Plant Uptake/Bioavailability of Heavy Metals from the Contaminated Soil after Treatment with Humus Soil and Hydroxyapatite

Cellulose nitrate membrane filter was used for the preconcentration-separation of Cu, Co, Cd, Pb and Cr ions. The analyte ions were collected on the membrane filter by the aid of carmine. Then membrane filter was dissolved by using nitric acid. The levels of the analytes in the final solutions were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The analytical parameters including pH, amounts of carmine, sample volumes etc. have been optimized. No influences have been observed from the matrix ions. The detection limits for analytes were in the range of 0.08 μg/l-0.93 μg/l. The validation of the procedure was checked by the analysis of standard reference sediment (GBW 07309). The present method has been successfully applied for the FAAS determinations of analyte ions in real samples including black tea and magnesium salts.     

Leachate from market refuse and biomethanation study

The market place is considered to be an important centre of daily life of campus community. In India, as in Europe and the USA, other forms of shopping have emerged significantly and now predominate, for instance department stores and supermarkets. Though, it is suffered from poor waste management, but the place could be a potential source for obtaining non-conventional energy. The present study examined the quality of market waste management of the Indian Institute of Technology Campus along with the feasibility of biogas production from leachate generated in the waste. Solid wastes from different storage locations of the market place were collected and analyzed. The characteristics of solid wastes were found to be degradable in nature. The wastes, composed of 85% of vegetable origin, were placed in a container and water was added to to generate leachate. The self-purification efficiency of leachate was also studied in the Indian environment and compared with research findings in the USA under an identical moisture application rate. Leachate characterization was investigated both under saturated and submerged conditions. The treatability of leachate was studied in a laboratory-scale up-flow anaerobic filter with hollow burnt clay rings as packing media. It was observed that 4,000–6,000 mg/l would be the optimum range of inlet chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration for leachate treatment because of the inhibitory effect of ammonia, sulphide, volatile fatty acids and toxic metals in high concentrations at higher strengths of leachate. The gas production rate was found to be at a maximum at 38°C and containing 70–75% methane. From experimental data, it was revealed that 83% COD was removed with input COD concentration of 5,475 mg/l at 2 days hydraulic retention time with biogas yield coefficients of 0.61. The present study also investigated the removal efficiency of chloride, ammonia, sulphide and nitrate.     

Management of disease complex caused by root knot nematode and root wilt fungus on pigeonpea through soil organically enriched with Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza, karanj (Pongamia pinnata) oilseed cake and farmyard manure

This investigation was undertaken to compare the percentage response of colonization and development of VA-Mycorrhiza (Glomus fasciculatum) on a number of pulse crops viz. cowpea, chickpea, soybean, pigeonpea and lentil under glasshouse conditions. Among the above-mentioned crops, pigeonpea exhibited the best performance and was selected for further studies. In this host the development and colonization percentage of G. fasciculatum was investigated under two separate substrates i. e. soil amended with FYM and karanj oilseed cake keeping a control treatment of field soil. A third treatment amended with karanj oilseed cake and farm yard manure (FYM) was also kept which responded best in terms of colonization percentage. This treatment showing improved plant health as well as integration with G. fasciculatum was selected as an ideal treatment for the management of disease complex caused by root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita and root wilt fungus, Fusarium udum on pigeonpea. Thus the treatment constituting FYM, karanj oilseed cake and VA-Mycorrhiza reduced the disease incidence caused by both maladies to a great extent with the most promising improvement in plant growth parameters as compared to all others. The present investigation, in addition to proposing an ideal eco-friendly treatment for the management of this disease complex also proposed an excellent medium for the proliferation of the obligate bio-protectant, G. fasciculatum.     

Short-term accumulative signatures of heavy metals in river bed sediments in the industrial area, Tehran, Iran

In modern civilization, numerous anthropogenic activities release a variety of pollutants into the environment and with anomalous enrichment of heavy metals it causes surface and subsurface contamination. The aquatic sediments provide pertinent tools for the quality assessment of urban and industrial environments in large cities. The present study reveals short-term accumulative trends of heavy metals (Co, Cd, and Pb) in the sand and silt dominated riverbed sediments from Chitgar industrial area (Tehran, Iran) between the period of May 2007 and May 2008. Lead demonstrates highest concentration in residential areas, cadmium in and around industrial areas, whereas cobalt shows least variability. Geo-accumulation index implies moderately to highly polluted sediments with respect to Cd and Pb. With few exceptions, all three metals at different sampling stations display short-term increasing trends, independent of seasonal variability with urban and industrial distends along the river being the chief sources of contamination.     

Physicochemical and microbiological assessment of recreational and drinking waters

The present study was aimed to make an assessment of health risk due to pollution and human pathogenic bacteria associated with the recreational and drinking water sources in twin densely populated holy Indian cities Ayodhya and Faizabad. Though physicochemical studies revealed that the water available in the area is under recommended limits for human use, it is unsafe on account of poor microbiological quality of surface and ground water in the region. The most probable number (MPN) test results revealed the preponderance of ≥2,400 total coliforms (TC) (100 ml)^− 1 in river, pond, dug well and kund waters. Contrary to that, 94% tube wells, 32% hand pumps and 25% piped supply water were under safe limits having <3 TC (100 ml)^− 1. The shallow depth (~40 ft), water logging and presence of septic tanks in the near vicinity are the possible reasons of poor microbial quality of hand pump drinking water. The municipal supply water passes along sewage line where loose connections and/or cracks in pipe lead to mixing and contamination. The significant best quality of tube well water evident from the absence of TC could be attributed to the depth of well ≥150 ft and usually their location away from the habitation. A total of 263 bacteria from 186 water samples were isolated, and at least five genera of enteric bacteria from various water sources were identified morphologically and biochemically as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Enterobacter sp., Shigella sp. and Salmonella sp. The serotyping of 72 E. coli and 36 Salmonella sp. revealed 51 as E. coli O157 and 20 as Salmonella sp. The presence of enteric pathogens in water sources pose threat to human health and therefore call for immediate remedial measures.     

Metal speciation studies in the aquifer sediments of Semria Ojhapatti,Bhojpur District,Bihar

The pollution of aquifer sediments by heavy metals has assumed serious concern due to their toxicity and accumulative behavior. Changes in environmental conditions can strongly influence the behavior of both essential and toxic elements by altering the forms in which they occur and therefore quantification of the different forms of metal is more meaningful than total metal concentrations. In this study, fractionation of metal ions in aquifer sediments of Semria Ojhapatti area, Bhojpur district, Bihar has been studied to determine the ecotoxic potential of metal ions. The investigations suggest that iron, copper, and arsenic have a tendency to remain associated in the following order residual > reducible > acid-soluble > oxidizable; manganese and zinc have tendency to be associated as residual > acid-soluble > reducible > oxidizable. The risk assessment code reveals that manganese and zinc occur in significant concentration in acid-soluble fraction and therefore comes under the high risk category and can easily enter the food chain. Most of the iron, copper, and arsenic occur as immobile fraction (i.e. residual) followed by its presence in reducible fraction and would pose threat to the water quality due to changing redox conditions. The metal enrichment factor in the study area shows moderate to significant metal enrichment in the aquifer sediments which may pose a real threat in near future. The geo-accumulation index of metals also shows that the metals lie in the range of strongly contaminated (for iron at shallow depths) to moderately contaminated to uncontaminated values.     

Identification of the hydrogeochemical processes in groundwater using major ion chemistry: a case study of Penna–Chitravathi river basins in Southern India

Hydrogeochemical studies were carried out in the Penna–Chitravathi river basins to identify and delineate the important geochemical processes which were responsible for the evolution of chemical composition of groundwater. The area is underlain by peninsular gneissic complex of Archaean age, Proterozoic meta-sediments, and strip of river alluvium. Groundwater samples were collected covering all the major hydrogeological environs in pre- and post-monsoon seasons. The samples were analyzed for major constituents such as Ca^2?+?, Mg^2?+?, Na^?+?, K^?+?, CO₃ ^???, HCO₃ ^???, Cl^???, SO₂ ^???4, NO₃ ^???, and F^???. The groundwater in general is of Na^?+?–Cl^???, Na^?+?–HCO₃ ^???, Ca^2?+?–Mg^2?+?–HCO₃ ^???, and Ca^2?+?–Mg^2?+?–Cl^??? types. Na^?+? among cations and Cl^??? and/or HCO₃ ^??? among anions dominate the water; Na^?+? and Ca^2?+? are in the transitional state with Na^?+? replacing Ca^2?+? and HCO₃ ^??? Cl^??? due to physiochemical changes in the aquifer and water–rock interactions. The Ca^2?+?–Mg^2?+?–Cl^??? HCO₃ ^??? type water in one third samples suggest that ion exchange and dissolution processes are responsible for its origin. Change in storage of aquifer in a season does not influence the major geochemical makeup of groundwater. Gibbs plots indicate that the evolution of water chemistry is influenced by water–rock interaction followed by evapotranspiration process. The aquifer material mineralogy together with semiarid climate, poor drainage system, and low precipitation factors played major role in controlling groundwater quality of the area.     

Indoor exposure to respirable particulate matter and particulate-phase PAHs in rural homes in North India

In order to evaluate the exposure of the northern India rural population to polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) inhalation, indoor pollution was assessed by collecting and analyzing the respirable particulate matter PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ in several homes of the village Bhithauli near Lucknow, UP. The home selection was determined by a survey. Given the nature of biomass used for cooking, homes were divided into two groups, one using all kinds of biomass and the second type using plant materials only. Indoor mean concentrations of PM_2.5 and associated PAHs during cooking ranged from 1.19 ± 0.29 to 2.38 ± 0.35 and 6.21 ± 1.54 to 12.43 ± 1.15 μg/m³, respectively. Similarly, PM₁₀ and total PAHs were in the range of 3.95 ± 1.21 to 8.81 ± 0.78 and 7.75 ± 1.42 to 15.77 ± 1.05 μg/m³, respectively. The pollutant levels during cooking were significantly higher compared to the noncooking period. The study confirmed that indoor pollution depends on the kind of biomass fuel used for cooking.     

Assessment of daily intake of trace elements by Kakrapar adult population through ingestion pathway

Concentration of trace elements such as Fe, Cu, Ni, and Zn were measured in cereals, pulses, vegetables, fish, meat, milk, egg, and water samples collected around Kakrapar, Gujarat, India. A wide variation of the trace element concentration was observed among all the dietary matrices. The concentration of Fe is comparatively more in all the dietary matrices. The concentrations of these elements are translated into intake rates through ingestion pathways. Daily intake (milligrams/day) of Fe, Cu, Ni, and Zn by adult population of Kakrapar, Gujarat were 16.5 ± 6.2, 3.3 ± 1.2, 1.8 ± 1.0, and 3.6 ± 1.3, respectively. Dietary sources of Fe, Cu, and Ni by Kakrapar adult population are comparable with RDA. In case of Zn, the daily dietary intake is comparatively lower than that of RDA.     

Biogeochemical study of termite mounds: a case study from Tummalapalle area of Andhra Pradesh,India

Termite mounds are abundant components of Tummalapalle area of uranium mineralization of Cuddapah District of Andhra Pradesh, India. The systematic research has been carried out on the application of termite mound sampling to mineral exploration in this region. The distribution of chemical elements Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Li, Rb, Sr, Ba, and U were studied both in termite soils and adjacent surface soils. Uranium accumulations were noticed in seven termite mounds ranging from 10 to 36 ppm. A biogeochemical parameter called “Biological Absorption Coefficient” of the termite mounds indicated the termite affected soils contained huge amounts of chemical elements than the adjacent soils.