Pb-induced changes in roots of two cultivated rice cultivars grown in lead-contaminated soil mediated by smoke

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nowadays, public concerns regarding deleterious effect of lead (Pb) is on rise due to its abundance and toxic effect on plants and other living...     

Graphene and its derivatives: synthesis,modifications, and applications in wastewater treatment

Graphene was discovered in 2004 and has attracted intensive interests because of its unique mechanical, electric, thermal, optical, and structural properties, which makes graphene a potential candidate for various applications. Graphene is being used as a composite or filler material with metals, metal oxides, and polymers for potential advanced applications in solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, photocatalysis and sensing. These applications depend upon the distinctive properties of graphene, which in turn depend on the adopted synthetic approach. This article reviews the recent developments in synthesis of graphene and related composite materials. The synthesis of graphene through exfoliation, epitaxial growth and direct growth via carbon source, and modification approaches by covalent and noncovalent methodologies are discussed. Graphene-based metal and metal oxide composites for the purification of wastewater using photolytic process are also presented.     

Biomonitoring ²¹°Po and ²¹°Pb in marine brachyuran crabs collected along the coast of Kudankulam, Gulf of Mannar (GOM), India

Activities of 21?Po and 21?Pb in whole-body and in various tissues of brachyuran crabs collected along the Kudankulam coast were studied. A non-uniform distribution of these radionuclides was observed between the various tissues. Of all the tissues, 21?Po and 21?Pb were found to accumulate more in the hepatopancreas and intestine. Among the crabs studied, Charybdis lucifera registered higher 21?Po and 21?Pb activity. Muscle tissue in all the species registered lower activity. The 21?Po/21?Pb activity ratio was found to be greater than unity. The biological concentration factor for organs varied between ~ 10? and 10? for 21?Po and ~102 and 10? for 21?Pb. A significant variation in the accumulation of 21?Po and 21?Pb was noted between species and between seasons (p < 0.05). The mean whole-body internal dose ranged from 1.42 to 6.86 μGy h?1 for 21?Po and from 3.0 × 10?3 to 8.0 × 10?3 μGy h?1 for 21?Pb. The external dose for 21?Po and 21?Pb was 2.41 × 10?? to 5.76 × 10?? μGy h?1 and 4.14 × 10?? to 8.26 × 10?? μGy h?1, respectively. The activity levels recorded are in agreement with values recorded in related organisms in other parts of the world. The total committed effective dose due to the intake of both radionuclides ranged from 80.3 to 871.7 μSv y?1. The median dose calculated due to 21?Po and 21?Pb in certain crabs in Kudankulam is less and would not pose any significant radiological impact on health or a cancer risk to the public, and the seafood is considered safe for human consumption.     

Emission factor estimation for oil and gas facilities

Fugitive emission rate quantification in an oil and gas facility is an important step of risk management. There are several studies conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and American Petroleum Institute (API) proposing methods of estimating emission rates and factors. Four major approaches of estimating these emissions, in the order of their accuracy, are: average emission factor approach, screening ranges emission factor approach, USEPA correlation equation approach, and unit-specific correlation equation approach. The focus of this study is to optimize the USEPA correlation equations to estimate the emission rate of different units in an oil and gas facility. In the developed methodology, the data available from USEPA (1995) is used to develop new sets of equations. A comparison between USEPA correlation equations and the proposed equations is performed to define the optimum sets of equations. It is observed that for pumps, flanges, open-ended lines, and others, the proposed developed equations provide a better estimation of emission rate, whereas for other sources, USEPA equations supply the better estimate of emission rate.     

Impact of hydrogeochemical processes and its evolution in controlling groundwater chemistry along the east coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The present study area falls beside the coastal zone of Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry is characterized by varied geological formations that mostly...     

The dynamic links among energy consumption,tourism growth,and the ecological footprint: the role of environmental quality in 38 IEA countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - We examine the impact of energy consumption and tourism growth on the ecological footprints and economic growth of 38 International Energy Agency...     

Degradation of different pesticides in water by microplasma: the roles of individual radicals and degradation pathways

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Pesticides are emergent toxins often identified in aquatic environments. In the present study, microplasma was employed to reduce the pesticide...     

Exploring natural colorant behavior of husk of durum (Triticum durum Desf.) and bread (Triticum aestivum L.) wheat species for sustainable cotton fabric dyeing

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Revival of natural colorants in textile dyeing is one of the important strategies to reduce synthetic chemical-based environmental pollution. The...     

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...