Analysis and optimization on the biodegradable plate making process parameters using RSM-based Box–Behnken Design method

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The present research work focused on fabricating Biodegradable Plate (BD plate) composed of rice husk ash, bagasse and corn starch which is...     

Appraisal of groundwater arsenic on opposite banks of River Ganges,West Bengal,India, and quantification of cancer risk using Monte Carlo simulations

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study was conducted to inspect the spatial distribution, source identification, and risk assessment of groundwater arsenic (As) in different...     

Proteomic insights into Lysinibacillus sp.-mediated biosolubilization of manganese

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - There has been alarming depletion of manganese (Mn) reserves owing to the ongoing extensive mining operations for catering the massive industrial...     

环境安全与可持续发展

本文已经提出了如果将环境安全作为人类安全被实现。那就需要较好的环境治理。环境安全可以被理解为一系列的价值观、原则、政策、技术、体制和程序,由此,社区与社会管理环境和自然资源以透明、负责任的参与和公平的方式克服可持续发展的障碍。可持续发展与环境安全是否相互依存、相互促进还需要进一步论证。环境安全和可持续发展之间的关系也常常解释为实际的产出。社会性学习对于应对有关的不安全环境,并导致不可持续发展的挑战至关重要。社会必须利用信息共享、传播和共同的理解改进决策而发展适应改变的能力。这只有通过发展学习型社会才能成为可能。环境安全和可持续发展是社会性学习的产出,而且所有相关方利用创新方法的环境友好政策,是基于环境安全和环境治理的原则为基础的,大大地推动了生态系统的管理、性别公平、尊重人权、解决冲突、建立社区信任为应对未来的意外或潜在风险和新的挑战需要适应性管理,建立社会和生态系统恢复。应集中努力改进人们的生活质量,不要使用超过环境所能承受的自然资源能力。     

Benchmarking Optical/Thermal Satellite Imagery for Estimating Evapotranspiration and Soil Moisture in Decision Support Tools

Generally, one expects evapotranspiration (ET) maps derived from optical/thermal Landsat and MODIS satellite imagery to improve decision support tools and lead to superior decisions regarding water resources management. However, there is lack of supportive evidence to accept or reject this expectation. We “benchmark” three existing hydrologic decision support tools with the following benchmarks: annual ET for the ET Toolbox developed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, predicted rainfall‐runoff hydrographs for the Gridded Surface/Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis model developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the average annual groundwater recharge for the Distributed Parameter Watershed Model used by Daniel B. Stephens & Associates. The conclusion of this benchmark study is that the use of NASA/USGS optical/thermal satellite imagery can considerably improve hydrologic decision support tools compared to their traditional implementations. The benefits of improved decision making, resulting from more accurate results of hydrologic support systems using optical/thermal satellite imagery, should substantially exceed the costs for acquiring such imagery and implementing the remote sensing algorithms. In fact, the value of reduced error in estimating average annual groundwater recharge in the San Gabriel Mountains, California alone, in terms of value of water, may be as large as $1 billion, more than sufficient to pay for one new Landsat satellite.     

Reduction of pollutants in pulp paper mill effluent treated by PCP-degrading bacterial strains

Two PCP-degrading bacterial strains, Bacillus cereus (ITRC-S6) and Serratia marcescens (ITRC-S7) were used for the treatment of pulp and paper mill effluent at conditions; 1.0% glucose and 0.5% peptone at 30 +/- 1 degrees C at 120 rpm for 168 h of incubation. These two bacterial strains effectively reduced colour (45-52%), lignin (30-42%), BOD (40-70%), COD (50-60%), total phenol (32-40%) and PCP (85-90%) within 168 h of incubation. However, the highest reduction in colour (62%), lignin (54%), BOD (70%), COD (90%), total phenol (90%) and PCP (100%) was recorded by mixed culture treatment. The bacterial mechanism for the degradation of pulp and paper mill effluent may be explained by an increase in the cells biomass using added co-substrates resulting liberation of significant amount of chloride due to bacterial dechlorination of chlorolignins and chlorophenols this showed reduction in colour, lignin and toxicity in the effluent. Further, GC-MS analysis of ethyl acetate-extractable compounds from treated pulp paper mill effluent reinforces the bacterium capability for the degradation of lignin and pentachlorophenol, as many aromatic compounds such as 2-chlorophenol, 2, 4, 6-trichlorophenol and tetrachlorohydroquinone, 6-chlorohydroxyquinol and tetrachlorohydroquinone detected which were not present in the untreated effluent.     

A Cr(VI)-reducing Microbacterium sp. strain SUCR140 enhances growth and yield of Zea mays in Cr(VI) amended soil through reduced chromium toxicity and improves colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Pot culture experiments were conducted in a glasshouse to evaluate the effects of four efficient Cr(VI)-reducing bacterial strains (SUCR44, SUCR140, SUCR186, and SUCR188) isolated from rhizospheric soil, and four arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF—Glomus mosseae, G. aggregatum, G. fasciculatum, and G. intraradices) alone or in combination, on Zea mays in artificially Cr(VI)-amended soil. Presence of a strain of Microbacterium sp. SUCR140 reduced the chromate toxicity resulting in improved growth and yields of plants compared to control. The bioavailability of Cr(VI) in soil and its uptake by the plant reduced significantly in SUCR140-treated plants; the effects of AMF, however, either alone or in presence of SUCR140 were not significant. On the other hand, presence of AMF significantly restricted the transport of chromium from root to the aerial parts of plants. The populations of AMF chlamydospores in soil and its root colonization improved in presence of SUCR140. This study demonstrates the usefulness of an efficient Cr(VI)-reducing bacterial strain SUCR140 in improving yields probably through reducing toxicity to plants by lowering bioavailability and uptake of Cr(VI) and improving nutrient availability through increased mycorrhizal colonization which also restricted the transport of chromium to the aerial parts.     

Isolation of a novel Pseudomonas sp from soil that can efficiently degrade polyethylene succinate

Purpose

Polyethylene succinate (PES) is a biodegradable synthetic polymer and therefore widely used as a base material in plastic industry to circumvent the environmental problems related with the non-biodegradability of other polymers like polyethylene. Till date only few organisms have been reported to have the ability to degrade PES. Therefore for better management of PES-related environmental waste, the present study is targeted towards isolating mesophilic organism(s) capable of more efficient degradation of PES.

Results

Strain AKS2 was isolated from soil based on survival on a selection plate wherein PES was used as sole carbon source. Ribotyping and biochemical tests revealed that AKS2 is a new strain of Pseudomonas. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopic analysis of the PES films obtained after incubation with AKS2 confirmed PES-degradation ability of AKS2, wherein an alteration in surface topology was observed. The kinetics of PES weight loss showed that AKS2 degrades PES maximally during its logarithmic growth phase at a rate of 1.65?mg/day. This degradation is mediated by esterase activity and may also involve cell-surface hydrophobicity. It has also been observed that AKS2 is able to degrade PES considerably even in the presence of glucose, which is likely to increase the bioremediation potential of this isolate.

Conclusion

A new strain of Pseudomonas has been isolated from soil that is able to adhere to PES and degrade this polymer efficiently. This organism has the potential to be implemented as a useful tool for bioremediation of PES-derived materials.