Estimation of land surface temperature using different retrieval methods for studying the spatiotemporal variations of surface urban heat and cold islands in Indian Punjab

Spatial patterns of land surface temperature (LST), surface urban heat island (SUHI), surface urban cold island (SUCI), and their seasonal variations during January (winter) and September (summer) were analyzed over the three cities of Indian Punjab (Balachaur, Ludhiana and Bathinda) using Landsat 5, 7 and 8 satellite data of the years 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2018. Urban hot spots and Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) were used to measure the ecological environment of these cities. Land surface temperature was retrieved from Landsat satellite data using Plank equation, mono-window algorithm (MWA), single-channel algorithm (SCA), and radiative transfer equation. The LST derived using these algorithms was validated with MODIS-LST product. The relationship between LST derived from Landsat 5, 7 and 8 using the four methods and MODIS-LST product was higher with the SCA algorithm (R²?>?0.75). Land surface temperature was significantly positively correlated with built-up but significantly negatively correlated with vegetation. The surface urban heat intensity was higher during September than January, and it was higher in Ludhiana followed by Bathinda and Balachaur, irrespective of the season. Besides built-up area and population density, soil moisture availability in surrounding rural areas has significant impact on increasing surface urban heat intensity during September than January. The SUCIs were formed in the center of Bathinda city during January 1991, but these were in Ludhiana and Balachaur cities during January 2011. The most critical areas for ecological environment based on UTFVI were identified and the critical UTFVI values (>?0.020) were highest in Bathinda city followed by Balachaur and Ludhiana cities. These results suggest that SUHIs and SUCIs are influenced by seasons and the mitigating plans to counteract the overheating of urban areas should be formulated taking into account soil moisture availability in surrounding rural areas, landscape pattern, seasonal variations, local climatic conditions, urban growth, and development plan etc.

     

Performance evaluation of cement stabilized fly ash-GBFS mixes as a highway construction material

Fly ash and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) are major by-products of thermal and steel plants, respectively. These materials often cause disposal problems and environmental pollution. Detailed laboratory investigations were carried out on cement stabilized fly ash-(GBFS) mixes in order to find out its suitability for road embankments, and for base and sub-base courses of highway pavements. Proctor compaction test, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test were conducted on cement stabilized fly ash-GBFS mixes as per the Indian Standard Code of Practice. Cement content in the mix was varied from 0% to 8% at 2% intervals, whereas the slag content was varied as 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. Test results show that an increase of either cement or GBFS content in the mixture, results in increase of maximum dry density (MDD) and decrease of optimum moisture content (OMC) of the compacted mixture. The MDD of the cement stabilized fly ash-GBFS mixture is comparably lower than that of similarly graded natural inorganic soil of sand to silt size. This is advantageous in constructing lightweight embankments over soft, compressible soils. An increase in percentage of cement in the fly ash-GBFS mix increases enormously the CBR value. Also an increase of the amount of GBFS in the fly ash sample with fixed cement content improves the CBR value of the stabilized mix. In the present study, the maximum CBR value of compacted fly ash-GBFS-cement (52:40:8) mixture obtained was 105%, indicating its suitability for use in base and sub-base courses in highway pavements with proper combinations of raw materials.     

Solidification and stabilization of hazardous wastes using geopolymers as sustainable binders

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Solidification/stabilization (S/S) of hazardous waste using cement for immobilization of contaminants has been recognized as Best Demonstrated...     

Comparing the environmental impacts of paracetamol dosage forms using life cycle assessment

Environment, Development and Sustainability - A medicine can be administered in varied dosage forms which are having different environmental impacts. Two dosage forms of paracetamol (tablet and...     

The effect of malathion and gamma-BHC on the lipid metabolism in relation to reproduction in the tropical teleost, Clarias batrachus

In the present study, female Clarias batrachus were exposed to two sublethal concentrations of gamma-BHC (2 and 8 microg litre(-1)) and malathion (1 and 4 microl litre(-1)) for 4 weeks during different phases of their reproductive cycle. Impact of these pesticides on free fatty acids, monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, free and esterified cholesterol in the liver, plasma, ovary and muscle was assessed. During the pre-vitellogenic and regressed phases, they suppressed the levels of fatty acids and glycerides in the liver, but had no effect on their levels in the plasma, ovary and muscle. However, in the vitellogenic phase, fatty acids in the liver and plasma were increased, but were decreased in the ovary and muscle. Glycerides were also decreased in the studied tissues. In the post-vitellogenic phase, these pesticides increased the levels of fatty acids and glycerides in the liver and ovary, but decreased their levels in the plasma. Both pesticides decreased hepatic phospholipids in the pre-vitellogenic phase, while in the vitellogenic phase only gamma-BHC reduced its levels in the liver. These pesticides also restricted their mobilisation to the ovary. Cholesterol biosynthesis seemed unaffected, but the hydrolysis of esterified cholesterol to free cholesterol was adversely affected during the period of estrogen biosynthesis.     

Sorption and leaching of flucetosulfuron in soil

Abstract

The adsorption–desorption and leaching of flucetosulfuron, a sulfonylurea herbicide, was investigated in three Indian soils. Freundlich adsorption isotherm described the sorption mechanism of herbicide with adsorption coefficients (K_f) ranging from 17.13 to 27.99 and followed the order: Clayey loam?>?Loam?>?Sandy loam. The K_f showed positive correlation with organic carbon (OC) (r?=?0.910) and clay content (r?=?0.746); but, negative correlation with soil pH (r = ?0.635). The adsorption isotherms were S-type suggesting that herbicide adsorption was concentration dependent and increased with increase in concentration. Desorption followed the sequence: sandy loam?>?clayey loam?>?loam . Hysteresis (H) was observed in all the three soils with H?<?1. Leaching of flucetosulfuron correlated positively with the soil pH; but, negatively with the OC content. Sandy loam soil (OC- 0.40%, pH ?7.25) registered lowest adsorption and highest leaching of flucetosulfuron while lowest leaching was found in the loam soil (pH ? 7.89, OC ? 0.65%). The leaching losses of herbicide increased with increase in the rainfall intensity. This study suggested that the soil OC content, pH and clay content played important roles in deciding the adsorption–desorption and leaching behavior of flucetosulfuron in soils.     

Microbial degradation of pendimethalin

Microbial degradation of pendimethalin (N-(1-Ethylpropyl)-3, 4-dimethyl-2, 6-dinitroaniline) in vitro was studied. Fusarium oxysporum and Paecilomyces varioti, two soil fungi, in culture media degraded pendimethalin to two metabolites namely N-(1-Ethylpropyl)-3, 4-dimethyl-2-nitrobenzene-1, 6-diamine (II) and 3,4-Dimethyl-2, 6-dinitroaniline (IV). Rhizoctonia bataticola, another soil fungus, decomposed pendimethalin yielding only the latter metabolite (IV). Fungal decomposition of pendimethalin involved nitro reduction and dealkylation.     

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...     

Second International Conference on “Recent Trends in Environment and Sustainable Development” (RTESD 2019)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

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...