Culturability and concentration of indoor and outdoor airborne fungi in six single-family homes

In this study, the culturability of indoor and outdoor airborne fungi was determined through long-term sampling (24-h) using a Button Personal Inhalable Aerosol Sampler. The air samples were collected during three seasons in six Cincinnati area homes that were free from moisture damage or visible mold. Cultivation and total microscopic enumeration methods were employed for the sample analysis. The geometric means of indoor and outdoor culturable fungal concentrations were 88 and 102 colony-forming units (CFU) m(-3), respectively, with a geometric mean of the I/O ratio equal to 0.66. Overall, 26 genera of culturable fungi were recovered from the indoor and outdoor samples. For total fungal spores, the indoor and outdoor geometric means were 211 and 605 spores m(-3), respectively, with a geometric mean of I/O ratio equal to 0.32. The identification revealed 37 fungal genera from indoor and outdoor samples based on the total spore analysis. Indoor and outdoor concentrations of culturable and total fungal spores showed significant correlations (r = 0.655, p<0.0001 and r = 0.633, p<0.0001, respectively). The indoor and outdoor median viabilities of fungi were 55% and 25%, respectively, which indicates that indoor environment provides more favorable survival conditions for the aerosolized fungi. Among the seasons, the highest indoor and outdoor culturability of fungi was observed in the fall. Cladosporium had a highest median value of culturability (38% and 33% for indoor and outdoor, respectively) followed by Aspergillus/Penicillium (9% and 2%) among predominant genera of fungi. Increased culturability of fungi inside the homes may have important implications because of the potential increase in the release of allergens from viable spores and pathogenicity of viable fungi on immunocompromised individuals.     

A review of textile industry: Wet processing,environmental impacts,and effluent treatment methods

The word “textile” means to weave and was taken from the Latin word “texere.” Nowadays, textiles not only fulfill humankind's basic necessity for clothing, they also allow individuals to make fashion statements. As one of the oldest industries, the textile industry occupies a unique place in India. It is responsible for 14% of the total industrial manufacture in India. However, the textile industry is also considered to be one of the biggest threats to the environment. Pretreatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing operations are among the various stages of the industrial textile manufacturing process. These fabrication operations not only utilize huge quantities of power and water, they also generate considerable amounts of waste. The textile industry utilizes a number of dyes, chemicals, and other materials to impart the required qualities to the fabrics. These operations produce a significant amount of effluents. The quality of effluents is such that they cannot be put to other uses, and they can create environmental problems if they are disposed of without appropriate treatment. This review discusses different textile processing stages, pollution problems associated with these stages, and their eco‐friendly alternatives. Textile wet processing is described in detail, as it is the key process in the industry and it also generates the greatest amount of pollutants in textile processing. The environmental impact of textile effluents is discussed, as textile effluents not only impose negative effects on the quality of water and soil, they also imperil plant and animal health. In this paper, various methods for treating textile effluents are described. Discussion of physical, chemical, biological, and advanced treatment technologies of effluent treatment are included in this paper.     

Carbofuran induced changes in breeding of a freshwater fish,Labeo rohita (Hamilton)

The effect of carbofuran, a carbamate pesticide, on the breeding performance of the freshwater fish Labeo rohita (Hamilton) has been investigated in the present study. Breeding of L. rohita was conducted after treatment with three sublethal concentrations, i.e. 0.06, 0.15 and 0.30 mg L^?1 of carbofuran for 96 h. The present investigation showed that the number of total eggs and total amount of eggs (litre per kg body weight) decreased significantly (p < 0.01) at all concentrations of carbofuran in comparison to controls, while the reduction in fertilization percentage at all concentrations of carbofuran was not significantly different from controls. The reduction in hatching percentage, the expected number of hatchlings, and the expected number of hatched larvae were significantly (p < 0.01) different between treated and control groups at all carbofuran concentrations. No significant differences for the 96 h survivability of hatched larvae were reported at all concentrations of carbofuran.     

Biochemical and histological alterations induced by a formulation of dicofol in the embryonic liver of Gallus domesticus

In the present investigation, hepatotoxic effect of a commercially available insecticide formulation of dicofol (Colonel–S® 18.5% emulsified concentrate) was studied in the developing chick embryo. Fertilized eggs of Gallus domesticus were immersed in three different dose concentrations, i.e. 250, 500, and 1000 mg L^?1 of Colonel–S on “0” and fourth days of incubation for 60 min at 37 °C and incubated till embryonic day 16. Severe histopathological cellular lesions, such as extensive cell degeneration and necrosis with enlarged blood sinusoids, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and leucocyte infiltrations with congestion or dilation of central vein, appeared in dose-depended manner. Dicofol treatment also caused significant decrease in the levels of total protein, glycogen, and glutathione content and an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity of embryonic liver, whereas glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity showed mixed response.     

Effect of cypermethrin on breeding performances of a freshwater fish,Labeo rohita (Hamilton)

Abstract

Concentrations of the related elements calcium, strontium, barium, and lead were determined in soil extract, consumer stomach contents, and consumers in lead polluted and unpolluted areas. Discrimination against the nonessential metals relative to the nutritious metal calcium, as the metals were transferred through a trophic pathway was determined. Discrimination of metals varied systematically as a function of degree of nonessential element similarity to calcium. The existence of systematic trends of discrimination may facilitate the assessment of natural levels of some toxic elements (e.g. lead) in organisms.     

Bioremediation of industrial waste through mushroom cultivation

Handmade paper and cardboard industries are involved in processing of cellulosic and ligno-cellulosic substances for making paper by hand or simple machinery. In the present study solid sludge and effluent of both cardboard and handmade paper industries was collected for developing a mushroom cultivation technique to achieve zero waste discharges. Findings of present research work reveals that when 50% paper industries waste is used by mixing with 50% (w/w) wheat straw, significant increase (96.38%) in biological efficiency over control of wheat straw was observed. Further, cultivated basidiocarps showed normal morphology of stipe and pileus. Cross section of lamellae did not show any abnormality in the attachment of basidiospores, hymenal trama and basidium. No toxicity was found when fruiting bodies were tested chemically.     

Groundwater resource assessment, categories, and typologies: case study, Andhra Pradesh, India

In India, groundwater assessment units are classified as overexploited areas, critical areas, semi-critical, or safe areas based on the stage of groundwater development and long-term water level trends. Intuitively, in the safe units, wells are expected to function and have good yields. Besides, in the safe units, new wells are expected to be successful. Conversely, the expectation of a successful well or wells with good yields is much lesser in the overexploited units. However, when these expectations are not met in the field, doubts are raised about the quality of assessment and its usefulness, and there is outright distrust on the agencies assessing groundwater resource by the common man as well as on the planners, administrators, and the politicians. Therefore, there is a need to present the results in a way that does not create confusion. One of the methods is to combine the assessment results with aquifer characters using geographic information system (GIS); when this is done, a whole set of newer classes emerge, which can be mapped. These classes are termed as groundwater typologies in this study. Each typology has some characteristics or traits in common, which include basic aquifer character as well as the stage of groundwater development. Thus, a class may be safe, but if the aquifer is poor, then it is separated from a class that is safe and where the aquifer is good and so on. In Andhra Pradesh, which is taken as the case study for this purpose, eight main typologies emerged, and two of these main typologies were further divided into four subtypologies each. This new way of understanding the pattern of groundwater abstraction (using GIS) has a better visual impact. Groundwater typologies are found to be much more rational and useful in developing management strategies, rather than simple listing as overexploited areas, critical areas, semi-critical areas, and safe areas as is commonly done. The typologies so delineated indicate on the map (or table) that balanced usable groundwater is in between 5 and 6 bcm/a as against the estimated balance of 20.5 bcm/a, and it is largely in poor hard rock type of aquifers, which occupy about a third of the area of the state.     

Integrated process approach for degradation of p-cresol pollutant under photocatalytic reactor using activated carbon/TiO2 nanocomposite: application in wastewater treatment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Over the years, biodegradation has been an effective technique for waste water treatment; however, it has its own limitations. In order to achieve a...     

Mutagenicity assessment of textile dyes from Sanganer (Rajasthan)

Sanganer town, district Jaipur (Rajasthan, India) is famous worldwide for its hand block dyeing and textile printing industries. These industries use a variety of chemicals and dyes during processing and finishing of raw materials. Most of the textile dyes used by these industries have not been evaluated for their impact on health and the environment. The workers in these industries are exposed to such dyes with no control over the length and frequency of exposure. Further, untreated and sometimes even treated effluents from these industries are released into surface waters of Amani Shah drainage or through the drainage systems, seep into the ground water and adjoining water bodies. Since many textile dyes are known carcinogens and mutagens, a complete evaluation of the safety of these dyes in the human environment must include an evaluation of their genotoxicity or mutagenicity. A total of 12 textile dyes from Sanganer were tested for their mutagenicity, by Ames Salmonella reversion assay using strain TA 100 of Salmonella typhimurium. Only 1 dye, Red 12 B showed absence of mutagenic activity. The remaining 11 dyes were all positively mutagenic.     

Characterization of food waste and bulking agents for composting

The characterization of food waste (FW) and locally available bulking agents (BA) are a prerequisite to optimizing compost recipes. This study measured the variation in FW characteristics (pH, dry matter (DM), carbon (C), wet bulk density and Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN)) produced by a restaurant and a community kitchen in downtown Montreal, Canada from May to August 2004. The project also measured the mass of FW produced by another restaurant and a group of 20-48 households, from June to August 2004. Locally available BA (hay, straw, pine wood shavings, cardboard, left over cattle feed and wheat residue pellets) were also characterized to formulate composting recipes based on the FW characteristics observed during a period representative of winter and summer conditions. Residential and restaurant FW characteristics varied significantly over the summer months, although the mass produced remained constant at 0.61 and 0.56 kg capita(-1)day(-1), respectively. In addition, the number of customers served by the restaurant increased by nearly 50% from June to August. The BA with the highest moisture adsorption capacity was found to be the wheat residue pellets, followed by chopped straw. Wheat residue pellets, chopped hay and left over cattle feed all presented a balanced C/N ratio. Wheat residue pellets and wheat straw, chopped hay and cardboard demonstrated neutral pH values. Based on the variable FW characteristics and monthly production rates, the formulation of recipes indicates that compost facilities must be flexible enough to handle seasonal variations of as much as 50% by volume.