Degradation of indulin, a kraft pine lignin, by Serratia marcescens

Serratia marcescens isolated from decaying coconut pith exhibited high lignolytic activity. Growth on indicator medium, analysis of residual indulin, and infra-red spectroscopic analysis indicated the lignolytic potential of the isolate. Ortho-Coumaric acid, ferulic acid, 2,3-dihydroxy cinnamic acid and protocatechuic acid were identified as intermediates involved in indulin degradation by S. marcescens. Qualitative confirmation and quantitative estimation of the intermediates were carried out by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC).     

Occurrence and fate of polycyclic musks in wastewater treatment plants in Kentucky and Georgia, USA

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a potential of source of polycyclic musks in the aquatic environment. In this study, contamination profiles and mass flow of polycyclic musks, 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[gamma]-2-benzopyran (HHCB), 7-acetyl-1,1,3,4,4,6-hexamethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (AHTN), and HHCB-lactone (oxidation product of HHCB), in two WWTPs, one located in Kentucky (Plant A, rural area) and the other in Georgia (Plant B, urban), USA, were determined. HHCB, AHTN and HHCB-lactone were detected in the influent, effluent, and sludge samples analyzed. The concentrations in wastewater samples varied widely, from 10 to 7,030 ng/l, 13 to 5,400 ng/l, and 66 to 790 ng/l, for HHCB, AHTN, and HHCB-lactone, respectively. Sludge samples contained HHCB at <0.02-36 microg/g dry weight, AHTN at <0.02-7.2 microg/g dry weight, and HHCB-lactone at <0.05-17 microg/g dry weight. Based on the daily flow rates and mean concentrations of polycyclic musks, the estimated discharge of total polycyclic musks to the rivers was 21 g/day from Plant A and 31 g/day from Plant B. Mass balance analysis suggested that only 30% of HHCB and AHTN entering the plants was accounted for in the effluent and the sludge. Removal efficiencies of HHCB and AHTN in the two WWTPs ranged from 72% to 98%. In contrast, HHCB-lactone concentrations increased following the treatment. Concentrations of polycyclic musks in sludge were on the order of several parts per million. Incineration of sludge at one plant reduced the concentration of polycyclic musks.     

Influence of initial pH on bioleaching of heavy metals from contaminated soil employing indigenous Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans

Bioleaching of heavy metals from contaminated soil was carried out employing indigenous sulfur oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. Experiments were carried out to assess the influence of initial pH of the system on bioleaching of chromium, zinc, copper, lead and cadmium from metal contaminated soil. pH at the end of four weeks of bioleaching at different initial pH of 3-7 was between 0.9 and 1.3, ORP between 567 and 617mV and sulfate production was in the range of 6090-8418mgl(-1). Chromium, zinc, copper, lead and cadmium solubilization ranged from "59% to 98%" at different initial pH. A. thiooxidans was not affected by the increasing pH of the bioleaching system towards neutral and it was able to utilize elemental sulfur. The results of the present study are encouraging to develop the bioleaching process for decontamination of heavy metal contaminated soil.     

Dechlorination of chloroorganics,decolorization, and simultaneous bioremediation of Cr6+ from real tannery effluent employing indigenous Bacillus cereus isolate

A native Bacillus cereus isolate has been employed, for the first time, for simultaneous decolorization, dechlorination of chloroorganics, and Cr⁶⁺ remediation from the real tannery effluent. Most of the physicochemical variables in 3:1 diluted effluent were well above the standard prescribed limits, which decreased substantially upon microbial treatment. The extent of bioremediation was better in diluted (3:1) as compared to undiluted effluent supplemented with nutrients and augmented with B. cereus isolate. Maximum growth, effluent decolorization (42.5 %), dechlorination (74.1 %), and Cr⁶⁺ remediation (34.2 %) were attained with 4.0 % (v/v) inoculum, 0.8 % glucose, and 0.2 % ammonium chloride in 3:1 diluted effluent at natural pH (8.1) within 72 h of incubation. The efficiency of bioremediation in a bioreactor was higher as compared to a flask trial during 72 h of incubation: decolorization (47.9 %) was enhanced by 5.4 %, dechlorination (77.4 %) by 3.3 %, and Cr⁶⁺ removal (41.7 %) by 7.5 % at an initial color of 286 Pt-Co units and initial concentration of 62 mg chloride ions and 108 mg l^?1 Cr⁶⁺. Immobilized biomass of Pseudomonas putida and B. cereus coculture enhanced the extent of Cr⁶⁺ remediation (51.9 %) by 10.2 % compared to the bioreactor trial. Chromate reductase activity and reduced Cr directly correlated and were mainly associated with soluble fraction of B. cereus plus effluent natural microflora. The GC-MS analyses revealed the formation of metabolites such as acetic acid and 2-butenoic acid in bacterially treated effluent. The supplementation of nutrients along with B. cereus augmentation is required for efficient effluent bioremediation.     

Removal and seasonal variability of selected analgesics/anti-inflammatory,anti-hypertensive/cardiovascular pharmaceuticals and UV filters in wastewater treatment plant

Seasonal removal efficiency of 16 pharmaceuticals and personal care products was monitored in a wastewater treatment plant in ?eské Budějovice, Czech Republic, over a period of 1 year (total amount of samples, n?=?272). The studied compounds included four UV filters, three analgesics/anti-inflammatory drugs and nine anti-hypertensive/cardiovascular drugs. In most cases, elimination of the substances was incomplete, and overall removal rates varied strongly from ?38 to 100 %. Therefore, it was difficult to establish a general trend for each therapeutic group. Based on the removal efficiencies (REs) over the year, three groups of target compounds were observed. A few compounds (benzophenon-1, valsartan, isradipine and furosemide) were not fully removed, but their REs were greater than 50 %. The second group of analytes, consisting of 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid, tramadol, sotalol, metoprolol, atenolol and diclofenac, showed a very low RE (lower than 50 %). The third group of compounds showed extremely variable RE (benzophenon-3 and benzophenon-4, codeine, verapamil, diltiazem and bisoprolol). There were significant seasonal trends in the observed REs, with reduced efficiencies in colder months.     

Assessment of indoor air concentrations of VOCs and their associated health risks in the library of Jawaharlal Nehru University,New Delhi

The present work investigated the levels of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene (BTEX) in different microenvironments in the library of Jawaharlal Nehru University in summer and winter during 2011–2012. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks due to organic compounds were also evaluated using US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) conventional approaches. Real-time monitoring was done for TVOC using a data-logging photo-ionization detector. For BTEX measurements, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standard method which consists of active sampling of air through activated charcoal, followed by analysis with gas chromatography, was performed. Simultaneously, outdoor measurements for TVOC and BTEX were carried out. Indoor concentrations of TVOC and BTEX (except benzene) were higher as compared to the outdoor for both seasons. Toluene and m/p-xylene were the most abundant organic contaminant observed in this study. Indoor to outdoor (I/O) ratios of BTEX compounds were generally greater than unity and ranged from 0.2 to 8.7 and 0.2 to 4.3 in winter and summer, respectively. Statistical analysis and I/O ratios showed that the dominant pollution sources mainly came from indoors. The observed mean concentrations of TVOC lie within the second group of the Molhave criteria of indoor air quality, indicating a multifactorial exposure range. The estimated lifetime cancer risk (LCR) due to benzene in this study exceeded the value of 1?×?10^?6 recommended by USEPA, and the hazard quotient (HQ) of non-cancer risk came under an acceptable range.     

Effects of in utero di-butyl phthalate and butyl benzyl phthalate exposure on offspring development and male reproduction of rat

The study was conducted to assess the effects of in utero di-butyl phthalate (DBP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) exposure during late gestation on offspring’s development and reproductive system of male rats. Pregnant rats were treated orally with DBP (2, 10, 50 mg/kg), BBP (4, 20, 100 mg/kg), and diethylstilbestrol (DES) 6 μg/kg (positive control) from GD14 to parturition. A significant reduction in dams’ body weight on GD21 in DBP-, BBP-, and DES-treated groups was observed. The gestation length was considerably elevated in the treated groups. Decline in male pups’ body weight was significant at PND75 in DBP- (50 mg/kg), BBP- (20,100 mg/kg), and DES-treated groups. The weight of most of the reproductive organs and sperm quality parameters was impaired significantly in DBP- (50 mg/kg) and BBP- (100 mg/kg) treated groups. Further, a non-significant decline in testicular spermatid count and daily sperm production was also monitored in treated groups. A significant reduction in serum testosterone level in BBP (100 mg/kg), whereas the testicular activity of 17β-HSD was declined non-significantly in the treated groups with respect to control. The data suggests that DBP and BBP exposure during late gestation period might have adverse effects on offspring’s development, spermatogenesis, and steroidogenesis in adult rats.     

Triclosan in Fresh Water Fish Gibelion Catla from the Kaveri River,India, and Its Consumption Risk Assessment

Triclosan is a common antimicrobial agent that is found in significant levels in the aquatic environment and may elicit effects on aquatic organisms through unexpected modes of action. In this study, triclosan was quantified in fish from the Kaveri River, India, by using the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry technique and it was found in the range of 0.73–50 ng/g wet weight (ww). The mean bioaccumulation factor based on water (BAF_w 820) and sediment (BAF_s 2.12) in the Kaveri River showed that triclosan is accumulative in fish, and reflects its feeding behavior. The bioaccumulation indicates triclosan's persistence or prevalence throughout the river stretch. Human risk assessment through dietary intake demonstrated that the triclosan exposure is five orders of magnitude lower than the acceptable daily intake (50 μg/kg bw) and US EPA reference dose (300 μg/kg bw/day). This investigation is the first to report the bioaccumulation of triclosan in freshwater fish from India. Further, the results indicate that this fish acts as a biomarker of exposure for triclosan and thus shall be used to report triclosan pollution in the future.     

Fate of coliforms and pathogenic parasite in four full-scale sewage treatment systems in India

Global positioning systems (GPS) are increasingly being used for habitat mapping because they provide spatially referenced data that can be used to characterize habitat structure across the landscape and document habitat change over time. We evaluated the accuracy of using a GPS for determining the size and location of habitat patches in a riverine environment. We simulated error attributable to a mapping-grade GPS receiver capable of achieving sub-meter accuracy onto discrete macrophyte bed and wood habitat patches (2 to 177 m(2)) that were digitized from an aerial photograph of the Laramie River, Wyoming, USA in a way that emulated field mapping. Patches with simulated error were compared to the original digitized patches. The accuracy in measuring habitat patches was affected most by patch size and less by patch shape and complexity. Perimeter length was consistently overestimated but was less biased for large, elongate patches with complex shapes. Patch area was slightly overestimated for small patches but was unbiased for large patches. Precision of area estimates was highest for large (>100 m(2)), elongate patches. Percent spatial overlap, a measure of the spatial accuracy of patch location, was low and variable for the smallest patches (2 to 5 m(2)). Mean percent spatial overlap was not related to patch shape but the precision of overlap was lower for small, elongate, and complex patches. Mapping habitat patches with a mapping-grade GPS can yield useful data, but research objectives will determine the acceptable amount of error and the smallest habitats that can be reliably measured.     

Evaluation of environmental impacts of Integrated Industrial Estate��Pantnagar through application of air and water quality indices

Large-scale industrialization, population inflow, and rapid urbanization coupled with unfavorable meteorological conditions often induce significant degradation of urban environment. In order to assess the extent of environmental impacts due to establishment of the Integrated Industrial Estate??Pantnagar (IIE-Pantnagar), ambient air and groundwater were monitored from June 2007 to May 2008. Collected baseline information was normalized and interpreted with the application of air (AQI) and water quality indices (WQI). Among the pre-identified air pollutants, suspended particulate matter was found to be the principal culprit to deteriorate ambient air quality, with a maximum annual concentration of 418.5 ??g/m³. Monthly average concentrations of respirable particulate matter (aerodynamic diameter < 10 ??m) also persist at a critical level with an annual maximum of 207.3 ??g/m³. A segmented linear function with maximum operator concept was used to compute AQI, and the developed index was found well suitable to demonstrate temporal variations of ambient air quality. The computed AQI value for the selected study region varied from moderate (97.0) to very poor pollution level (309.2) in respect to developed air quality standards. Furthermore, an integrated WQI was developed comprising 9 parameters, and among all the 10 pre-identified locations, the average groundwater quality was found acceptable in terms of Indian drinking water standards. The maximum WQI (70.6) was found at the Kichha Railway Station during summer months, revealing moderate pollution load. Industrial discharge from IIE-Pantnagar coupled with other industrial setup may hold responsible for such kind of degradation of water quality. In contrast, WQI computed at Rudrapur City demonstrate minimum (15.0?C22.1) pollution load. For 95% of the monitoring period, the computed WQI was found acceptable for all selected locations with few exceptions. The application of WQI to assess temporal variations in groundwater quality was therefore found satisfactory.