Assessment of Ambient Air Quality in Urban Centres of Haryana (India) in Relation to Different Anthropogenic Activities and Health Risks

Considering the mounting evidences of the effects of air pollution on health, the present study was undertaken to assess the ambient air quality status in the fast growing urban centres of Haryana state, India. The samples were collected for total suspended particulate matter (TSPM), respirable suspended particulate matter (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and oxides of nitrogen (NO₂) during different seasons from 8 districts of Haryana during January, 1999 to September, 2000. The four types of sampling sites with different anthropogenic activities i.e. residential, sensitive, commercial and industrial were identified in each city. The ambient air concentration of TSPM and PM₁₀ observed was well above the prescribed standards at almost all the sites. The average ambient air concentrations of SO₂ and NO₂ were found below the permissible limits at all the centres. Comparatively higher concentration of SO₂ was observed during winter seasons, which seems to be related with the enhanced combustion of fuel for space heating and relatively stable atmospheric conditions. Air Quality Index (AQI) prepared for these cities shows that residential, sensitive and commercial areas were moderately to severely polluted which is a cause of concern for the residents of these cities. The high levels of TSPM and SO₂ especially in winter are of major health concern because of their synergistic action. The data from Hisar city reveals a significant increase in the total number of hospital visits/admissions of the patients with acute respiratory diseases during winter season when the level of air pollutants was high.     

Titanium nanoparticles attenuates arsenic toxicity by up-regulating expressions of defensive genes in Vigna radiata L

Arsenic(As)-toxicity is recognized as one of the major environmental problems,affecting productivity of crops worldwide,thereby threatening sustainable agriculture and food security.Progression in nanotechnology and its impacts have brought up concerns about the application of engineered nanoparticles(NPs) in various sectors of the economy,including the field of agronomy.Among various NPs,there has been a rising amount of interest regarding the effects of titanium NPs(TiNPs) on plants growth and development,and their fate of abiotic stress tolerance.Hence,the present study was aimed to assess the ameliorative potentialities of chemically and biologically/green synthesized TiNPs to alleviate As-induced toxic responses in Vigna radiata L.The results revealed that exposure to As hindered the growth indices(radicle length and biomass) and membrane integrity,while were improved with the application of chemical and green synthesized TiNPs.In addition,treatment of As provoked the accretion of reactive oxygen species(superoxide and hydrogen peroxide) and malondialdehyde(a lipid per oxidized product),but were diminished by the supplementation of chemical and green manufactured TiNPs.The experimental data also signified that exogenous application of chemical and green synthesized TiNPs conferred tolerance to As-induced oxidative injuries via perking-up the expressions of antioxidant genes and enzyme systems viz;superoxide dismutase and catalase.Therefore,the present study inferred that chemically and green synthesized TiNPs,particularly green manufactured,effectively mitigated the adverse impacts of As by augmenting antioxidant machinery,thereby proving its potentiality in the alleviation of As-toxicity,at least in Vignaradiata L.     

Selection of poly(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid utilising bacteria by enrichment,optimisation and compatibility testing for consortia development

Bacterial strains with poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) degradation potential were isolated from waste yard soil samples of selected industrial sites in Uttarakhand, India, and two microbial consortia were developed, i.e. Consortium I comprises Pseudomonas sp. strain Rb10, Pseudomonas sp. strain Rb11 and Bacillus sp. strain Rb18, and Consortium II is composed of Lysinibacillus sp. strain Rb1, Pseudomonas sp. strain Rb13 and Pseudomonas sp. strain Rb19. The current study involved enrichment selection via liquid and semi-solid media, followed by isolation and screening of bacterial strains using PHB pellets and films. Furthermore, the identification and characterisation was done by triphasic approach. The utilisation of PHB by the characterised strains was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the minimum inhibitory concentration of solubilised PHB was found to be 2.5?mg/mL, which was detected through ‘clear zone assay’. Further, the selection and biocompatibility testing of potential isolates were performed for the formation of bacterial consortia. Thus, the present work would provide direct and standardised protocol for screening and selection of potential microbiomes for biodegradation of polymers by overcoming the negative effect of organic solvents. Moreover, indigenously developed consortia would be evaluated for their in situ biodegradation potential against various bioplastic films.     

Concentrations of uranium in drinking water and cumulative,age-dependent radiation doses in four districts of Uttar Pradesh,India

The present work deals with the determination of uranium concentrations in drinking and ground water samples by laser fluorimetry and calculation of cumulative, age-dependent radiation doses to humans. The concentrations were found to be between 0.20 ± 0.03 and 64.0 ± 3.6 μg L^?1, with an average of 11.1 ± 1.5 μg L^?1, well within the drinking water limit of regulatory bodies. The concentrations of uranium increase with depth of water samples collection. The estimated annual ingestion dose due to the intake of uranium through drinking water for all age groups varied between 0.2 and 137 μSv a^?1, with an average of 17.3 μSv a^?1. The mean annual ingestion dose is 5% of the global average ingestion dose, for infants, marginally higher than for other age group. Most effective dose values were less than 20 μSv a^?1.     

Antioxidant rich diet supplements (Spirulina and tamarind fruit pulp) mitigate hematological disorders in fluoride exposed mice

The effect of antioxidant rich diet supplements of Spirulina and tamarind fruit pulp at 230 mg kg^?1 body weight, separately as well as in combination, on various hematological parameters of Swiss albino mice exposed to fluoride for seven days at daily doses of 190 mg kg^?1 body weight and for 90 days at daily doses of 94 mg kg^?1 body weight is reported. Compared with controls, fluoride exposure decreased erythrocyte (12%–18%), leukocyte (16%) and platelet counts (7%, only for short-term exposure), hemoglobin (2%–17%) and packed cell volume (2%–14%) in Swiss albino mice reared on standard feed but these were altered little in the diet supplement groups. Fluoride exposure decreased lymphocytes in both standard feed (16%–21%) and diet supplement groups (5%–19%, but only after long-term exposure). Fluoride withdrawal led to recovery of the post-treated mice from long-term exposure. Spirulina alone and also in combination with tamarind fruit pulp was found more effective than tamarind alone in reducing hematological disorders in fluoride treated mice.     

Up to 399 mV bioelectricity generated by a rice paddy-planted microbial fuel cell assisted with a blue-green algal cathode

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Microbial fuel cells are used as an alternative source of energy and for microbial degradation of waste and pollutants. Different types of microbial fuel cells...     

Chemometric evaluation of heavy metal pollutions in Patna region of the Ganges alluvial plain,India: implication for source apportionment and health risk assessment

While metal pollution and distribution in soil are well documented for many countries, the situation is more serious in developing countries because of the rapid increase in industrialization and urbanization during last decades. Although it is well documented in developed countries, data about substantial metal pollution in Indian soil, especially in eastern Ganges alluvial plain (GAP), are limited. In this study, eight different blocks of Patna district located in eastern GAP were selected to investigate the contamination, accumulation, and sources of metals in surface soil considering different land use types. Additionally, human health risk assessment was estimated to mark the potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effect of metals in soil. The concentration of all metals (except Pb) in soil was below the Indian standard limit of the potential toxic element for agricultural soil. Pb was the most abundant in soil, followed by Zn and Cu, and accounted for 52, 33 and 8% of the total metal. In terms of land use types, roadside soil detected higher concentrations of all metals, followed by park/grassland soil. Principal component analysis results indicated traffic pollution and industrial emissions are the major sources of heavy metals in soil. This was further confirmed by strong inter-correlation of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu and Pb). Human health risk assessment results indicated ingestion via soil as the primary pathway of heavy metal exposure to both adults and children population. The estimated hazard index was highest for Pb, suggesting significant non-carcinogenic effect to both adults and children population. The children were more prone to the non-carcinogenic effect of Pb than adults. However, relatively low cancer risk value estimated for all metals suggested non-significant carcinogenic risk in the soil.     

Longevity,calling effort,and metabolic rate in two populations of cricket

Intraspecific variation in a resting metabolic rate (RMR) is likely to be an important determinant of energetic-resource use and may influence the resources subsequently available for allocation to traits not directly associated with somatic maintenance. The influence of RMR on resource availability could be especially important for condition-dependent sexual traits, such as cricket calls, that are themselves energetically costly to produce. RMR may also be associated with longevity, either negatively because individuals with a high RMR burn resources faster and die young, or positively as individuals with high RMR are more able to accrue resources to fuel survival. Additionally, the associations between RMR and other characters may vary across populations if differential selection or drift shapes these traits. Here we tested for differences in RMR, body mass, calling effort, and longevity in two populations of cricket Gryllodes sigillatus and then evaluated the potential influence of RMR on calling and longevity. We find that RMR, calling effort, and longevity varied across populations, but mass did not. Controlling for population and mass, RMR was not significantly associated with calling effort, but was negatively associated with longevity. These findings suggest that male crickets that live fast die young.     

Synthesis of highly fluorescent and water soluble graphene quantum dots for detection of heavy metal ions in aqueous media

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Fluorescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are nanomaterials which possess unique properties that show great potential in different applications. In...