spore cells, which survive, and ‘somatic’ or pre-stalk cells, which eventually die. A plausible hypothesis to explain the apparent altruism of pre-stalk cells is that it is directed at clonal relatives. We have tested this hypothesis by comparing indices of altruistic behaviour between clonal and chimeric (genetically heterogeneous) social groups. The groups were generated by mixing amoebae belonging to distinguishable strains of Dictyostelium giganteum. The amoebae of one strain do not aggregate at all when mixed with any of three other strains and aggregate poorly with a fourth. Among the latter, co-aggregation occurs but is followed by varying extents of sorting out. At times, two strains form separate fruiting bodies; in other cases, they remain together but are clustered in clonal groups within a single chimeric structure. Our expectation was that the allocation of cells to the stalk pathway would be higher, and to the spore pathway lower, in clonal social groups than in chimeras. The expectation was not always fulfilled. In addition, three strains could be arrayed in a linear rank order in terms of the relative efficiencies of spore-formation in binary mixtures; but when all three were mixed, they were equally efficient. More than overall genetic similarity, cell fate in a chimera seems to result from complex non-linear interactions based on epigenetic differences.     

Organic matter determination for street dust in Delhi

The organic matter of street dust is considered as one of the causes for high human mortality rate. To understand the association, the street dust samples were collected from four different localities (industrial, residential, residential–commercial, and commercial) situated in the greater Delhi area of India. The loss-on-ignition method was used to determine the organic matter (OM) content in street dust. The OM content, potassium, calcium, sulfate, and nitrate concentrations of street dust in Delhi, India is measured to understand the spatial variation. Correlation analysis, analysis of variance, and factor analysis were performed to define the sources. The dust OM level ranges from 2.63 to 10.22 %. It is found through correlation and factor analysis that OM is primarily contributed from secondary aerosol and vehicular exhaust. The OM levels suggest that the use of a residential–commercial site for commercial purposes is polluting the street dust and creating the environmental and human health problems.     

Organochlorine pesticide residues in fodder from rural areas of Haryana,India

Residues of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) namely 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCH-isomers), 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) and its metabolites, and endosulfan stereoisomers were analyzed in dry and green fodder samples from rural areas of Ambala, Gurgaon, and Hisar districts of Haryana, India during winter, summer, and post-monsoon seasons. The HCH isomers γ-HCH and β-HCH, and DDT and its metabolites p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDE, and p,p′-DDT had more traceability in test samples as compared to other isomers and metabolites studied. Total OCPs (ΣOCPs), i.e., ΣHCH, ΣDDT, and Σendosulfan were found to be the highest in wheat straw (1.1–1.2?mg?kg^?1) from Ambala and Gurgaon, followed by that in sorghum straw (0.46?mg?kg^?1) from Hisar. Dry fodder samples were found to have relatively higher residue levels than green fodders. In case of green fodder samples, maximum ΣOCP residues of 0.44?mg?kg^?1 were found in whole plant samples of sorghum from Gurgaon district followed by that in pearl millet (0.40?mg?kg^?1) from Ambala. The findings indicate highly significant differences (p?>?0.0001) in ΣOCPs and ΣDDT in wheat straw between different districts and reveal the persistence of OCP residues in both dry and green fodder samples in the study area.     

Phototransformation of quinalphos on clay surfaces

Photochemical decomposition of quinalphos was studied on clay surfaces (kaolinite, paly‐gorskite). Photoproducts were characterized by comparison with the authentic samples and GC‐MS. Rate of degradation on both the clays followed first order kinetics with significant correlation coefficient.     

Water quality index and suitability assessment of urban ground water of Hisar and Panipat in Haryana

Ground water quality in two well-developed cities of Haryana, viz. Hisar and Panipat was assessed for drinking purpose based on water quality parameters like pH, EC, turbidity, TDS, alkalinity, total hardness, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), nitrate (NO3), phosphate (PO4), sulphate (SO4) and fluoride (F) with respect to different land-use areas viz. residential, industrial, commercial and agricultural. Water quality index based on 9 parameters showed that at Panipat, underground water in all the land-use zones was fit for consumption (WQI < 50), whereas at Hisar, water in agricultural areas was good in quality, but that in other areas varied in magnitude of pollution (WQI > 50 to 100).     

The impact of atrazine on lake periphyton communities, including carbon uptake dynamics using track autoradiography

Chlorophyll a, freshweight biomass, ash-free dry weight, cell numbers, species richness, community carbon uptake and species-specific carbon uptake were used to monitor the impact of atrazine (2 chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) on an in situ, enclosed periphyton community. Atrazine concentrations ranging from 0.08 to 1.56 mg litre(-1) were used during the 2 years of study. In both 1982 and 1983, there was a shift from a chlorophyte- to a diatom-dominated community. In 1982 the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermum stagnale and the chlorophyte Tetraspora cylindrica developed isolated colonies in the 1.56 mg litre(-1) treatment, indicating resistance to atrazine at this concentration. After atrazine exposure, community productivity was reduced by 21% to 82% in the low to high exposures, respectively. After day 21 productivity returned to control levels. It was shown, using track autoradiography, that the productivities of the larger algae Mougeotia sp., Oedogonium sp., Tolypothrix limbata and Epithemia turgida were the most affected, with reductions of 74.3% to 93.1% that of the controls. All the biotic measures indicated reduced growth after herbicide exposure.     

Perspective on the Therapeutic Applications of Algal Polysaccharides

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Algae are an enormous source of polysaccharides and have gained much interest in human flourishing as organic drugs. Algal polysaccharides have aroused...     

Using indigenous bacterial isolate Nesterenkonia lacusekhoensis for removal of azo dyes: A low-cost ecofriendly approach for bioremediation of textile wastewaters

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Textile industry, a major trade in most developing countries, generates huge quantities of dye laden wastewater. Azo dyes, which are still used widely...