Potential of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coriaria nepalensis</Emphasis> for establishment of tree seedlings: Implication for restoration of degraded hill slopes of Central Himalaya

Seedling establishment in harsh environment was a rare and sporadic event due to the prevalent high temperatures and low moisture regimes. Also in response to harsh conditions seedlings establishment of many species appear to be more frequent under canopies of nurse plants. In these interactions the seedling benefit from the micro environment created by the adult nurse plants. In Himalaya some of the host plants are typically colonizer of nutrient-poor soils in habitats such as eroded soils and rocky surfaces. Many of the plants themselves do not yield economic goods, but they can promote the growth of more useful plants and have potential for reclamation of nutrient poor soils.     

Soil to leaf transfer factor for the radionuclides ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr at Kaiga region, India

Transfer factors are the most important parameters required for mathematical modeling used for environmental impact assessment of radioactive contamination in the environment. In this paper soil to leaf transfer factor for the radionuclides ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr is estimated for Kaiga region in Karnataka state, India. Among the plants in which study is carried out, ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr activity in leaves of herbaceous plants is higher than that of tree leaves. Soil to leaf transfer factor for ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr was found to be in the range of 0.03-0.65, 0.32-8.04, 0.05-3.03 and 0.42-2.67 respectively.     

Organic and inorganic components of aerosols over the central Himalayas: winter and summer variations in stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition

The aerosol samples were collected from a high elevation mountain site, Nainital, in India (1958 m asl) during September 2006 to June 2007 and were analyzed for water-soluble inorganic species, total carbon, nitrogen, and their isotopic composition (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N, respectively). The chemical and isotopic composition of aerosols revealed significant anthropogenic influence over this remote free-troposphere site. The amount of total carbon and nitrogen and their isotopic composition suggest a considerable contribution of biomass burning to the aerosols during winter. On the other hand, fossil fuel combustion sources are found to be dominant during summer. The carbon aerosol in winter is characterized by greater isotope ratios (av. ?24.0?‰), mostly originated from biomass burning of C₄ plants. On the contrary, the aerosols in summer showed smaller δ¹³C values (?26.0?‰), indicating that they are originated from vascular plants (mostly of C₃ plants). The secondary ions (i.e., SO₄ ^2?, NH₄ ⁺, and NO₃ ^?) were abundant due to the atmospheric reactions during long-range transport in both seasons. The water-soluble organic and inorganic compositions revealed that they are aged in winter but comparatively fresh in summer. This study validates that the pollutants generated from far distant sources could reach high altitudes over the Himalayan region under favorable meteorological conditions.     

Rapid control of black and odorous substances from heavily-polluted sediment by oxidation: Efficiency and effects

Oxidants were proposed to rapidly control black and odorous substances in sediments. NaClO and KMnO₄ had excellent efficiency to remove black and odorous substances. NaClO dramatically accelerated the release of organics, NH₄⁺-N, P, and heavy-metals. Moderate oxidation had a limited effect on microbial communities. NaClO of 0.2 mmol/g was viewed to be the optimum option. The control of black and odorous substances in sediments is of crucial importance to improve the urban ecological landscape and to restore water environments accordingly. In this study, chemical oxidation by the oxidants NaClO, H₂O₂, and KMnO₄ was proposed to achieve rapid control of black and odorous substances in heavily-polluted sediments. Results indicate that NaClO and KMnO₄ are effective at removing Fe(II) and acid volatile sulfides. The removal efficiencies of Fe(II) and AVS were determined to be 45.2%, 94.1%, and 93.7%, 89.5% after 24-h exposure to NaClO and KMnO₄ at 0.2 mmol/g, respectively. Additionally, rapid oxidation might accelerate the release of pollutants from sediment. The release of organic matters and phosphorus with the maximum ratios of 22.1% and 51.2% was observed upon NaClO oxidation at 0.4 mmol/g. Moreover, the introduction of oxidants contributed to changes in the microbial community composition in sediment. After oxidation by NaClO and KMnO₄ at 0.4 mmol/g, the Shannon index decreased from 6.72 to 5.19 and 4.95, whereas the OTU numbers decreased from 2904 to 1677 and 1553, respectively. Comparatively, H₂O₂ showed a lower effect on the removal of black and odorous substances, pollutant release, and changes in sediment microorganisms. This study illustrates the effects of oxidant addition on the characteristics of heavily polluted sediments and shows that chemical oxidants may be an option to achieve rapid control of black and odorous substances prior to remediation of water environments.     

Assessing the impact of irrigation treatments on thiram residual trends: Correspondence with numerical modelling and field-scale experiments

The present study was undertaken to study the trends of transport of thiram, a dithiocarbamate pesticide, at different time and depth in the fields under real field conditions for wheat crop. Numerical simulations were carried out by solving the coupled soil–water content movement and mass transport equations using HYDRUS- 1D. The supplementary data used for paramaterization of HYDRUS-1D comprise of irrigation treatments, climatic conditions, and soil characteristics. Results focus on the effects and influence of irrigation treatments on pesticide persistence and mobility. Modelling results were in good agreement with the experimentally determined thiram concentrations. Application of the model to measured field data of thiram movement indicates that the modelling approach can provide reliable and useful estimates of the mass flux of water and non-volatile pesticide in vadose zone. For policy-makers and planners, some regulation strategies are suggested for controlling inappropriate pesticide application under deficit irrigation or rain-fed conditions.     

Phytoremedial assessment of flora tolerant to heavy metals in the contaminated soils of an abandoned Pb mine in Central Portugal

Significant accumulation of heavy metals in soils and flora exists around the abandoned Barbadalhos Pb mine in Central Portugal. Soil and plant samples [49 species] were collected from two line transects, LT 1 and LT 2, in the mineralized and non-mineralized area, respectively to gain a comprehensive picture of heavy metals in soils and flora to assess its potential for phytoremediation. Phytosociological inventories of the vegetation were made using the Braun-Blanquet cover-abundance scale. Metal concentrations in soil ranged from (in mg kg^?1): 98–9330 [Pb], 110–517 [Zn], 7.1–50 [Co], 69–123 [Cr], 31–193 [Cu], 33 400–98 500 [Fe], 7.7–51 [Ni], 0.95–13 [Ag], 2.8–208 [As], and 71–2220 [Mn] along LT 1; and 24–93 [Pb], 30–162 [Zn], 3.7–34 [Co], 61–196 [Cr], 21–46 [Cu], 24 100–59 400 [Fe], 17–87 [Ni], 0.71–1.9 [Ag], 4.3–12 [As], and 44–1800 [Mn] along LT 2. Plant metal content ranged from (in mg kg^?1): 1.11–548 [Pb], 7.06–1020 [Zn], 0.08–2.09 [Co], 0.09–2.03 [Cr], 2.63–38.5 [Cu], 10.4–4450 [Fe], 0.38–8.9 [Ni], and 0.03–1.9 [Ag] along LT 1; and 0.94–11.58 [Pb], 2.83–96.5 [Zn], 0.12–1.44 [Co], 0.21–1.49 [Cr], 1.61–22.7 [Cu], 4.6–2050 [Fe], 0.51–4.81 [Ni], and 0.02–0.31 [Ag] along LT 2. Plants with highest uptake of metals were: Cistus salvifolius (548 mg Pb kg^?1), Digitalis purpurea (1017 mg Zn kg^?1 and 4450 mg Fe kg^?1). Mentha suavolens and Ruscus ulmifolius were seen to hyperaccumulate Ag (1.9 and 1 mg Ag kg^?1, respectively). More metals and higher concentrations were traced in plants from LT 1, especially for Pb and Zn.     

Quantifying monthly water balance to estimate water deficit in Mayurakshi River basin of Eastern India

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Recorded seasonal variation and uneven distribution of rainfall is one of the major issues to the agrarian society and the domestic water users today....