Tree plantations for restoration of degraded lands and greening of India: a case study of tree growers' cooperatives

India has over 100 m ha (million hectares) of village common lands. De jure, these lands are owned by the state but, de facto, they are used in common by villagers. Most of the village commons are degraded and denuded and are almost nonproductive. Several attempts have been made in the recent past to restore them through planting of trees by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Tree Growers' Co-operative Societies (TGCS), as an organisational innovation of relatively recent origin, have proved to be more cost-effective than other forms of organisations engaged in greening the village commons in India. This paper attempts to assess the financial viability of tree plantations carried out by three selected TGCS and to distil lessons of their experience useful for policy purposes. The study revealed that plantations founded by the sample TGCS were financially viable, and that the plantations had transformed the desolate village commons into 'green wealth'. The authors conclude that the TGCS have a high potential as an instrument for promoting the afforestation of India's degraded village common lands and thereby improving village economy and the quality of the environment.     

Illinois State Water Survey Bulletin 75: New Precipitation Frequency Study for Illinois

Storm frequency estimates and their temporal distributions are important in determining estimates of runoff or peak flow rates in many engineering and hydrological problems. Illinois State Water Survey Bulletin 70 has been serving as the design rainfall standard in Illinois since its publication in 1989. Although Bulletin 70 represented the best available data at the time of its publication, the standards needed to be reevaluated and updated after more than three decades and with the growing evidence of the nonstationary nature of heavy precipitation. The trends in heavy precipitation in Illinois prompted the creation of a new frequency study named Bulletin 75, providing precipitation frequencies for event durations ranging from 5 min to 10 days and for recurrence intervals ranging from 2 months to 500 years. The results are presented for the same 10 geographic sections in Illinois as in Bulletin 70 to maintain the continuity of hydrologic studies and compatibility with regulations. The primary goal of this paper is to outline some of the key methodological issues and challenges, to compare the results with the previous sources, and to highlight the effects of the changing precipitation standards on the development of amendments to existing ordinances. Lake County in Illinois, as one of the most affected urban areas with the highest change in heavy precipitation, was selected to illustrate issues related to the application of modified precipitation standards.     

Should tobacco products’ waste be considered as hazardous in India?

Tobacco and its associated products are known to be harmful for health. Moreover, the waste emanating out of the production, processing, packaging, and consumption of these products is equally harmful for humans as well as other biotic/abiotic agencies. Taking into account the toxic nature of these waste products, it is necessary to have a well-defined approach to deal with this waste. Consideration of tobacco products’ waste as municipal solid waste has serious implications in the long-term as it results in dumping of these wastes mixed-up with domestic waste in landfills. With time, toxic components become part of the leachate which contaminates water and soil, further leading to the contamination in food chain. Therefore, many countries are now considering this waste under the hazardous category and evolving various measures to safely dispose it off. In the light of recent researches and policies, it is time to re-consider this important public health issue.     

Controlled sintering for cadmium stabilization by beneficially using the dredged river sediment

● Dredged river sediment was proved as a ceramic precursor rather than a solid waste. ● Cd was stabilized in Cd-Al-Si-O phases at low temperatures via sediment addition. ● < 5% of Cd was leached out from sintered products even after a prolonged time. ● A strategy was proposed to simultaneously reuse wastes and stabilize heavy metals. Cd-bearing solid wastes are considered to be a serious threat to the environment, and effective strategies for their treatment are urgently needed. Ceramic sintering has been considered as a promising method for efficiently incorporating heavy metal-containing solid wastes into various ceramic products. Mineral-rich dredged river sediment, especially Al and Si-containing oxides, can be treated as alternative ceramic precursors rather than being disposed of as solid wastes. To examine the feasibility of using waste sediment for Cd stabilization and the phase transition mechanisms, this study conducted a sintering scheme for the mixtures of CdO and dredged river sediment with different (Al+Si):Cd mole ratios. Detailed investigations have been performed on phases transformation, Cd incorporation mechanisms, elemental distribution, and leaching behaviors of the sintered products. Results showed that Cd incorporation and transformation in the sintered products were influenced by the mole ratio of (Al+Si):Cd. Among the high-Cd series ((Al+Si):Cd = 6:1), CdSiO₃, Cd₂SiO₄, CdAl₂(SiO₄)₂ and Cd₂Al₂Si₂O₉ were predominant Cd-containing product phases, while Cd₂Al₂Si₂O₉ was replaced by CdAl₄O₇ when the mole ratio of (Al+Si):Cd was 12:1 (low-Cd series). Cd was efficiently stabilized in both reaction series after being sintered at ≥ 900 °C, with < 5% leached ratio even after a prolonged leaching time, indicating excellent long-term Cd stabilization. This study demonstrated that both Cd-containing phases and the amorphous Al-/Si-containing matrices all played critical roles in Cd stabilization. A promising strategy can be proposed to simultaneously reuse the solid waste as ceramic precursors and stabilize heavy metals in the ceramic products.     

Trace Level Determination of U, Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu in Drinking Water Samples

The concentration of uranium has been assessed in drinking water samples collected from different locations in Bathinda district, Punjab, India. The water samples are taken from hand pumps and tube wells. Uranium is determined using fission track technique. Uranium concentration in the water samples varies from 2.23± 0.05 to 87.05± 0.29 μg/L. These values are compared with safe limit values recommended for drinking water. The uranium concentration in almost all drinking water samples is found to be more than the safe limit. Analysis of some heavy metals viz. Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu in water is made. The concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine and total hardness along with the pH value and conductivity of the water samples are measured. Some of the samples show stunningly high values of these parameters.     

A performance study on asphalt concrete mixes with different waste materials as modifiers in pavement application

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - In this study, the physical properties of modified asphalt binders and performance of asphalt mixes after the addition of different modifiers such...     

[1,3]oxazines: green synthesis by sonication using a magnetically-separable basic nano-catalyst and investigation of its activity against the toxic effect of a pesticide on the morphology of blood cells

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The demand for a cleaner environment has led chemists to develop greener protocols, notably by using catalysts. Encapsulation of an active substance on a solid...     

Vitamins E and C reduce oxidative stress and mitochondrial permeability transition caused by camptothecin – an in vitro study

Camptothecin (CPT), a broad spectrum antineoplastic agent, is known to induce oxidative stress and mitochondria are among the main sources of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the merit of vitamins E and C supplementation on CPT-induced mitochondrial alterations in vitro. Following treatment of isolated liver mitochondria with CPT, we assessed the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition (MPT), concentration of malondialdehyde, antioxidants and activities of the enzymes of the respiratory chain and Krebs cycle. Our results provide evidence that CPT caused mitochondrial swelling, increased lipid peroxidation and transition of mitochondrial permeability. The CPT lowered the levels of reduced mitochondrial thiols suggesting that thiol oxidation is the mechanism underlying CPT-induced MPT. Identical experiments were also performed after preincubating the mitochondria with vitamins E and C. It was found that vitamins E and C pretreatment inhibited the deleterious effects of CPT and loss of enzyme activity was restored by antioxidant supplementation. Our results suggest that the toxicity of CPT was mediated by an increase in ROS production by mitochondria. However, the addition of vitamins E or C ameliorated the oxidative stress. We propose that an attempt to counteract the deleterious consequences of chemotherapy with nutritional therapies may be a rational approach in superior patient care especially in a disease like cancer.     

Yar tsa Gumba (Cordyceps sinensis): A call for its sustainable exploitation

Yar tsa Gumba, the local name for Cordyceps sinensis, is an entomophilus fungus in the order Hypocreales and family Scolecosporaceae, found primarily in alpine and subalpine regions, from 3200 to 4000 m asl. The fungus is parasitic on caterpillars, primarily those in the genus Hepialus. Studies on Cordyceps sinensis indicate that the fungus may improve liver function, reduce cholesterol, adjust protein metabolism, inhibit lung carcinoma and treat aging disorders. In the last five years, since it was found in parts of Garhwal and Kumaun Himalaya, massive exploitation has occurred, leading to a drastic decrease in wild populations. This paper presents results of an exploration carried out on the fungus at several important sites, the mode of trafficking and suggested policy initiative for its sustainable exploitation.     

In vivo effects of acute administration of potassium tetranitrodiammine cobaltate(III) on rat erythrocytes

Potassium tetranitrodiammine cobaltate(III) K[Co(NH₃)₂(NO₂)₄] is a coordination complex having Co(III) as the central atom. Cobalt(III) compounds are being advocated for their anticarcinogenic potential. In the present study, we have for the first time evaluated this compound for its toxicity to rat RBC. The parameters studied include the effects of potassium tetranitrodiammine cobaltate(III) on GSH, GST, catalase, G6PD, acid phosphatase, GOT, and GPT. Scanning electron microscopy of RBCs of potassium tetranitrodiammine cobaltate(III) treated rats has also been carried out for evaluating its influence on the red cell morphology. The data showed that potassium tetranitrodiammine cobaltate(III) treatment causes marked biochemical changes in the rat RBCs along with changes in their shapes characterized by the formation of acanthocytes. The results thus suggest that acute administration of potassium tetranitrodiammine cobaltate(III) is potentially toxic to rat RBCs.