Case study of augmenting livelihood of fishing community at Sagar Island,India, through solar thermal dryer technology

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Drying of fish at the Sagar Island (21.7269° N, 88.1096° E) is generally carried out in open sun on the seashore on plastic sheets or mat of...     

Developmental Processes, Changing Lifestyle and Traditional Wisdom: Analyses from Western Himalaya

Traditional knowledge and practices are important in prudent resource use and biodiversity conservation. The implications of modernization and changing lifestyle are discussed in the context of agriculture and resource use, the two sectors in which maximum modernization has occurred. The information was gathered through observations and structured interviews over three years (July 1996 to July 1999) of field work in the western Himalaya. It was observed that forest based subsistence agriculture has given way to the market dependant cash crop cultivation. That apart from loss of genetic diversity, has also resulted in the degradation of forests. The use of wild plants in the day-to-day activities has also declined and dependence on high value market products has increased. Currently, wild plants are used only if no other cheap substitute is available in the market or if the use is economically beneficial to the people. Thus, the knowledge gathered through ages of experience is eroding because of the activities geared for short-term economic benefits which, in long run, may not be sustainable.     

Laboratory and field evaluation of crystallized DOW 704 oil on the performance of the Well Impactor Ninety-Six fFine particulate matter fractionator

Subsequent to the 1997 promulgation of the Federal Reference Method (FRM) for monitoring fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in ambient air, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received reports that the DOW 704 diffusion oil used in the method's Well Impactor Ninety-Six (WINS) fractionator would occasionally crystallize during field use, particularly under wintertime conditions. Although the frequency of occurrence on a nationwide basis was low, uncertainties existed as to whether crystallization of the DOW 704 oil may adversely affect a sampling event's data quality. In response to these concerns, EPA and the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection jointly conducted a series of specialized tests to determine whether crystallized oil adversely affected the performance of the WINS fractionator. In the laboratory, an experimental setup used dry ice to artificially induce crystallization of the diffusion oil under controlled conditions. Using primary polystyrene latex calibration aerosols, standard size-selective performance tests of the WINS fractionator showed that neither the position nor the shape of the WINS particle size fractionation curve was substantially influenced by the crystallization of the DOW 704 oil. No large particle bounce from the crystallized impaction surface was observed. During wintertime field tests, crystallization of the DOW 704 oil did not adversely affect measured PM2.5 concentrations. Regression of measurements with crystallized DOW 704 versus liquid dioctyl sebacate (DOS) oil produced slope, intercept, and R2 values of 0.98, 0.1, and 0.997 microg/m3, respectively. Additional field tests validated the use of DOS as an effective impaction substrate. As a result of these laboratory and field tests, DOS oil has been approved by EPA as a substitute for DOW 704 oil. Since the field deployment of DOS oil in 2001, users of this alternative oil have not reported any operational problems associated with its use in the PM2.5 FRM. Limited field evaluation of the BGI very sharp cut cyclone indicates that it provides a viable alternative to the WINS fractionator.     

Optimization of extraction of oil and biodiesel from Thespesia populnea seed oil by alkali catalyst in India

Thespesia populnea oil was new source of biodiesel. Crude Thespesia populnea oil was used as feedstock for biodiesel production by alkali-catalyzed methanolysis. The reaction in the presence of NaOH as catalyst was carried out to investigate the optimum conditions and to study the effects of variables on the reaction. A methanol to oil ratio of 6:1, sodium methoxide catalyst concentration of 1.5%, mixing intensity of 250 rpm and reaction temperature of 60°C offered the best Thespesia populnea seed oil methyl esters (biodiesel) yield (92.6%). The methyl ester content under these optimum conditions was 92.6% w/w, and all of the measured properties of the Thespesia populnea biodiesel (TPME) met the international standards ASTM D 6751-02. The results reveal that all of the reaction variables in this study had positive effects on the reaction. The results of the present study indicated that TPME could be a potential alternative to petrodiesel     

Visitor-induced changes in the chemical composition of soils in backcountry areas of Mt Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Balancing recreation and conservation is an important issue in Canada's parks and protected areas. Increased levels of visitation to parks, especially to backcountry areas, create undue pressure on natural resources, resulting in a variety of ecological impacts. This paper illustrates the issue of visitor-induced changes on the chemical composition of soils in Mt Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia. Soil samples were collected from dish wash stations and fire pits (disturbed sites) at seven campgrounds located along two popular backcountry trails, and were compared to samples obtained from adjacent undisturbed control sites. Analysis of soil samples suggest that the lower amounts of aluminum, potassium, magnesium and sodium in many of the 'disturbed' samples can be related to intense leaching in dish wash stations, and can be attributed to frequent disposal of waste water from washing and cooking activities. Soils in wash stations generally had higher phosphorus, copper and zinc contents as compared to controls. Soils in fire pits were elevated in copper, relative to controls. Results of this study support park regulations that waste water disposal and camp fires be restricted to designated areas. Informing the public of scientific studies helps them understand the consequences of their activities; this may help persuade them to observe park rules and regulations.     

Incentive-Based Conservation Programs in Developing Countries: A Review of Some Key Issues and Suggestions for Improvements

Biodiversity conservation in developing countries has been a challenge because of the combination of rising human populations, rapid technological advances, severe social hardships, and extreme poverty. To address the social, economic, and ecological limitations of people-free parks and reserves, incentives have been incorporated into conservation programs in the hopes of making conservation meaningful to local people. However, such incentive-based programs have been implemented with little consideration for their ability to fulfill promises of greater protection of biodiversity. Evaluations of incentive-based conservation programs indicate that the approach continually falls short of the rhetoric. This article provides an overview of the problems associated with incentive-based conservation approaches in developing countries. It argues that existing incentive-based programs (IBPs) have yet to realize that benefits vary greatly at different “community” scales and that a holistic conceptualization of a community is essential to incorporate the complexities of a heterogeneous community when designing and implementing the IBPs. The spatial complexities involved in correctly identifying the beneficiaries in a community and the short-term focus of IBPs are two major challenges for sustaining conservation efforts. The article suggests improvements in three key areas: accurate identification of “target” beneficiaries, greater inclusion of marginal communities, and efforts to enhance community aptitudes.     

Local Responses to Participatory Conservation in Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

Biodiversity conservation has undergone a profound change in philosophy, policies and management approaches over the last forty years. The traditional top–down approach to nature protection has been widely criticized for failing to include critical social elements in management practices, and is being gradually replaced by a slew of participatory strategies under the rubric of bottom-up conservation. The new approach recognizes local communities as key partners in wildlife management and seeks their participation in social development and biodiversity conservation. However, every social context is different in its structure and functions, and in the way social groups respond to calls for participation. In order to gain a better understanding of the approach and the barriers encountered in its implementation, a questionnaire survey of 188 households was employed in the communities of the Upper Mustang extension of Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) in Nepal. The study provides a comparative analysis of community participation and its barriers between Non-Tourist (NT) and Tourist (TV) villages. The results revealed important differences between the two groups in terms of their participation in community programs, barriers to participation, and perception of benefits from participation. Owing to their distinct spatial, demographic and attitudinal differences, the two village groups have their own sets of needs, values and motivation factors which cannot be generalized and treated as such. The research clearly identifies the need for the conservation agency to be creative in devising strategies and initiatives appropriate to specific social groups so as to optimize their input in participatory conservation.     

Major ionic compositions of fine particulate matter in an animal feeding operation facility and its vicinity

Animal feeding operations (AFOs) produce particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants. Investigation of the chemical composition of PM_2.5 inside and in the local vicinity of AFOs can help to understand the impact of the AFO emissions on ambient secondary PM formation. This study was conducted on a commercial egg production farm in North Carolina. Samples of PM_2.5 were collected from five stations, with one located in an egg production house and the other four located in the vicinity of the farm along four wind directions. The major ions of NH₄⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, SO₄^2?, Cl^?, and NO₃^? were analyzed using ion chromatography (IC). In the house, the mostly abundant ions were SO₄^2?, Cl^?, and K⁺. At ambient stations, SO₄^2?, and NH₄⁺ were the two most abundant ions. In the house, NH₄⁺, SO₄^2?, and NO₃^? accounted for only 10% of the PM_2.5 mass; at ambient locations, NH₄⁺, SO₄^2?, and NO₃^? accounted for 36–41% of the PM_2.5 mass. In the house, NH₄⁺ had small seasonal variations indicating that gas-phase NH₃ was not the only major force driving its gas–particle partitioning. At the ambient stations, NH₄⁺ had the highest concentrations in summer. In the house, K⁺, Na⁺, and Cl^? were highly correlated with each other. In ambient locations, SO₄^2? and NH₄⁺ had a strong correlation, whereas in the house, SO₄^2? and NH₄⁺ had a very weak correlation. Ambient temperature and solar radiation were positively correlated with NH₄⁺ and SO₄^2?. This study suggests that secondary PM formation inside the animal house was not an important source of PM_2.5. In the vicinity, NH₃ emissions had greater impact on PM_2.5 formation.

ImplicationsThe chemical composition of PM_2.5 inside and in the local vicinity of AFOs showed the impact of the AFO emissions on ambient secondary PM_2.5 formation, and the fate and transport of air pollutants associated with AFOs. The results may help to manage in-house animal facility air quality, and to develop regional air quality control strategies and policies, especially in animal agriculture-concentrated areas.     

Phytoremediation of a sulphonated azo dye Green HE4B by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Glandularia pulchella</Emphasis> (Sweet) Tronc. (Moss Verbena)

Purpose  

The dyes and dye stuffs present in effluents released from textile dyeing industries are potentially mutagenic and carcinogenic. Phytoremediation technology can be used for remediating sites contaminated with such textile dyeing effluents. The purpose of the work was to explore the potential of Glandularia pulchella (Sweet) Tronc. to decolorize different textile dyes, textile dyeing effluent, and synthetic mixture of dyes.     

Evaluation of hexachlorocyclohexane contamination from the last lindane production plant operating in India

Purpose

??-Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), ??-HCH, and lindane (??-HCH) were listed as persistent organic pollutants by the Stockholm Convention in 2009 and hence must be phased out and their wastes/stockpiles eliminated. At the last operating lindane manufacturing unit, we conducted a preliminary evaluation of HCH contamination levels in soil and water samples collected around the production area and the vicinity of a major dumpsite to inform the design of processes for an appropriate implementation of the Convention.

Methods

Soil and water samples on and around the production site and a major waste dumpsite were measured for HCH levels.

Results

All soil samples taken at the lindane production facility and dumpsite and in their vicinity were contaminated with an isomer pattern characteristic of HCH production waste. At the dumpsite surface samples contained up to 450?g?kg^?1 ?? HCH suggesting that the waste HCH isomers were simply dumped at this location. Ground water in the vicinity and river water was found to be contaminated with 0.2 to 0.4?mg?l^?1 of HCH waste isomers. The total quantity of deposited HCH wastes from the lindane production unit was estimated at between 36,000 and 54,000?t.

Conclusions

The contamination levels in ground and river water suggest significant run-off from the dumped HCH wastes and contamination of drinking water resources. The extent of dumping urgently needs to be assessed regarding the risks to human and ecosystem health. A plan for securing the waste isomers needs to be developed and implemented together with a plan for their final elimination. As part of the assessment, any polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) generated during HCH recycling operations need to be monitored.