Forms of Nitrogen (NO 3 - -N; NO 2 - -N and NH 2 CONH 2 -N) and their relations to A.O.U. in the Indian coastal waters of Arabian Sea

The distribution of three important dissolved forms of nitrogen, viz. nitrate, nitrite and urea in the surface and bottom water samples collected from 27 selected hydrographic profiles, in the Arabian Sea, along the west coast of India is described. Of the three forms, nitrate concentrations were the highest and comparatively higher concentrations were observed in the bottom water. Decomposition of organic matter resulting in the release of the thermodynamically stable nitrogen species, i.e. nitrate, may be the major factor resulting in higher nitrate concentrations at these depths, where the water is also characterized by low values of dissolved oxygen and temperature. The significant positive correlation between A.O.U. and nitrate of the bottom water samples emphasizes the role of oxidative decomposition of organic matter which plays an active role in reducing the oxygen concentrations below the theoretical values since at this depth ( , 200 m) the net production is taken to be zero. This is also evidenced by the negative correlation of nitrate with dissolved oxygen and temperature, for the bottom samples.     

Optimal recycle price game theory model for second-hand mobile phone recycling

Human societies develop rapidly through the advancement of technology; however, with these advancements, many problems are emerging. The topic chosen for this study surrounds the e-waste, which has become a major problem around the world. Second-hand and unused mobile phones are a big part of globally generated e-waste. If these devices are properly recycled, they can generate substantial economic and resource value. Yet if they are indiscriminately discarded, they cause a profound environmental impact. Given the current low recovery rate of mobile phones, an increase in recovery rates becomes critical in lessening economic and environmental impacts. Based on the status quo of second-hand mobile phone recycling processes in China, this article analyzes the behavior of individuals and recyclers through a comprehensive static information game theory and finds ways to increase the recycling rate of second-hand mobile phones. The study helps the customers, to clearly identify the recycle price. In case of market, the government policy can be introduced with a reward and punishment mechanism. Furthermore, under the ideological guidance of game theory, this paper also establishes a corresponding price model of second-hand mobile phone recycling based on best response dynamics like search, variable neighborhood search, and hybrid meta-heuristic method. This model shows that the recovery time differences have a significant impact on the recovery price. Moreover, to an extent, this model can promote the possibility and initiative of customers choosing cell phone recycling.

     

FORMS OF NITROGEN (NO 3 - -N; NO 2 - -N AND NH 2 CONH 2 -N) AND THEIR RELATIONS TO A.O.U. IN THE INDIAN COASTAL WATERS OF ARABIAN SEA

The distribution of three important dissolved forms of nitrogen, viz. nitrate, nitrite and urea in the surface and bottom water samples collected from 27 selected hydrographic profiles, in the Arabian Sea, along the west coast of India is described. Of the three forms, nitrate concentrations were the highest and comparatively higher concentrations were observed in the bottom water. Decomposition of organic matter resulting in the release of the thermodynamically stable nitrogen species, i.e. nitrate, may be the major factor resulting in higher nitrate concentrations at these depths, where the water is also characterized by low values of dissolved oxygen and temperature. The significant positive correlation between A.O.U. and nitrate of the bottom water samples emphasizes the role of oxidative decomposition of organic matter which plays an active role in reducing the oxygen concentrations below the theoretical values since at this depth ( ≈200 m) the net production is taken to be zero. This is also evidenced by the negative correlation of nitrate with dissolved oxygen and temperature, for the bottom samples.     

Soil contamination of heavy metals in the Katedan Industrial Development Area, Hyderabad, India

Studies on quantitative soil contamination due to heavy metals were carried out in Katedan Industrial Development Area (KIDA), south of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India under the Indo-Norwegian Institutional Cooperation Programme. The study area falls under a semi-arid type of climate and consists of granites and pegmatite of igneous origin belonging to the Archaean age. There are about 300 industries dealing with dyeing, edible oil production, battery manufacturing, metal plating, chemicals, etc. Most of the industries discharge their untreated effluents either on open land or into ditches. Solid waste from industries is randomly dumped along roads and open grounds. Soil samples were collected throughout the industrial area and from downstream residential areas and were analysed by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer for fourteen trace metals and ten major oxides. The analytical data shows very high concentrations of lead, chromium, nickel, zinc, arsenic and cadmium through out the industrial area. The random dumping of hazardous waste in the industrial area could be the main cause of the soil contamination spreading by rainwater and wind. In the residential areas the local dumping is expected to be the main source as it is difficult to foresee that rain and wind can transport the contaminants from the industrial area. If emission to air by the smokestacks is significant, this may contribute to considerable spreading of contaminants like As, Cd and Pb throughout the area. A comparison of the results with the Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines (SQGL) show that most of the industrial area is heavily contaminated by As, Pb and Zn and local areas by Cr, Cu and Ni. The residential area is also contaminated by As and some small areas by Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn. The Cd contamination is detected over large area but it is not exceeding the SQGL value. Natural background values of As and Cr exceed the SQGL values and contribute significantly to the contamination in the residential area. However, the availability is considerably less than anthropogenic contaminants and must therefore be assessed differently. The pre- and post-monsoon sampling over two hydrological cycles in 2002 and 2003 indicate that the As, Cd and Pb contaminants are more mobile and may expect to reach the groundwater. The other contaminants seem to be much more stable. The contamination is especially serious in the industrial area as it is housing a large permanent residing population. The study not only aims at determining the natural background levels of trace elements as a guide for future pollution monitoring but also focuses on the pollution vulnerability of the watershed. A plan of action for remediation is recommended.     

Geochemical patterns in soils in and around Siddipet, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh, India

This paper reports the first results of geochemical survey carried out in and around Siddipet, taking soil (topsoil 0–25 cm and subsoil 70–95 cm) as the sampling media. The data were obtained in a consistent way from 61 sites. The samples were analyzed for 29 elements (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, Th, U, V, Y, Zn, Zr, Si, Al, Fe, Mn, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Ti, and P) by X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, and baseline levels for these elements are presented. Results reveal that the correlation between the geochemical patterns in the soils developed on different litho-variants is not straight forward, but some general trends can be observed. Regional parent materials and pedogenesis are the primary factors influencing the concentrations of trace elements while anthropogenic activities have secondary influence.     

Fuzzy-based adaptive learning network using search and rescue optimization for e-waste management model: case study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In recent days, the expansion of e-waste disposal should be increased due to environmental hazards, contamination of groundwater, an unconcerned...     

Chemometric study on the trace metal accumulation in the sediments of the Cochin Estuary―Southwest coast of India

The distribution and accumulation of trace metals in the sediments of the Cochin estuary during the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon periods were investigated. Sediment samples from 14 locations were collected and analysed for the metal contents (Mg, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb), organic carbon, total nitrogen, total sulphur and grain size. The data were processed using statistical tools like correlation, factor and cluster analysis. The study revealed an enrichment of Cd and Zn in the study area particularly at station 2, which is confirmed by enrichment factor, contamination factor and geoaccumulation index. The factor analysis revealed that the source of Cd and Zn may be same. The study indicated that the spatial variation for the metals like Mg, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were predominant unlike Mn which shows a temporal variation. The strong association of trace metals with Fe and Mn hydroxides and oxides are prominent along the Cochin estuary. The anthropogenic inputs of industrial effluents mainly control the trace metals enrichment in the Cochin estuary.     

Second trimester diagnosis of Neu Laxova syndrome

This is the first report of a prenatally diagnosed case of Neu Laxova syndrome (NLS) from India. This also includes a case of NLS in monochorionic diamniotic twins and two more cases in which we were able to detect most of the features of NLS as early as 19 to 20 weeks by routine antenatal ultrasonography. Severe intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), microcephaly, central nervous system (CNS) abnormality, joint contractures, and abnormal facies are the major diagnostic features observed in prenatal ultrasonography. Risk factors such as consanguinity and history of intrauterine death or stillbirth in siblings have been noted in all the cases, but none of the three families that were reported had previously had an affected fetus. The spectrum of skin manifestations and frequency of occurrence of major clinical features of the syndrome have been discussed. Review of the literature on NLS and possibility of detecting the syndrome in the second trimester is discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of optimized PI controller for 7-level inverter: a new control strategy

Photovoltaic (PV) system produces electricity that differs from variations in environmental parameters such as temperature and solar radiation. The PV network will operate at maximum power point (MPP) and deal with an ever-increasing energy demand, that changes from both load and weather conditions.” Moreover, energy storage devices could be a potential solution for improving the efficiency and performance of renewable energy sources (RES). This paper intends to establish a control design by an optimization-assisted PI controller for a 7-level inverter. Accordingly, the gains of PI controller are adjusted dynamically by FireFly Integrated-Sea Lion Optimization algorithm (FFI-SLnO) that integrates the concepts of both Sea Lion Optimization (SLnO) and FireFly algorithm (FF). The gains should be tuned such that the error among the reference signal and fault signal should be low and hence better dynamic performance can be obtained by the presented optimized PI controller. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is compared over other traditional models with respect to certain measures and its superiority is proved.