Bio-diversity: an effective safety net against environmental pollution

Biodiversity is the feedstock for the biotechnology industry. Hence, the conservation, enhancement and sustainable and equitable use of biodiversity should be accorded high priority in all national environment protection programmes. Lichens serve as useful indicators of environmental health. Similarly, several blue green algae help to sequester salt from water. There is need for the more widespread use of such biomonitoring and bioremediation agents. Bioprospecting research designed to identify novel metabolites must be rooted in the principle of equity in sharing benefits with the holders of traditional knowledge. There is need for greater vigil against alien invasive species, since with growing world trade in food grains and other agricultural commodities, there is an increasing possibility of introducing new pests, weeds and harmful micro-organisms. Finally, biological scientists should place emphasis on their ethical responsibility for the consequences of their research, since otherwise bioterrorism could become a major threat to human security.     

Measuring the Incremental Costs of Global Environment Protection: The Case of Grid-Connected Wind Turbines in Morocco

An application is presented of the methodology used bythe Global Environment Facility (GEF) to measureincremental costs. Incremental cost estimates are usedby the GEF to determine its financial contribution toprojects that protect the global environment, such asinvestments in renewable energy. The importance ofadopting a system-wide view in certain types ofprojects (such as investments in grid-connected power)is illustrated using the case of wind power inMorocco. A narrow plant-by-plant comparison wouldneglect the adjustments in the system expansion planthat may be warranted when one type of plant (e.g., acoal fired thermal plant) is replaced by another (e.g.,a wind farm).     

Solar active fire clay based hetero-Fenton catalyst over a wide pH range for degradation of Acid Violet 7

Fe(Ⅲ) immobilized fire clay (Fe-FC) was prepared using ferric nitrate by solid state dispersion method and this hetero-Fenton catalyst was applied for the degradation of Acid Violet 7 (AV 7) under natural sunlight. The 26% ferric nitrate loaded fire clay was found to be most efficient. The experimental conditions such as solution pH, H₂O₂ concentration for efficient degradation of AV 7 have been determined. Unlike Fenton catalyst, Fe-FC is photoactive over a wide pH range of 3-7. This catalyst was found to be stable and reusable. The GC-MS analysis of experimental solutions during irradiation revealed the formation of 2,8-diaminonaphthalene-1,3,6-triol, 8-aminonaphthalene-1,2,3,6-tetrol, 2-aminonaphthalene-1,3,6,8-tetrol and 2-aminobenzene-1,3-diol/5-aminonbenzene-1,3-diol/ 2-aminobenzene-1,4-diol as intermediates. The 26% ferric nitrate loaded fire clay was characterized by XRD, ICP-AES, BET surface area, FT-IR, SEM-EDS and UV-DRS studies.     

Landscapes of Protection: Forest Change and Fragmentation in Northern West Bengal,India

In the tropics and sub-tropics, where high levels of biodiversity co-exist with some of the greatest levels of population density, achieving complete exclusion in protected area contexts has proved close to impossible. There is a clear need to recognize that parks are significantly impacted by human–environment interactions in the larger landscape within which they are embedded, and to move the frontier of research beyond the boundaries of protected areas in order to examine larger landscapes where multiple forms of ownership and access are embedded. This research evaluates forest change and fragmentation between 1990 and 2000, in a landscape surrounding the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian state of West Bengal. This protected forest is bounded to the south by a less intensively protected area, the Baikunthapur Reserve Forest, and surrounded by a mosaic of unprotected, largely private land holdings. Results indicate differences in the extent and spatial pattern of forest cover change in these three zones, corresponding to different levels of government protection, access and monitoring. The two protected areas experience a trend toward forest regrowth, relating to the cessation of commercial logging by park management during this period. Yet, there is still substantial clearing toward peripheral areas that are well connected to illegal timber markets by transportation networks. The surrounding landscape, although experiencing some forest regrowth within less intensively cultivated tea plantations, is also becoming increasingly fragmented, with potentially critical impacts on the maintenance of effective wildlife corridors in this ecologically critical region.     

Leaching of metals on stabilization of metal sludge using cement based materials

Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure(TCLP) of zinc plating sludge was carried out to assess the leaching potential of the sludge and the leachates were analyzed for heavy metals. The concentration of zinc, chromium, and lead in the leachate were 371.5 mg/L, 1.95 mg/L and 1.99 mg/L respectively. Solidification of zinc sludge was carried out using four different binder systems consisting of cement mortar, fly ash, clay and lime and cured for 28 d, The ratio of sludge added varied from 60% to 80% by volume. The solidified products were tested for metal fixing efficiency and physical strength. It was observed that the volume of sludge added that resulted in maximum metal stabilization was 60% for all the combinations, above which the metal fixation efficiency decreased resulting in high values of zinc in the leachate. Addition of 5% sodium silicate enhanced the chemical fixation of metals in all the binder systems. Among the four fixing agents studied, mixture of fly ash: lime, and cement mortar: lime stabilized zinc and other metals in the sludge effectively than other combinations. Addition of lime increased the stabilization of zinc whereas cement mortar increased the strength of the solidified product.     

Biodegradation of methanol vapor in a biofilter

IntroductionWithincreasingpublicconcernaboutdeterioratingatmosphericairquality ,stringentregulationsarebeingenforcedtocontrolaircontaminants .Volatileorganiccompounds (VOCs)areamongthenewclassofairpollutantsgeneratedfromavarietyofindustrialsources,whichareattractingseriousattentioninrecentyears.Methanolvaporsaremainlyemittedfromchemicalindustrieswheremethanolisusedasasolventandisalsoformedasaby product.Theglobalannualproductionofmethanolisapproaching 2 0millionmetrictonnesperyear(Shareefdeen…     

Assessment of groundwater contamination in a suburban area of Chennai,Tamil Nadu,India

Groundwater source is the major source of drinking water in most of the suburban areas of India. Groundwater quality was analyzed for pH, TDS, hardness, chloride, fluoride, nitrate, ammonia, phosphate, total coliform and E. coli for the period of January–December 2013. Samples were collected from 10 locations that include 10 shallow wells and 10 deep wells in each location. The quality variation between both shallow and deep wells during pre- and post-monsoon was analyzed. The improper disposal of solid waste and the distance of septic tank were pronounced on E. coli count. The analysis reveals that groundwater contamination is influenced by seasonal changes, environmental condition of the well and maintenance of the well. The high contamination was observed in the wells which are near to the Pallikaranai marsh, and during post-monsoon season, the total dissolved solids and nitrite parameters are slightly increased, whereas chloride increases during pre-monsoon season. Correlation analysis reveals that the chloride and nitrite have a significant relation. The results suggested that the groundwater immediately needs broader protection.     

Management Regimes,Property Rights,and Forest Biodiversity in Nepal and India

This article compares a range of initiatives aimed at involving people in the management of forest resources in Nepal and India. In Nepal, we focus on three categories of state-initiated programs: community forestry, the parks’ buffer zone program, and leasehold forestry. In the southern Indian state of Karnataka, we study the state-initiated Joint Forest Planning and Management program along with older institutions of leaf manure forests (Soppina betta) and historical sacred forests (Kans). We conclude that state-initiated approaches to involving communities have been limited, at best, promote standardized and relatively inflexible management practices, and lead to partial improvement in biodiversity and people’s livelihoods. When management is initiated and owned by the community, as in the case of sacred groves in India, and when other conditions are appropriate, communities can have the opportunity to demonstrate their capacity for putting effective and adaptive conservation practices in place.     

Performance enhancement of the photovoltaic system with different cooling methods

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Solar energy has been a vital renewable energy source for humanity for decades. Researchers have proposed many strategies to harness the same but...