015498   Poonguzhale V;Muruganantham S;Murugaiyan V (Civil Engineering Dep, Pondicherry Engineering College, Puducherry, Email: innovativepoo20@gmail.com) : Effect of dairy and distillery effluents on physico-chemical characteristics of soil. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 327-32.

Inorganic and organic pollutants from industrial effluent affect the various geotechnical characteristics of soils. Industries discharge wastewater which is characterized by high chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, nutrients, and organic and inorganic contents. Due to the high pollution load of dairy wastewater, the milk-processing industries discharging untreated/partially treated wastewater cause serious environmental problems. Fertigation with distillery effluent added the nutrients as well as heavy metals in the soil environment.

^iia1 illus, 22 ref

015497   Phoungthong K (Faculty of Environmental Management, Principle of Songkla Univ, Songkhla-90112, Thailand, Email: khamphe.p@psu.ac.th) : Municipal solid waste management in Thailand. Curr Sci 2017, 112(4), 674.

6 ref

015496   Padalkar A V;Satinder Kaur;Rakesh Kumar (Mumbai Zonal Centre, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI, Worli, Mumbai, Email: ashwini.zaware@gmail.com) : Performance evaluation of common effluent treatment plant for efficiency of pollutant removal and relation to design adequacy. J envir Sci Engng 2016, 58(1), 17-28.

Performance and efficiency of a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in an industrial area of Maharashtra state of India was investigated with the aim of evaluating treatment effectiveness of each unit and also the CETP as a whole. The original designs of individual units of CETP were scrutinized for their design adequacy. The effluent was analyzed for the basic parameters of pH, BOD, COD, TDS, TSS and NH3-Nitrogen. Composite samples were collected from collection tank, primary clari-flocculators, secondary clarifier, aeration tank and final treated water tank. The performance efficiency of each unit in treating the pollutants was calculated. Results indicate that most of the parameters showed inconsistent reduction. The outlet discharge values were above the permissible limits of standards for industrial discharge. CETP showed removal efficiencies of 48,56, 13 and 55% for BOD, COD, TDS and O&G respectively, whereas TSS increased by 36%. The study revealed that CETP needs revamp based on the characteristics of influent wastewater in order to meet the prescribed standard limits for CETP. The performance results have been used to make suggestions for improvement based on design principles and working of CETP.

7 illus, 6 tables, 25 ref

015495   Nipunika Rani;Sinha R K;Sinha S K (Environmental Bioogy Laboratory, Zoology Dep, Patna Univ, Patna-800 013, Email: rani.nipunika@gmail.com) : Using water quality index to evaluaten suitability of ganga water at Patna, India for various uses. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 403-7.

In the study, water quality of the River Ganga in the middle Ganga plains (Payne et al., 2004) was assessed with a main objective to develop WQI to assess its suitability for various uses at different spatial and temporal scales. The water quality index shows that water quality was excellent for various uses.

1 illus, 3 tables, 13 ref

015494   Nedjah N;Mizi A;Daas D;Laskri N;Baccouche M (Laboratory of Physical Metallurgy and Property of Materials, Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria, Email: laskri_n@yahoo.fr) : Urban wastewater phosphorus removal: mixed treatment. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 229-34.

The conventional biological treatments of urban wastewater remove only 30- 50% of the phosphate pollution load. Such result remains unsatisfactory and a better phosphorus removal efficiency (70% to 80%) that meets the standards of discharge can be achieved via a combination mode, physicochemical and biological. The aim of this study is to examine the efficiency of this treatment by the elimination of the elements characteristics of pollution Biochemical oxygen demand, Turbidity, Phosphorus and Nitrogen (DCO, TUR, P and N) and consequently preserve the environment and the aquatic milieu. The sampling sites chosen are urban wastewater purification station via natural lagoon in the City of Adrar/ south of Algeria, and the treatment plant of domestic wastewater via activated sludge in the city of El Taref/ East of Algeria.

14 illus, 3 tables, 18 ref

015493   Nazim F;Meera V (Civil Engineering Dep, Government Engineering College, Thrissur, Kerala, Email: meerav17@hotmail.com) : Use of garbage enzyme as a low cost alternative method for treatment of greywater. J envir Sci Engng 2015, 57(4), 335-42.

Use of garbage enzyme, a fermentation product of kitchen waste, water and brown sugar, is emerging as an effective method of treating greywater. Grey water is the water resulting from washing clothes and kitchen utensils, shower or bath and other domestic water not containing excreta. The garbage enzyme is prepared from fruits dregs, kitchen waste, molasses and water and capable of having reinforcing and cleaning function to work with nature. It can be utilized as a low cost alternative to improve wastewater treatment processes. The review focuses on study of enzymes, role of enzymes in wastewater treatment processes, description of garbage enzyme and its use in treating greywater. The review reveals that it is an effective method - 24 - in treating greywater and thus providing the scope for reusing it for various purposes.

^iia3 table, 18 ref

015492   Nadoushan M A;Abari M F;Radnezhad H;Sadeghi M (Environmental Sciences Dep, Islamic Azad Univ, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran, Email: m.ahmadi@khuisf.ac.ir) : Monitoring land use/cover changes using remotely sensed imagery in Isfahan, Iran. Indian J Geomar Sci 2017, 46(3), 538-44.

Present study studies land use/cover changes in Isfahan urban area located in the center of Iran from 1985 to 2010 using multi temporal Landsat TM images. Overall accuracy and kappa of was more than 85% for all maps. Land use/cover maps of 1985, 1998 and 2010 were compared using the post-classification comparison method for detecting changes. The results showed that the urban lands faced the maximum of 16.4% incremental changes from 1985 to 1998 and this change was 9.03% in vegetation. Decreasing changes related to the barren lands was equal to -13.05%. Trend of the changes from 1998 to 2010 was 33.38% incremental in urban lands as well as, the decreasing changes occurred in the vegetation by -9.42% and in the barren lands equal to -0.74%.

4 illus, 7 tables, 25 ref

015491   Mohammedshum A A;Gebreslassie M A;Rulinda C M (NO, , ) : Spatial multi criteria evaluation for solid waste disposal site selection in Tigray, northern Ethiopia: case study of Wukro and Adigudom towns. J Remote Sensing GIS 2016, 7(3), 1-9.

Identifying solid waste disposal sites and appropriately managing them is challenging task to many developing countries. This is also a critical problem in Ethiopia in general and in the towns of Wukro and Adi-gudom in particular. The existing waste disposal sites of both towns are not sufficient in capacity: and due - 23 - to the location of the sites and the type of wastes dumped the surrounding areas are impacted severely. The rapid population growth and sprawling of the towns are further aggravating the problem. This study was conducted to first assess the existing solid waste management strategies in both towns; and secondly to identify potential solid waste disposal sites, using GIS and remote sensing techniques. The study used spatial multi criteria evaluation (SMCE) method. SMCE was used to combine influencing factors and constraints for the selection of dumping sites locations in each town. First, site suitability maps for each of the factors and constraints were developed within GIS. In Wukro, results indicated that 12 locations were found appropriate whereas in Adi-gudom 9 locations were found appropriate. They were further ranked against their suitability in terms of wind direction, proximity to settlement area and distance from the center of the town. Finally, two locations were identified as the best appropriate site locations for both towns. This study showed that the spatial multi criteria evaluation methods are proved to be efficient and low cost tools to select appropriate dumping sites so as to facilitate decision making processes. Future work on incorporating hydrological factors that influence the dumping, site selections are recommended to fine tune the results.

015490   Mathai M V;Narayan P S (NO, Azim Premji Univ, 10th Floor, Pixel Park, A-Block, PES Campus, Electronics City, Hosur Road, Bangladesh-560 100, Email: manu.mathai@apu.edu.in) : Paris climate change agreement and after. Curr Sci 2017, 112(6), 1099-1100.

5 ref

015489   Kulkarni M N;Ramakrishnegowda C;Nanda H S; Sivapullaiah P V (Civil Engineering Dep, Nagarjuna College of Engineering and Technology, Bengaluru, Email: sivapullaiah@gmail.com) : Soil bentonite liner to control migration of potassium ions. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 285-93.

Compacted soil liners amended with bentonite are widely used to minimize migration of pollutants. The thickness of the liner is designed based on the rate of migration of contaminants through the selected liner. The rates of transport of contaminants depend both on the hydraulic permeability of the compacted liner and diffusion rates of pollutants. The advection diffusion mathematical model is used to assess the rates of transport of contaminants through the soil liner. The rates of migration of ions by advection process can be assessed knowing the porosity of the soil, hydraulic head and permeability of the soil. But the rates of migration by diffusion depend on diffusion coefficient and retardation factor of the ions for the selected liner. These transport parameters can be obtained by performing soil column tests and obtaining breakthrough curve. In this study, it is proposed to obtain breakthrough curve of potassium ions in locally available soil amended with 10% bentonite. Theoretical breakthrough curves can be generated using mathematical models with a set of assumed values of diffusion coefficient and retardation factor. The actual values are those which yield the theoretical curves close to experimentally determined Break through curves from column test. These values are determined for potassium ions, which is not retarded heavily and hence give more conservative values. The thickness of the liner is decided for any given designed life of the liner. The locally available soil which is not directly suitable as liner due its higher permeability is amended with bentonite is selected as liner and thickness is established for different designed periods.

9 illus, 3 tables, 9 ref

015488   Kolekar S S (Chemistry Dep, Hutatma Raajguru College, Rajgurunagar, Pune, Email: smrkolekar@gmail.com) : Effect of sugar industry sewage discharge on physico-chemical parameter of ground water Bhairavnath sugar factory, Vihal Tal Karmala, Solapur district, Maharashtra, India. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 333-6.

The untreated and treated effluents of sugar industry and ground water samples in vicinity of Bhairavanth sugar factory, Vihal, Tal-Karmala, Solapur district Maharashtra, India were collected during 2014-2015 and brought into laboratory to - 22 - evaluate the physico -chemical parameters like pH, E.C, TDS, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^-, SO₄^2-, CO₃^2- HCO₃^-, SAR, RSC etc. The untreated, treated effluent of sugar industry and ground water is also compared to the BIS Indian Standard values. The ground water used for irrigation should satisfy certain standards. The present study indicates that all water samples are unfit for irrigation and drinking purpose. Ground waters get polluted due to sugar industry sewage discharge.

3 tables, 5 ref

015487   Kashyap R;Bajaj R;Sajen S;Amrit Raj;Jose J V (School of Mechanical and Building Science, SMBS, VIT Univ, Vellore-632 014, Email: rajneeshkashyap.rk13@gmail.com) : Comparison of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium level in two different plant species in controlled and pollution areas of Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 397-401.

In plant, if amount of Nitrogen (N) is low or in excess, then plant growth is hindered also it affects nutrient uptake. Phosphorus (P) deficiency makes the leaf dull grayish green or red pigmented at leaf base or even plant growth is retarded, while in excess it reduces absorption of other important plant micro-nutrients. Potassium (K) deficiency affects the plant seeds and fruits. Excess potassium may lead to deficiency of other nutrients like magnesium and calcium. The study is mainly focused on estimating the level of NPK content in plant species, found in controlled and polluted areas in Vellore district. Leaves of Peltophorum Ferrugenium and Lagestroemia speciosa were collected and after digested they were treated with Nessler's Reagent, for nitrogen and potassium estimation, whereas in case of phosphorous estimation, ascorbic acid was used. They were then analyzed using spectrophotometer. The parameters were found to be greater in plant leaves from environment with relatively high pollution than the control.

6 illus, 14 ref

015486   Joseph A E;Unnikrishnan S;Rakesh Kumar; Chowdhury Z;Sawant S (Xavier School of Sustainability, Xavier Univ, Bhubaneswar, Plot No 12(A), Nijigada Kurki, Harirajpur-752 050, Email: abbaelizabeth@gmail.com) : Source identification and quantification of PM_2.5 aerosol in Mumbai using receptor techniques. J envir Sci Engng 2016, 58(1), 29-50.

Ambient levels of fine particles in the environment cause adverse human health effects and climate change. The estimation of PM_2.5 concentration, chemical characterization and source apportionment for different land use pattern in Mumbai was the objective. In the present study, factor analysis was performed followed by application of Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) model using - 21 - source profiles developed for India and organic marker profiles developed in the United States of America. The average outdoor PM_2.5 mass concentrations at Control, Kerb, and Residential and Industrial site were 69±20.97,84±31.99,89±3 3.52,95±36.01 μg/m³, respectively. Advantages of using speciation data viz. OC, EC, major ions and metals (with molecular marker) was helpful in identifying local sources like refineries, generators and kerosene combustion. Fine Particle Source Apportionment using Organic Marker indicated that major contributors to PM_2.5 mass were diesel exhaust, biomass burning, gasoline emissions secondary inorganic aerosol and road dust. The vehicular contribution (gasoline and diesel) was around 20-40%. The gasoline contribution is mainly attributed to vehicles but the diesel emissions may also be from vehicles, industries, stationary generators, forklifts for material lifting, bakeries etc. The secondary inorganic aerosol formation contributes to 11-28% indicating as one of the major sources followed by vehicles. Biomass combustion was about 6-24%, could be due to area sources like bakeries, crematoria, open burning, garden waste, domestic etc. Moderate road dust contribution was observed except at control site. The fossil fuel (diesel, gasoline and coal) contributions (27% to 38%) exceeded biomass contribution (6-24%) in Mumbai city.

5 illus, 12 tables, 48 ref

015485   John S K;Mani T K (NO, Karpagam Univ, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Email: shajimonkjohn@saintgits.org) : Vegetation index over Kerala, India in relation to the rainfall pattern. J envir Sci Engng 2015, 57(4), 303-7.

The rain pattern and vegetation are showing variation over the last decade. This affects the biodiversity of Kerala. In this paper, a systematic study of vegetation with the help of satellite images over the past three years was done to find out the variations in vegetation index and the related rainfall pattern.

5 illus, 17 ref

015484   Irengbam M;Dobriyal P;Hussain S A;Badola R (NO, Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box No.18, Chandrabani, Dehra Dun-248 001, Email: ruchi@wii.gov.in) : Balancing conservation and development in Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary, Uttarakhand, India. Curr Sci 2017, 112(6), 1187-96.

The Terai Arc Landscape in the foothills of the Himalaya is a critical tiger conservation unit straddling India and Nepal. The Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary (NWS) located in the eastern part of this landscape, is an important corridor for the movement of large mammalian species. This landscape is under tremendous pressure due to increased human population and demands for forest resources. The present study (1) assesses the dependence of the local communities on forest resources, (2) identifies concerns and interests of major stakeholders, and (3) assesses the major issues challenging conservation in the NWS. Household surveys and focus group discussions were carried out in 13 fringe villages around the NWS, and key stakeholders were identified and consulted. Risk assessment was done to identify the major issues in the area and their underlying causes. The local communities are dependent on forest for fuel wood (25-40 kg/ household/day) and fodder (20-25 kg/household/day). Low-income groups, displaced groups and the gujjar community emerged as the most dependent stakeholders. Diverse interests arose from the communities having different livelihood patterns. Habitat loss and degradation due to excessive extraction of forest resources, riverbed mining and lack of support of local communities emerged as the major threats hampering conservation in the area. Involvement of local communities in forest conservation along with provision of alternative livelihood is needed. It is critical to develop a consultative framework with the local communities and other stakeholders to explore alternative strategies that meet conservation and development goals.

1 illus, 3 tables, 35 ref

015483   Ibiyemi A;Adnan Y M;Daud M N (Estate Management Dep, Faculty of Build Environment, Malaya Univ, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Email: yomi1004@googlemail.com) : Pro-environmental behaviour: an incentive-based pollution charge assessment for process industries. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 263-74.

Pollution charging theory relies on the measure of pollution generated per unit, control costs, and revenue generation. This study advocates a shift to one that factors explicitly, production capacity utilisation scales for the process industries. The paper aims at a change of behavior through an equity-driven, production-cognate pollution charging model predicated on the valuation principles of substitution and expectation. The inquiry fixates on what would be the approach to estimating pollution charge that could integrate industry's capacity utilisation and internal financial control system? It investigates control methodologies and presents an overview of charging systems in the selected countries. A case study industry is used in Nigeria to develop an existing use value charging assessment. Two commissioned experts scored the Scalage. A triangulation study verifies the approach. The study instigates a change of behaviour, by inducing industries to set productive capacity limits through a crossover of - 20 - cost internalisation and compliance mechanisms.

1 illus, 2 tables, 39 ref

015482   Hemalatha D S;Dayananda H S (Environmental Engineering Dep, Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering, Mysore-570 002, Email: hemalathads_81@yahoo.co.in) : Impact of human activities on river water quality-Indian scenario. J envir Sci Engng 2015, 57(4), 343-58.

Nearly all major cities and towns in India are located on the banks of rivers. In recent years, there has been a swift increase in the urban areas along the rivers due to rapid progress in communications and commerce and these rivers have been transformed into a channel for receiving and transporting the urban domestic and industrial waste's away from towns. River pollution has become a natural phenomenon, which is triggered by anthropogenic activities. Discharge of wastes beyond assimilative capacity of the river, due to continued human activities has resulted in accelerated pollution, eventually rendering the river to a virtual wastewater. When any wastewater is discharged into natural waters, its organic matter gets oxidized by the dissolved oxygen present in natural water. The deficiency of dissolved oxygen thus created is replenished by the absorption of atmospheric oxygen. This phenomenon which occurs in all natural waters is known as "Self Purification". An attempt is being made in this review paper to collate and compile the findings of researchers on stream pollution caused due to point and non-point sources. The research findings on physico-chemical and biological analysis of river water, sediment analysis, agricultural runoff, self - purification and Streeter Phelps model are presented.

2 illus, 48 ref

015481   Hema Nalini A V;Sreemahadevan Pillai P R;Rao Y V K S (NO, Kerala Univ, Calicut, Kerala, Email: sreemahadevanpillai@gmail.com) : Optimizing compositing factors to reduce loss of nitrogen in condensate during co-composting of MSW and brewery sludge. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 343-52.

Condensates in in-vessel composting systems are formed when the hot exhaust air from the system comes in contact with a cold surface. The hot air may contain gases of decomposition of composting materials containing carbon and nitrogen. The major gases produced during composting are carbon dioxide as a result of decomposition of carbon containing materials and different forms of nitrogen gases due to the decomposition of nitrogen containing materials. The escape of various forms of nitrogen gases can contribute total nitrogen in the condensate, which may depend upon the composting factors, thereby reducing nitrogen content in the compost affecting the fertilizing capacity of the product. In order to produce quality compost it is necessary to reduce the loss of nitrogen through exhaust gases. This study deals with the determination of optimal levels of five factors namely A: the percentage of brewery sludge (20, 30), B: amendment type (cow dung, coconut pith), C: C/N ratio (15, 30), D: starting culture (without, with) and E: aeration rate (0.3 L/min/kg, 0.45 L/min/kg) at two levels, and the interaction of factors, in reducing total nitrogen present in the condensate during the co-composting of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and brewery sludge (BS) using Taguchi's experimental design with an L8 orthogonal array having 8 trials. An in-vessel batch type composting reactor was used for conducting the experiment. Temperature in the reactor is continuously monitored at regular intervals till the end of - 19 - composting. The condensate produced in the reactor was analyzed for pH, conductivity, ammonia nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen and total nitrogen at two days interval for all the trials. Total nitrogen for each trial was kept as the responses for SN analysis. The optimal levels of the factors for reducing total nitrogen in the condensate for smaller the better criterion is A2C2D1E2. Factor B is the least significant factor and therefore it is pooled in the analysis. Analysis of variance shows that the most significant factor influencing the reduction of total nitrogen in the condensate is the interaction between brewery sludge and C/N ratio.

13 illus, 7 tables, 26 ref

015480   Gupta R K;Deshmukh S;Sirsikar A;Sharma G; Pandey R A (NO, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Email: ra_pandey@neeri.res.in ) : Statistical analysis and process optimization of pretreatment using wetox for complex waste from pharmaceutical industry. J envir Sci Engng 2016, 58(1), 11-16.

Pharmaceutical wastewaters are complex and low in biodegradability index (BI: BOD/COD ratio) and hence difficult to treat biologically. Wet air oxidation (wetox), a green and eco-friendly process is used for the pretreatment of wastewater produced from a pharmaceutical industry manufacturing sulfa drugs, to enhance its biodegradability index from 0.27 to ≥ 0.40 to make it amenable for further biological treatment. Box Behnken design was used to perform the wetox experiments for three operating parameters viz. temperature (125-175^°C), pressure (5-20 bar) and treatment period (15-45 min).The polynomial equation thus generated had R² value of 0.9535 and was further subjected to optimization. The optimization was carried out with the aim to increase BI to 0.45. The optimal values for the three parameters were found to be temperature 185^°C, pressure 20 bar and time 30 min. The results showed successful enhancement in the BI index of the complex waste making it further useful for biological treatment.

5 illus, 4 tables, 18 ref

015479   Gupta D;Saxena K (Computer Applications Dep, Samrat Ashok Technological Institute, Engineering College, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, Email: gupta_divya13@yahoo.in) : Prediction of climatic condition using data mining tools and its impact on fly-ash metal concentration. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 295-300.

Coal fly-ash is a heterogeneous material. Generally in fly-ash several factors affect or control the concentrations of mineral elements (in traces) that include element sources, element existence, combustion process, volatilization-condensation mechanism and of course the particle size. Since last several years so many papers published and highlighted the topic of concentration of mineral elements in coal fly-ash, and focused mainly on the particle size and weather conditions etc. Our current manuscript is dealing and giving emphasis on climatic conditions such as temperature and humidity, which is in most cases plays a leading role in the concentration of mineral elements in fly-ash. In this manuscript we developed a formula and consequently calculated the concentration of mineral elements in fly-ash using data mining statistical techniques like "Regression" for two different variables such as humidity and temperature against particle size. It is recorded from our current result that when we exceeded the temperature and humidity Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb shows less concentration among all tested mineral elements and finally the concentration of tested metal was in the order of Mn <62> Ni <62> Cr <62> Zn <62> Cu - 18 - <62> Pb <62> Co <62> Cd. It is clear from our present result that the particle size, temperature and humidity play a role in metal concentration raise or decline in fly-ash.

1 illus, 1 table, 17 ref

015478   George P;Joseph S;Chidambaram S (Environmental Sciences Dep, Kerala Univ, Kariavattom-695 581, Email: princegeorge@keralauniversity.ac.in) : Seasonal appraisal of dissolved carbon distribution in a tropical river, Kerala, India. J envir Sci Engng 2016, 58(1), 51-6.

This study on carbon distribution carried out in Meenachil River, Kerala during pre monsoon (PRM), monsoon (MON) and post monsoon (POM) typify remarkable seasonal variability in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations. Seasonal observation reveals that DOC is high during PRM compared to POM and MON. The study divulge that DOC, DIC and TC have similar trend for all seasons i.e. PRM<62>POM<62>MON, while ANOVA concludes significant variation among different seasons (P <60> 0.05). Reduced DIC/DOC value at river mouth station especially during PRM indicates the ecohydrological changes in the river-estuary interface region. The total sediment carbon in river bed varied from 0.13 to 5.59 wt %. Strong correlations exist between dissolved carbon species of water and sediment during different seasons.

8 illus, 2 tables, 18 ref

015477   Gautam S;Ahmed S;Dhingra A;Fatima Z (Civil Engineering Dep, Jamia Millia Islamic Central Univ, New Delhi-110 025, Email: suahmed@jmi.ac.in) : Cost-effective treatment technology for small size sewage treatment plants in India. J scient ind Res 2017, 76(4), 249-54.

The present paper discusses cost effective wastewater treatment technologies for small size Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in India. Wastewater treatment technologies are gaining importance for an attention of policy-makers and industries for meeting the required pollution control guidelines as laid down by the regulators of the countries - 17 - and to make the wastewater fit for desired usages resulting in conservation of water resources. This article provides an analysis of technologies commonly used in this sector in terms of cost assessment and footprint requirment for selecting its suitablity in Indian climate. Various aearobic treatment technolgies viz. Moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), Membrane bioreactor (MBR), Sequenencingl batch Reactor (SBR), Extended Aerarion (EA), Submerged aerobic fixed film (SAFF), suitable for treating wastewater have been considered for comparative analysis which includes operation and maintenance (O & M) cost also. The study suggests SBR as most cost-effective treatment technolgy and MBR most expensive among various avilable treatment options.

4 illus, 2 tables, 21 ref

015476   Dwivedi N;Bolomajumder C;Mondal P (Biotechnology Dep, S.D. College of Engineering and Technology, Muzaffarnagar-251 001, Email: neaveen.dwivedi@rediffmail.com) : Comparative evaluation of cyanide removal by adsorption, biodegradation, and simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation (SAB) process using Bacillus cereus and almong shell. J envir Biol 2016, 37(4), 551-6.

The present study aimed to investigate the removal efficiency of cyanide from contaminated water by adsorption, biodegradation and simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation (SAB) process individually in a batch reactor. Adsorption was achieved by using almond shell granules and biodegradation was conducted with suspended cultures of Bacillus cereus, whereas SAB process was carried out using Bacillus cereus and almond shell in a batch reactor. The effect of agitation time, pH, and initial cyanide concentration on the % removal of cyanide has been discussed. Under experimental conditions, optimum removal was obtained at pH 7 with agitation time of 48 hrs and temperature of 35 °C. Cyanide was utilized by bacteria as sole source of nitrogen for growth. The removal efficiencies of cyanide by adsorption, biodegradation, and SAB were found to be 91.38%, 95.87%, and 99.63%, respectively, at initial cyanide concentration of 100 mg l^-1. The removal efficiency of SAB was found to be better as compared to that of biodegradation and adsorption alone.

5 illus, 33 ref

015475   Dwivedi K;Rudrashetti A;Sharma A;Lokhande S; Chakrabarti T;Pandey R A (Environmental Biotechnology & Genomics Div, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur-440 020, Email: ra_pandey@neeri.res.in) : Evaluation of fenton and ozone treatment processes for the drgradation of psychiatric drugs carbamazepine (CBZ) the drgadation of psychiatric drugs carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (oxCBZ) in simulated wastewater (SWW). J envir Sci Engng 2016, 58(1), 1-10.

The current research focuses on the evaluation of two advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) viz. Fenton and ozone treatment for the degradation of recalcitrant antipsychiatrics carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (oxCBZ) in simulated wastewater. The parameters for Fenton reactions viz. pH, Fenton dosage, contact time and Fe²⁺/H₂O₂ were optimized using Response Surface Methodology. The optimum conditions obtained were (pH 2.0, Fenton dosage 1.61 g/dm³, Fe²⁺/H₂O₂ 0.427 and contact time of 25 minutes) which yields a COD destruction of 92.49%. A pseudo-first order rate constant of 0.6185 min^-1 and 0.0676 min^-1 was observed for the ozonation of CBZ and oxCBZ respectively.

8 illus, 4 tables, 23 ref

015474   Dubey M;Ujjania N C (Aquatic Biology Dep, Veer Narmad South Gujarat Univ, Udhna Magdlha Road, Surat-395 007, Email: monika_aqua12@yahoo.co.in) : Seasonal variation in water quality of weir cum-causeway, Tapi river (India). Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 423-7.

In the present study, an attempt has been made to explain the effect of seasonal changes and pollutants on physico-chemical characteristics of river Tapi water in reference to weir cumcauseway. This study was conducted for one year from December 2012 to November 2013 and important water quality parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, nitrate-N, nitrite-N, ammonia, total hardness, fluoride, chloride, total alkalinity, phosphate, sodium, potassium) were analysed. The seasonal observations were compared with water quality standards and found beyond during winter (turbidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia, phosphate, potassium), summer (turbidity, biological oxygen demand, nitrite- N, ammonia, phosphate, potassium), monsoon (turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, nitrite-N, ammonia, phosphate, potassium) and post-monsoon (turbidity, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia, phosphate, potassium ). The result of this study depicted that weir cum-causeway of Tapi River observed polluted but it is heavily polluted during winter and monsoon season due to industrial, domestic sewage pollution and agriculture runoff.

1 illus, 1 table, 28 ref

015473   Dhanya V;Renoy G (NO, Foundation for Environmental Research and Innovation, Kannur-670 691, Email: vdhanyageo@gmail.com) : Water governance and public participation: what matters?. Curr Sci 2017, 112(4), 686-7.

Major transition in global water governance includes promotion of integrated water resources management, river basin approaches, decentralization, and involvement of stakeholders against traditional top-down and centrally driven decision-making processes. Although participatory approaches are important to enhance sustainable water governance, engaging general public in the water governance process itself is often a challenge across globe. This note draws perspectives on some of the major challenges faced in India to ensure effective participation in water governance with a focus on factors that motivate the general public to get involved in the process and the necessary changes that may facilitate improving the participatory governance.

11 ref

015472   Datta A;Maity M;Banerjee R (West Bengal Swarojgar Corporation Ltd., Under Dep of Self Help Group &, Govt. of West Bengal, East India House, 1st Floor, 20 B Abdul Hamid Street, Kolkata-700 069, Email: rajarshi.rishi@gmail.com) : Seasonal variations in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of a new canal systems of east Kolkata wetlands. Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 353-61.

Present work is related to the physico-chemical parameters of water quality analysis and microbial analysis of canal water in East Kolkata. Three different points of canal were studied during the present work for a period of one year and results are presented seasonally. The parameters are temperature, pH, D.O, B.O.D.5, C.O.D, - 15 - total alkalinity, PO₄, NO₃-N, lead, cadmium and chromium. From microbiological analysis a number of pathogenic bacteria have been identified and their count and type varies with nature of water. Water temperature varied from 21°C to 37°C, pH from 6.5 to 7.5, D.O from 0 to 1.8mg/L, B.O.D.5 from 88 to 560 mg/L, C.O.D from 562.25 to 1146.12mg/L, phosphate 1.9 to 11.6 mg/L, NO₃-N from 15.3 to 41.80 mg/L, total alkalinity from 185 to 268 mg/L, lead from 0.32 to 0.62 mg/L, cadmium from 0.08 to 0.22 mg/L and chromium from 0.01 to 0.4 mg/ L. The results indicate that water is very highly polluted and has a high possibility of heavy metal concentration like lead. Microbial analysis showed high bacterial load which may have a high potentiality of spreading disease like dysentery, cholera etc.

11 illus, 2 tables, 37 ref

015471   Chunduri J (Biotechnology Dep, Mithibai College & Chauhan Institute of Science, Bhakti Vedanta Marg, Ville Parle(W), Mumbai-400 093, Email: jsowri@rediffmail.com) : Biomonitoring to assess the pollution impact on harbour coastal ecosystems. J envir Sci Engng 2016, 58(1), 57-64.

Coastal ecosystems are under constant stress due to anthropogenic activities resulting in change within the communities' composition and distribution with respect to ambient water quality. The stress conditions lead to evolution of resistant organisms such as Chinese mitten crab and Mytilopsis salleii which are invasive and capable of propagating themselves across nations. Harbors are eco-centres that are under constant stress due to location, trade, and inflow of effluents. Poor water circulation, uneven mixing of effluents discharged in large quantities, and built structures affect the water quality conditions and communities of the harbours. Basic approach to understand harbours - with respect to their ecosystems, structural integrity, stress conditions, and to develop a conceptual model of stress assessment and its cost to its restoration, assessment of water quality and identification of biotic communities will show way forward to classify stress conditions and measure to restore water conditions. Holistic study of Ecocentres may open doors to innovative and risk based design for improvement of safety factor. Response of benthic mcroalgae to stress conditions in Visakhapatnam harbour as observed in this case study may be developed as conceptual model for environmental monitoring of harbour coastal ecosystem.

^ccr4 illus, 2 tables, 20 ref

015470   Chandra A;Vipin Kumar;Jain M K (Environmental Science & Engineering Dep, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad-826 004, Email: avantika4jan@gmail.com) : Impact of open cast coal mining on groundwater quality around Jharia coal field area, India. J envir Sci Engng 2016, 58(1), 65-72.

Assessment of the groundwater quality can enhance understanding of the hydrochemical system and effective management of water - 14 - resources. An attempt has been made to evaluate the groundwater quality around opencast coal mining area during pre-monsoon (March), monsoon (July) and post monsoon (November) periods. Impact of mining on groundwater resources has been assessed by conducting geophysical and hydrological investigations. Groundwaters were collected from different locations and analyzed for physico-chemical parameters. The higher concentration of hardness, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, Fe, Mn and Co was observed in all the seasons, which would make them unsafe for drinking purpose. The concentration of all the studied ions in groundwater was noticed higher in summer season followed by winter and monsoon. The groundwater quality index (WQI) was also calculated based on the parameters estimated and result indicated the deteriorated water quality. It was noticed that some of the groundwater locations are unfit for drinking as per Indian Standard. The presence of Mn, Fe, and Co in toxic amounts in groundwater samples is also a matter of concern. The study provides an insight into the likely impact of mining on water regime and will be helpful in taking proper precautionary measures.

3 illus, 1 table, 28 ref

015469   Chakraborty T;Mukherjee I (Environmental Engineering & Management Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur-208 016, Email: indra_1978@rediffmail.com) : Rainwater harvesting and greywater reutilisation in modern homes. J envir Sci Engng 2015, 57(4), 321-9.

With the continuous rise in the world's population along with the development of the nations as a whole, the per capita demand for water supply has increased substantially globally. This needs proper addressing as it is exerting tremendous pressure on the limited fresh water sources available. Considering the importance of water on human activities and human development, this water scarcity problem can serve as a basic hindrance to the sustainability of life, as is the case in several places in the world. Moreover, a large part of the water supplied to meet the demand is wasted due to inefficient usage, thereby increasing the water consumed as well as the pressure on the water supply systems. In this context, two main methods of conservation of water resources - rainwater harvesting and greywater reutilization have been discussed in the paper with emphasis on their viability in modern rural and urban homes of India. Case studies have been done for four major metropolitan cities, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore to emphasize the efficacy of these processes in providing sufficient rainwater to the population. The money saved by adopting such a process has also been calculated for the different cases.

^ccr3 illus, 10 table, 32 ref

015468   Barwal A;Chaudhary R (NO, School of Energy and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Engineering Sci, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore-452 001, Email: rubina_chaudhary@yahoo.com) : Introduction of fixed-film bio-reactor (FFBR) for treatment of nitrogenous wastewater with variable concentration and hydraulic retention time under ambient conditions. J envir Sci Engng 2015, 57(4), 294-302.

In this paper, the results of experimentation performed in a laboratory scale fixed film biological reactor (FFBR) treating the wastewater having variable nitrate concentration, are presented and discussed. Removal efficiency for different nitrate concentration ranging from 100 to 2500 mg L^-1 was observed at constant (12 h) and variable (24 - 36 h) hydraulic retention time. Methanol was used as a carbon source. The main objective was to obtain nitrate concentration below 10 mg L^-1 in effluent. The study was also carried out to establish other parameters that affect the performance of FFBR. The results show that the removal rate increases linearly with increasing loading rate and the hydraulic retention time is one of the important parameter in removing nitrate concentration from the wastewater with removal efficiency up to 98-99%.

4 illus, 5 table, 24 ref

015467   Amjadi A;Ahmadvand M (NO, V.N. Karazin Kharkov National Univ, Ukraine, Email: azizamjadi@yahoo.com) : Applying of multivariate statistical analysis in the hydrogeochemical studies of Shiraz and Khorramabad basins in Iran (The zagros mountains). Pollut Res 2016, 35(2), 389-96.

On large territories defining a site of groundwater with a similar chemical composition using a wide range of chemical elements and compounds (10 or more) is a rather complicated task. We have suggested a new way based on applying cluster analysis. Using this method gives an opportunity to find groundwater with a similar chemical composition in different areas and underground reservoirs. - 13 - This method has been tested in the study of the chemical composition of the groundwater of the Shiraz and the Khorramabad basins, Iran.

6 illus, 2 tables, 12 ref

014542   Zahir Hussain A;Mohamed Sheriff K M (Chemistry PG and Research Dep, Jamal Mohamed College (Autnomous), Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu) : Study of water quality index of groundwater on the bank of Noyyal river at Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India. Archiv appl Sci Res 2016, 8(1), 17-19.

Groundwater is the most important natural resource required for drinking to people around the world, especially in rural and urban areas. The present study is accomplished to evaluate the quality of groundwater on the bank of Noyyal River for the purpose of drinking and domestic usage by using Water Quality Index (WQI). The study was carried out in rainy season 2013. The results were evaluated and compared with WHO water quality standards. The present study indicates that most of the groundwater samples are very poor and unfit for drinking purpose.

2 illus, 2 tables, 14 ref

014541   Vijaya Kumar P;Subba Rao A V M;Sarath Chandran M A;Venkatesh H;Rao V U M;Rao C S (NO, ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad-500 059, Email: sarath@crida.in) : Micro-level Agromet Advisory services using block level weather forecast- A new concept based - 22 - approach. Curr Sci 2017, 112(2), 227-8.

2 ref

014540   Teronpi N;Tamuli A K (Life Science & Bioinformatics Dep, Assam Univ-Diphu Campus, Diphu, Karbi Anglong, Assam-782 462, Email: robin.teron@gmail.com) : Challenges and remedies to biodiversity in Singhason landscape. Ambient Sci 2015, 2(1), 16-24.

The Singhason hill range in Assam is a cultural landscape with rich biodiversity and implications for conservation of biodiversity. In recent years, the hill range has been under pressure particularly from human interference that poses considerable threats to biodiversity and the landscape. There is no previous study on environment of Singhason hills due to which biodiversity status, agricultural practices and other related aspects of the hill are unknown. In the present paper, drivers of environmental deterioration in Singhason landscape and opportunities for its conservation are discussed. Data collection included interview and participant observations; informant responses on drivers of environmental deterioration have been presented as Relative Frequency. Over-harvesting is the most potent driver with RF score of 91.7% followed by mining of lime stone and coal (83.3%), monoculture with rubber and teak (35.4%) and shifting cultivation (12.5%). Overexploitation is the major cause of degradation of agar-wood, cinnamon, black dammar, rattans and bamboo resources. Agroforestry with local plants such as black dammar, cinnamon, broom grass, orange, pineapple and pear hold promises for food production, food security, nutrition, health and socio-cultural benefits.

014539   Sungchasit R;Pongsumpun P;Tang I M (Mathematics Dep, Faculty of Science King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chalongkrung Road, Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand, Email: kppuntan@kmitl.ac.th) : Environmental impact on the spread of dengue virus when two mosquito species circulate. Far East J mathl Sci 2017, 101(1), 137-70.

We - 21 - study the environmental impact on the dengue fever epidemic when two species of mosquitoes namely the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus circulate. The infected populations of the humans and of mosquito species are each divided into two groups, the being infected but not infectious and the other infected and infectious (I). A SEIR model and SEI model are developed for the human and the two mosquito populations, respectively. The dynamical behaviors of the three populations are obtained by simulating the behaviors by numerically solving the differential equations which describe the models. Changes in the trajectories when the values of the environment dependent parameters are changed reveal the influence of the environment on the spread of the dengue virus. Often the values of the parameters in the two SEI models will depend on how a particular mosquito specie interacts with the environment and so the values of the parameters will be different in the two SEI models. This makes possible that the basic production numbers of the two species (S_aegypti <62> and S_albopictus) will be different giving different S_i's which give the following combinations (S_aegypti <62> 1, S_albopictus <62> 1), (S_aegypti <62> 1, S_albopictus <60> 1), (S_aegypti <60> 1, S_albopictus <62> 1) and (S_aegypti <60> 1, S_albopictus <60> 1). When the different conditions are satisfied, nature will have both species present, only one specie present or no species present.

11 illus, 1 table, 24 ref

014538   Singh S;Singh M;Bhat M A;Bhawsar A (Environmental Sciences and Limnology Dep, Barkatullah Univ, Bhopal) : Evaluation of water quality index of upper lake - a Ramsar site. Archiv appl Sci Res 2016, 8(3), 34-7.

During the present survey some physicochemical properties of Upper Lake, Bhopal were investigated in order to assess its water quality status. Physicochemical parameters which were analyzed throughout the study include pH, TDS, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, total hardness and nitrate. It was found that the overall water quality of Upper Lake comes under 'Fair' to 'Poor' quality at all the sampling stations. The major sources of pollution in this lake were sewage, agricultural runoff and other anthropogenic activities.

5 tables, 19 ref

014537   Shrestha M;Shrestha S;Datta A (Water Engineering and Management School of Engineering and Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani-12120, Thailand, Email: manis_shrestha@live.com) : Assessment of Climate change Impact on Water Diversion from the Bago River to the Moeyingyi wetland, Myanmar. Curr Sci 2017, 112(2), 377-84.

Originally built for flood control, the Moeyingyi wetland, Myanmar now provides valuable resources such as fishery, irrigation water and tourism, and is also home to many rare species and migratory birds. This is the only wetland in Myanmar listed as a Ramsar Site. Bias-corrected climate data from three general circulation models under two emission scenarios of IPCC Assessment Report 5 (AR5), namely RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 were used to forecast temperature and rainfall. Future climate scenarios were predicted for three future periods as 2020s (2021-30), 2030s (2031- 40) and 2040s (2041-50). The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used for hydrological analysis to predict water availability. Analysis suggests that the discharge is expected to decrease during dry season, which can have a negative impact on the diversion of water from the Bago River to the Moeyingyi wetland. On the other hand, discharge is likely to increase during July and can further worsen the recurring floods. Similarly, inflow at the Moeyingyi wetland is expected to decrease in future. Hence, robust adaptation strategies should be formulated to cope with the negative impact of climate change.

9 illus, 1 table, 18 ref

014536   Saha G;Kar B;karmakar S (Agricultural Meterology and Physics Dep, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia-741 252, Email: ts.karmakar007@gmail.com) : Methane and nitrous oxide emission from Kharif rice field as influenced by nutrients and moisture regimes in new alluvial agroclimatic region of west Bengal. Curr Sci 0000, 112(5), 989-95.

Crop management practices have a significant impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rates, where methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from rice paddy fields are in trade-off association. A field study for two consecutive years (2013 and 2014) was conducted to continuously measure CH₄ and N₂O emissions from rice paddies under various agricultural management schedules like water regimes (irrigated and rainfed), transplanting dates and nutritional amendments (synthetic fertilizer with N as ammonium sulphate, P and K according to recommended dose, and vermicompost). Rainfed situation incurred a drop in CH₄ fluxes triggering substantial N₂O emission. Ammonium sulphate - 20 - application tended to reduce CH4 emissions, but significantly increased N2O emissions. Enhanced CH₄ fluxes were measured during panicle initiation to flowering stage while, maximum N₂O emissions were recorded during flowering to milking stage of rice crop. Significant interrelationship between the gases was evaluated. In addition, seasonal average of CH₄ and N₂O emissions was also correlated with rice production. In conclusion, GHG concentration may control to some extent optimizing rice productivity through implementing and improving crop- and location-specific management practices.

2 illus, 4 tables, 38 ref

014535   Ruggieri R (Assessorato Infrastrutture e Mobilita, Sicily Region Hyblean Center for Speleo Hydrogeological Researches, N, Slovenia, Email: info@cirs-ragusa.org) : Tracing the sources of pollution of wells and karst springs supplying water the city of Ragusa, South-Eastern sicily. Ambient Sci 2014, 1(2), 26-35.

The present study deals with the pollution which has occured in two important karst springs, supplying the acqueduct of Ragusa city in Italy. Both springs show higher values of ammonia and the presence of pathogenic bacteria, elements ascribable to wastewater of animal origin. This investigations identified a number of farms present within the springs protected areas which likely have caused the pollution. At these farm was imposed by ordinances to build adequate storage tanks for the animal wastewater. Paradoxically, the construction of such tanks led to a further worsening of the state of pollution, as the latter from episodic, linked to rainfall, became continuous due to the overflowing of wastewater from the tanks never emptied, as it was ascertained. A geological and geochemical study, preparatory to the execution of tracer tests, allowed a hydrogeological characterization of the recharge area and the definition of the hydrologic regime of the springs, that in this case, resulted as interconnected. Follow-up tests with fluorescent tracers, carried out on a few farms, were then interrupted due to the non-cooperation from one of the farm owners. From that moment on, every research for the origin of the pollutant gets stop and the situation gets worse, both in terms of environment and for the resulting pollution of two municipal drinking water wells placed at the confluence of the Ciaramite stream valley with the Irminio river. After passing 3 years of the polluting event, despite the ordinances issued by the City Hall towards a number of livestock farms who did not comply with the collection of waste and its disposal, as a result the collectivity have assisted to the loss of a spring and the ecological degradation of the Ciaramite stream valley.

8 illus, 2 tables, 15 ref

014534   Ravindranath N H;Chaturvedi R K;Poornima Kumar (Centre for sustainable technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru-560 012, Email: ravi@ces.iisc.ernet.in) : Paris agreement; research, monitoring and reporting requirements for India. Curr Sci 2017, 112(5), 916-22.

Implementation of the Paris Agreement would require transformative technologies, policies and measures to stabilize warming in the range 1.5-2°C. Operationalization of the Paris Agreement would necessitate large-scale estimation, monitoring, modelling, reporting and verification of GHG inventories, mitigation actions and their implications and co-benefits, along with reporting on climate change impacts and adaptation. This article highlights the need for - 19 - research, modelling, monitoring, reporting and data requirements for India, keeping in mind the need for transparency, accuracy, completeness, consistency and comparability. Further, India will have to initiate largescale research and data generation for operationalization of the Paris Agreement.

3 table, 10 ref

014533   Prasad V S;Johny C J;Mali P;Singh S K; Rajagopal E N (NO, National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, A-50 Secto-62, Institutional Area, Noida-201 309, Email: vsprasad@ncmrwf.gov.in) : Global Retrospective Analysis using NGFS for the period 2000-2011. Curr Sci 2017, 112(2), 370-7.

The National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) conducted its first global data retrospective analysis (reanalysis) for the period 1 January 2000-31 March 2011 using its GFS based system (NGFS). This reanalysis is called NGFS-R and the main objectives of this effort are to address issues for studying decadal variability of the Indian summer monsoon, high-resolution global analysis fields to study the Indian monsoon and to provide short-term mean fields for its seasonal/long-term forecasts by ensemble methods. NGFS-R has been conducted with the T574L64 version of the Global Data Assimilation and Forecasting System of NCMRWF that is operational as of May 2015, and using CFS-reanalysis data dump. With this effort, a high-resolution global data analysis at 6 h intervals is made available for about 16 years (2000-2015) for various uses and applications.

9 illus, 2 tables, 9 ref

014532   Pant D;Sharma V (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Central Univ of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala-176 215, Email: deepakpant1@rediffmail.com) : Biocompatibilty of synthetic and bio-material fusion. Curr Sci 2017, 112(2), 390-5.

This communication proposes methods to improve the biocompatibility performance of synthetic materials for biological and biological material for synthetic applications. π-cloud extension by suitable ligand-ligand/metal-ligand interactions can make the synthetic-biological fusion suitable for such applications. The judicious use of ligands for π-cloud extension can be applied to carbon transformations and target-oriented drug delivery systems. Embedded metal-centre catalysts for synthetic-biological fusion include: (i) axial coordination via bridging ligands; (ii) ligands with weak to intermediate field strength and multidenticities; (iii) design of inert complexes, and (iv) development of multi-nuclear complexes.

1 illus, 2 tables, 45 ref

014531   Nkop E J;Ogunmolasuyi A M;Osezua K O;Wahab N O (Chemistry Dep, Faculty of Science, Ibadan Univ, Nigeria) : Comparative study of heavy metals in the soil around waste dump sites within university of Uyo. Archiv appl Sci Res 2016, 8(3), 11-15.

The high concentration of heavy metals in soils is reflected by higher concentrations of metals in plants consequently in animal and human bodies. Small amounts of many heavy metals are required by plants to remain healthy. Assessment of the levels of Fe, Pb, Cd, Zn and Ni in dumpsite soils and vegetation around solid waste dumpsites within university of uyo environment was carried out using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometric technique. This study focused on the investigation of soil contamination (Fe, Pb, Cd, Zn, Ni) in dumpsite soil and accumulation in plant growing in the environment within university of Uyo. Total of six soil samples were collected three dumpsites in which three were control and nine plants samples were also collected at the three different dumpsite. Soil samples were randomly collected by depth profile (0-5cm). Both soil and plant samples were pretreated, digested by the wet method using microwave oven. Heavy metals in soil and plant samples were - 18 - analyzed with atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) equipped with Graphite Furnace. Concentrations of the metals in the dumpsite soil and plant were found to be in higher concentrations compared to control. However, continuous exposure to these metals might bring about bioaccumulation and thus harmfulhealth effects on the population.

2 tables, 27 ref

014530   Nale J P;Gosain A K;Khosa R (NO, , , Email: jyoti.agroneer@gmail.com) : Environmental flow assessment of river ganga - importance of habitat analysis as a means to understand hydrodynamic imperatives for a sustainable ganga biodiversity. Curr Sci 2017, 112(11), 2187-8.

Environmental-flow (e-flow) assessment is still at a rudimentary level in India. Among such assessment studies that have been undertaken for the Ganga River Basin, a large fraction is based on the use of simple, less robust methods where ecology has not received due attention. Owing to the ecological importance of the river, we propose the use of habitat analysis methods for assessing e-flows. Studies incorporating knowledge of river hydrology and hydrodynamic transport phenomena coupled with a knowledge of ecological preferences of indigenous species can provide robust and more realistic solutions. Limitations and difficulties in using these methodologies need to be documented and, hopefully, with their resolution.

4 ref

014529   Nair S;Chandrasekhara Rao P;Pai D S (NO, , India Meterological Dep, Pune-411 005, Email: smitha_anil@yahoo.com) : Synoptic situation associated with the heat wave conditions during 17 May to 1 June 2015 over India. Curr Sci 2017, 112(2), 364-9.

Heat wave conditions from 17 May to 1 June 2015 caused deaths of over 2000 people, especially in the south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Telangana. This study comprises the analysis of synoptic features associated with this deadly heat wave. It was found that the presence of large amplitude anticyclonic flow in the upper levels, above normal 500 hPa height values, above normal lower tropospheric temperatures, below normal precipitable water and higher outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) values are major factors associated with the occurrences of heat wave.

7 illus, 15 ref

014528   Kane R P (NO, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais-INPE, C. P. 515, Sao Jose dos Campos, 12245-970 SP, Brazil, Email: kane@dge.inpe.br) : Antarctic ozone hole, latest 2015 situation about recovery. Mausam 2017, 68(1), 169-70.

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014527   Bharat K;Saini S K;Khosla K;Mehra S;Ravindra N (NO, Iora Ecological Solution Pvt. Ltd, No.225/164B, LadoSarai, New Delhi-110 030, Email: satvant@ioraecological.com) : System dynamics modelling for forest fuelwood management in India. Ambient Sci 2015, 2(2), 1-7.

A new tool, the IFSDM (IEMaC Fuelwood System Dynamics Model), uses system dynamics modelling and simulation to help understand the causal relationships between forest fuelwood availability, regeneration and various kind of extractions to estimate over time how assisted and natural regeneration of the biomass compares to extraction practices for local and distributed needs. It is intended to act as a decision support system for fuelwood management which will assess sustainable fuelwood harvesting levels as well as scientifically identify and examine investment opportunities and policies to reduce fuelwood pressure on forest.

2 illus, 1 table, 18 ref

014526   Basu S;Chitra J;Bhattacharyya S;Ghosh A K (NO, Jadavpur Univ, Kolkata, West Bengal) : Planning research on climate change and zooplankton density and diversity in the Sagar Island, Indian Sundarbans Delta. Bionotes 2017, 19(3), 82-3.

1 illus, 3 ref

014525   Adam E A;Ali E A (Science Chemistry Dep, Sudan Univ of Science and Technolgy, Khartoum, Sudan) : Efficiency of Moringa olifera (Rauwaq tree) seeds as coagulant to remove high turbidity and bacteria compared to aluminium cholrohydrate in rural community (Blue Nile-Sudan). Int J multidiscipl Res Dev 2017, 4(8), 31-6.

The Moringa Oleifera seeds known a (the purifying tree) in Arabic known as (shagarat al rauwaq), were investigated to remove turbidity and reduce total coliform. The water was collected from the Blue Nile during a rainy season at high turbidity 4000NTU.The results show that Moringa has ability to reduce turbidity up to 4.95 NTU below the World Health Organization's(WHO) and The Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization (SSMO) guideline value of 5 NTU for drinking water. It reduced the total coliform by 85% after 24 hours. The studies have also shown that pH, alkalinity, electric conductivity and total dissolved solid conformity with WHO and SSMO standards for drinking water. There was a decrease in the concentration of nitrate and phosphate, with increase in phosphate, but below within permission. Moringa shows remarkable ability to remove high turbidity and reduce total coliform with low cost and simple method for rural people living in the Blue Nile area.

8 table, 15 ref