Determination of the remediability score for remediation liability allocation among polluters

When a pollution incident occurs, there can be impact liability and/or remediation liability on the polluter. The impact liability pays for the loss of life and property due to pollution. The remediation liability is to pay for remediating the environment in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. If there is only one polluter in a pollution incident, the entire liability can be placed on the sole polluter. However, liability allocation becomes complex when there are multiple polluters. To allocate the fractional remediation liability among multiple polluters, it is important to identify the factors that determine the cost of remediation so that a just distribution of liability can be made based on the contribution of each polluting party to the factors identified. Along with factors such as “quantity of the chemical released by the polluter,” “distribution of the chemical in the environmental medium,” “persistence of the chemical in the environmental medium,” and so forth, the ease with which the chemical pollutant can be separated from the contaminated medium, which we name as “remediability,” is important in deciding the remediation liability. The “remediability” of a chemical is critical in selecting the remediation technologies to be adopted and, consequently, in deciding the cost of remediation. Determination of a remediability score (RS) for each “chemical–environment medium” pair will help in quantifying the ease with which the site can be remediated. The score is envisaged on a 0–100 scale. The higher the score, the more difficult it is to remediate the chemical in the environmental medium under consideration. The score is estimated based on a set of predetermined factors that are characteristic to the technologies available for remediation. The factors are then subjected to a Delphi process to arrive at the weights. The overall RS is determined by determining the weighted impact of the identified factors after the normalization of the magnitudes of factors.     

Simultaneous removal of Co,Cu, and Cr from water by electrocoagulation

This study provides an electrocoagulation process for the removal of metals such as cobalt, copper, and chromium from water using magnesium as anode and galvanized iron as cathode. The various parameters like pH, current density, temperature, and inter electrode distance on the removal efficiency of metals were studied. The results showed that maximum removal efficiency was achieved for cobalt, copper, and chromium with magnesium as anode and galvanized iron as cathode at a current density of 0.025?A?dm^?2 at pH 7.0. First- and second-order rate equations were applied to study adsorption kinetics. The adsorption process follows second-order kinetics model with good correlation. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models were studied using the experimental data. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm favors monolayer coverage of adsorbed molecules for the adsorption of cobalt, copper, and chromium. Temperature studies showed that adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous in nature.     

Synthesis and medicinal properties of plant-derived vilangin

This article reports for the first time the antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anticancer activities of vilangin synthesised from embelin isolated from Embelia ribes berries. E. ribes is widely used as traditional herbal medicine in India. E. ribes is used as appetiser, carminative, anthelmintic, alexiteric, laxative and alterative. This plant is also used to treat tumour, ascites, bronchitis, mental diseases, dyspnoea, heart diseases, urinary discharges, jaundice, hemicrania, and worms in wounds. Here the major compound, embelin, was isolated from the fruits of E. ribes. Vilangin was synthesised by condensation of embelin with formaldehyde in acetic acid solution. The biological activity of vilangin is unknown so far. Hence, we studied antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anticancer activities of vilangin. The minimum inhibitory concentration value of vilangin was 62.5 μg/mL against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Salmonella typhimurium. The radical scavenging activity was maximum at 1,000 μg/mL. Ferric reducing antioxidant power assay of vilangin showed a twofold higher value compared to the standard. Vilangin showed 61.95 % of cytotoxic activity in vitro against A549 lung adenocarcinoma cancer cell line at a dose of 500 μg/mL with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 400 μg/mL. Vilangin can thus be further tested as a new drug.     

Formulation and Characterization of Sodium Alginate g-Hydroxy Ethylacrylate Bio-Degradable Polymeric Beads: In Vitro Release Studies

Novel type of highly swollen beads were prepared by grafting 2-hydroxyethylacrylate onto biodegradable Sodium alginate (SA) via free-radical polymerization using potassium persulphate as an initiator and Triprolidine hydrochloride as a model drug. Evidence of grafting was obtained by fourier transform infrared spectroscopic technique. Morphological properties of the beads were studied by SEM analysis. Thermal properties and crystallinity of the beads were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction techniques, respectively. Dissolution experiments were performed to study the release profiles at 37?°C in phosphate buffer solution (pH-7.4). Effect of monomer content, crosslinking agent and drug/polymer ratio on swelling properties and release profiles were also comparatively studied. A dissolution result concludes that drug release decreases with increasing crosslinker content. The highest release (96%) was obtained for the beads prepared with 0.5?mL crosslinking agent. Equilibrium swelling degree also supports the drug release profiles confirming SA-g-HEA beads showed better release profiles compare to plain SA beads.     

Identification of sources affecting fog formation using receptor modeling approaches and inventory estimates of sectoral emissions

Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to identify factors affecting fog formation in Kanpur during the ISRO-GBP land campaign-II (LC-II) in December 2004. PMF predicted factors were validated by contrasting the emission strength of sources in the foggy and clear periods, using a combination of potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis and quantitative emission inventory information. A time series aerosol chemical data set of 29 days and 12 species was decomposed to identify 4-factors: Secondary species, Biomass burning, Dust and Sea salt. PMF predicted particle mass with a satisfactory goodness-of-fit (slope of 0.83 ± 0.17 and R² of 0.8), and strong species within 11–12% relative standard deviation. Mean contributions of anthropogenic factors were significantly higher during the foggy period for secondary species (2.9 ± 0.3) and biomass burning (1.2 ± 0.09) compared to the clear period. Local sources contributing to aerosols that mediated fog events at Kanpur, based on emissions in a 200 km × 200 km area around Kanpur city were thermal power plants and transportation (SO₂) and biofuel combustion (BC and OM). Regional scale sources influencing emissions during the foggy period, in probable source regions identified by PSCF included thermal power plants, transportation, brick kilns and biofuel combustion. While biofuel combustion and transportation are distributed area sources, individual point sources include coal-fired thermal power plants located in Aligarh, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Jhansi, Kanpur, Rae Bareli and Rupnagar and brick kilns located in Allahabad, Agra, Farrukhabad, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Ludhiana, Lucknow and Rae Bareli. Additionally, in the foggy period, large areas of probable source regions lay outside India, implying the significance of aerosol incursion from outside India.     

Rice husk ash as an effective adsorbent: evaluation of adsorptive characteristics for Indigo Carmine dye

Present study explored the adsorptive characteristics of Indigo Carmine (IC) dye from aqueous solution onto rice husk ash (RHA). Batch experiments were carried out to determine the influence of parameters like initial pH (pH(0)), contact time (t), adsorbent dose (m) and initial concentration (C(0)) on the removal of IC. The optimum conditions were found to be: pH(0)=5.4, t=8h and m=10.0 g/l. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model represented the adsorption kinetics of IC on to RHA. Equilibrium isotherms were analyzed by Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin and Redlich-Peterson models using a non-linear regression technique. Adsorption of IC on RHA was favorably influenced by an increase in the temperature of the operation. The positive values of the change in entropy (DeltaS(0)) and heat of adsorption (DeltaH(0)); and the negative value of change in Gibbs free energy (DeltaG(0)) indicate feasible and spontaneous adsorption of IC on to RHA.     

Trust,but verify: social media models for disaster management

A lack of trust in the information exchanged via social media may significantly hinder decisionmaking by community members and emergency services during disasters. The need for timely information at such times, though, challenges traditional ways of establishing trust. This paper, building on a multi‐year research project that combined social media data analysis and participant observation within an emergency management organisation and in‐depth engagement with stakeholders across the sector, pinpoints and examines assumptions governing trust and trusting relationships in social media disaster management. It assesses three models for using social media in disaster management—information gathering, quasi‐journalistic verification, and crowdsourcing—in relation to the guardianship of trust to highlight the verification process for content and source and to identify the role of power and responsibilities. The conclusions contain important implications for emergency management organisations seeking to enhance their mechanisms for incorporating user‐generated information from social media sources in their disaster response efforts.     

A Numerical Model Simulating the Remediation of Hydrocarbon-Impacted Soils Using Low-Temperature Oxidation

A 2-D mathematical model to simulate the temperature distribution, coke formation, and change in residual extractable oil during remediation by low-temperature oxidation (LTO) process was developed. Simulation results indicate that the spacing between wells, pressure difference, and air-injection temperature and different well patterns influence the temperature distribution and consequently the level of remediation in the soil. The model results for coke formation and residual extractable oil distribution compared well with experimental results. The operating conditions—air-injection temperature of about 200°C, air-injection pressure of 6 to 10 kPa, air-extraction pressure of −110 Pa, and wells spaced 1 m apart installed in a nine-spot pattern—provide good remediation of hydrocarbons in soil by LTO process.

The academic medical centre and nongovernmental organisation partnership following a natural disaster

The global response to the 12 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti revealed the ability to mobilise medical teams quickly and effectively when academic medical centres partner non-governmental organisations (NGO) that already have a presence in a zone of devastation. Most established NGOs based in a certain region are accustomed to managing the medical conditions that are common to that area and will need additional and specialised support to treat the flux of myriad injured persons. Furthermore, an NGO with an established presence in a region prior to a disaster appears better positioned to provide sustained recovery and rehabilitation relief. Academic medical centres can supply these essential specialised resources for a prolonged time. This relationship between NGOs and academic medical centres should be further developed prior to another disaster response. This model has great potential with regard to the rapid preparation and worldwide deployment of skilled medical and surgical teams when needed following a disaster, as well as to the subsequent critical recovery phase.     

Assessment of Ambient Air Quality in Urban Centres of Haryana (India) in Relation to Different Anthropogenic Activities and Health Risks

Considering the mounting evidences of the effects of air pollution on health, the present study was undertaken to assess the ambient air quality status in the fast growing urban centres of Haryana state, India. The samples were collected for total suspended particulate matter (TSPM), respirable suspended particulate matter (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and oxides of nitrogen (NO₂) during different seasons from 8 districts of Haryana during January, 1999 to September, 2000. The four types of sampling sites with different anthropogenic activities i.e. residential, sensitive, commercial and industrial were identified in each city. The ambient air concentration of TSPM and PM₁₀ observed was well above the prescribed standards at almost all the sites. The average ambient air concentrations of SO₂ and NO₂ were found below the permissible limits at all the centres. Comparatively higher concentration of SO₂ was observed during winter seasons, which seems to be related with the enhanced combustion of fuel for space heating and relatively stable atmospheric conditions. Air Quality Index (AQI) prepared for these cities shows that residential, sensitive and commercial areas were moderately to severely polluted which is a cause of concern for the residents of these cities. The high levels of TSPM and SO₂ especially in winter are of major health concern because of their synergistic action. The data from Hisar city reveals a significant increase in the total number of hospital visits/admissions of the patients with acute respiratory diseases during winter season when the level of air pollutants was high.