Assessment of mining activities on tree species and diversity in hilltop mining areas using Hyperion and Landsat data

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The tree species and its diversity are two critical components to be monitored for sustainable management of forest as well as biodiversity...     

Effect of Solvent Composition on Porosity,Surface Morphology and Thermal Behavior of Metal Alginate Prepared from Algae (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Undaria pinnatifida</Emphasis>)

Alginates, extracted from algae are linear unbranched polymers containing β-(1→4)-linked d-mannuronic acid (M) and α-(1→4)-linked l-guluronic acid (G) residues. The conversion of alginic acid into the metal alginate is confirmed using FTIR spectroscopy. Asymmetric and symmetric stretching of free carboxyl group present in metal alginate occurs almost at the same position in various solvent compositions. Total intrusion volume of metal alginate prepared in propanol (0.0742 mL/g) is greater compared to those in ethanol (0.0648 mL/g) and methanol (0.0393 mL/g) as solvent. Surface morphology as well as porosity and pore size distribution of metal alginate are greatly influenced by solvent. It can be seen from thermal analysis results that calcium alginate prepared using different solvent compositions started decomposing at 100 °C, but rapid degradation started around 200 °C. The results showed a stepwise weight loss during thermal sweep, indicating different types of reactions during degradation. First and second step of rapid degradation was situated around 200–300 and 300–550 °C, respectively; whereas the final step is situated around 550–650 °C. The trend of degradation was similar for all the solvents, although the amount of final residue varied from one solvent to another. At the same time, lower thermal stability was also observed with higher heating rates. Additionally, a kinetic analysis was performed to fit with TGA data, where the entire degradation process has been considered as three consecutive first order reactions.     

Dynamics of Organic Carbon and Microbial Biomass in Alluvial Soil With Tillage and Amendments in Rice-wheat Systems

Rice-wheat cropping systems of the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) occupying 12 million ha of productive land are important for the food security of South Asia. There are, however, concerns that yield and factor productivity trends in these systems are declining/stagnating in recent years. Decrease in soil organic carbon is often suggested as a reason for such trends. A field experiment was conducted to study the soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) dynamics in the rice-wheat systems. Use of organic amendments and puddling of soil before rice transplanting increased SOC and MBC contents. Microbial biomass carbon showed a seasonal pattern. It was low initially, reached its peak during the flowering stages in both rice and wheat and declined thereafter. Microbial biomass carbon was linearly related to SOC in both rice and wheat indicating that SOC could be used as a proxy for MBC.     

Simulation of Nitrogen Dynamics in Soil Using Infocrop Model

Nitrogen is the most widely used fertilizer nutrient, and it is a universally deficient nutrient too, which often severely restricts the growth and yield of crops. To improve N fertilizer management, soil–plant system models can be applied to simulate adequate N supply for both, optimal crop growth and minimal N losses. The likely impact of climate change on the cereal production is of paramount importance in the planning strategies to meet the future growing needs on sustainable grounds. In this scenario models are the effective tools to foresee the probable impacts and for choosing appropriate land use options. The study reported in this thesis, employs field experiments and use of simulation tools to understand the dynamics of soil N balance and relate growth and yield of rice under varying nitrogen inputs. The InfoCrop model was used in this study, which was calibrated with the historic data sets, and subsequently validated with the field experiment conducted at IARI Farm, New Delhi. Simulated results matched well with the observed values in terms of growth and yield of rice and seasonal nitrogen uptake. The components of soil nitrogen balance differed among varying nitrogen level treatments, which was also captured by use of InfoCrop. The model was then taken to climate change impact analysis. The results clearly revealed that when temperature increased, the soil N losses, like denitrification, volatilization, N2O emission increased, whereas grain and biomass yields decreased. The further scope of the study is to validate the study in contrasting agroenvironments.     

Statistical inferences from measured data on concentrations of naturally occurring radon,thoron, and decay products in Kumaun Himalayan belt

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Regional averages of radon, thoron, and associated decay product concentration are reported to be higher than their respective global averages in...     

Effective oil removal from water by magnetically driven superhydrophobic and oleophilic magnetic titania nanotubes

Development of efficient techniques to combat the harmful effects of oil spill is an emerging field, where fabrication of new sorbents for selective removal of oil has become a hot topic for environmental scientists. The present study reports the preparation of superhydrophobic/oleophilic magnetic titania nanotubes via a facile hydrothermal method, followed by the treatment with octadecylamine, as potential magnetically driven sorbent for selective removal of oil from water surface. The magnetic nature (superparamagnetism at 300 K) of the nanotubes enabled magnetic removal of the oil-sorbed material from water surface. Wettability test of the material depicted a static water contact angle of 166 ± 1°, indicating its superhydrophobic character. Oil uptake experiments and contact angle measurements revealed its superoleophilicity with maximum oil sorption capacity >1.5 g/g for a variety of oils. In addition to the ease of magnetic removal, the nanotubes possess sufficient buoyancy, high selectivity, and quick rate of oil uptake and is more than five times reusable.     

Ameliorating effect of N-acetylcysteine and curcumin on pesticide-induced oxidative DNA damage in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Endosulfan, malathion, and phosphamidon are widely used pesticides. Subchronic exposure to these contaminants commonly affects the central nervous system, immune, gastrointestinal, renal, and reproductive system. There effects have been attributed to increased oxidative stress. This study was conducted to examine the role of oxidative stress in genotoxicity following pesticide exposure using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro. Further possible attenuation of genotoxicity was studied using N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and curcumin as known modulators of oxidative stress. Cultured mononuclear cells was isolated from peripheral blood of healthy volunteers, and exposed to varying concentrations of different pesticides: endosulfan, malathion, and phosphamidon for 6, 12, and 24 h. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by cellular malondialdehyde (MDA) level and DNA damage was quantified by measuring 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) using ELISA. Both MDA and 8-OH-dG were significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner following treatment with these pesticides. There was a significant decrease in MDA and 8-OH-dG levels in PBMC when co-treated with NAC or/and curcumin as compared to pesticide alone. These results indicate that pesticide-induced oxidative stress is probably responsible for the DNA damage, and NAC or curcumin attenuate this effect by counteracting the oxidative stress.     

Cold plasma technology: advanced and sustainable approach for wastewater treatment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Cold plasma has been a potent energy-efficient and eco-friendly advanced oxidation technology which has gained attention in recent decades as a...     

Traditional knowledge and biodiversity conservation: a case study from Byans Valley in Kailash Sacred Landscape,India

Ethnobotanical knowledge plays a significant role in plant diversity conservation and the curing of various ailments in remote rural areas of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). A total of 53 plant species from 27 families have been documented from the Byans valley and are used traditionally for the treatment of various diseases. Valley inhabitants have maintained a symbiotic relationship between natural resources and their cultural belief system by developing sacred forests/groves which conserve the region's plant diversity pool. Information on sacred natural sites and traditional beliefs was documented in order to understand the environmental and conservationist implications of these rules and practices. The study provides comprehensive information about eroding traditional knowledge and biodiversity conservation practices. This study could be a pilot to strengthen the conservation practices and sustainable utilization of frequently used bioresources by understanding the traditional knowledge system and conservation ethics of tribal communities in the Himalayan region.     

Quantitative Interpretation of IR Spectra and Heat Capacity Calculations for Environment friendly Polymer

Biodegradable polymers are the need of the day. Due to their natural spontaneous degradation such materials are becoming the subject of intensive research. Poly(5-hydroxylevulinic acid) (PHLA) is a biodegradable polymer obtained from biomass resources. In the present study, one dimensional isolated chain model is used for quantitative characterization of FTIR spectra by vibrational dynamics giving potential energy distribution and dispersion curves for PHLA. The predicted values of heat capacity calculated in the range 10–500 K, via density-of-states are being reported.