Screening and quantification of emerging contaminants in Periyar River,Kerala (India) by using high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-Q-ToF-MS)

The presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in different aquatic systems may contribute to hazardous effects on aquatic organisms and subsequently on human health. In the present work, liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometer (LC-Q-ToF-MS) was used to identify and quantify a series of ECs in Periyar River in Aluva region, Kerala, India. The water samples were pre concentrated using solid-phase extraction (SPE) prior to analysis. The compounds were probed in both positive and negative ionization mode using electro spray ionization (ESI). Method validations were performed for linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, and precision (intraday and inter day). The ECs were quantified using standard calibration curve. The identified nine ECs include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, steroids, surfactants, and phthalate. A relatively high concentration was observed in the case of 2-dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (1012 ng/l) and low concentration was observed for lignocaine (4.3 ng/l; since this is below LOQ, the value is only approximate). In addition, we have identified another 28 organic compounds using the technique of non-target analysis out of which seven compounds fall in the category of surfactants. Being the first report on ECs in Periyar River, the data is very important as this river is one of the biggest and important rivers of Kerala having several purification units for drinking water in the province.     

Cyanobacterial flora and the physico-chemical environment of six tropical fresh water lakes of Udaipur, India

The cyanobacteria and physico-chemical environments of sic tropical fresh water lakes of Udaipur,India were investigated.These lakes receive varying nutrient inputs from different sourcesi.Altogether 51 species of cyanobacteria were recorded.Species composition varied between lakes and between seasons.Lake VI(Beghdara),which receives nutrients from natural sources only,differed considerably from the others in water chemistry and composition of dominated species.Lake Ⅱ(Swaroop Sagar),eutrophied due to sewage inputs,was species poor.Non-diazotrophs,represented by 27 species,dominated during summer.With few exceptions,N2-fixing species,bothe heterocystous and unicellular diazotrophs (represented by 24 species),were dominant during winter.Microcystis aeruginosa,Phormidium sp.and Anabaena flos-aque were ther dominant taxa of lakes characterized by sewage eutrophication.The study shows that both species diversity and community composition were affected by water chemistry.     

Environmental effects of nanosilver: impact on castor seed germination, seedling growth, and plant physiology

Increasing use of nanoparticles in daily products is of great concern today, especially when their positive and negative impact on environment is not known. Hence, in current research, we have studied the impact of silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) and silver nitrate (AgNO₃) application on seed germination, root, and shoot length of castor bean, Ricinus communis L. plant. Silver nanoparticles had no significant effects on seedling growth even at higher concentration of 4,000 mg L^?1, while the silver in bulk form as AgNO₃ applied on the castor bean seeds inhibited the seed germination. Silver uptake in seedlings of the castor seeds on treatment with both the forms of silver was confirmed through atomic absorption spectroscopy studies. The silver nanoparticle and silver nitrate application to castor seeds also caused an enhanced enzymatic activity of ROS enzymes and phenolic content in castor seedlings. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of individual phenols indicated enhanced content of parahydroxy benzoic acid. These kinds of studies are of great interest in order to unveil the movement and accumulation of nanoparticles in plant tissues for assessing future applications in the field or laboratory.     

Studies on antioxidant status in Mugil cephalus in response to heavy metal pollution at Ennore estuary

Estuaries, the important component of natural environment are under pressure nowadays due to pollution from different sources like industries, agricultural fields etc. Ennore estuary one of the highly polluted estuary situated in Chennai, Tamilnadu, India, due to heavy industrialization surrounding this site poses serious threat to its inhabitants. The present paper focuses on studying the response of the fish Mugil cephalus with reference to its antioxidants during their exposure to metals like iron and chromium present in the industrial effluents that are discharged into the Ennore estuary. The results on comparison with unpolluted Kovalam estuary showed that fish from Ennore experiences severe oxidative stress with significant alteration being observed with antioxidant enzyme activities. Since these results were also found to vary with seasons, the determination of oxidative stress biomarkers in M. cephalus along with seasonal variations may serve as a convenient approach during pollution biomonitoring programme.     

GIS-based approach for optimized siting of municipal solid waste landfill

The exponential rise in the urban population of the developing countries in the past few decades and the resulting accelerated urbanization phenomenon has brought to the fore the necessity to develop environmentally sustainable and efficient waste management systems. Sanitary landfill constitutes one of the primary methods of municipal solid waste disposal. Optimized siting decisions have gained considerable importance in order to ensure minimum damage to the various environmental sub-components as well as reduce the stigma associated with the residents living in its vicinity, thereby enhancing the overall sustainability associated with the life cycle of a landfill. This paper addresses the siting of a new landfill using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and overlay analysis using a geographic information system (GIS). The proposed system can accommodate new information on the landfill site selection by updating its knowledge base. Several factors are considered in the siting process including geology, water supply resources, land use, sensitive sites, air quality and groundwater quality. Weightings were assigned to each criterion depending upon their relative importance and ratings in accordance with the relative magnitude of impact. The results from testing the system using different sites show the effectiveness of the system in the selection process.     

Reviewing the framework for dealing with urban environmental problems

It is now widely accepted that there are problems with the state of urban environments globally. This paper presents the commonly used approaches for dealing with environmental problems, which have been categorised into target, top-down, market-driven and participative. The problems with these approaches are discussed, and the significance of participative approaches in dealing with environmental problems at the local scale is highlighted. The paper questions the basis underlying these approaches, and concludes that a new framework is needed to provide fresh approaches for dealing with environmental problems.     

Variations of physicochemical properties in Kalpakkam coastal waters, east coast of India, during southwest to northeast monsoon transition period

A significant variation in physicochemical properties of the Kalpakkam coastal waters, eastern part of India, was observed during the event of southwest to northeast monsoon transition. Increase in nitrate, total nitrogen, and silicate concentrations were noticed during post-transition period. Ammonia concentration was at peak during transition period as compared to pre- and post-transition periods. Hypo-saline condition (~23 psu) was observed during post-transition as the surface water salinity decreased by ~10 psu from the pre-transitional values. Turbidity, suspended particulate matter, phosphate and total phosphorous values decreased marginally, coinciding with northward to southward current reversal. A drastic decrease (eightfold) in chlorophyll-a concentration was observed in the coastal water during post-transition period.     

Remediation of PCB contaminated soils using iron nano-particles

In this study, iron nano-particles were used to remediate PCB contaminated soil and an attempt was made to maximize PCB destruction in each treatment step. The results show that nano-particles do aid in the dechlorination process and high PCB destruction efficiencies can be achieved. The destruction efficiency during the preliminary treatment (mixing of soil and iron nano-particles in water) can be increased by increasing the water temperature. The maximum thermal destruction (pyrolysis/combustion of soil after preliminary treatment) of soil-bound PCBs occurs at 300 degrees C in air. A minimum total PCB destruction efficiency of 95% can be achieved by this process. The effect of changing treatment parameters such as type of mixing, time of mixing and mixing conditions and application of other catalysts like iron oxide and V(2)O(5)/TiO(2) was also investigated. It was found that at 300 degrees C in air, iron oxide and V(2)O(5)/TiO(2) are also good catalysts for remediating PCB contaminated soils.     

Correction to: Metal accumulation and health risk assessment in wastewater used for irrigation around the Agra Canal in Faridabad,India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -