Assessment of the status of municipal solid waste management in metro cities, state capitals, class I cities, and class II towns in India: an insight

Solid waste management is one of the most challenging issues in urban cities, which are facing a serious pollution problem due to the generation of huge quantities of solid waste. This paper presents an assessment of the existing situation of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in major cities in India. The quantity and composition of MSW vary from place to place, and bear a rather consistent correlation with the average standard of living. Extensive field investigations were carried out for quantification, analysis of physical composition, and characterization of MSW in each of the identified cities. The MSW management status (per the MSW Rules, 2000) has also been assessed, and an action plan for better management has been formulated; both are presented in this paper. Studies carried out in 59 selected cities in India have revealed that there are many shortcomings in the existing practices used in managing the MSW. These shortcomings pertain mainly to inadequate manpower, financial resources, implements, and machinery required for effectively carrying out various activities for MSWM. To overcome the deficiencies in the existing MSWM systems, an indicative action plan has been presented incorporating strategies and guidelines. Based on this plan, municipal agencies can prepare specific action plans for their respective cities.     

Role of predator switching in an eco-epidemiological model with disease in the prey

In the present paper we propose a modification of a basic eco-epidemiological model by incorporating predator switching among susceptible and infected prey population. A local and global study of the basic model is performed around the disease-free boundary equilibrium and the interior equilibrium to estimate important parameter thresholds that control disease eradication and species coexistence. Next we analyze the switching model from the same perspective in order to elucidate the role of switching on disease dynamics. Numerical simulations are carried out to justify analytical results.     

Effect of pH on the fate of fenazaquin in soil and water under laboratory-simulated condition

The persistence of fenazaquin (4-t-butylphenylethyl quinazolin-4-yl ether) was studied in three different soils, namely, Gangetic alluvial (pH 6.9), laterite (pH 5.3), and terai (pH 5.1) soil and in water at three different pH values (4.0, 7.0, and 9.2) under laboratory-simulated condition and samples were analyzed upto 60 days at regular intervals. Fenazaquin was applied at 5 and 10 µg g^?1 for each soil and at 0.2 and 0.4 µg mL^?1 to each water sample. Dissipation of fenazaquin in soil and water followed first-order kinetics irrespective of any treatments. The half-life of fenazaquin was found in the range of 47–64 days in soils and 3.49–37.6 days in water irrespective of dose. The persistence of fenazaquin in soil significantly increased in the order of Gangetic alluvial soil (pH 6.9) > laterite soil (pH 5.3) > terai soil (pH 5.1), whereas in water the trend of persistence was pH 9.2 ≥ pH 7.0 > pH 4.0. The dissipation of fenazaquin in soil and water was found to be dependent on pH irrespective of doses.     

A review on microplastic pollution in the mangrove wetlands and microbial strategies for its remediation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mangroves are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world harboring huge biological diversity. The prime ecological roles of mangroves are...     

Physico-chemical characteristics of breeding habitats of Anopheles dirus (Diptera:Culicidae) in Assam,India

Larval ecology of Anopheles dirus, the main vector of forest malaria in north-eastern region of India, was studied in relation to physico-chemical characteristics of its breeding habitats in a rain forest area of Assam, India. Shady stream side pools, positive for the breeding of An. dirus, had significantly higher amounts of total hardness (P < 0.024) in comparison to negative pools of similar type. When compared with An. dirus negative breeding habitats, in hot-wet as well as in cool-dry seasons, An. dirus positive shady ground pools showed higher mean values of total alkalinity, hardness and chloride content, whereas lower pH, dissolved oxygen along with higher total alkalinity and hardness were possessed by An. dirus positive stream side pools. Specificity of breeding habitats of An. dirus in relation to its ecology has been discussed.     

Fractionation and speciation of arsenic in three tea gardens soil profiles and distribution of As in different parts of tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.)

The distribution pattern and fractionation of arsenic (As) in three soil profiles from tea (Camellia sinensis L.) gardens located in Karbi-Anglong (KA), Cachar (CA) and Karimganj (KG) districts in the state of Assam, India, were investigated depth-wise (0-10, 10-30, 30-60 and 60-100 cm). DTPA-extractable As was primarily restricted to surface horizons. Arsenic speciation study showed the presence of higher As(V) concentrations in the upper horizon and its gradual decrease with the increase in soil depths, following a decrease of Eh. As fractionation by sequential extraction in all the soil profiles showed that arsenic concentrations in the three most labile fractions (i.e., water-soluble, exchangeable and carbonate-bound fractions) were generally low. Most arsenic in soils was nominally associated with the organic and Fe-Mn oxide fractions, being extractable in oxidizing or reducing conditions. DTPA-extractable As (assumed to represent plant-available As) was found to be strongly correlated to the labile pool of As (i.e. the sum of the first three fractions). The statistical comparison of means (two-sample t-test) showed the presence of significant differences between the concentrations of As(III) and As(V) for different soil locations, depths and fractions. The risk assessment code (RAC) was found to be below the pollution level for all soils. The measurement of arsenic uptake by different parts of tea plants corroborated the hypothesis that roots act as a buffer and hold back contamination from the aerial parts.     

Response of diazotrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc carneum under pesticide and UV-B stress

A study was under taken, under controlled laboratory conditions, to investigate the influence of non-ionizing radiation (UV-B) and an organochlorine pesticide on the growth, photosynthetic pigments, protein content and DCPIP photoreduction of a cyanobacterium Nostoc carneum. Test algae was isolated from rice field soils of Sambalpur, Western Orissa, India and grown in nitrogen free BG 11 culture medium. Culture of algae from log phase of growth was treated with 5 ppm of the insecticide, Endodhan and UV-B (20 mW m⁻²) for 2 h daily, separately and in combination of insecticide and UV-B radiation. Algal samples treated with UV-B and pesticide separately showed distinct inhibitory effects on growth, pigments, protein content and DCPIP reduction of the test samples. However, when pesticide treated samples were subjected to UV-B exposure, the effect showed additive as well as synergetic effect. Experiment conducted to check the ability of the organism to recover from the stress, exposed for various time periods, suggest their ability to partially recover from the stress.     

Fractionation and bioavailability of metals and their impacts on microbial properties in sewage irrigated soil

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of long-term irrigation of sewage contaminated with heavy metals like Cd, Cr, Cu and Pb on microbial and biochemical parameters of soils of West Bengal, India. The microbial parameters included microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial metabolic quotient; the biochemical parameters included fluorescein diacetate hydrolyzing activity, beta-glucosidase, urease, phosphatase, and aryl sulphatase activities. A sequential extraction technique was used to quantify water soluble, exchangeable, carbonate bound, Fe/Mn-oxide bound, organically bound, and residual metal fractions. Metal concentrations in the two most labile fractions (i.e., water soluble and exchangeable fractions) were generally low. Total metal concentrations at each site seemed to be associated with soil amorphous Fe and Al minerals. The MBC and the enzymes studied were significantly and negatively correlated with water soluble and exchangeable metals but not significantly correlated with other forms, indicating that water soluble and exchangeable forms exerted a strong inhibitory effect on the soil microbial and biochemical parameters. It was concluded that irrigating soils with metal contaminated sewage seemed to damage soil quality in the long term.     

Photodegradation of the herbicide penoxsulam in aqueous methanol and acetonitrile

Penoxsulam is a triazolopyrimidine sulfonamide group of rice herbicide. The phototransformation of penoxsulam was studied under UV light (lambda max >or= 290 nm) and sunlight in aqueous methanol and acetonitrile solvent system using TiO2 as sensitizer. The rate of photodegradation of penoxsulam in different solvent systems followed first-order kinetics and calculated half-lives was found to be in the range of 51.89-73.41 h and 62.70-97.09 h for UV light and sunlight respectively in the presence or absence of sensitizer. From this study, a total of six photoproducts were identified and characterized on the basis of Q-Tof micromass spectral data. The plausible mechanism of phototransformation involved were hydrolysis, photo oxidation of the sulfonamide group, breaking of sulfonamide bond, loss of amino and sulfonic acid group.     

Potential of Anopheles philippinensis-nivipes complex mosquitoes as malaria vector in north-east India

Anopheles philippinensis-nivipes complex mosquitoes, captured in outdoor human landing catches and light traps in human dwellings from four different sites in Assam state and adjoining areas, were examined (n=1670) for the presence of circumsporozoite antigen (CSA) through enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), using species specific capture monoclonal antibodies, of Plasmodium falciparum and two Plasmodium vivax polymorphs (Pv 210 and VK 247). In ELISA, 28 pools were found positive for CSA that accounted for minimum sporozoite rate of 1.7% (95% CI 1.11-2.41). Twenty five percent (7/28) of the positive pools were reactive for P. falciparum and between the two polymorphs of P. vivax, VK 247 was predominant with 77% (20/26) of all P. vivax positive pools. Results were suggestive of most likely involvement of Anopheles philippinensis-nivipes complex mosquitoes in malaria transmission in north-east India.