Effect of Humic Acid on the Bioavailability of γ-Hexachlorocyclohexane in Marsilea Minuta (L.)

Effect of various concentrations of humic acid (0.2 to 1%) on thebioavailability of -HCH in vegetative clones of theaquatic fern Marsilea minuta was studied in a staticexperimental bioassay system on different photoperiods. Additionof humic acid showed the reduction in the bioavailability of-HCH in all the photoperiods (72 hr light to 144 hrlight) at the interval of 16 hr light (L) and 8 hr dark (D) inboth aerial and submerged portion as compared to controlindicating its protective role in toxicity.     

Water Quality Modeling of Municipal Discharges from Sea Outfalls,Mumbai

The island city of Mumbai with a population of about 10 million generates about 2000 million liters per day (mld) of sewage from the seven service areas of the city sewerage network and discharges it into the adjoining west coast and the two creeks in the Arabian Sea. This has resulted in degradation of coastal water quality, contamination of the adjoining beaches and seafronts. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has therefore, undertaken the task of delineating appropriate sewage disposal system to achieve cleaner marine ecosystem through marine outfalls at specific locations. This paper presents the results of the mathematical simulations on the impacts of discharge is-a-vis the length of the outfall and level of land treatment apriori. The results of the simulation indicate the level of bacterial pollution to be higher near the diffuser locations as compared to nearshore regions. 48 hsimulation result analysis shows that FC counts nearthe diffuser location will be in the range of 2000–8000 counts per 100 ml.     

Effect of pressure and temperature on the hydropyrolysis of cotton residue

With growing concerns of fossil fuel resources availability and the volatility of crude oil price, it is becoming imperative day by day to utilize the renewable sources of energy in a sustainable, environment friendly and energy efficient manner. India is the world’s second largest producer of cotton after China. India also has several agricultural and forest residues, and cotton residue is one of the most abundant agricultural residues after rice and wheat residues. The hydropyrolysis of cotton residues has been carried out at various pressures (1, 20 and 40 bar) and temperatures (300, 350, 400 and 450 °C). The effects of temperature and pressure have been studied to understand their yield patterns, and it has been observed that 20 bar pressure and 400 °C are the optimum conditions. The thermogravimetric analysis shows that cotton residue has two significant decomposition temperatures. The SEM, XRD patterns and FT-IR spectra clearly indicate the decomposition of the macromolecular structure of the cotton residue and formation of low molecular weight hydrocarbons suitable for various applications.     

Formation of Soluble Complexes of Metals with Humic Acid and Its Environmental Significance

In order to investigate the role of functional groups present in humic acid(s) (HA) during complex formation, water soluble complexes between HA isolated from soil and metals (Pb, Ca, As, Ni, Cr, Co, Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, Mg and Zn) were prepared and subjected to infrared (IR) spectroscopy. the IR data revealed the involvement of the - OH group of humic acid in complex formation with all metals except copper and arsenic, whereas the - COOH group of HA was found to be the preferred site of binding for all the metals. the significance of findings in relation to detoxification of environmental pollutants is discussed in this paper.     

The impacts of migrants on environmental degradation in developing countries

Environmental and Ecological Statistics - The prolonged issue of environmental degradation, especially in developing countries, has urgently called for a solution by first identifying the source of...     

Investigation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among male kitchen workers in South India

Objective. This study aims to quantify the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and risks among male kitchen workers in the catering industry. Method. Data were collected with the help of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and by direct observations. Results. In total, 114 male kitchen workers from various hostels of a college in South India were considered for this study. The average age and mean years of employment of the workers are 26.4 (SD 7.7) and 7.8 respectively. The statistical analysis carried out reveals that 67.5% of male kitchen workers reported MSDs during the past 12 months. The highest prevalence rate has been found in the lower back (65.8%) and shoulder region (62.3%). Among different categories of kitchen work analyzed, it is evident that chief cooks suffer more from MSDs (79.2%) than assistant cooks (74.3%) and kitchen aides (30.0%). Workers in the older group, i.e., ≥41 years, and workers with 6–10 years of experience suffer with higher risk of MSDs, i.e., 93.9% and 87.5%, respectively. Conclusion. The male kitchen workers who participated in this research were found to possess both MSDs and ergonomic hazards.