Groundwater geochemical facie: implications of rock-water interaction at the Chamba city (HP), northwest Himalaya,India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The present study describes geochemical facie and implications of rock-water interaction at the groundwater of Chamba city. The influence of rock...     

Phytoplankton community structure in relation to environmental factors from the New Mangalore Port waters along the southwest coast of India

Seasonal and spatial phytoplankton distribution in relation to environmental factors was investigated in New Mangalore Port, a major port along the west coast of India. A well-mixed water column characterized the non-monsoon seasons, whereas it was weakly stratified during monsoon. Water quality index (TRIX) scores indicated good water quality except during pre-monsoon (inner zone surface) and monsoon (near bottom waters). Surface abundance of tychopelagic diatoms (Paralia sulcata, Melosira nummuloides, Cylindrotheca closterium, and Nitzschia sigma) was higher during non-monsoon seasons. Certain centric diatoms, e.g., Leptocylindrus danicus, P. sulcata, and Rhizosolenia imbricata, dominated during pre-monsoon (inner zone) and positively correlated with TRIX. High Skeletonema costatum and dinoflagellate abundance during the monsoon season coincided with high nutrient concentrations. Five potential toxic and fourteen harmful/bloom forming algal species were encountered at abundances below the level that can be considered as harmful to the ecosystem. In addition to a baseline database, this study highlights the potential use of certain diatom species as indicators of hydrography and water quality for monitoring dynamic coastal marine ecosystems.     

Possible maternal offloading of metals in the plasma,uterine and capsule fluid of pregnant ragged-tooth sharks (Carcharias taurus) on the east coast of South Africa

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - We studied the possible metal offloading onto the progeny of three pregnant female ragged-tooth sharks (Carcharias taurus) (C. taurus). The presences...     

Efficiency of lipopeptide biosurfactants in removal of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals from contaminated soil

This study describes the potential application of lipopeptide biosurfactants in removal of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals from the soil samples collected from industrial dumping site. High concentrations of heavy metals (like iron, lead, nickel, cadmium, copper, cobalt and zinc) and petroleum hydrocarbons were present in the contaminated soil samples. Lipopeptide biosurfactant, consisting of surfactin and fengycin was obtained from Bacillus subtilis A21. Soil washing with biosurfactant solution removed significant amount of petroleum hydrocarbon (64.5 %) and metals namely cadmium (44.2 %), cobalt (35.4 %), lead (40.3 %), nickel (32.2 %), copper (26.2 %) and zinc (32.07 %). Parameters like surfactant concentration, temperature, agitation condition and pH of the washing solution influenced the pollutant removing ability of biosurfactant mixture. Biosurfactant exhibited substantial hydrocarbon solubility above its critical micelle concentration. During washing, 50 % of biosurfactant was sorbed to the soil particles decreasing effective concentration during washing process. Biosurfactant washed soil exhibited 100 % mustard seed germination contradictory to water washed soil where no germination was observed. The results indicate that the soil washing with mixture of lipopeptide biosurfactants at concentrations above its critical micelle concentration can be an efficient and environment friendly approach for removing pollutants (petroleum hydrocarbon and heavy metals) from contaminated soil.     

Effect of Diffusiophoresis and Thermophoresis on the Overall Particle Collection Efficiency of Spray Droplet Scrubbers

The overall particle collection efficiencies of spray scrubbers using monodisperse droplets of 100,500, and 1000 microns diameter were calculated for the cases of evaporating and condensing droplets. The properties of the gas at the inlet to the spray scrubber were maintained constant at 150°F, 100% relative humidity, and 1 atmosphere pressure. At the liquid entrance to the spray scrubber, the water droplet temperature was 50° F for the condensing case and 180° F for the evaporating case. The liquid to gas flow rate ratio for all the calculations was held constant at 4 gal/1000 acf. The gas velocity in the co-current spray tower was 1 ft/sec in the downwind direction. The calculation results show that for the particles in the 0.01 to 10 Mm diameter range, the overall spray scrubber particle collection efficiency is greater with the cooler 50°F water (condensing case) than with the warmer 180°F water (evaporating case). The effect of diffusiophoresis and thermophoresis is noticeable for all the water droplet sizes considered, but is more significant for the larger water droplets. This greater effect for the larger water droplets compared to the smaller droplets is due to the longer existence of the temperature and water vapor concentration gradients between the water droplets and the surrounding gas.     

Environmental management plan (EMP) for Melamchi water supply project, Nepal

More than 1.5 million people live in the Kathmandu valley. The valley is facing an extreme shortage of water supply. At the same time the demand is escalating rapidly. To address this issue of scarcity of water, the government of Nepal has proposed a project of inter-basin transfer of water from Melamchi River located 40 km north-east of the Kathmandu valley. The project will cover two districts and three municipalities and will potentially have significant impacts on the environment. In accordance with the Environmental Protection Regulation of Nepal (1997), the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) has undergone an EIA during the feasibility study stage of the proposed project. The recommendations contained in the EIA were integrated into the project design for implementation in 2006. This paper summarizes the background of MWSP, the environmental concerns described in the EIA and the status of Environmental Management Plan (EMP) developed to address environmental compliance and other issues involving participation and support of the local people. This paper also provides some lessons to learn on the modalities of addressing the demands and grievances of the local people concerning environmental management.     

Indicator-based assessment of capacity development for disaster preparedness in the Indian context

Environment Systems and Decisions - Capacity building and monitoring of response capacity are critical to disaster preparedness. Assessing disaster response capacity is a challenging task in India...     

Role of environmental lead in the occurrence of anemia in Indian children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Exposure to lead among children, as well as adults, is a major global health issue. With diverse routes of exposure (e.g., food, air, and water)...     

An automated brain tumor detection and classification from MRI images using machine learning techniques with IoT

Environment, Development and Sustainability - In medical imaging applications, the accurate diagnosis of brain tumors from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at an early stage is a challenging task...     

Occupational health hazards and wide spectrum of genetic damage by the organic solvent fumes at the workplace: A critical appraisal

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Long-term exposure to organic solvents is known to affect human health posing serious occupational hazards. Organic solvents are genotoxic, and they...