Digested sludge wasted by tanneries is rich in nutrients and trace elements however, the presence of toxic metals restricts their use in agriculture. The present study explores the possible application of tannery sludge amendment for the cultivation of an energy crop, Hibiscus cannabinus. The toxicity of various sludge amendments (25, 50, 75, and 100%, w/w) was examined during early seedling growth, followed by metal accumulation potential by performing pot experiments. Chemical characterization revealed the presence of Cr (709.6), Cu (366.43), Ni (74.6), Cd (132.71), Pb (454.8) μg.g-1 in tannery sludge beside N (2.1%), P 3.8 & K 316.96 (kg.hec-1.) respectively. Germination of H. cannabinus exposed to sludge extracts ranged between 80 to 95%; Relative seed germination, 81.33 to 84.43%. Relative root growth, 0.9 to 1.16 cm; and germination index, 95 to 110%. It was found that sludge extracts have not caused adverse effects on seed germination and early seedling growth. Heavy metal accumulation was observed as follows: Ni (3.37, 2.38, 1.46 & 0.90 mg.kg-1) > Pb (10.59, 10.15, 5.26, & 2.84 mg.kg-1) > Cu (2.34, 2.24, 0.97 & 0.24 mg.kg-1) > Cd (2.31, 1.19, 1.33 & 1.12 mg.kg-1) > Cr (1458, 1136.12, 601.73 & 211.6 mg.kg-1) in 100, 75, 50, & 25% sludge amended soil, respectively. The bio-concentration pattern of metals was found to be in the order of root > leaf > stem. The findings of the present study give direction for the eco-friendly and cost-effective management of tannery sludge. Further, H. cannabinus can be used for the restoration of metal-contaminated agricultural land, however, results need to be corroborated with field trials.

The agricultural sector is seriously impacted by climate change, leading to potential risks to food security. In terms of global food production, maize ranks third. As a result, crop production and food security depend critically on assessing the effects of climate change and developing measures to adapt maize. Regarding adaptability, changing planting dates and using different agrochemicals are more effective than other management. Crop models are part of a global decision support system to help farmers maximize yields despite unpredictable weather patterns. To mitigate yield loss and protect the ecosystem, it is essential to use efficient maize-sowing practices in the field. This experiment was carried out to identify the most favorable sowing dates that maximize yield while ensuring the crop’s productivity and the integrity of the surrounding ecosystem remain intact. The main aim of this experiment was to mitigate the different climatic conditions by exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on pigments and sugar content in maize under different sowing dates. A field experiment was carried out in the School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India, during the spring season of 2022. The experiment dealt with various maize crops, PMH-10, sourced from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Punjab. The experiment was conducted in an open-air environment. The experimental setup was laid out in a split-plot design. The results stated that foliar application of salicylic acid and sodium nitroprusside successfully influenced high-temperature tolerance and low temperature at the reproductive phase and initial vegetative stages with other growing climatic conditions of maize in early and late sowings when controlled by increasing the chlorophyll index, carotenoids content, and sugar content of maize.

Loam examples were gathered through the 2020-2021 rising periods, and the following measurements were made: Viable bacterial count by reducing root colonization. The outcomes of reviewing the impact of the fungicide Benomyl on development and viable microflora count revealed that the highest microbial count was in Al-Madaein 80 ×103 CFU/mL was recorded ., and the lowest count was 60 ×103 CFU/mL for the Aushtar area, The microbial viable count values for the affected microorganisms with Benomyl were decrease to 27×103 and 65 × 103 CFU/mL respectively. Those consequences specify that Benomyl has a robust choosiness contrary to microflora, especially when compared to the benomyl effect as folded dose, the microflora l count decreases to 25 ×103 CFU /mL in the Aushtar area and increases to 60 ×103 CFU/mL in Al-Madaein area. Whereas the study estimated the level of eight elements in soil (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, NO3, P, K, and NH4) cultured with Cyperus rotundus L. Which mentioned the effect of benomyl on these levels after three days of treatment. Mn concentration ranged between 5.96 to 9.11 ppm, while after fungicide benomyl, it decreased to 5.63 -6.53 ppm similar results were observed for other elements. The highest affected element was Mn in the Aushtar area. Those consequences designate that Benomyl has a stout fussiness in contrast to soil nutrients. The greatness of benomyl impacts on loam ingredients and procedures were minor, qualified to impact on mycorrhizal root foundation (reduction through benomyl).

This study aimed to investigate the underlying anthropogenic driving factors of forest landscape degradation in the Kilimanjaro World Heritage Sites (WHS), Tanzania using survey-based data. The essence is to support strategic policies for forest landscape protection and natural heritage sustainability. The research employed empirical data using mixed questionnaires of experts and residents to identify various indirect anthropogenic driving factors of forest degradation, analyze rural poverty and causal mechanisms as indirect anthropogenic drivers of forest degradation, and evaluate the level of awareness and community involvement in forest protection. ArcGIS was used to generate the Maps. About 140 sample sizes were utilized for this study. Using purposive and simple random techniques, about 46 and 100 mixed questionnaires were distributed to experts in forest guard and residents, respectively. Data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Findings showed that indirect factors of forest degradation include high tourism demand, poverty, culture and tradition of local communities, lack of forest protection and conservation education, and insufficient land availability. Also, findings showed that rural poverty as an indirect anthropogenic driving factor of forest degradation is attributed to unemployment in rural areas, inadequate land for agriculture, and insufficient productive forestry availability. Additionally, this study revealed that residents are aware that the forest is under the government’s protection, and most people in local communities are not involved in activities for forest protection. Therefore, the study suggests that the locals should be involved in the activities that promote forest protection for effective control and management. Alternative heating methods should also be explored to reduce much pressure on the available forest to improve the natural heritage sustainability of natural WHS found in Sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the Global South.

Heavy metals (iron, copper, and zinc) were quantified in purple crab (Platyxanthus orbignyi) tissues collected in winter (September 2021), spring (November 2021), and summer (March 2022) at three beaches (Tres Hermanas, Fundición, and El Diablo) in Ilo Harbour (Moquegua), South Peru. The rank order of heavy metal concentrations in purple crab tissues and sediments was similar; iron (Fe) was followed by Copper (Cu), and this last one was followed by Zinc (Zn). The heavy metal concentrations in tissue crabs from the three beaches differed from each other spatially and seasonally. In addition, Fundición Beach was the zone with the highest concentration of those three metals during the summer.

This study aims to optimize the development of aviation biofuel as a sustainable energy source by simulating system dynamics modeling. This study is based on the System Dynamics modeling approach, which is a set of conceptual tools designed to understand the structure and dynamics of complex systems. This study used the system dynamics method specifically designed to analyze complex systems. It has been applied to various sustainability-related issues, including urban area sustainable development modeling, sustainability of water resources, environmental management, and sustainable urbanization. The result obtained using the quantitative modeling showed that the contribution of aviation biofuel to flight intensity in Indonesia is still insignificant. The practical implications of this study are that palm oil has the potential to be a viable raw material for aviation biofuel production in Indonesia, and implementing policies to mitigate negative consequences and optimize land use for aviation biofuel fuel production can contribute to sustainable urban development. The originality of this study lies in its use of System Dynamics modeling to analyze the potential of palm oil as a raw material for aviation biofuel production and identify the various social, economic, environmental, and technological factors that impact it.

Global warming is one of the primary causes contributing to melting glaciers and shrinking of glaciers moth. Because of the glacier retreat, more lakes increase the risk of flooding in people’s homes and lives. Several studies on the surging glaciers have been conducted by researchers using various techniques, as well as with the aid of multiple models like the Normalized Differential Water Index (NDWI). The Number of glacial lakes is increasing in the Himalayan region due to climate change (rise of the temperature). Some glacial lakes are potentially dangerous so monitoring is very necessary. It is necessary to evaluate such vulnerable lakes. Therefore, current work is carried out to identify such glacial lakes present in the Teesta River Basin (Eastern Himalaya). Spatiotemporal Landsat data for the last four decades at intervals of ten years from 1990 to 2020 has been considered which was cloud-free and spatial resolution of 30 meters. The dataset mentioned above was used for lake identification and delineation. The findings indicate the presence of lakes with respective areas of 275 (18.90 km2), 337 (24.92 km2), 295 (22.96 km2), and 419 (31.44 km2). It has also been observed that the growth rate is increasing with approximate water spread from 1990 to 2000 (+129%), 2000 to 2010 (+106%), and 2010 to 2020 (+136%). The present study aimed to identify such glacial lakes based on their water spreading area, which is an essential step followed in the study of GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) as it will be helpful in the identification of hazardous lakes. In that study, we found that eleven glacial lakes are in the potentially dangerous category situated in the upper Teesta Basin due to the presence of glaciers, which gives a clear reason for the time-to-time assessment of such lakes. By the conducted study it has been observed that the number of glacial lakes has increased, due to which water spread has also increased in the area. It can also be demonstrated that GIS (Geographical Information System), along with remote sensing, is one of the best tools for assessing and monitoring such change detection and differentiation of hazardous glacial lakes in the cryosphere, along with the supporting data.

This study aimed to check how herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) affects the production of EPS and its composition, growth, and biomass, as well as morphology in a cyanobacterial species isolated from a rice field in Meghalaya, India. Compared to the control cells, the growth of the organism measured in terms of chlorophyll concentration increased after being exposed to 10 and 20 ppm 2,4-D. However, cultures treated with 30 and 40 ppm experienced a decrease in their growth. Likewise, the biomass content of the organism experienced a minuscule increase in content upon exposure to 10 and 20 ppm 2,4-D but was compromised upon exposure to higher doses. When exposed to 10 ppm, the total EPS content, which includes the RPS and CPS content, showed a substantial increase. Maximum EPS production was seen at 20 ppm 2,4-D. However, exposure to 30 and 40 ppm 2,4-D, EPS production in the organism experienced a significant reduction, respectively. All components of EPS, such as uronic acid, neutral sugar, and proteins, individually showed an increase in 10 and 20 ppm 2, 4-D. A similar trend was seen in the organism’s bio-flocculating activity, which increased when exposed to 10 and 20 ppm, respectively. However, this activity in cells exposed to 30 and 40 ppm 2,4-D was severely reduced. Not only the content of EPS but the rate of EPS production was also enhanced in lower concentrations of 2,4-D. Although exposure to 30 ppm 2,4-D, the rate of EPS production was not significantly compromised, 40 ppm exposure adversely affected the rate of EPS production. Furthermore, visualization using scanning electron microscopy revealed the morphological changes induced by the herbicide 2,4-D.

The primary goal of this research is to isolate mycotoxin-producing fungus from the Nagavali River. Examining isolated fungi involved analyzing their mycelium growth on culture media and detailed microscopic inspection. We employed PCR analysis utilizing universal primers ITS1 and ITS4 to accurately identify the species. Furthermore, we sequenced the amplified ITS region and rigorously analyzed the sequences using NCBI-BLASTn and the ITS2 database. The analysis found a high 96.38% genetic similarity to the Aspergillus flavus strain, resulting in a 600-base pair fragment size. The sequence was given the accession number OR536222 in the NCBI GenBank database. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to ascertain the particular strain of A. flavus and its source. Remarkably, this analysis led to the identification of a single new strain gene, which represents a novel discovery in the field of fungal research. These results underscore the vital significance of molecular techniques in promptly and precisely identifying organisms. This research enhances our understanding of mycotoxin contamination in water, providing valuable insights to improve detection and prevention strategies. It accentuates the overarching importance of conserving our water resources and upholding ecological equilibrium, ultimately safeguarding the well-being of both humanity and the environment.

Research on the impact of alkali contamination on the swelling behavior of red earth in the Visakhapatnam region has been notably limited. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of alkali (NaOH) contamination on the swelling characteristics of the region’s red earth. The red earth of this region was found to be a well-graded sandy soil with 81% sand and 18% fines. X-ray diffraction studies showed that this region’s red earth mainly consists of quartz, kaolinite, and hematite. The soil is inherently non-swelling. However, the free swell tests showed considerable swell under contamination of NaOH solutions of various normalities (0.05, 0.1, 1, 2, and 4N). One-dimensional consolidation tests have shown that the swell increased with the concentration of the NaOH solution and with the duration of the interaction. Red earth exhibited 'an equilibrium swelling' of 5.6, 10, 15, 17, and 20% when contaminated with 0.05, 0.1, 1, 2, and 4N NaOH solutions, respectively. XRD studies revealed that the red earth sample contaminated with even 0.05N NaOH solution and cured for 56 days exhibited the formation of zeolites analcime and natrolite. Silicate minerals like paragonite and ussingite were also formed along with the zeolites. N-A-S-H compounds, hydrosodalites, and zeolites like super hydrated natrolite, zeolite SSZ16, and zeolite ZK-14 were formed at higher normalities of NaOH after a curing period of 56 days, which caused increased swell. The research demonstrated that the formation of zeolites resulting from the alkali contamination led to swelling in the red earth.