Total mercury status in an urban water body,Mithi River,Mumbai and analysis of the relation between total mercury and other pollution parameters

Mercury is a heavy metal which has garnered attention recently in India. Minamata Convention on mercury was established on October 2013 and was joined by India on September 30, 2014. India is seen as a major mercury pollution source after China according to many studies in the past. Various mercury pollution sites that are currently recognized in India are Kodai Lake, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, and Thane Creek, Mumbai. Since 1992, chlor-alkali plants have been regulated to eliminate mercury cell process of manufacturing. Also, medical and health care facilities are discarding mercury-containing equipment and processes. Various anthropogenic sources of mercury to the atmosphere include combustion of fossil fuels, processing and mining of primary metal ores, cement manufacturing units, chlor-alkali plants, and use of mercury in various products like paints, electric switches, and relays. The hazard associated with mercury pollution becomes extremely serious when we consider its ability to be transported over long-range distances. Various atmospheric transport models suggest India and other Asian countries to be a major source of long-range transport of mercury to North America. Considering the hazards of mercury and its widespread presence in our life, a study on mercury pollution in an urban water body is conducted. This study deals with Mithi River located in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (19.0760° N, 72.8777° E) to study the total mercury in water and derive its relationship with other pollution parameters.     

In-vessel composting of household wastes

The process of composting has been studied using five different types of reactors, each simulating a different condition for the formation of compost; one of which was designed as a dynamic complete-mix type household compost reactor. A lab-scale study was conducted first using the compost accelerators culture (Trichoderma viridae, Trichoderma harzianum, Trichorus spirallis, Aspergillus sp., Paecilomyces fusisporus, Chaetomium globosum) grown on jowar (Sorghum vulgare) grains as the inoculum mixed with cow-dung slurry, and then by using the mulch/compost formed in the respective reactors as the inoculum. The reactors were loaded with raw as well as cooked vegetable waste for a period of 4 weeks and then the mulch formed was allowed to maturate. The mulch was analysed at various stages for the compost and other environmental parameters. The compost from the designed aerobic reactor provides good humus to build up a poor physical soil and some basic plant nutrients. This proves to be an efficient, eco-friendly, cost-effective, and nuisance-free solution for the management of household solid wastes.     

Phylogenetic analysis of hyperaccumulator plant species for heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Increasing concentration of heavy metals (HMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soil may impose a serious threat to living organisms due to their toxicity and the ability to accumulate in plant tissues. The present review focuses on the phylogenetic relationships, sources, biotransformation and accumulation potential of hyperaccumulators for the priority HMs and PAHs. This review provides an opportunity to reveal the role of hyperaccumulators in removal of HMs and PAHs from soils, to understand the relationships between pollutants and their influence on the environment and to find potential plant species for soil remediation. The phylogenetic analysis results showed that the hyperaccumulators of some chemicals (Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cd) are clustered on the evolutionary tree and that the ability to hyperaccumulate different pollutants can be correlated either positively (Cd–Zn, Pb–Zn, Co–Cu, Cd–Pb) or negatively (Cu–PAHs, Co–Cd, Co–PAHs, Ni–PAHs, Cu–Ni, Mn–PAHs). Further research needs to be extended on the focus of commercializing the techniques including the native hyperaccumulators to remediate the highly contaminated soils.

     

Groundwater quality and water quality index at Bhandara District

The present investigation reports the results of a monitoring study focusing on groundwater quality of Bhandara District of central India. Since, remediation of groundwater is very difficult, knowledge of the existing nature, magnitude, and sources of the various pollution loads is a prerequisite to assessing groundwater quality. The water quality index (WQI) value as a function of various physicochemical and bacteriological parameters was determined for groundwater obtained from a total of 21 locations. The WQI during pre-monsoon season varied from 68 to 83, while for post-monsoon, it was between 56 and 76. Significantly (P < 0.01) lower WQI for the post-monsoon season was observed, indicating deterioration of the groundwater overall in corresponding season. The study revealed that groundwater from only 19% locations was fit for domestic use, thus indicating the need of proper treatment before use.     

Pre- and post-dam river water temperature alteration prediction using advanced machine learning models

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Dams significantly impact river hydrology by changing the timing, size, and frequency of low and high flows, resulting in a hydrologic regime that...     

Water sustainability: reforming water management in new global era of climate change

The National Seminar on Sustainable Water Resource Management in Era of Changing Climate (NSWRM-2014) on 10–11 January 2014 organised by the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development and Environmental Science and Technology, Banaras Hindu University, witnessed the presence of experts from environmentalists, industrialists and experts on water resources and its management. The deliberations and scientific discussions led to the conclusion that it is not just the resource but the natural capacity to sustain it that requires monitoring, understanding and stewardship. The focus of governance in India needs to move at a faster pace from conventional methods of sector-based water management to more integrated approach for sustainable water resource management. It is more of the people participation that is the future key towards sustainable water resource management in India.     

Seasonal and vertical characteristics of particulate and elemental concentrations along diverse street canyons in South India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The impact of street geometries on vertical dispersion of PMs (PM2.5 and PM10) in (1) non-street canyon (NSC), (2) street canyon (SC), and (3) street...     

Antecedents and consequences of adopting CLTS among tribal communities to become open defecation free: case study on Indian Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Swachh Bharat Mission undertaken by the Government of India (GoI) has been successful in accomplishing this objective within a short period...