Spotting of Automotive Finishes from the Interactions Between Dry Deposition of Crustal Material and Wet Deposition of Sulfate

During the summer of 1988, General Motors Research Laboratories operated a mobile atmospheric research laboratory in Jacksonville, Florida to determine the cause of environmentally- related damage that occurs on automotive finishes In many parts of the U.S. The damage occurs as circular, elliptical, or irregular spots that appear as deposits or precipitates. The results of the present study show that a wetting event (rain or dew) is a prerequisite for damage to occur. Sulfuric acid contained in the rain or dew reacts on surfaces with drydeposited calcium which Is a common constituent of soli. As the droplets evaporate, a calcium sulfate precipitate forms on horizontal surfaces around the perimeter of the droplet. Subsequent washing of the surface may remove the precipitate, but on clearcoats, where the calcium sulfate was present, scars remain.     

Biomedical waste management in nursing homes and smaller hospitals in Delhi

The management of biomedical waste is a crucial issue in health and environmental management. Rules in India were promulgated in 1998, originally with a deadline of December 2000 and extended to December 2002; however, the actual situation remains far from satisfactory. A study conducted in 2001 by CEE, New Delhi; indicated an implementation deficit. To gauge the present situation, a survey was undertaken during 2005-2006. A systematic analysis of current biomedical waste management practices in smaller nursing homes and hospitals in Delhi was carried out. A total of 53 nursing homes, with bed strengths ranging from 20 to over 200, were included. The survey results show that there is a marked improvement in the segregation practices of biomedical waste in small private hospitals and nursing homes. The majority of nursing homes and hospitals were found to be using a service provider for the collection, management, and disposal of healthcare wastes. Data was collected through a questionnaire and field visits. This paper discusses the relevant data indicative of current practices of healthcare waste management in the nursing homes and small healthcare facilities in Delhi.     

Sources,controls, and probabilistic health risk assessment of fluoride contamination in groundwater from a semi-arid region in Gujarat,Western India: An isotope–hydrogeochemical perspective

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Fluoride contamination in groundwaters of a rural region in semi-arid Western India has been studied using combination of geochemical-and-isotopic...     

Influence of testosterone on phase-II enzymes in liver and kidney of benzene-treated rats

Testosterone manifests some protective effects against benzene-induced toxicity in rats. However, mechanism of protection remains to be established. Data showed that testosterone modulates conjugation of reactive metabolites of benzene by influencing phase-II enzymes viz. glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase in both liver and kidney. These observations are supported by the opposite results obtained in castrated rats. It is postulated that testosterone decreases the formation of reactive oxygen species resulting into an increase in phase-II enzymes. Enhanced activity of these antioxidant enzymes is responsible for DNA strand repair as demonstrated by short comet tail length in liver and kidney of benzene and testosterone treated rats. Castration alters benzene pharmacokinetics by influencing these enzymes, a response which may be abolished by testosterone supplementation.     

A new method for spectrophotometric determination of benzene in air

A new spectrophotometric method for the determination of benzene in air is described. The method is based upon the nitration of benzene to m-dinitrobenzene and subsequent reduction to m-phenylenediamine. m-Phenylenediamine is determined by diazotization-coupling reaction. α-Naphthol is used as a coupling reagent. Beer's law is obeyed in the range of 10–80 μg of m-dinitribenzene per 25 mL sample. The dye shows a wavelength of maximum absorption at 530 nm. The dye is stable for ～ 30 h. Toluene, the major interferent, can be separated. Beer's law, sensitivity, reproducibility, and other reaction conditions such as time, temperature, and acidity were studied. Formation of stable dye is the main advantage of the method over the butanone method for benzene, in which the colored complex is stable for only 5 min. It is possible to determine traces of benzene (0.05–0.30 μg/mL) by extracting the azo dye in 10 mL iso-amyl alcohol; this also increases the stability of the dye up to 42 h.     

Experimental study and comparative analysis of modified solar paraboloidal dish–thermoelectric generator systems

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Solar energy is one of the major sources of renewable energy which contributes for environmental protection and pollution reduction. Methods and...     

Prospect of abandoned metal mining sites from a hydrogeochemical perspective

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Land exploitation for mining sector may leave a series of environmental impacts on our ecosystem if not appropriately managed. Therefore, the present...     

A review on efficient electromagnetic interference shielding materials by recycling waste—a trio of land to lab to land concept

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The materials used in electrical and electronic applications have great importance and broader applications, but they have severe electromagnetic...