Socioeconomic backwardness and vulnerability to climate change: evidence from Uttar Pradesh state in India

This study tests the thesis that ‘vulnerability to climate change is not only a result of biophysical events alone but also influenced by the socioeconomic conditions in which climate change occurs’. The study chose Uttar Pradesh (UP), a state in India, for its importance in the nation's food and nutrition security programme and its high sensitivity to climate change. It uses an indicator approach to see which districts of UP are the most vulnerable to climate change, and attempts to identify the factors on a set of explanatory variables. The study finds that infrastructurally and economically developed districts are less vulnerable to climate change; in other words, vulnerability to climate change and variability is linked with social and economic development. This observation is corroborated by the findings of relational analysis wherein livestock, forestry, consumption of fertilizer, per capita income, and infant mortality rate are observed to be important correlates of vulnerability to climate change.     

Pollution tolerance and distribution pattern of plants in surrounding area of coal-fired industries

Higher concentration of SO2 and particulate matters was reported in surrounding areas of coal-fired industries which influences the distribution pattern of plants. Sensitive plant species are abolished from such areas, however, only pollution tolerant species survive under stress conditions. The present study was designed to investigate the vegetation composition around coal-fired industries i.e. brick industries. To categorise plants as sensitive or resistant air pollution tolerance index (APTI) value was calculated. Out of 99 plants studied, Ricinus communis with APTI 81.10 was found to be the most resistant wild plant showing uniform distribution at all the polluted sites. On the other hand, Lepidium sativum with APTI 5.27 was recorded as the most sensitive plant and found to be present only at the less polluted sites.     

Biochemical parameters of plants as indicators of air pollution

In the present study species like Mangifera indica, Linn., Cassia fistula, Linn., and Eucalyptus hybrid were exposed to different air pollution load for short duration (active biomonitoring). Variation in biochemical parameters like chlorophyll, protein, soluble sugar free amino acid, ascorbic acid, nitrate reductase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in the leaves were found to be pollution load dependent. These variations can be used as indicators of air pollution for early diagnosis of stress or as a marker for physiological damage to trees prior to the onset of visible injury symptoms. Just by analyzing these biochemical indicators air quality can also be assessed.     

Utilizing of Sugar Refinery Waste (Cane Molasses) for Production of Bio-Plastic Under Submerged Fermentation Process

In the present study, depending upon the availability and cheaper cost, different carbon source were tested for the production of PHAs (Polyhydroxyalkonoates) by soil bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and it was found that sugar refinery waste (cane molasses) produced the maximum PHA (biodegradable polymer) which is precursor for bio-plastic development. Urea served as potent nitrogen source over other inorganic nitrogen sources in bio-plastic synthesis. Effect of different physical parameters viz; pH, temperature and agitation speed were also studied on PHA production. Batch cultivation kinetics under optimized cultural and physical condition showed maximum cell mass and PHA concentration of 7.32?±?0.2 and 5.60?±?0.3?g/L, respectively after 54.0?h of cultivation. Sugar refinery waste (Total sugar 4%) and urea (0.8%) improved the economics of the process which exhibited a yield (Y_P/X) of 0.70 with productivity of 0.11?g/L/h. PHA was further characterized as PHB by using Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FT-IR).     

Arsenic tolerances in rice (Oryza sativa) have a predominant role in transcriptional regulation of a set of genes including sulphur assimilation pathway and antioxidant system

World wide arsenic (As) contamination of rice has raised much concern as it is the staple crop for millions. Four most commonly cultivated rice cultivars, Triguna, IR-36, PNR-519 and IET-4786, of the West Bengal region were taken for a hydroponic study to examine the effect of arsenate (As^V) and arsenite (As^III) on growth response, expression of genes and antioxidants vis-à-vis As accumulation. The rice genotypes responded differentially under As^V and As^III stress in terms of gene expression and antioxidant defences. Some of the transporters were up-regulated in all rice cultivars at lower doses of As species, except IET-4786. Phytochelatin synthase, GST and γ-ECS showed considerable variation in their expression pattern in all genotypes, however in IET-4786 they were generally down-regulated in higher As^III stress. Similarly, most of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) increased significantly in Triguna, IR-36 and PNR-519 and decreased in IET-4786. Our study suggests that Triguna, IR-36 and PNR-519 are tolerant rice cultivars accumulating higher arsenic; however IET-4786 is susceptible to As-stress and accumulates less arsenic than other cultivars.     

Carbon capture,storage, and usage with microalgae: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Global warming is induced partly by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, calling for sustainable methods to sequester carbon. Here we review carbon capture,...     

Comparative assessment of Azolla pinnata and Vallisneria spiralis in Hg removal from G.B. Pant Sagar of Singrauli Industrial region, India

The aim of the present work was to monitor the Hg pollution in water and sediments of G.B. Pant Sagar located in Singrauli Industrial Region, India and to suggest the efficient aquatic plants for its phytoremediation. The study assessed the comparative potential of a free floating water fern Azolla pinnata and submerged aquatic macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis to purify waters polluted by Hg. Six days laboratory experiments have been conducted to mark the percentage removal of Hg at initial concentration of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 mg L(-1). The percentage removal of Hg was higher for A. pinnata (80-94%) than V. spiralis (70-84%). Likewise, the Hg accumulated in dry mass was much higher for A. pinnata and a high correlation (R(2) = 0.91 for A. pinnata and 0.99 for V. spiralis) was obtained between applied Hg doses and accumulated amounts in biomass. A concentration dependent decrease in chlorophyll a, protein, RNA, DNA and nutrients (NO(3-) and PO(4)(3-)) uptake was detected in A. pinnata and V. spiralis due to Hg toxicity. The decrease was more prominent in Azolla than Vallisneria. The results recommended the use of A. pinnata and V. spiralis to ameliorate the industrial effluents (thermal power, chlor-alkali and coal mine effluent) contaminated with Hg.     

Bioaccumulation of Ra by plants growing in fresh water ecosystem around the uranium industry at Jaduguda, India

A field study has been conducted to evaluate the ²²⁶Ra bioaccumulation among aquatic plants growing in the stream/river adjoining the uranium mining and ore-processing complex at Jaduguda, India. Two types of plant group have been investigated namely free floating algal species submerged into water and plants rooted in stream & riverbed. The highest ²²⁶Ra activity concentration (9850 Bq kg⁻¹) was found in filamentous algae growing in the residual water of tailings pond. The concentration ratios of ²²⁶Ra in filamentous algae (activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra in plant Bq kg⁻¹ fresh weight/activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra in water Bq l⁻¹) widely varied i.e. from 1.1 × 10³ to 8.6 × 10⁴. Other aquatic plants were also showing wide variability in the ²²⁶Ra activity concentration. The ln-transformed filamentous algae ²²⁶Ra activity concentration was significantly correlated with that of ln-transformed water concentration (r = 0.89, p < 0.001). There was no correlation between the activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra in stream/riverbed rooted plants and the substrate. For this group, correlation between ²²⁶Ra activity concentration and Mn, Fe, Cu concentration in plants were statistically significant.