Innovative development of a simple and rapid dispersive micro solid phase extraction (D-?-SPE) method combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based on alginate incorporated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Alg-MWCNT) was developed for the analysis of five selected acidic drugs in the water sample. The effect of dispersive micro solid phase extraction parameters such as the mass of sorbent, sample pH, extraction time and desorption time on the peak area of analytes were optimized. Under the optimum extraction conditions, a linear response was achieved in the concentration range of 1 ?g.L-1 to 500 ?g.L-1 (R2 ? 0.9959). The limits of detection for the method at a signal to noise ratio of 3 were between 0.03 ?g.L-1 and 0.08 ?g.L-1. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of four acidic drugs in tap water samples with relative recoveries ranging from 75 % to 105 %. The proposed Alg-MWCNT sorbent showed high potential as an alternative sorbent for dispersive micro solid phase extraction of acidic drugs in aqueous matrices.

An experiment was carried out to appraise the effect of seed priming treatment with Mg(NO3)2 against various levels of externally imposed moisture stress by polyethylene glycol-6000 on phytotoxicity in shoot and root and chlorophyll content in maize plant under laboratory conditions. The phytotoxicity of shoot and root was increased as the elevated levels of PEG-6000 towards T1 to T4 (i.e. 1.5 to 4.5 %, Set-I) as compared to control set (T0, i.e. without treated set), while the least values of phytotoxicity were recorded in T5 and onwards increased slowly up to T8 (i.e. 1.5 to 4.5 % of PEG-6000 + primed seed, Set-II). The same trend of phytotoxicity was recorded for both the plant parts at both the times of observations, i.e. shoot and root 120 and 240 hours. The chlorophyll content of shoot was recorded in decreasing trend onwards from T1 to T4 in treatment set-I as compared to T0, i.e. control. While the highest amount of chlorophyll content was recorded in T5 followed by T6 as compared to the rest of the treatments.

Groundwater is the most important resource for human consumption and the support of habitat and for maintaining the feature of base flow to river courses, while its quality is necessary to ensure sustainable safe exploit of the resources for all purposes. The untreated or inappropriate industrial effluents discharge on the surface causes harsh groundwater pollution in the industrial area of the nation. Sixty groundwater samples have been collected from boreholes and water samples were analysed to examine the groundwater quality of Avinashi-Tirupur-Palladam region. The samples were examined for the physico-chemical parameters like pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS), major cations like calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+) and major anions like bicarbonate (HCO3-), carbonate (CO32-), chloride (Cl-), nitrate (NO3-) and sulphate (SO42-), along with fluoride. The abundance of major cations and anions was investigated. Spatial distribution map based on total dissolved solids indicates that the Noyyal and Nallar river basins, central regions of the study area, are more affected. The chemical parameter data of groundwater samples of the study area are plotted in Gibbs’s diagram. Based on the Piper diagram, different water types were identified. Hydro-chemically, the quality of the groundwater for human consumption was determined. The ion concentration distribution indicates that most of the groundwater sample locations in the study area are not suitable for domestic use.

This study reports the results of an analysis performed on 40.5 km stretch of River Tungabhadra. The results show that there was a significant increase in all the physical and chemical variables of the river towards downstream of Harihara town, particularly in the pre-monsoon season. However, all the variables remain within the standards recommended for drinking water. Based on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines, the classification of water at various segments of the research focal area is as follows: the 12.08 km stretch from the upstream boundary (Ingalagondi) is designated as class C, based on the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). However, from 12.08 km to 40.5 km on the stretch of downstream Harihara is designated as Class D, based on the BOD. However, in terms of dissolved oxygen (DO), the river satisfies the requirements for Class C (> 4 mg/L) at all of the locations sampled across all periods.

Biogeochemistry of iron in wetlands is inextricably linked with chemical ecology of aquatic biota impacting the ecology of wetland plants and human health. Therefore, its bio-accumulation in plants is of extreme eco-technological relevance in quest of potential phytoremediation tools. To this end, the Fe concentrations in water and four invasive alien macrophytes (Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna minor, Pistia stratiotes and Salvinia cucullata) of Loktak lake (a Ramsar Site) were measured. Further, the outcome of the present research can assess the efficiency of these plants in Fe-phytoremediation. Concomitantly, to get an explicit Fe-macrophyte’s chemical ecology scenario of Loktak lake, physicochemical parameters as well as biodiversity attributes were also investigated. Results revealed that among the four plant species, Pistia stratiotes accumulated the highest amount of Fe concentration and thus act as the best bio-accumulator of Fe. Further, the extent of Fe bio-accumulation was as Pistia stratiotes>Lemna minor>Eichhornia crassipes>Salvinia cucullata. The study revealed the importance of the selected invasive wetland plants as the potential bio-agents of Fe accumulation.

Long-term sewage irrigation can cause accumulation of contaminants in soil, which imposes severe damages to soil and plants and further triggers many chronic diseases in human bodies via the food chain. In this paper, the effect of sewage irrigation on changes in concentration of contaminants in soil and its relationship with the concentration of contaminants in the main agricultural plants are discussed, and a health risk assessment is performed on the contaminant exposure suffered by people in the sewage irrigation area. Based on this, an environmental pollution risk model for the soil-plant-human system was established for research on the acceptable irrigation concentration of contaminants in sewage and the safe service period of sewage irrigation. A practical example adopted in this paper proves that arsenic pollution caused by sewage irrigation to soil-plant-human body system in the irrigation area imposes a comprehensive risk degree of 0.40, the acceptable arsenic irrigation concentration is 0.086mg/L and the safe service period for this irrigation area is 150 years. Thus, the reclaimed water shall be subject to innocuous disposal under scientific guidance for agricultural irrigation.

The potential oil-degrading isolate Staphylococcus argenteus MG2 was used for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil. Hydrocarbon degradation by the soil microorganisms was evaluated in a soil experimentally contaminated with diesel oil. The effects of six different biological treatments on hydrocarbon degradation were determined during a 50 days incubation period to evaluate biostimulation via inorganic fertilizers (NPK) or manure (compost) with and without inoculum of Staphylococcus argenteus MG2. Eight soil samples were used: (S) uncontaminated control soil; (CS) contaminated soil; (CSF) contaminated soil + N-P-K fertilizer; (CSC) contaminated soil + compost; (CSI) contaminated soil + Inoculum; (CSFI) contaminated soil + N-P-K fertilizer + Inoculum; (CSCI) contaminated soil + compost + Inoculum; (SCSCI) sterile (oil) contaminated soil + compost + Inoculum. Percentage of oil degradation during bioremediation treatment of 50 days was found to be (CS) - 32%, (CSF) - 70.80%, (CSC) - 75%, (CSI) - 84.40%, (CSFI) - 91%, (CSCI) - 93%, (SCSCI) - 94% respectively. Results showed that not only inorganic nutrients NPK and compost stimulated hydrocarbon biodegradation but inoculation of Staphylococcus argenteus MG2 also enhanced hydrocarbon degradation. The microbial count was found to be higher in SCSCI soil sample. The germination percentage and growth of leguminous plant (Vigna radiata) in the treated soil was also notably greater. It may be concluded that the Staphylococcus argenteus MG2 bacteria possess remarkable oil-degrading properties and can be effectively employed in the bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils and can be used for agriculture purpose.

This paper presents the performance of Hybrid Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (HUASB) reactor in treating combined real sugar industry and synthetic sago effluents. Sugar industry is one of the most important agricultural industries which discharge the effluent in a huge quantity that creates environmental problems. The disposal of untreated sugar industry effluent in soils and water bodies has received much attention since decades ago. So, in this study, it was decided to inoculate the HUASB reactor with seed sludge from the existing anaerobic digester treating sago wastewater and then it was started by using synthetic sago wastewater, and then it was fed with the combined real sugar industry and synthetic sago wastewater. The reactor was fed with the combined effluents of a real sugar industry and synthetic sago wastewater at different mixing ratios having the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) ranging from 4450 to 5360 mg/L with HRT of 24 hours. The pH, COD removal, volatile fatty acid (VFA), alkalinity and biogas production were monitored for various inlet of COD values. The inlet and outlet pH was between the range of 5.62 to 7.36 and 7.53 to 8.18 respectively. The VFA and alkalinity varied from 36 to 84 mg/L and 926 to 998 mg/L respectively. The biogas production varied from 10.6 to 13.2 L/d. The maximum COD removal of 94.4% and the biogas production of 13.2 L/d was reported at pH 8.11 at the mixing ratio of 60/40 (sago/sugar industry wastewater).

The study was conducted to assess the histopathological impairment of gill and liver of freshwater snakehead murrel, Channa striata. The fish were exposed to sublethal concentrations (1.1 ppm) of insecticide Sevin for 30 days and a parallel control was run simultaneously. No histopathological effects were observed in control. Gill and liver of the exposed fish exhibited some remarkable alterations in their histology. Prominent changes include vacuolation, necrosis, epithelial lifting, shortening of lamellae, the fusion of adjacent lamellae, blood congestion, architectural distortion and degeneration of gills, lamellar fusion, hypertrophy, clubbing, few lamellar missing and shrinkage of blood vessels were observed in treated fishes. Hypertrophy of hepatocytes, necrosis, blood congestion, vacuolation, cellular degeneration, damage of nuclei was observed in the liver of exposed fishes. Duration of exposure of Sevin appears to have a reflective effect on gill and liver as with the increasing duration of exposure histopathological damages become more severe.

Heavy metal poisoning means an excess of the required concentration that is found naturally on earth. In the present experiment, it has been observed that the natural water source surrounded by mountains is also polluted with arsenic because these heavy metals like arsenic are naturally contained in rocks that accumulate in the water source with soil erosion and rain. In this experiment arsenic was found in the water of Chhilpura pond, in which the haematology and biochemistry of catfish (Clarias batrachus) were studied, it was found that the RBC, haemoglobin, PCV, MCV, MCH, platelets, glucose and protein contents of catfish were found to be relatively low as compared to the control, whereas the WBC was observed to be higher to control and differential leucocyte count fluctuations were observed. It can be inferred from this experiment that heavy metals such as arsenic alter the haematology and biochemistry of catfish (Clarias batrachus).