An assessment of ecosystem services of Corbett Tiger Reserve,India

This paper examines the economic value of selected ecosystem services of Corbett Tiger Reserve, India. The direct cost was derived from secondary sources, and indirect and opportunity costs through socioeconomic surveys. For recreational value the individual approach to travel cost method was used, and to assess carbon sequestration the replacement cost method was used. The maintenance cost of the reserve was estimated as US $2,153,174.3 year⁻¹. The indirect costs in terms of crop and livestock depredation by wild animals ranged from US $2,153,174.3 year⁻¹. The indirect costs in terms of crop and livestock depredation by wild animals ranged from US 2,408 to US $37,958 village⁻¹ over a period of 5 years. The dependence of local communities was for fuel wood (US $37,958 village⁻¹ over a period of 5 years. The dependence of local communities was for fuel wood (US 7,346 day⁻¹), fodder (US $5,290 day⁻¹), small timber, and other nontimber forest products. The recreational value of the reserve was estimated as US $5,290 day⁻¹), small timber, and other nontimber forest products. The recreational value of the reserve was estimated as US 167,619 year⁻¹. With the cost per visitor being US $2.5, the consumers’ surplus was large, showing the willingness of visitors to pay for wildlife recreation. The forests of the reserve mitigate carbon worth US $2.5, the consumers’ surplus was large, showing the willingness of visitors to pay for wildlife recreation. The forests of the reserve mitigate carbon worth US 63.6 million, with an annual flow of US $65.0 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The other benefits of the reserve include US $65.0 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The other benefits of the reserve include US 41 million through generation of electricity since 1972. The analysis reveals that, though the benefits outweigh costs, they need to be accrued to local communities so as to balance the distribution of benefits and costs.     

Informal e-waste recycling: environmental risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in Mandoli industrial area,Delhi, India

Nowadays, e-waste is a major source of environmental problems and opportunities due to presence of hazardous elements and precious metals. This study was aimed to evaluate the pollution risk of heavy metal contamination by informal recycling of e-waste. Environmental risk assessment was determined using multivariate statistical analysis, index of geoaccumulation, enrichment factor, contamination factor, degree of contamination and pollution load index by analysing heavy metals in surface soils, plants and groundwater samples collected from and around informal recycling workshops in Mandoli industrial area, Delhi, India. Concentrations of heavy metals like As (17.08 mg/kg), Cd (1.29 mg/kg), Cu (115.50 mg/kg), Pb (2,645.31 mg/kg), Se (12.67 mg/kg) and Zn (776.84 mg/kg) were higher in surface soils of e-waste recycling areas compared to those in reference site. Level exceeded the values suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). High accumulations of heavy metals were also observed in the native plant samples (Cynodon dactylon) of e-waste recycling areas. The groundwater samples collected form recycling area had high heavy metal concentrations as compared to permissible limit of Indian Standards and maximum allowable limit of WHO guidelines for drinking water. Multivariate analysis and risk assessment studies based on total metal content explains the clear-cut differences among sampling sites and a strong evidence of heavy metal pollution because of informal recycling of e-waste. This study put forward that prolonged informal recycling of e-waste may accumulate high concentration of heavy metals in surface soils, plants and groundwater, which will be a matter of concern for both environmental and occupational hazards. This warrants an immediate need of remedial measures to reduce the heavy metal contamination of e-waste recycling sites.     

The role of precursor gases and meteorology on temporal evolution of O3 at a tropical location in northeast India

South Asia, particularly the Indo-Gangetic Plains and foothills of the Himalayas, has been found to be a major source of pollutant gases and particles affecting the regional as well as the global climate. Inventories of greenhouse gases for the South Asian region, particularly the sub-Himalayan region, have been inadequate. Hence, measurements of the gases are important from effective characterization of the gases and their climate effects. The diurnal, seasonal, and annual variation of surface level O₃ measured for the first time in northeast India at Dibrugarh (27.4° N, 94.9° E, 111 m amsl), a sub-Himalayan location in the Brahmaputra basin, from November 2009 to May 2013 is presented. The effect of the precursor gases NO _x and CO measured simultaneously during January 2012–May 2013 and the prevailing meteorology on the growth and decay of O₃ has been studied. The O₃ concentration starts to increase gradually after sunrise attaining a peak level around 1500 hours LT and then decreases from evening till sunrise next day. The highest and lowest monthly maximum concentration of O₃ is observed in March (42.9?±?10.3 ppb) and July (17.3?±?7.0 ppb), respectively. The peak in O₃ concentration is preceded by the peaks in NO _x and CO concentrations which maximize during the period November to March with peak values of 25.2?±?21.0 ppb and 1.0?±?0.4 ppm, respectively, in January. Significant nonlinear correlation is observed between O₃ and NO, NO₂, and CO. National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory back-trajectory and concentration weighted trajectory analysis carried out to delineate the possible airmass trajectory and to identify the potential source region of NO _x and O₃ concentrations show that in post-monsoon and winter, majority of the trajectories are confined locally while in pre-monsoon and monsoon, these are originated at the Indo-Gangetic plains, Bangladesh, and Bay of Bengal.     

Field performance evaluation during fog-dominated wintertime of a newly developed denuder-equipped PM1 sampler

This study presents the performance evaluation of a novel denuder-equipped PM₁ (particles having aerodynamic diameter less than 1 μm) sampler, tested during fog-dominated wintertime, in the city of Kanpur, India. One PM₁ sampler and one denuder-equipped PM₁ sampler were co-located to collect ambient PM₁ for 25 days. The mean PM₁ mass concentration measured on foggy days with the PM₁ sampler and the denuder-equipped PM₁ sampler was found to be 165.95 and 135.48 μg/m³, respectively. The mean PM₁ mass concentration measured on clear days with the PM₁ sampler and the denuder-equipped PM₁ sampler was observed to be 159.66 and 125.14 μg/m³, respectively. The mass concentration with denuder-fitted PM₁ sampler for both foggy and clear days was always found less than the PM₁ sampler. The same drift was observed in the concentrations of water-soluble ions and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). Moreover, it was observed that the use of denuder leads to a significant reduction in the PM positive artifact. The difference in the concentration of chemical species obtained by two samplers indicates that the PM₁ sampler without denuder had overestimated the concentrations of chemical species in a worst-case scenario by almost 40 %. Denuder-fitted PM₁ sampler can serve as a useful sampling tool in estimating the true values for nitrate, ammonium, potassium, sodium and WSOC present in the ambient PM.     

Solubilization of municipal sewage waste activated sludge by novel lytic bacterial strains

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are an extracellular matrix found in sludge which plays a crucial role in flocculation by interacting with the organic solids. Therefore, to enhance pretreatment of sludge, EPS have to be removed. In this study, EPS were removed with a chemical extractant, NaOH, to enhance the bacterial pretreatment. A lysozyme secreting bacterial consortium was isolated from the waste activated sludge (WAS). The result of density gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis revealed that the isolated consortium consists of two strains. The two novel strains isolated were named as Jerish03 (NCBI accession number KC597266) and Jerish 04 (NCBI accession number KC597267) and they belong to the genus Bacillus. Pretreatment with these novel strains enhances the efficiency of the aerobic digestion of sludge. Sludge treated with the lysozyme secreting bacterial consortium produced 29 % and 28.5 % increase in suspended solids (SS) reduction and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal compared to the raw activated sludge (without pretreatment) during aerobic digestion. It is specified that these two novel strains had a high potential to enhance WAS degradation efficiency in aerobic digestion.     

Potential use of Caulerpa fastigiata biomass for removal of lead: kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamic, and characterization studies

The present study attempts to analyze the biosorption trend of biosorbent Caulerpa fastigiata (macroalgae) biomass for removal of toxic heavy metal ion Pb (II) from solution as a function of initial metal ion concentration, pH, temperature, sorbent dosage, and biomass particle size. The sorption data fitted with various isotherm models and Freundlich model was the best one with correlation coefficient of 0.999. Kinetic study results revealed that the sorption data on Pb (II) with correlation coefficient of 0.999 can best be represented by pseudo-second-order. The biosorption capacity (q _e ) of Pb (II) is 16.11?±?0.32 mg g^?1 on C. fastigiata biomass. Thermodynamic studies showed that the process is exothermic (ΔH° negative). Free energy change (ΔG°) with negative sign reflected the feasibility and spontaneous nature of the process. The SEM studies showed Pb (II) biosorption on selective grains of the biosorbent. The FTIR spectra indicated bands corresponding to –OH, COO^?, –CH, C?=?C, C?=?S, and –C–C– groups were involved in the biosorption process. The XRD pattern of the C. fastigiata was found to be mostly amorphous in nature.     

Health and environmental costs of pesticide use in vegetable farming in Nepal

There is a growing concern of pesticide risks to human health, natural environment and ecosystems. Many previous economic valuations have accounted health aspects or environmental components, but rarely combined; thus, overall risk assessment is partially distorted. The study, conducted close to the capital of Nepal, addressed the health effects of pesticides on small-scale farmers and evaluated the monetary risks of pesticide use on human health and environmental resources. We also aim to establish the relationships among valuation methods. The paper adopts cost of illness, defensive expenditure and contingent valuation willingness to pay approach. The study concluded that the methods used for valuing pesticide risks to human and environmental health are theoretically consistent. The exposed individuals are likely to bear significant economic costs of exposures depending on geographical location, pesticide use magnitudes and frequency. Individuals are willing to pay between 53 and 79% more than the existing pesticide price to protect their health and environment. The integrated pest management training is less likely to reduce health costs of pesticide exposure, although it leads to higher investment in safety measures.     

Light Scattering from Sea-Salt Aerosols at Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) Sites

Abstract

A method is described to estimate light scattering (Bsp) by sea-salt aerosols at coastal locations in the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network. Dry mass scattering efficiencies for fine and coarse sea-salt particles were based on previously measured dry sea-salt size distributions. Enhancement of sea-salt particle scattering by hygroscopic growth was based on NaCl water activity data. Sea-salt aerosol mass at the IMPROVE site in the Virgin Islands (VIIS) was estimated from strontium (Sr) concentrations in IMPROVE aerosol samples. Estimated Bsp, including contributions from sea-salt mass based on Sr, agreed well with measured Bsp at the VIIS IMPROVE site. On average, sea salt accounted for 52% of estimated Bsp at this site. Sea-salt aerosol mass cannot be reliably estimated from Sr unless its crustal enrichment factor exceeds 10. Sodium (Na) concentrations are not accurately determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis in IMPROVE samples. It is recommended that Na be measured in the fine and coarse modes by a more appropriate method, such as atomic absorption spectroscopy or ion chromatography, to account for scattering by sea-salt particles at IMPROVE sites where such contributions may be significant.     

Transcriptome analysis provides insights for understanding the adverse effects of endosulfan in Drosophila melanogaster

Indiscriminate use of agrochemicals worldwide, particularly, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), is of concern. Endosulfan, a POP, is used by various developing/developed nations and is known to adversely affect the development and the hormonal profiles of humans and animals. However, little is known about the molecular players/pathways underlying the adverse effects of endosulfan. We therefore analyzed the global gene expression changes and subsequent adverse effects of endosulfan using Drosophila. We used Drosophila melanogaster keeping in view of its well annotated genome and the wealth of genetic/molecular reagents available for this model organism. We exposed third instar larvae of D. melanogaster to endosulfan (2.0 μg mL⁻¹) for 24 h and using microarray, we identified differential expression of 256 genes in exposed organisms compared to controls. These genes are associated with cellular processes such as development, stress and immune response and metabolism. Microarray results were validated through quantitative PCR and biochemical assay on a subset of genes/proteins. Taking cues from microarray data, we analyzed the effect of endosulfan on development, emergence and survival of the organism. In exposed organisms, we observed deformities in hind-legs, reminiscent of those observed in higher organisms exposed to endosulfan. In addition, we observed delayed and/or reduced emergence in exposed organisms when compared to their respective controls. Together, our studies not only highlight the adverse effects of endosulfan on the organism but also provide an insight into the possible genetic perturbations underlying these effects, which might have potential implications to higher organisms.