Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Milk and Blood of Women from Anupgarh, Rajasthan, India

Anupgarh is the most fertile area of Rajasthan state where a variety of seasonal crops are grown. The availability of three manmade canals has enhanced the agricultural activities in this area. The farmers use huge amounts of pesticides to increase the crop productivity. Exposure of humans to these hazardous chemicals occurs directly in the fields and indirectly due to consumption of contaminated diet, or by inhalation or by dermal contact. The organochlorine pesticides are reported to be lipophilic and their presence in human milk and blood has been documented in different parts of the world. Blood and milk samples were collected from lactating women who were divided into four groups on the basis of different living standards viz residence area, dietary habits, working conditions and addiction to tobacco. The level of total organochlorine pesticides in blood ranged from 3.319mg/L—6.253mg/L while in milk samples it ranged from 3.209Mdash;4.608 mg/L. The results are in concurrence with the reports from other countries.     

Release kinetics of β-cyfluthrin from its encapsulated formulations in water

Controlled release formulations of β-cyfluthrin, a non-systemic, broad spectrum contact insecticide, have been prepared using laboratory synthesized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) based amphiphilic copolymers. Copolymers of polyethylene glycols of different molecular weights and various dimethyl esters, viz. dimethyl isophthalate, which self assemble into nano micellar aggregates in aqueous media, have been synthesized. The kinetics of β-cyfluthrin from developed controlled release (CR) formulations were studied in comparison with that of the commercially available 025 SC. Release from the commercial formulation was faster than with the developed CR formulations. The rate of release of encapsulated β-cyfluthrin from nano micellar aggregates is reduced by increasing the molecular weight of PEG. The diffusion exponent (n value) of β-cyfluthrin in water ranged from 0.427 to 0.622 in the tested formulations. The release was diffusion controlled with a half-release time (t(?)) of 3.92 to 7.9 days in water from different formulations, and the period of optimum availability (POA) of β-cyfluthrin ranged from 1.4 to 20.5 days. The results suggest that the application rate of β-cyfluthrin can be optimized to achieve insect control at the desired level and period.     

Forecasting volatility of carbon under EU ETS: a multi-phase study

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - Carbon management is a strategic priority and organizations need to forecast carbon for that. We aim to find out the best ARIMA-GARCH model for...     

Treating solid dairy manure using microwave-enhanced advanced oxidation process

The microwave enhanced advanced oxidation process (MW/H₂O₂-AOP) was used to treat separated solid dairy manure for nutrient release and solids reduction. The MW/H₂O₂-AOP was conducted at a microwave temperature of 120°C for 10 minutes, and at three pH conditions of 3.5, 7.3 and 12. The hydrogen peroxide dosage at approximately 2 mL per 1% TS for a 30 mL sample was used in this study, reflecting a range of 0.53–0.75 g H₂O₂/g dry sludge. The results indicated that substantial quantities of nutrients could be released into the solution at pH of 3.5. However, at neutral and basic conditions only volatile fatty acids and soluble chemical oxygen demand could be released. The analyses on orthophosphate, soluble chemical oxygen demands and volatile fatty acids were re-examined for dairy manure. It was found that the orthophosphate concentration for untreated samples at a higher % total solids (TS) was suppressed and lesser than actual. To overcome this difficulty, the initial orthophosphate concentration had to be measured at 0.5% TS.     

Metal fractionation study on bed sediments of Hussainsagar Lake, Hyderabad, India

Hussainsagar Lake in the heart of Hyderabad City (India) receives toxic substances through five streams draining from a catchment area of 245 km². Of particular interest are heavy metals received from urban runoff as well as municipal sewage and industrial effluents. Heavy metals entering the lake get adsorbed onto the suspended sediments, which eventually settle down in the bottom of the lake. In this study, fractionation of metal ions has been studied on the bed sediments of Hussainsagar Lake in order to determine the ecotoxic potential of metal ions. Comparison of sediments with average shale values indicated anthropogenic enrichment with copper, nickel, lead, cadmium, and zinc. The risk assessment code as applied to the present study reveals that 10–17% of manganese, 10–18% of nickel, 14–24% of chromium, 10–19% of lead, 21–30% of cadmium, and 18–28% of zinc exist in exchangeable fraction and, therefore, comes under medium risk category and may enter into food chain. The association of these metals with the exchangeable fraction may cause deleterious effects to aquatic life. The present database will help in formulating guidelines for carrying out dredging operations under restoration programs in the Hussainsagar Lake.     

Global warming mitigation potential of biogas plants in India

Biogas technology, besides supplying energy and manure, provides an excellent opportunity for mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and reducing global warming through substituting firewood for cooking, kerosene for lighting and cooking and chemical fertilizers. A study was undertaken to calculate (1) global warming mitigation potential (GMP) and thereby earning carbon credit of a family size biogas plant in India, (2) GMP of the existing and target biogas plants in the country and (3) atmospheric pollution reduction by a family size biogas plant. The GMP of a family size biogas plant was 9.7 t CO(2) equiv. year( - 1) and with the current price of US $10 t( - 1) CO(2) equiv., carbon credit of US $97 year( - 1) could be earned from such reduction in greenhouse gas emission under the clean development mechanism (CDM). A family size biogas plant substitutes 316 L of kerosene, 5,535 kg firewood and 4,400 kg cattle dung cake as fuels which will reduce emissions of NOx, SO(2), CO and volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere by 16.4, 11.3, 987.0 and 69.7 kg year( - 1), respectively. Presently 3.83 million biogas plants are operating in the country, which can mitigate global warming by 37 Mt CO(2) equiv. year( - 1). Government of India has a target of installing 12.34 million biogas plants by 2010. This target has a GMP of 120 Mt CO(2) equiv. year( - 1) and US $1,197 million as carbon credit under the CDM. However, if all the collectible cattle dung (225 Mt) produced in the country is used, 51.2 million family size biogas plants can be supported which will have a GMP of 496 Mt of CO(2) equiv. year( - 1) and can earn US $4,968 million as carbon credit. The reduction in global warming should encourage policy makers to promote biogas technology to combat climate change and integration of carbon revenues will help the farmers to develop biogas as a profitable activity.     

Kinetics of sorption of lead on bed sediments of River Hindon, India

A number of low cost waste sorbent have been used for removal of heavy metals, however, few studies have been carried out on the sorption process on riverbed sediments in their natural state of occurrence. Stream sediments adsorb certain solutes from streams, thereby significantly changing the solute composition, but little is known about quantitatively describing sorption phenomena and rates of these processes. In the present investigation, sorption of lead ions on river bed sediments of river Hindon, a tributary of river Yamuna, India has been studied to demonstrate the role of bed sediments in controlling metal pollution. The effect of various operating variables, viz., initial concentration, solution pH, sediment dose, contact time and particle size has been studied. The sorption of lead ions increased with respect to pH and sorbent dose and decreased with sorbent particle size. Two important geochemical phases, iron and manganese oxide, also play important role in the sorption process. The sorption data were analysed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models to determine the mechanistic parameters related to the sorption process. Further, although lead ions have more affinity for the fine fraction of the sediment, but the overall contribution of coarser fraction to sorption is more as compared to clay and silt fraction. The kinetic data suggest that the sorption of lead on bed sediments is an endothermic process, which is spontaneous at low temperature. The uptake of lead is controlled by both bulk and intraparticle diffusion mechanism.     

Effect of new organic supplement (Panchgavya) on seed germination and soil quality

We studied the suitability of Panchgavya (five products of cow), new organic amendment, application on seed germination, plant growth, and soil health. After characterization, Panchgavya was mixed with water to form different concentration and was tested for seed germination, germination index, and root and shoot growth of different seedlings. Four percent solution of Panchgavya was applied to different plants to test its efficacy. Panchgavya and other two organic amendments were incorporated in soil to test the change of soil chemical and microbiological parameters. Panchgavya contained higher nutrients as compared to farm yard manure (FYM) and vermicompost. Its application on different seeds has positively influenced germination percentage, germination index, root and shoot length, and fresh and dry weight of the seedling. Water-soluble macronutrients including pH and metal were positively and negatively correlated with the growth parameters, respectively. Four percent solution of Panchgavya application on some plants showed superiority in terms of plant height and chlorophyll content. Panchgavya-applied soil had higher values of macro and micronutrients (zinc, copper, and manganese), microbial activity as compared to FYM, and vermicompost applied soils. Application of Panchgavya can be gainfully used as an alternative organic supplement in agriculture.