Conservation agricultural practices for minimizing ammonia volatilization and maximizing wheat productivity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A large amount of ammonia volatilization from the agricultural system causes environmental problems and increases production costs. Conservation...     

Dissipation behavior of propargite--an acaricide residues in soil, apple (Malus pumila) and tea (Camellia sinensis)

Propargite, recently introduced in India, is an effective acaricide on a large number of crops most of which are consumed by human beings directly or after processing. Therefore, it has become important to check the dissipation behavior of propargite in edible raw commodities, processed products and in the environment. In the present study, dissipation of residue of this acaricide in soil, apple fruit and tea (green tea leaves, manufactured tea, infusion and spent leaves) was studied. Analysis was carried out using high performance-liquid chromatography with UV detection system. The dissipation rate was found to vary with the nature of studied crop/sample. In soil, half-life ranged from 43 to 45 days, while in plant matrices (tea and apple) it ranged 1.66-2.61 days. The percent transfer of propargite residue from manufactured tea to infusion was 23.60-40.00; however, 35.71-53.20% of the residues remained stuck to the spent leaves.     

Effect of different design aspects of pipe for earth air tunnel heat exchanger system: A state of art

Earth air tunnel heat exchanger (EATHE) is a promising passive technique to provide thermal comfort condition in buildings. EATHE system uses undisturbed temperature of the ground for heating/cooling of air. Despite the several advantages, this technique has not become much popular owing to its high capital cost (mainly pipe cost and trench excavation cost) and large land area requirements. The primary objective of this study is to present a comprehensive review of different EATHE pipe layouts, pipe properties and positioning of the pipe with their advantages and limitations. It is observed that the ring pipe layout is the most cost-effective pipe-layout for small size EATHE system because it saves excavation cost by using a trench of the existing foundation of the building. However, Grid pipe-layout is an ideal layout for a large size EATHE system. Multi-layer pipe layouts should be used to reduce the land area requirement significantly. Moreover, EATHE system can be installed beneath the building (under building foot-print) to eliminate extra land area requirement for the installation of EATHE system. This review article shows that the Initial capital cost and land area requirement for the EATHE system can be substantially reduced by using appropriate pipe layout. It can be concluded that if EATHE system is installed with proper design strategies, it will be a clean and cost-effective method for building heating/cooling with significant power savings.     

Gender response and safe carrying load limit for sugar industry workers

This study investigates the safe carrying load limit in relation to gender of workers in the sugar industry. A total of 632 workers (male and female) were interviewed following a physiological and psycho-physiological methodology. All of these workers were in the age groups of 21–30, 31–40 and ≥41 years. In this study, for the physiological methodology, both field and laboratory data were collected, which included heart rate, heart rate variability, energy expenditure and maximum rate of oxygen consumption. Information regarding hemoglobin content, weight, age, lean body weight, etc., was recorded to know the physical health of the workers. In the psycho-physiological evaluation, load-carrying limits were determined by the psychophysical rating of the load by workers from the selected age groups. By considering the physiological stresses and psycho-physiological evaluation, the safe carrying load limit was determined in head and back mode for male and female workers as per their age groups.     

Non-powered hand tool improvement research for prevention of work-related problems: a review

Purpose. In lower-middle-income countries, most of the work is performed manually using non-ergonomic hand tools which results in work-related health problems. Using hand tools designed in line with ergonomic principles may play an important role in reducing work-related health concerns significantly. Methods. Scientific databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost) and e-publishers were searched for articles from 1985 to 2015 using the following keywords: ‘hand tool’, ‘ergonomics’, ‘usability’ and ‘design’. After applying selection criteria to 614 articles, 58 articles related to the physical design of hand tools were selected. Results. Seventeen articles were related to hand tool improvement in the manufacturing sector. Musculoskeletal disorders were found to be the most frequently occurring work-related health problems. Most of the articles focused on product and qualitative variables for improvement in hand tools, while few articles considered human and task variables. Conclusions. Literature shows that hand tool improvement studies have been given less importance in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. However, some work of significance is reported in the agriculture sectors of these countries. Hence, it is concluded that ergonomic intervention in hand tools is much needed for those industries which employ traditional methods of working.     

Mercury exposure in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients from Ganga plain region in India: A retrospective study

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive disorder that usually runs a fatal course within 2–5 years of onset, is characterized by loss of motor neurons in the cortex, brain stem, and spinal cord. In this study mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined in blood samples of 40 ALS patients, of whom 24 ALS patients were from the Ganga plain region and their metal levels were found to be significantly higher. In contrast, Hg levels in the 16 ALS patients from non-Ganga plain regions whose levels were similar to those of the control subjects. Mercury in stream water samples and freshly deposited stream sediment were determined in the locations of patients’ native residences along the Ganga plain region and metal levels were found to be higher than the threshold guideline values for Hg in stream waters recommended by WHO. The geo-accumulation index in selected sites of freshly deposited stream sediment ranged from moderate to highly polluted. The high levels of Hg observed in ALS patients may potentially alter the redox status of neuronal cell components and induce cell-death pathways.