Heavy metal contamination in river water and sediments of the Swarnamukhi River Basin,India: risk assessment and environmental implications

The concentration of heavy metals was analyzed each of 20 river water, suspended sediments and bed sediments along the stretch of Swarnamukhi River Basin. River water is not contaminated with heavy metals except Fe and Mn. Contamination factor in sediments shows considerable to very high degree contamination with Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn. The sources of these metals could be residential wastes, sewer outfall, fertilizers, pesticides (M-45 + carbondine) and traffic activities apart from natural weathering of granitic rocks present in the basin area. Principal component analyses indicate the interaction between metals in different media. The comparison of metals (Cu, Pb and Zn) in bed sediments of Swarnamukhi River with the Indian and world averages indicates that the values obtained in the basin are above the Indian averages and far below to the world averages. Average shale values and sediment quality guidelines point toward the enrichment and contamination of Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn to several fold leading to eco-toxicological risks in basin.     

Anthropogenic metal pollution in surface sediments of the Tambaraparni River Estuary

Estuarine sediments in the<63 μm size fraction were collected from 15 stations within the Tambaraparni River Estuary, located on the east coast of India. The distribution of the heavy metals Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn was recorded. Our analysis distinguished two groups of elements. First, Cd, Pb and Zn, which occurred in higher than expected concentrations indicative of pollution, and second, Co, Cr, Cu and Ni, which occurred at background levels. The highest metal concentration found in the study area was for Zn (1200 μ g·g^?1), and the lowest was for Cd (0.42 μ g·g^?1). It is presumed that river run-off, industrial waters and untreated domestic waters are major contributors to heavy metal pollution in the Tambaraparni River Estuary. The concentrations of heavy metal species in surface sediments (<2 m water depth) of the Tambaraparni Estuary were studied to determine the extent of anthropogenic inputs from catchment areas and to understand anthropogenic effects on geochemical process in this tropical estuarine system.     

How is Shrimp Aquaculture Transforming Coastal Livelihoods and Lagoons in Estero Real,Nicaragua?: The Need to Integrate Social–Ecological Research and Ecosystem-Based Approaches

Ecosystem-based approaches to aquaculture integrate environmental concerns into planning. Social–ecological systems research can improve this approach by explicitly relating ecological and social dynamics of change at multiple scales. Doing so requires not only addressing direct effects of aquaculture but also considering indirect factors such as changes in livelihood strategies, governance dynamics, and power relations. We selected the community of Puerto Morazán, Nicaragua as a case study to demonstrate how the introduction of small-scale aquaculture radically transformed another key livelihood activity, lagoon shrimp fishing, and the effects that these changes have had on lagoons and the people that depend on them. We find that shrimp aquaculture played a key role in the collapse, in the 1990s, of an existing lagoon common-property management. Shrimp aquaculture-related capital enabled the adoption of a new fishing technique that not only degraded lagoons but also led to their gradual privatization. The existence of social ties between small-scale shrimp farmers and other community members mitigated the impacts of privatization, illustrating the importance of social capital. Since 2008, community members are seeking to communally manage the lagoons once again, in response to degraded environmental conditions and a consolidation of the shrimp industry at the expense of smaller actors. This research shows that shrimp aquaculture intersects with a complex set of drivers, affecting not only how ecosystems are managed but also how they are perceived and valued. Understanding these social–ecological dynamics is essential to implement realistic policies and management of mangrove ecosystems and address the needs of resource-dependent people.     

Epigenetics: a new warrior against cardiovascular calcification,a forerunner in modern lifestyle diseases

Arterial and aortic valve calcifications are the most prevalent pathophysiological conditions among all the reported cases of cardiovascular calcifications. It increases with several risk factors like age, hypertension, external stimuli, mechanical forces, lipid deposition, malfunction of genes and signaling pathways, enhancement of naturally occurring calcium inhibitors, and many others. Modern-day lifestyle is affected by numerous environmental factors and harmful toxins that impair our health rather than providing benefits. Applying the combinatorial approach or targeting the exact mechanism could be a new strategy for drug designing or attenuating the severity of calcification. Most of the non-communicable diseases are life-threatening; thus, altering the phenotype and not the genotype may reveal the gateway for fighting with upcoming hurdles. Overall, this review summarizes the reason behind the generation of arterial and aortic valve calcification and its related signaling pathways and also the detrimental effects of calcification. In addition, the individual process of epigenetics and how the implementation of this process becomes a novel approach for diminishing the harmful effect of calcification are discussed. Noteworthy, as epigenetics is linked with genetics and environmental factors necessitates further clinical trials for complete and in-depth understanding and application of this strategy in a more specific and prudent manner.

     

Risk assessment and chemical decontamination of an oxime carbamate insecticide (methomyl) from eggplant, Solanum melongena L.

Methomyl, S-methyl (EZ)-N-(methylcarbamoyloxy)thioacetimidate, is a systemic insecticide chosen for the management of shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis G. Codex Alimentarious Commission has proposed a maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.2 mg kg^???1 of methomyl, and there is a need to validate this value on eggplant. First + first-order model can explain the nonlinear dissipation pattern of methomyl conveniently in comparison to first-order kinetics. The preharvest intervals (PHI) of 27.3 and 35.3 days as obtained from first + first-order model for single and double doses would bring down the methomyl residue below MRL in actual practice. The respective half-lives were 6.6 and 7.8 days. On the other hand, first-order model suggests methomyl dissipated with a half-life value around 5 days and proposed PHIs of 6.57 and 8.57 days for single and double doses, which was far from reality. Hence, five different decontamination agents were chosen for the decontamination of methomyl from eggplant. Safety factors such as theoretical maximum daily intake and maximum permissible intake were used to evaluate risk assessment to human health. A 3-day waiting period for the both doses, following conventional agricultural practice and processing factor could not ensure sufficient margin of safety. Subjecting the data to a processing factor of 60% could not bring the residues below the proposed MRL by Codex. Methomyl is not found appropriate and effective for application in eggplant. Either the proposed MRL needs to be revised or good agricultural practice involving methomyl for plant protection in eggplant cultivation is questioned.     

Synthetic textile and microfiber pollution: a review on mitigation strategies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Microfiber pollution is one of the recent threats to sustainability. Due to the increased use of synthetic textiles, microplastic fiber release to the...     

Extraction of Silk Fibroin with Several Sericin Removal Processes and its Importance in Tissue Engineering: A Review

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Sericin is a sticky protein substance, which is generated by the silk-worm for holding the filaments of silk tightly. The main constituent of natural crude...     

Environmental and occupational exposure of metals and female reproductive health

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Untainted environment promotes health, but the last few decades experienced steep upsurge in environmental contaminants posing detrimental...     

Mechanical dependency of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAAS) axis: a possible new threat

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Pathogens in our environment can act as agents capable of inflicting severe human diseases. Among them, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has recently plagued the...     

Unintended Consequences of Environmental Policies: the Case of Set-aside and Agricultural Intensification

Environmental Modeling & Assessment - The objective of this paper is to evaluate the indirect impacts of a set-aside policy on the environment through crop intensification. We estimate a...