Acute toxicity bioassay using Paramecium caudatum,a key member to study the effects of monocrotophos on swimming behaviour,morphology and reproduction

The toxic effects of an organophosphorous insecticide, monochrotophos (MCP) were investigated on Paramecium caudatum in static acute toxicity tests (10?min and 2?h). The lethal concentrations (50%) were determined by probit method, for technical monocrotophos as 60 and 40.6?mg?L^?1, respectively. We have combined conventional light microscopy and a computerized video tracking system to determine behavioural and morphological changes in paramecium on exposure to MCP. Paramecia exposed to highest concentrations (90–100?mg?L^?1) used for 10?min exposure, exhibited initial increase with subsequent decrease in mobility with enormous blebbing, leading to lysis of cells. In the second set of experiments, the cells exposed to lethal concentration (40.6?mg?L^?1) for 2?h were under stress, and reduced their locomotor behaviour, i.e. distance travelled per unit time (mm in 6?min) and swimming speed (mm?s^?1) with increased time of exposure. In the third set of experiments, the number of generations and generation time in 24?h was evaluated with respect to the different sub lethal concentrations (5, 10, 15 and 20?mg?L^?1) of toxicant. The number of generations decreased and generation time extended significantly in a concentration dependent manner. The results indicate that the Paramecium toxicity assay could be used as a complimentary system to rapidly elucidate the cytotoxic potential of insecticides.     

An overview of the impacts of changes in common property resources management in the context of globalisation: A case study of India

Socio-economic development of mankind and well-being depend on the environment and the way in which development influences the environment. Thus, environment and development are interdependent. In fact, economic development is closely linked with the development of resources. These resources can be classified into three categories: public goods, semi-public goods (also known as common property resources) and private goods. In poor countries common property resources make a valuable contribution to the sustainable livelihoods of rural populations. The impact of globalisation on the commons shows various patterns of ownership, control, use and misuse. The commons were subjected to degradation as well as conservation in the process of centralized management in India. After the reform period, the administration of natural resources was given significant attention by specialized departments such as the Forest Department and the Revenue Department. All the land, apart from private land, was regarded as state property and controlled by the state. This paper highlights the need to examine the common property resources sector in the context of wider economic policy reform processes in the Indian economy.     

Assessment of traditional rights,local interference and natural resource management in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary

An assessment of human interference in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS) showed huge dependence of local communities on forest fringes. KWLS is under active consideration as a national park because of its unique flora and fauna. Studies have evidenced habitat destruction and successional changes in the area because of ongoing unsustainable harvesting and logging. The present study provides an integrated approach towards evaluating resource extraction and management of the sanctuary. The study was based on in-depth semi-structured interviews and group discussions with local inhabitants of six villages and with forest officials. In addition, regeneration patterns and vegetation analysis was conducted in three land tenurial systems: community forest (CF), reserve forest (RF) and protected forest (PF). Key issues identified were wildlife offences, encroachment, pressure from unsustainable harvesting of resources and lack of livelihood opportunities. Ecological studies showed continuous change in regeneration patterns in forest patches/stands. The local survey stressed managing sanctuary fringes considering the village economy, social issues and resource requirements, and enhancing on-farm resource production to reduce pressure on forests. Forest personnel demanded more training on encroachment and poaching, these being major threats to biodiversity and bio-resources. Supporting and providing better livelihood opportunities is a viable option for minimizing pressure and managing biodiversity of the area through active community participation. This study generated useful outcomes and strategies for advancing policies to reduce pressure and overcome management constraints in the sanctuary.     

有机磷酸酯对青海弧菌Q67毒性的构效关系

以淡水发光菌Q67为受试生物,结合微孔板高通量检测技术,测定了15种常见有机磷酸酯的毒性,同时选用极化率(P)、分子表面积(TSA)、正辛醇/水分配系数(logD)和芳香环个数(N Ar)等有机磷酸酯的7种分子结构描述符,采用偏最小二乘回归分析方法建立了15种有机磷酸酯对Q67发光菌毒性的定量结构活性相关(quantitative structure-activity relationships,QSAR)模型。结果表明,15种有机磷酸酯的EC50在1.13×10-5~3.27×10-3mol·L-1之间。在7个结构变量中,4个变量发挥主要作用。其中分子极化率(P)在有机磷酸酯类污染物对发光菌的急性毒性中发挥重要作用,推断发光菌中的荧光素酶及其辅酶是其主要作用位点;脂溶性(logD)越大的化合物越较易穿过细胞膜,进而使Q67发光菌的毒性效应增大;芳香环数(N Ar)越多,有机磷酸酯对发光菌的急性毒性越大;对分子结构类似的有机磷酸酯,其Q67发光菌的毒性效应随TSA值的增大而增强。利用所构建的构效关系模型,其稳定性(Q2CUM=0.544)和预测能力(Q2EXT=0.808,RMSE=0.195)较好,可用来预测有机磷酸酯对Q67发光菌的急性效应。     

Enhanced disinfection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> and bacteriophage MS2 in water using a copper and silver loaded titanium dioxide nanowire membrane

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a widely used photocatalyst that has been demonstrated for microorganism disinfection in drinking water. In this study, a new material with a novel structure, silver and copper loaded TiO₂ nanowire membrane (Cu-Ag-TiO₂) was prepared and evaluated for its efficiency to inactivate E. coli and bacteriophage MS2. Enhanced photo-activated bactericidal and virucidal activities were obtained by the Cu-Ag-TiO₂ membrane than by the TiO₂, Ag-TiO₂ and Cu-TiO₂ membranes under both dark and UV light illumination. The better performance was attributed to the synergies of enhanced membrane photoactivity by loading silver and copper on the membrane and the synergistic effect between the free silver and copper ions in water. At the end of a 30 min test of deadend filtration under 254 nm UV irradiation, the Cu-Ag-TiO₂ membrane was able to obtain an E. coli removal of 7.68 log and bacteriophage MS2 removal of 4.02 log, which have met the US EPA standard. The free metal ions coming off the membrane have concentrations of less than 10 ppb in the water effluent, far below the US EPA maximum contaminant level for silver and copper ions in drinking water. Therefore, the photo-activated disinfection by the Cu-Ag-TiO₂ membrane is a viable technique for meeting drinking water treatment standards of microbiological water purifiers.

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Effect of weed extracts on seedling growth of some varieties of wheat

Allelopathic effect ofAvena fatua L., Cyperus rotundus L., Polygonum hydropiper L., and Solanum nigrum L. were examined on seedling growth of certain commonly used varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Tarai region of U.P. state. The weed extracts inhibited the length of plumule in all the varieties (100%) with Solanum and it was in 12 (92%), 10 (77%) and 06 (46%) varieties with Polygonum, Avena and Cyperus, respectively. In radicle length, it was in 92% with both Polygonum and Solanum; and 85% and 69% of the varieties with Avena and Cyperus, respectively. However, all the four weed extracts reduced the dry weight of plumule, radicle and total seedling in all the varieties (100%) of wheat except in HD--2329 with Cyperus, in which it was positive. The percent reduction (percentage of control) was more than 50% in 92%, 77%, 54% and 39% of the varieties, respectively with Solanum, Polygonum, Avena and Cyperus. Among the weed extracts, the inhibitory effect on seedling growth in different varieties followed the order: Solanum > Polygonum > Avena and > Cyperus. On the basis of the present results, UP--2003 and WH--542 followed by PBW--226, Sangam and HD--248 were more susceptible to all the four weed extracts compared to the rest of the varieties of wheat.     

USING UNCENSORED TRACE-LEVEL MEASUREMENTS TO DETECT TRENDS IN GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION1

ABSTRACT: Environmental decision making involving trace-levels of contaminants can be complicated by censoring, the practice of reporting concentrations either as less than the limit of detection (LOD) or as not detected (ND) when a test result is less than the LOD. Censoring can result in data series that are difficult to meaningfully summarize, graph, and analyze through traditional statistical methods. In spite of the relatively large measurement errors associated with test results below the LOD, simple and meaningful analyses can be carried out that provide valuable information not available if data are censored. For example, an indication of increasing levels of contamination at the fringe of a plume can act as an early warning signal to trigger further study, an increased sampling frequency, or a higher level of remediation at the source. This paper involves the application of nonparametric trend analyses to uncensored trace-level groundwater monitoring data collected between March 1991 and August 1994 on dissolved arsenic and chromium for seven wells at an industrial site in New York.