People's Perception About Participatory Developmental Programs: Lessons from the Mountain Risk Engineering Program in the Indian Central Himalaya

The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is suffering from environmental degradation due to population pressure and infra-structural needs. This is coupled with a natural setting, which creates problems of accelerated soil erosion and mass wasting. In view of these environmental difficulties and the growing concern for effective restoration, there has become an urgent need for multi-disciplinary coordinated improvement schemes. The mitigation of risk arising from hazardous mass wasting processes, through a careful and systematic approach, has helped in the development of the concept of Mountain Risk Engineering (MRE). The MRE practices involve an integrated approach to solving the infra-structural engineering problems of hilly and mountainous areas through environmentally conscious cost-effective and site-specific designs. However, the role of people's participation is extremely crucial for the success of such programs. This paper analyzes the perception of the local people about the approaches adopted in MRE participatory developmental programs and throws light on the intricacies of peoples' participation.     

Constructed wetland microcosms as sustainable technology for domestic wastewater treatment: an overview

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Constructed wetland microcosms (CWMs) are artificially designed ecosystem which utilizes both complex and ordinary interactions between supporting...     

Detecting diclofenac in livestock carcasses in India with an ELISA: a tool to prevent widespread vulture poisoning

Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has caused catastrophic vulture declines across the Indian sub-continent. Here, an indirect ELISA is used to detect and quantify diclofenac in 1251 liver samples from livestock carcasses collected across India between August 2007 and June 2008, one to two years after a ban on diclofenac manufacture and distribution for veterinary use was implemented. The ELISAs applicability was authenticated with independent data obtained using LC-ESI/MS. Of 1251 samples, 1150 (91.9%) were negative for diclofenac using both methods, and 60 (4.8%) were positive at 10-4348 and 10-4441 μg kg(-1) when analysed by ELISA and LC-ESI/MS, respectively. The residue level relationship in the 60 positive samples was highly significant (p < 0.001, r(2) = 0.644). Data suggest that this immunological assay could be used not only for cost effective sample screening, but also for residue level semi-quantification.     

Estimating Forest Ecosystem Evapotranspiration at Multiple Temporal Scales With a Dimension Analysis Approach1

Abstract:  It is critical that evapotranspiration (ET) be quantified accurately so that scientists can evaluate the effects of land management and global change on water availability, streamflow, nutrient and sediment loading, and ecosystem productivity in watersheds. The objective of this study was to derive a new semi‐empirical ET modeled using a dimension analysis method that could be used to estimate forest ET effectively at multiple temporal scales. The model developed describes ET as a function of water availability for evaporation and transpiration, potential ET demand, air humidity, and land surface characteristics. The model was tested with long‐term hydrometeorological data from five research sites with distinct forest hydrology in the United States and China. Averaged simulation error for daily ET was within 0.5 mm/day. The annual ET at each of the five study sites were within 7% of measured values. Results suggest that the model can accurately capture the temporal dynamics of ET in forest ecosystems at daily, monthly, and annual scales. The model is climate‐driven and is sensitive to topography and vegetation characteristics and thus has potential to be used to examine the compounding hydrologic responses to land cover and climate changes at multiple temporal scales.     

Analysis of some heavy metals in the riverine water, sediments and fish from river Ganges at Allahabad

The river Ganges has been one of the major recipients of industrial effluents in India. The present paper deals with the study related to occurrence and bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn) in the riverine water, sediment, and the muscles of two cat fish species, Channa punctatus (C. punctatus) and Aorichthys aor (A. aor) procured from the river Ganges at Allahabad. The data obtained after water analysis reflected the order of occurrence of heavy metals to be Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Cd, respectively. The analysis of heavy metals in sediment indicated that among the five heavy metals tested; Zn was maximally accumulated followed by Pb, Cr, Cu and Cd. The trend of heavy metals accumulation in fish muscles was found to be similar to that observed in sediment and water such as Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Cd. Data indicated that Zn accumulated maximally in the sediment as well as muscles of both of the fish species in comparison to other metals.     

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.     

Ceria-doped SnO2 nanocubes for solar light–driven photocatalytic hydrogen production

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The photocatalytic generation of hydrogen via solar energy using metal oxide semiconductor catalysts is a clean and renewable process which has the...     

Hematological and biochemical alterations in sprayers occupationally exposed to mixture of pesticides at a mango plantation in Lucknow,India

The aim of this study was to examine the hematological and cholinesterase (ChE) activity levels of pesticide sprayers employed in mango plantations at Lucknow. Fifty-two sprayers from mango plantations who regularly spray mixtures of pesticides including organochlorines (OC), organophosphates (OP), and carbamates were included as exposed group. Twenty residents living close to mango plantations, but not involved in pesticide spraying were taken as controls. Pesticide residues for OC were analyzed in blood by gas chromatography with electron capture detector. There was a significant decrease in acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in pesticide sprayers (n?=?52) relative to the control group (n?=?20). A significant difference in the frequency distribution of hematological variations in red blood cell, white blood cell, monocytes, neutrophils, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and platelet count was observed. Residues of OC pesticides including α-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and total HCH were found to be significantly higher in the blood of sprayers compared to controls. Hematological variations were quantitatively more frequent among the sprayers with 5 years of pesticide exposure compared to the controls and to subjects with less than 5 years of exposure group. Hematological abnormalities in sprayers were correlated with pesticide exposure as evidenced by lower ChE activity as well as the presence of OC pesticides in blood. The poorly controlled use of pesticides in the plantation appeared to have produced sub-clinical intoxication in the sprayers and indicated the need for training and implementation of proper, safer hygiene practices.