Effect of malathion on reproductive system of male rats

The pesticides are one of the most potentially harmful chemicals liberated in the environment in an unplanned manner Malathion is widely used as a potent pesticide in many countries and has been shown to produce some adverse health effects. A study was conducted to asses the effects of malathion on the male reproductive system of wistar rats. The pesticide was administered to rats orally at dose levels of 50, 150 and 250 mg/kg/body wt/day for 60 days. In comparison to the control rats, there was a significant reduction in the weight of testes, epididymis, seminal vesicle and ventral prostate. Testicular and epididymal sperm density were decreased in the animals treated with malathion. Pre and post fertility test showed 80% negative results after treatment Biochemical profile of the testis revealed a significant decline in the contents of sialic acid and glycogen. Whereas a significant increase in the protein content of testis and testicular cholesterol was observed. The activity of testicular enzyme acid phosphatase increased significantly while decreased alkaline phosphatase activity was found. Malathion also suppressed the level of testosterone significantly Results of the present study clearly suggest that malathion induce toxic effects on the male reproductive system of rats.     

Hydrochemical profile for assessing the groundwater quality of Sambhar lake City and its Adjoining area

Quality assessment of water is essential to ensure sustainable safe use of it for drinking, agricultural, and industrial purposes. For the same purpose the study was conducted for the samples of water of Sambhar lake city and its adjoining areas. The standard methods of APHA were used to analysis 15 samples collected from hand pumps and tube wells of the specified area. The analytical results show higher concentration of total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity sodium, nitrate, sulfate, and fluoride, which indicate signs of deterioration but values of pH, calcium, magnesium, total hardness, and carbonate are within permissible limits as per WHO standards. From the Hill-piper trilinear diagram, it is observed that the majority of groundwater from sampling stations are sodium?Cpotassium?Cchloride?Csulfate type water. The values of sodium absorption ratio and electrical conductivity of the groundwater were plotted in the US salinity laboratory diagram for irrigation water. Only the one sample fall in C₃S₁ quality with high salinity hazard and low sodium hazard. Other samples fall in high salinity hazard and high sodium hazard. Chemical analysis of groundwater shows that mean concentration of cation is in order sodium > magnesium > calcium > potassium while for the anion it is chloride > bicarbonate > nitrate > sulfate.     

Determinants of adaptation practices to climate change by Chepang households in the rural Mid-Hills of Nepal

This study analyzes the factors influencing the adoption of various adaptation practices by a highly marginalized indigenous community in the remote rural Mid-Hills of Nepal. The analysis is based on a household survey conducted among 221 Chepang households selected randomly. A multivariate probit model was used to analyze five categories of adaptation choices against a set of socio-economic, institutional, infrastructural, and perception variables. Perception of rainfall changes, size of landholding, status of land tenure, distance to motor road, access to productive credit, information, extension services, and skill development trainings are all influential to enable households to deviate away from traditional coping strategies and adopt suitable practices to adapt to climate vagaries. Policies and development activities should be geared to address these determinants in order to facilitate adaptation.     

Antagonistic and plant growth activity of Trichoderma isolates of Western Himalayas

The genus Trichoderma is rapidly growing colonies bearing tufted or postulate, repeatedly branched conidiophores with lageniform phialides and hyaline or green conidia born in slimy heads. 62 isolates of Trichoderma species were isolated from different rhizospheric soil samples collected from different places located in Western Himalayas region. Out of these only two species were found i.e. Trichoderma hazianum and Trichoderma viride. Their efficacy against soil borne plant pathogens like Sclerotium rolfsii, Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum revealed that only three isolates amounting to 5% of the total collected isolates of this region were found highly antagonist. Among them 5% isolates were found against S. rolfsii, 13% isolates against R. solani, 10% against sclerotium caused above 80% inhibition of mycelial growth respectively. 6% isolates out of twenty seven utilized chitin by more than 80 and 16% isolates consumed cellulose by above 80% and therefore are producers of chitinase and cellulases. 58% isolates produced colonies having cottony texture and 41% produced dark green colonies. Pigmentation as observed from reverse side of the colony revealed that 70% of them did not produced pigment in the medium. Plant growth promotion measured as root and shoot lengths were significantly higher than in control. The maximum root length and shoot length were recorded when seeds were treated with isolates were recorded at Srinagar Garhwal was 4.70 and 4.75 cm out of all the isolates in which isolate recorded from Srinagar no 3 caused maximum percent seed germination which was significantly higher 79.49%.     

Spatio-temporal footprints of urbanisation in Surat, the Diamond City of India (1990–2009)

Urbanisation is a ubiquitous phenomenon with greater prominence in developing nations. Urban expansion involves land conversions from vegetated moisture-rich to impervious moisture-deficient land surfaces. The urban land transformations alter biophysical parameters in a mode that promotes development of heat islands and degrades environmental health. This study elaborates relationships among various environmental variables using remote sensing dataset to study spatio-temporal footprint of urbanisation in Surat city. Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite data were used in conjugation with geo-spatial techniques to study urbanisation and correlation among various satellite-derived biophysical parameters, [Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, Normalised Difference Built-up Index, Normalised Difference Water Index, Normalised Difference Bareness Index, Modified NDWI and land surface temperature (LST)]. Land use land cover was prepared using hierarchical decision tree classification with an accuracy of 90.4 % (kappa?=?0.88) for 1990 and 85 % (kappa?=?0.81) for 2009. It was found that the city has expanded over 42.75 km² within a decade, and these changes resulted in elevated surface temperatures. For example, transformation from vegetation to built-up has resulted in 5.5?±?2.6 °C increase in land surface temperature, vegetation to fallow 6.7?±?3 °C, fallow to built-up is 3.5?±?2.9 °C and built-up to dense built-up is 5.3?±?2.8 °C. Directional profiling for LST was done to study spatial patterns of LST in and around Surat city. Emergence of two new LST peaks for 2009 was observed in N–S and NE–SW profiles.     

An investigation into the acid content of aerosols in the ambient air at the Taj Mahal, Agra

A chemical analysis of suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected near the world famous Taj Mahal monument at Agra has been carried out. SPM samples collected on glass fibre filters were analysed for water-soluble sulphate, nitrate, chloride and ammonium ions. The data were derived from over 200 samples (each of 24 h), collected continuously during the winter periods (October through to March) of 1984-1985 and 1985-1986. The SO(4)(2-) and NO(3)(-) components are acidic in nature causing corrosion and effects on visibility, and so were studied in more detail. Mean values for SO(4)(2-) and NO(3)(-) derived from two-year data are 7.2 microg m(-3) and 8.2 microg m(-3), respectively. The SO(4)(2-)/SO(2) and NO(3)(-)/NO(2) ratiosobserved indicate faster conversion of SO(2) to SO(4)(2-) than NO(2) to NO(3)(-), the maximum levels being in January. Thus, both SO(4)(2-) and NO(3)(-) results appear to offer more promising indices of air quality than do SPM data alone.     

Reduction of Enteric Viruses by Blueberry Juice and Blueberry Proanthocyanidins

Blueberry and blueberry extracts are known for their health benefits and antimicrobial properties. Natural therapeutic or preventive options to decrease the incidences of foodborne viral illnesses are becoming popular and being researched. This study aimed to determine the antiviral effects of blueberry juice (BJ) and blueberry proanthocyanidins (BB-PAC, B-type PAC structurally different from A-type PAC found in cranberries) against the infectivity of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and human norovirus surrogates (feline calicivirus (FCV-F9) and murine norovirus (MNV-1)) at 37 °C over 24 h using standard plaque assays. Viruses at ~5 log PFU/ml were mixed with equal volumes of BJ (pH 2.8), neutralized BJ (pH 7.0), BB-PAC (1, 2, 4, and 10 mg/ml), malic acid (pH 3.0), or phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.2) and incubated over 24 h at 37 °C. Each experiment was carried out in duplicate and replicated thrice. FCV-F9 titers were found to be reduced to undetectable levels with 1 and 2 mg/ml BB-PAC after 5 min, with 0.5 mg/ml BB-PAC after 1-h, and with BJ after 3-h. MNV-1 titers were reduced to undetectable levels after 3 h with 1, 2, and 5 mg/ml BB-PAC and after 6 h with BJ. HAV titers were reduced to undetectable levels after 30 min with 2 and 5 mg/ml BB-PAC, after 3 h with 1 mg/ml BB-PAC, and by ~2 log PFU/ml with BJ after 24-h. BB-PAC shows preventive potential against infection by the tested enteric viruses in a dose- and time-dependent manner, although further in vitro studies in model food systems and in vivo studies using animal models are warranted.     

Ecotoxicological risk assessment of pentachlorophenol,an emerging DBP to plants: evaluation of oxidative stress and antioxidant responses

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Chlorophenols are not only noticed in an effluvium of industries but also can emerge from the water treatment plants for domestic supply which poses a...     

Avian species distribution in different elevation zone forest (Sal, Pine Mixed And Oak) in nainital district of uttarakhand, India

The present study were made to estimate the avian fauna in terms of species richness and diversity and guild structure in forest habitats of Nainital district of Uttarakhand (350–2.450 m asl; 29° N). Field studies were conducted during January 2007 to December 2008. Total 43, 62 and 42 species were recorded from, Haldwani, Bhowali and Nainital forest habitats. Results indicate the species relationship between Bird species richness (BSR) and elevation sections (forest habitats) was not decline simultaneously along elevation; it shows hump shaped. BSR varied considerably along elevational gradient (43 to 62 species), was highest (62 species) at mid elevation (Mixed pine forest, 1.350–1.700 m asl) and decreased (20 species) at high elevation (Conifer forest, 1900–2450 m asl). It seems that mid altitude bulge is not caused by the presence of a group of mid altitude specialists but rather that there is an overlap in the distribution of low land and high elevation specialists at this altitude. A checklist of 79 avian species has also produced of Nainital district forest habitats. It is suggested that this study provide a base line structure for further study on species distribution in different forest habitats and along different elevation section in Western Himalayas (India).