S. C. Barman

Toxicity Assessment and Accumulation of Metals in Radish Irrigated With Battery Manufacturing Industry Effluent

Industrial wastewater is being used for irrigation of agricultural crops without consideration of possible toxic effects. The study was conducted to evaluate the toxicity of battery manufacturing industry effluent on biochemical changes and heavy metal accumulation in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) grown on soil irrigated with 0% (tap water control), 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% effluent (v/v) at 60 days after sowing (DAS). Total metal concentration in raw effluent samples was Cr = 0.14 < Cd = 0.17 < Pb = 0.22 < Cu = 2.50 mg·L−1. An increase in photosynthetic pigments of plants occurred up to the 50% concentration of the effluent followed by a decrease at higher concentrations. Enhanced lipid peroxidation in treated plants occurred, evident by an increased level of antioxidants, proline, cysteine, and ascorbic acid. Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Cr, and Pb in roots of treated plants ranged between 4.17 and 7.44, 1.15 and 14.78, 1.09 and 12.30, and 2.49 and 7.33 μg·g−1 dry weight and in shoots between 12.02 and 24.83, 3.37 and 34.94, 3.77 and 35.09, 3.97 and 10.86 μg·g−1 dry weight, respectively. Use of battery manufacturing effluent, even after treatment and subsequent dilution, caused biochemical changes in radish and resulted in accumulation of heavy metals in edible parts of the plant. Use of battery manufacturing effluent in agriculture should be discouraged.

Characterization and morphological analysis of individual aerosol of PM10 in urban area of Lucknow, India

Airborne particulate matters were collected during the period of October 2015 to September 2016 in Lucknow at different sampling sites. The annual mean concentration of particulate matter was found to be relatively higher than the limits prescribed by National ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and World Health Organization (WHO). Particulate matters were studied for morphological analysis, elemental composition and functional group variability with the help of Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) followed by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Morphological characteristics viz. particle count, aspect ratio, circulatory, roundness, equivalent spherical diameter (ESD) and surface area revealed that the particles were perfectly spherical to irregular in shape. Based on the morphology and elemental composition, four clusters of a particulates namely organic particle with inorganic inclusion, soot, tar balls and aluminosilicates were found. FTIR spectra revealed the presence of sulfate, bisulfate, particulate water, silicate, ammonium, aliphatic carbon, aliphatic alcohol, carbonyl and organic nitrates.

Heavy Metal and Their Regulation in Plant System: An Overview

Unplanned industrialization and improper waste disposal have resulted in the release of enormous quantities of inorganic toxicants like metal, metalloids, and radionuclides in the biosphere. Since, metals are non-biodegradable and tend to bioaccumulate via food chain, they pose threat to human health. Indiscriminate disposal of industrial waste to the environment causes adverse impact on ecosystem. Plants growing on metal-contaminated sites display several disturbances related to physiology and biochemical process like gaseous exchange, CO2 fixation, respiration, nutrient absorption, etc. These disturbances subsequently cause reduction in plant growth and lower biomass production. Although being an essential micronutrient, some heavy metals at lower concentrations are vital for plant growth; however, at higher concentrations they become very toxic. To cope up with the metal toxicity, plants have developed various mechanisms like immobilization, exclusion, chelation, and compartmentization. Plants have distinct cellular mechanism such as chelation and vacuolar compartmentization of metals to withstand the metal toxicity. Phytochelatins, the thiol peptides, potentially chelate metals and form complexes in cytoplasm; subsequently these metal-thiol complexes are sequestrated into vacuole via ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters). In the last couple of decades, the role of phytochelatin synthetase (PCS) and phytochelatins (PCs) in metal detoxification has been proven. In present scenario, there is a great need of sound and intensified research for better understanding of metal toxicity and its metabolism in plants to maintain our ecological harmony.

Macrophytes for the Reclamation of Degraded Waterbodies with Potential for Bioenergy Production

Macrophytes have excessive efficiency to remove various inorganic and organic contaminants including heavy metals, nutrients, pesticides, POPs, oils from wastewater. The removal of contaminants depends upon the concentration of contaminant, duration of exposure and others factors including environmental characteristics (pH, temperature etc.), physicochemical properties of pollutants (solubility, pressure etc.) and plants characteristics (species, root system etc.). To ascertain large scale execution of this process, management of phytoremediating macrophytes will be a chief concern bioenergy production is effective and low cost practices for the optimum utilization and eco-friendly management of these macrophytes. Due to high photosynthetic efficiency and higher biomass production, macrophytes can produce useful quantities of carbohydrate and cellulose; raw material forbio-gas, bioethanol and lipids which are non-polluting and renewable sources of energy. Several aquatic macrophytes, such as Eichhornia crassipes, Trapa natans, Typha latifolia, Pistiastratiotes, Phragmites australis, Lemna gibba can easily degraded, and produce high bioenergy yield. In addition, macrophytes can be used for several other purposes such as recreational, household, flowers, fodder, fertilizers, mulch etc. Macrophytes are also capable for sequestering carbon through photosynthesis and accumulation of organic matter in sediments and plant biomass. This chapter highlights the macrophytes potential for removal of inorganic and organic contaminants and their subsequent use for bioenergy production.

Temporal variation and trace metal characterisation of particulate matter in ambient air of rural and urban areas of lucknow, India

Temporal variation in the concentration of particulate matter (PM) was monitored at an institutional and rural area of Lucknow. The concentration of coarse (PM10) and fine particulates (PM2.5) was found to be in the range of 134.14–387.64 (225.79±76.34), 108.47–233.38 (147.15±36.47) and 90.68–220.8 (136.19±37.08), 33.13–113.67 (83.47±24.73) μg/m3 at institutional and rural area, respectively. Average PM10 and PM2.5 concentration at both the locations were found to be beyond the permissible limits, that is 100, 60 μg/m3(National Ambient Air Quality Standards) and 150, 35 μg/m3 of (United State Environmental Protection Agency) for institutional and rural areas, respectively. Average PM2.5-to-PM10 ratio was found to be. 63±.11;. 57±.15 at institutional and rural area, respectively, which indicates the higher contribution of fine particulates in PM10. Further, the PM10 was subjected for trace metal characterisation in terms of Fe, Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu. Trace metal concentration (ng/m3) associated with PM10 at both the locations was found to be in the order of Fe (823.87) > Pb (198.67) > Zn (93.19) > Cd (88.10) > Cu (37.60). The Pearson correlation of trace metals associated with PM10 and meteorology showed significant correlation at P<.05 and P<.01 levels; which inferred that the PM and trace metals were originated from similar sources.