017099   Sayadi M H;Rashki Ghaleno O (Environmental Sciences Dep, College of Environment, Karaj, Alborz, Iran) : Water quality using the NSFWQI in the year 2014 case study: Chahnimeh reservoir of Sistan. Int J chem Stud 2016, 4(3), 35-7.

Recently, as human population has been increased, water problems and its distribution have affected water storage, especially in arid and semi-arid areas like Sistan and Baluchistan province, Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate the water quality of Chahnimeh reservoir of Sistan, Iran during different seasons of 2014. The sampling was done in the spring and fall of 3 stations and polluted parameters such as PH, TC, BOD, DO, nitrate, phosphate, temperature, turbidity and fecal coliforms were measured. The collected data were used to calculate water quality index (NSFWQI). NSFWQI showed the good quality of water, except at station 1 in fall season where has moderate quality. Additionally, the studied parameters were within the standard of compliance for drinking purpose.

1 illus, 2 tables, 16 ref

017098   Rezazadesh M;Mousavinezhad M;Seyedmahaleeh E S;Mehrdadi N;Yadolahi A (Environment Dep, Tehran Univ, Iran, Email: mousavy64mh@gmail.com) : Developing a model to estimate cumulative leakage of leachate from old landfill to groundwater using hydrus-1d software. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 1643-8.

Over 80 percent of generated waste in Iran goes to landfills, however in most cases, landfills are just open dumping sites and they do not follow recommended standards of sanitary landfills. Leachate of landfills is a threat against both surface and grand waters. In northern part of Iran (Mazandaran province) due to high precipitation and high ground water surface level, this problem is more critical. In recent years different models have been developed their to study possible effect of leachate on environment. One of the important limitations of these models is there inability to simulate the landfill site during its operation. Considering the high generation of leachate during landfill's operation, this work by using of HYDRUS-1D software tried to accomplish this goal. After this new model described, cumulative leakage of leachate simulated for few years after hypothetical closure of a landfill in Babol for two different soil's hydraulic conductivity below the landfill. Both of simulations didn't show any leakage to groundwater during operation of landfill; however the soil below the landfill saturated gradually. In addition as it can be expected after 35 years since beginning of landfill's operation, leakage of leachate from soil with higher conductivity was slightly higher. This model explains the long term effect of leachate leakage from landfills in Iran's northern cities in abstinence of leachate collection system and top and bottom liner.

3 illus, 3 tables, 26 ref

017097   Ramavandi B (Environmental Health Engineering Dep, Faculty of Health, Bushehr Univ of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran, Email: b.ramavandi@bpums.ac.ir) : Behaviour of cyanide adsorption onto lawn waste from aqueous solution and real wastewater. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 2081-9.

In this research, a new and simple-prepared adsorbent was provided from lawn waste (LW) for eliminating of cyanide from aqueous solutions. The LW was a mesoporous material with the BET specific surface area of 2.055 m^{2/g. By FTIR study, several functional groups including hydroxyl, amide, aromatic C=C, and carboxylic groups were identified on the surface of the LW. Kinetic evaluation indicated that the adsorption of cyanide ions onto the LW clearly followed the pseudo-second order rate reaction. The equilibrium adsorption of cyanide onto LW at different temperatures (20, 35, and 50°C) was well represented by Langmuir model. By increasing the temperature from 20 to 50°C, the maximum adsorption capacity was increased. The maximum adsorption capacity of cyanide by LW was attained 128.67 mg/g at 50°C. The results of cyanide adsorption onto LW revealed that the main adsorption mechanisms could be the ionic exchange and chemisorption. A real wastewater of an electroplating plant was effectively treated by LW. Thus, it can be concluded that the lawn waste is cost-effective promising adsorbent for efficient treatment of cyanide-laden wastewater.}

2 illus, 6 tables, 31 ref

017096   Rajneesh Kumar;Bhardwaj A (Soil and Water Engineeing Dep, Punjab Agricultural Univ, Ludhiana-141 001, Email: rajneesh@pau.edu) : Probability analysis of return period of daily maximum rainfall in annual data set of Ludhiana, Punjab. Indian J agric Res 2015, 49(2), 160-4.

The daily rainfall data of 38 years were collected and one day maximum rainfall was sorted to estimate the probable one day maximum rainfall for different return periods by using probability distribution function. The mean value of annual one day maximum rainfall was found to be 105.9 mm with standard deviation and coefficient of variation in percent and skewness of 64, 0.604 and 2.2 respectively. Three probability distributions such as Log Normal, Gumbel and Log Pearson Type-III distribution had been used to determine the best fit probability distribution that describes the annual one day maximum rainfall by comparing with the Chi-square value. The results revealed that the Log Pearson Type-III distribution was the best fit probability distribution to describe annual one day maximum rainfall. Based on the best fit probability distribution, the maximum of 373.42 mm rainfall could be received with 25 years return period. It could be seen that as the confidence probability increased, the confidence interval also found increased. Further, an increase in return period, T caused the confidence band to spread on. The results from the study could be used to design soil and water conservation structures, irrigation and drainage systems and their managements.

2 illus, 3 tables, 15 ref

017095   Prem Sudha R;Uma R N;Murali K;Meiaraj (Civil Engineering Dep, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology, Coimbatore-641 010, Email: premi_jasmine@yahoo.co.in) : Assessment of groundwater quality using WQI method around vellalore municipal solidwaste disposal site in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Int J chem Sci 2016, 14(1), 229-43.

Groundwater is an essential and vital component of our life support system. The deterioration of groundwater quality due to geogenic and anthropogenic activities has drawn great attention as it is the major alternate source of domestic and drinking water supply. In developing countries like India, the rapid urbanization affect the availability and quality of the groundwater, due to its overexploitation and improper waste disposal^{1. WQI is defined as a rating reflecting the composite influence of different water quality parameters. Water quality index (WQI) is calculated from the point of view of the suitability of groundwater for human consumption. The objective of the present work is to discuss the suitability of groundwater for human consumption based on computed water quality index values. Eighteen groundwater samples were collected around Vellalore municipal solid waste dumpyard from 2010-2013 analysed for important physico-chemical characteristics by adopting APHA standard methods from the data obtained the water quality index (WQI) was calculated adopting the method developed by (Tiwari and Mishra, Brown's and Horton equation). From the study around Vellalore dumpyard that it indicates physico-chemical characteristic of ground water such as Total dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, total hardness and chlorides were maximum than highest desirable limits were as potassium and fluoride were found within the permissible limit. It was observed that water quality index (WQI) of the present study area from 2010 to 2013 was within permissible limit, the overall view of the water quality index was fall as excellent WQI value.}

9 tables, 12 ref

017094   Prasanna K;Annadurai R (Civil Engineering Dep, SRM Univ, Kattankulaathur, Kancheepuram Dist-603 203, Email: prasanna.env@gmail.com) : Study on ground water quality in and around Perungudi solid waste dumping site in Chennai. Rasayan J Chem 2016, 9(2), 287-93.

In developing country like India landfills are situated near to cities, releasing harmful contaminants which percolate to the groundwater. This results in contamination of the ground water. Municipal wastes and hazardous wastes are the main cause of polluting the ground water. The Chennai Corporation has two major dumping sites namely Perungudi and Kodungayaiyur located south and north of Chennai. These open dumpsites are smelly and surface water percolating through the trash can dissolve or release harmful chemicals, among these chemicals, heavy metals causes environmental problem. Heavy metals when gets dissolved in ground water which then consumed by humans leads to health issues, Hence the presence of bore wells and tube wells near the dumpsite threatens the life of people living near that area. In this study an attempt was made to know the concentration of heavy metals in ground water around the Perungudi dumpsite. For this study 10 number of ground water samples were collected and preserved by adding of 2-3 drops of nitric acid. The samples were subjected to analysis of pH, TDS, hardness, COD and four trace metals Cr, Cu, Cd and Fe by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). It was observed that the health of the people residing near the dumpsite was affected due to consumption of this water. It is concluded that the ground water is contaminated and cannot be used for drinking water as well as domestic purpose.

4 illus, 5 tables, 14 ref

017093   Poerwoningsih D;Antariksa;Leksono A S;Hasyim A W (School of Environmental Science, Univ of Brawijaya, Indonesia, Email: dinatatatiti@gmail.com) : Implementing visual resource management to support green corridor planning. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 2153-60.

The concept of green corridor could be an option in the spatial planning strategy that is ecologically, socially and economically sustainable. The concept is believed to provide the direction of positive developments especially in the growing of rural urban fringe. In many cases of rural urban fringe areas, access roads connecting villages and towns have experienced a faster physical growth, changing land use, and natural character degradation of their land resource. This article seeks to present visual resource management opportunities to support the realization of the ecological corridor planning. Visual approach in many cases of rural spatial planning is needed to increase the potential of cultural ecosystem services that are usually owned by rural areas that are characterized by natural resource. This paper presents a study of rural urban fringe areas in Bumiaji District, Batu City, Indonesia. The study assesses and analyzes the visual quality of a total of 33 observation points along the main road of the area. Results of the analysis showed significant growth direction on the phenomenon of rural urban fringe. The analysis in this study also produced four (4) types of road corridor which can be useful for further development of green corridor concept in the region.

2 illus, 2 tables, 30 ref

017092   Mir A;Mohammadi S (Environmental Sciences Dep, Faculty of Natural Resources, Zabol Univ, Zabol City, Iran, Email: atefehmir@gmail.com) : Strategic analysis of alternatives for successful municipal solid waste management (MSWM). Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 1685-93.

The present investigation is a case study of Zabol, in Iran, which succumbs to a major problemof municipal solid waste and its management. In particular, to account for the best solution for all aspects of waste management particularly is the use of a SWOT matrix. In this study waste management system in the city of Zabol using SWOT model and QSPM has been studied. After consideration of environmental factors including internal and external waste management systems, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were identified. Then in the spectral Likert scale, the importance of each of these factors and components of the expert survey was conducted. Completed questionnaires were conducted in conformity with the general principles of the Delphi method. In the second stage, those factors that the participants in the study were unable to get good scores, were excluded from the study and for the rest of the evaluation matrix with 1.86 rating and final score of external factors evaluation matrix with 2.11 indicates poor performance of the waste management area that is studied. According to the final scores, the current status matrix consists of the model strategies SWOT, defensive strategies as the strategy set for QSPM matrix is selected. Finally, given the attractiveness score to strategy, "Creating sustainable and available sources for providing costs and credits of waste management requirements" As the most important strategy the highest rating introduced.

1 illus, 6 tables, 20 ref

017091   Manish Kumar;Mohanta N C;Panda C R;Karim A A;Mohapatra S (Environment and Sustainability Dep, CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar-751 013, Email: manishrrlenv@gmail.com) : Digital elevation and land cover inundation assessment of Dhamra estuary, East coast of India. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 1891-5.

DEM and land cover was prepared using high spatial resolution (2.5 m) stereo pair CARTOSAT-1 image and LISS III image respectively. ERDAS-LPS 9.3 software along with Arc Map 10.0 was utilized for generating DEM which was overlaid on land cover for inundation assessment. Land cover of the estuary was mainly occupied by agriculture (57.2%), forest (24.4%) and water bodies (9.3%). Based on elevation, estuary land cover was classified into five sensitive zone viz. very high (up to 0.5 m) with 3450.7 hectare (5%), high (0.5 -1.5 m) with 6399.3 hectare (9.2%), medium (1.5 - 2.5 m) with 16326.5 hectare (23.5%), low (2.5 - 3.5 m) with 26450.8 hectare (38.1%) and very low (<62> 3.5 m) with 16780.6 hectare (24.2%) sensitive class. In very high sensitive zone, forest occupied the highest land cover (1603.1 hectare) followed by water-bodies, wasteland, wetland, built-up and agriculture area. Majority of the agricultural area was covered under low and very low sensitive class. Inundation assessment reflects about the vulnerability of forest and other land cover towards potential sea level rise. The findings will help in planning adaptation measures to minimize the risk due to SLR.

2 illus, 1 table, 14 ref

017090   Joga Rao H;King P;Prasanna Kumar Y (Faculty in Chemical Engineering, GMR Institute of Technology, Rajam-532 127, Email: hjrgmrit@gmail.com) : Experimental investigation on adsorption of lead from aqueous solution using activated carbon from the waste rubber tire: optimization of process parameters using central composite design. Rasayan J Chem 2016, 9(2), 254-77.

Activated carbons prepared from waste rubber tires (RTAC) are used as practical adsorbents for the speedy evacuation and quick adsorption of lead ions from the wastewater effluents. Batch studies were done to evaluate the performance of RTAC for the adsorption of Pb^{+2 from aqueous solutions at various process parameters of pH (2-5), metal ion concentration (100 - 200 mg/L), the mass of the adsorbent (0.025 - 0.1 g), average particle size (85 - 200 Mesh) and solution temperature (308 - 323 K) at a maximum equilibrium agitation time of 60 minutes in an orbital shaker at 200 RPM. Taking into account exploratory results, Maximum evacuation of lead onto RTAC as adsorbent by 97.55%. Optimized the adsorption efficiency using Central Composite Design (CCD) at pH = 4.98, Initial concentration 140.01 mg/L, the mass of the adsorbent is 0.12 grams and temperature of the metal solution is 314.46. Experimentation led above optimum conditions, the value of 3.64% deviation is obtained with proposed value. Adsorption isothermal data were easily interpreted by Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson and Dubinin- Radushkevich (D-R), a Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacity of 125 mg/g of lead ions on RTAC and kinetic data were appropriately equipped with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Consequences of thermodynamic investigations, properties of ΔH°, ΔG° and ΔS° are -63.976 KJ/mole, -5.787 KJ/mole and -0.196 KJ/mole.K, demonstrates the adsorption process is exothermic nature, feasible and spontaneous at lower temperature.}

24 illus, 8 tables, 29 ref

017089   Hari Babu B;Suresh P;Ramesh Babu A;Swarna Latha K;Swamy A V V (Chemistry Dep, Acharya Nagarjuna Univ, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, Email: dr.b.haribabu@gmail.com) : Determination of fluoride concentration in ground water of yerraguntla and jammalamdugu areas of ysr Kadapa district of Andra Pradesh (India). Rasayan J Chem 2016, 9(2), 222-6.

A total of twenty groundwater samples were randomly collected from different parts of Yerraguntla and Jammalamadugu areas. The fluoride content in drinking water was determined by SPANDS method using UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The results showed that fluoride concentration in the ground water of Yerraguntla ranged from 0.90-2.11 mg/L with a mean of 1.704 mg/L where as in Jammalamadugu area fluoride ranged from 0.65-1.09 mg/L with a mean of 0.85 mg/L. In these two areas most of the people use groundwater for drinking and domestic purpose. In Yerraguntla area 70% of samples contained fluoride concentration above the permissible limits of WHO. The high fluoride content in drinking water leads to dental moiety and skeletal fluorosis. So, proper defluoridation methods should be followed for the treatment of water in this area. On the other hand, in Jammalamadugu area, fluoride level in all samples was found within the permissible limits of WHO. It is suggested to check other quality parameters of ground water of this area to make suitable for drinking.

2 illus, 3 tables, 21 ref

017088   Fani E;Seyednejad S M;Armand N;Vafaei M (Biology Dep, Behbahan Khatam Alanbia Univ of Technology, Behbahan, Iran, Email: Ebrahim_710@yahoo.com) : Determination of air pollution tolerance index in dominant plant species in the region of Khuzestan steel, Iran. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 1669-71.

In the present study an area around the steel industry considered as polluted area in order to assess the tolerance of two plant species (Including: Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Prosopis juliflora) to industrial pollutants, The air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was determined for these species in a polluted site (Khuzestan Steel). Air pollution tolerance index was measured by four factors, including chlorophyll content, acidity of the leaf extract, ascorbic acid content and relative water content of the leaf tissue. The results of this study showed that experimented plants, were subjected to pollution stress and changed their physiological factors in a different ways. Index measured 6.29 and 9.17 for Prosopis juliflora and Eucalyptus camaldulensis respectively. The estimation of APTI value indicated that two considered species are sensitive to pollution and could be used as indicators of air pollution.

2 tables, 9 ref

017087   Deshmukh S;Pansare K;Balsane V;Borse K; Samtani B K (College of Agriculture, NDMVP, Nashik, M.S) : Analytical study of quantitative characteristics of watershed between Tapi and Wansuki distry river of Kakarapar and Ukai command area. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 1961-70.

The drainage basin can be considered as a laboratory of the hydrologic cycle. With the only exception of the atmospheric aspects of precipitation, that is where the hydrologic processes occur and where these processes leave permanent imprints of their effects on the drainage basin itself. The evidence of these imprints is displayed in the surface topography and exhibited in the stream channels themselves by their size, number, and dimensions. These imprints are related to soil type, geology, and vegetation. It is no exaggeration that understanding the clues displayed in a drainage basin is vital to successful prediction of the hydrologic behavior of that drainage basin. The drainage basin can be considered as a system that converts rainfall to runoff and during this process, it retains some of the rainfall for its own use. This use includes all the loss elements or abstraction of the runoff equations. Drainage basin also controls the rate at which runoff will occur and the degree to which runoff water will be the degree to which runoff water will be concentrated. The results of analysis of quantitative characteristics of the drainage basin between Tapti and Wansuki Distry Rivers agree with the study carried out. The relation developed for watersheds parameters holds good for the study drainage basin. The analysis of quantitative characteristics of watershed shows that the characteristics parameters are extremely useful in evaluating hydrologic response of basin. The study area becomes flooded in case of medium to heavy rainfall because of sparse network of drain and insufficient design drain section, which is unable to drain storm within stipulated time period. In order to overcome this following remedial measures are suggested : (1) Increase in Drainage Density can be made by excavating new drains in the basin or increasing the length of the existing natural drains. (ii) Decrease in Time of Flow can be affected by either regarding or resectionong of the drain section. (iii) Time of overland flow (inlet time) can be increased by providing more numbers drain so as to increase the cross sectional area and regarding it so as to increase velocity of flow. The various alternatives can be prepared and economic analysis for them can be done to select the optimized alternative out of them.

10 illus, 4 tables, 28 ref

017086   Danodia P A;Sastri A S R A S (Agricultural Physics Div, Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, Email: abhidanodia@gmail.com) : Impact of rainfall variability on water resources of Chhattisgarh state with special reference of mann-kendall test statistics on the context of climate change. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 1749-56.

Indian monsoon rainfall changes due to regional climate changes are expected to result in severe droughts and intense flooding in many parts. Alterations in water resources may affect human health, forests, land, wildlife and agriculture. In this paper, Thornthwaite and Mather revised climatic water balance model (1955) have slightly modified with some assumption. The analysis was done by using standard deviation, Coefficient of variation, regression analysis, trend analysis, Mann- Kendall test and depletion trend. A significant finding is observed that ground water was depleted with a highest amount at Mahasamund, Raigarh, Ambikapur at the rate of 4961 m^{3/ha, 3740 m3/ha, 3421 m3/ha in last 110 year, respectively and surface water was depleted with a highest amount at Mahasamund, Raigarh, Ambikapur at the rate of 2167 m3/ha, 1540 m3/ha, 1375 m3/ha in last 110 year, respectively. These decreasing trend was retrieved by Mann- Kendall test statistics and found that water resources are in decreasing trend in most of the districts with highly significant (a=1%) results. Most of the districts of the state affected with the problem of depletion of water resources because of unpredictable rainfall events, rainfall variability, drought and fluctuating rainfall pattern. So, an inventory analysis and appropriate strategic planning must discussed for better consumptive use of water resources for human as well as plant in the era of climate change.}

1 illus, 5 tables, 29 ref

017085   Brraich O S;Jangu S (Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjab Univ, Patiala-147 002, Email: sulochanajangu@gmail.com) : Assessment of the water quality index on the basis of physicochemical parameters from Harike wetland (Ramsar site), India. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 2047-54.

The present study deals with the assessment of Water Quality Index (WQI) of internationally important Harike wetland because it receives heavy loads of pollution from industries, municipal sewage, agricultural and human activities. Physicochemical parameters were monitored at three sites for the calculation of WQI in summer, monsoon and winter seasons between March, 2013 to February, 2014. The results revealed that the WQI of the wetland exceeded acceptable levels at all the sampling sites due to the dumping of various types of wastes. The wetland water quality comes under poor category on the basis of WQI value. If the present state of affairs continues for long, Harike wetland may soon become an ecologically dead wetland. Different conservation and restoration measures are strongly advocated for its sustainable development. During the present course of work, the baseline pollution data will be generated. This data will be very helpful to design various futuristic conservation strategies of this economically important wetland in India.

1 illus, 7 tables, 36 ref

017084   Bedwal S;Mathur R N (Education Dep, Govt. of Rajasthan, Rajasthan, Email: drrajnehra@gmail.com) : Physico-chemical status in relation to zooplankton population of Kishangarh lake, (Rajasthan) India. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 2055-60.

In order to study the zooplankton population and physico-chemical characteristics of Kishangarh Lake of Rajasthan samples were collected monthly between 8 am and 11 am from °Ctober 2001 to March 2002 to work out various parameters such as water temperature, transparency, turbidity, pH, conductivity, TDS, total alkalinity, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, nitrogen-nitrate, phosphate, sulphate, DO, BOD and COD by using standard methods. Water temperature ranged from (15.92 to 25.62 °C), transparency (60.96 to 66.00 cm), turbidity (7.06 to 8.42 NTU), pH (7.72 to 9.04 Unit), conductivity (446.32 to 898.28 μ mhos/cm), TDS (312.48 to 604.32 mg/L), total alkalinity (167.34 to 354.02 mg/L), total hardness (162.96 to 217.88 mg/L), calcium (20.42 to 45.72 mg/L), magnesium (16.18 to 29.70 mg/L), sodium (70.94 to 93.74 mg/L), potassium (17.52 to 24.86 mg/L), chloride (124.84 to 188.96 mg/L), Nitrate-nitrogen (0.96 to 1.23 mg/L), phosphate (1.62 to 2.04 mg/L), sulphate (162.98 to 178.14 mg/L), DO (5.52 to 7.02 mg/L), BOD (16.72 to 19.46 mg/L) and COD (24.48 to 28.74 mg/L). Total of 43 zooplankton species were found belonging to 5 groups i.e. Rotifer (11 sp.), Cladocera (06 sp.), Ostracoda (04 sp.), Copepod (08 sp.) and 13 species belonging to Protozoa. The eutrophic condition of the lake is clearly indicated by the presence of pollution indicator species, viz. protozoans (Paramoecium caudatum, Oxytricha ovalis, O. oblongatus and Holophyra simplex) Rotifers (Brachionus calcyflorus, B. forficula, Keratella tropica and K. procurva) and copepods (Neodiaptomus schmackari, Mesocyclops leuckarti and M. hyalinus). Dominance of protozoa and rotifers indicated water quality deterioration and also exposed it's eutorphics condition.

2 tables, 26 ref

017083   Amjadi A;Valerevich O I;Najafi R;Sargeini N G (NO, V.N. Karazin Kharkov National Univ, Ukraine, Email: azizamjadi@yahoo.com) : Rational integration of ecologic-geological studies. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 1625-31.

The article examines the application of comprehensive approach in ecologic-geological studies by the example of the Eastern Donbass. We have analyzed the set of criteria and indicators characterizing the components of geological environments. With the help of the method of rational integration we have elaborated a set of criteria capable of ensuring a well-grounded estimate of the ecological conditions of geological environment. Based on the criteria described in the article, the ecological conditions of geological environment are analyzed according to two groups of factors: natural and tectonic. We have described the application of the suggested method of integrated ecological and geological studies in the Eastern Donbass.

10 ref

017082   Akhtar M;Parveen M;Qayoom I (Aquaculture and Zoology Dep, Kashmir Univ, Srinagar-190 006, Email: drsheikhimtiyaz@gmail.com) : Limnological features of Dal lake of Kashmir valley with special reference to the anthropogenic pressure along its water shed. Ecol Envir Conserv 2015, 21(4), 2109-15.

A study was conducted on seasonal limnological characteristics of waters of Dal Lake of Kashmir valley. Besides temperature and other meteorological data, 13 limnological parameters were tested following standard methods at 4 sampling stations of the lake for one complete year from November 2012 - December 2013. The physico-chemical parameters (Temperature, Transparency, pH, Dissolved oxygen, Free CO2, Total alkalinity, Total hardness Conductivity, Chloride, Ammonical nitrogen, Nitrite nitrogen, Nitrate nitrogen, Total phosphorous etc.) showed distinct temporal or seasonal variations at all sites of the lake. The Air average temperature was 21.6±8.5; surface water temperature 18.7±8.2 Turbidity index (Secchidisc transparency) 1.15±0.58; Dissolved oxygen 5.9±2.77; pH 8.3±0.6; Conductivity average 368.2 ±188. The total Alkalinity was recorded 146±70.1; Free Carbon dioxide 17.5±8.6; Chloride content 29.3±17.1; Ammonical Nitrogen 414.3±339.6; Nitrate-Nitrogen 504.8±276.6; Nitrite-Nitrogen 52.9±21.3; Total Hardness 142.8±75.9 while as the average; Total phosphorous was 812.1±414.4. A significant correlation among various parameters depicted interdependence on each other and show fluctuation when any parameter marks any change. Almost all the calculated parameters indicate increase in pollution load mainly due to anthropogenic pressure and climatic factors that have resulted in eutrophic conditions of the lake, so immediate remedial measures need be taken for its protection from further deterioration.

1 illus, 2 tables, 32 ref

016120   Yadav S S;Rajesh Kumar;Khare P;Tripathi M (Zoology Dep, Aquatic Toxicology Research Laboratory, Lucknow Univ, Lucknow-226 007, Email: shivshakaryadav2008@gmail.com) : Oxidative stress biomarkers in the freshwater fish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) exposed to sodium fluoride: Antioxidant defense and role of ascorbic acid. Toxic int 2015, 22(1), 71-6.

The present study highlights fluoride -induced toxicity and the protective role of ascorbic acid in the liver and ovary of freshwater fish, Heteropneustis fossilis. The fish specimens were exposed to different concentrations (35 mg F/L and 70 mg F/L) of fluoride. Parameters related to oxidative stress were studied at the end of the experiment. The biomarkers selected for the study were thiobarbituric acid reactive substances for assessing the extent of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and antioxidant defense system such as reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalase (CAT) glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities. The fluoride exposure significantly elevated the level of LPO, CAT, SOD, and GST in the tissues of treated group as well as modulated the activities of GSH and level of GPx after exposure as compared to the control. A significant decrease in GPx activity was found in these tissues suggesting that fluoride exposure increases the level of free radical, as well as CAT activity. Pre- and post treatment with ascorbic acid decreased the LPO, SOD, CAT, GST level, and increased GSH, GPx levels in the liver and ovary.

6 illus, 36 ref

016119   Wang H;Xie Y S;She X Y;Jiang Q L;Zhang Y L; Yang Y L;Chuai J F (NO, College of Resources and Environment of the Northwest A & F Univ, Yangling-712 100, Shaanxi, China, Email: ysxie@ms.iswc.ac.cn) : Autotoxicity and allelopathic effects of Artemisia sacroroum L. on dominant spp (Stipa bungeana, stipa grandis, thymus monglicus and leymus secalinus) of steppe from loess plateau, China. Allelopathy J 2016, 37(1), 41-54.

We studied the allelopathic effects of Artemisia sacrorum on vegetation succession in typical grassland on Yunwu Mountain. The effects of root exudates, rhizosphere soil extracts and leaf and stem extracts from A. sacrorum were assayed on seed germination, radicle length, and coleoptile length of 4-dominant grassland species (Stipa bungeana, S. grandis, Thymus mongolicus, and Leymus secalinus) and for autotoxicity on A. sacrorum. The grassland species showed different responses to the extracts and root exudates of A. sacrocum. At the same concentration, the methanol extracts had greater effects on Acceptor planta than aqueous extracts. The effects of the alkaloids obtained from A. sacrorum leaf and stem extracts were significantly differed than other fractions. Our results suggested that allelopathy of A. sacrorum shapes the botanical composition of grasslands on Yunwu Mountain.

7 illus, 54 ref

016118   Vyas P B;Tambe M P;Khatri J N (Civil Engineering Dep, Sigma Institute of Engineering, Bakrol, Vadodara, Gujarat) : Mineral effects of sedimentary layers on groundwater of Himmatnagar, Sabarkantha of Gujarat. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 811-12.

This paper attempts to determine ground water quality in a town. The colour indices ranged from 3.5 to 5.3 mg/L with average turbidity 2.3. The result showed that the ground water was acidic, pH range of 4.32 to 4.43. There is need to treat the water. The highest recorded value of 50 mg/L for hardness is indicative of soft ground water.

^ssc1 table, 10 ref

016117   Vyas P B;Tambe M P;Khatri J N (Civil Engineering Dep, Sigma Institute of Engineering, Bakrol, Vadodara, Gujarat) : Assessment of municipal solid waste analysis of major cities of India- case studies. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 803-4.

Central Pollution Control Board CPCB, India undertook one pilot project regarding assessment of MSW of few compost plants located at Bangalore, Mumbai, Bhopal, Nasik, Ahmedabad and Gwalior, i.e. various cities of India. Analysis and Assessment of different parameters was done and it is observed that heavy metal from cities Ahmedabad and Nasik were found to bewithin limits except Pb but other cities exceeded the limits.

^ssc2 tables, 5 ref

016116   Vyas P B;Tambe M P;Khatri J N (Civil Engineering Dep, Sigma Institute of Engineering, Bakrol, Vadodara, Gujarat) : Climate change and its effect on greenhouse gas emission and change in temperature- India- case study. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 793-4.

Climate change is one of the main environmental challenges facing the world today. It is associated with various adverse impacts on agriculture, water resources, forest and biodiversity and increase in temperature causes decline in agricultural productivity that is the main impact of climate change on India. This paper briefly describes the impact of climate change and its various aspects in the Indian context.

^ssc1 table, 9 ref

016115   Vyas P B;Tambe M P;Khatri J N (Civil Engineering Dep, Sigma Institute of Engineering, Bakrol, Vadodara, Gujarat) : Air quality analysis for Ahmedabad district a case study. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 757-8.

This investigation aims for calculating Air Quality Index (AQI) for the ambient air quality standards for Ahmedabad district, the air sample analysis for calculating AQI, the 98% value for SPM, SO₂ and NO₂. The study indentifies the potential for controlling air pollution.

^ssc3 tables, 6 ref

016114   Vyas P B;Khatri J N (Civil Engineering Dep, Sigma Institute of Engineering, Bakrol, Vadodara, Gujarat) : Municipal solid waste management through vermi composting employing exotic species of earthworm- Eudrilus eugenia→Eco- friendly approach. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 787-8.

This paper highlights the application of vermi composting for the treatment of organic solid waste generated by urban solid waste by using species earthworm - Eudrilus Eugeniastudies carried out in large scale reactor under optimum environmental condition. MOI Content-48% to 52%, pH 7 - 7.2, Temp - Ambient Variable loading of vermin [40 - 80 g of worm/kg of MSW] measurement of parameters and indication is that solid waste can be treated in a period of 32 - 34 days and 60% reduction in volume is achieved.

^ssc2 tables, 2 ref

016113   Vyas P B;Khatri J N (Civil Engineering Dep, Sigma Institute of Engineering, Bakrol, Vadodara, Gujarat) : Evaluation of the environmental noise level of mehsana city and the study of sound absorption coefficient of wood of selected trees to control noise level. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 779-81.

Objective of the research is to study the environmental noise pollution as well as to find out appropriate absorption coefficient of wood (trees) which minimizes the noise pollution by the plantation of such type of selected trees along the road side and provide green belt around appropriate Buildings, Schools, Collages, Hospitals, Industries, etc. The noise level measurements were made for five minutes in dB at selected places and source of the noise pollutant and compared with selected permissible values of CPCB, India. The sound absorption of coefficient of Udumbara (Ficus glomerata) is greater 0.0235 to 0.0335, thus spongy wood is more useful to reduce the noise pollution.

^ssc1 illus, 6 tables, 5 ref

016112   Visvanathan P;Govindaraju M (Environmental Biotechnology Dep, School of Environmental Sciences Bharathidasan Univ, Tiruchirappalli-620 024, Email: spvisvabio@gmail.com) : Assessment of heavy metal concentration in coastal water and green Perna viridis in South Indian coastal region. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 795-801.

This study was conducted to measure the concentration of toxic heavy metals such as Zn, Ni, Cd, Cr, As, Hg, Pb, Cu, and Fe in coastal water and adductor tissues of green mussel Perna viridis along the South Indian coastal region. The results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals in coastal water are varied and depend on the site (Zn (0.333.54), Ni (0.063.19), Cd (0.042.15), As (0.050.34), Cr (0.030.35), Hg (0.020.29), Pb (0.222.66), Cu (0.652.87), and Fe (4601313) μg/L). For mussel samples also the concentration varied (Zn (1.48 -15.7) Ni (0.44-4.0) Cd (0.160.53), Cr (0.040.39), As (0.918.8), Hg (0.0120.5), Pb (0.343.33), Cu (0.654.2), and Fe (14.8246) μg/g). The results showed that the mean concentrations of heavy metals, As, Ni, Hg, Pb, Cd and Fe were in exceeding level. The overall results indicated that Cuddalore and Calicut areas were highly contaminated by heavy metals compared to other sampling locations. All the metal concentration values in coastal water and mussel tissue showed positive correlation at P <62>0.05 level.

1 illus, 4 tables, 37 ref

016111   Verma S;Khawal S (Chemical Engineering Dep, Ujjain Engineering College, Ujjain-456 010, Email: sanjaym61@gmail.com ) : Algal treatment of acidic wastewater of steel industry. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 823-6.

Primary treated effluent from pickling process of steel industry can be safely and economically treated with microalgae. Algae contain proteins, carbohydrate, and rich source of carbon which grow in presence of sunlight. The most important operational factors for successful wastewater treatments with microalgae are depth and hydraulic retention time of the effluent in the container. With a view to remove toxicity from the effluent three experiments were set up, two at laboratory scale and one at pilot level. For different depth and surface area, algae reduce the toxicity in the form of reduction in heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn). Better results were obtained in the day time instead of night cycle as the temperature range of 28°C-32°C is adequate for the growth of microalgae. It was concluded that algal treatment could alleviate the adverse effect of dissolved salts.

4 illus, 1 table, 12 ref

016110   Tripathi S K;Kushwaha C P;Roy A;Basu S K (Computer Science Dep, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005, Email: sk_tripathi@rediffmail.com) : Measuring ecosystem patterns and processes through fractals. Curr Sci 2015, 109(8), 1418-26.

Changes in ecosystems are highly complex, heterogeneous and are extremely difficult to measure through single scale. Fractal geometry has been used to quantitatively estimate the extent of irregularity in ecosystem changes. However, in some cases it has been overly used giving misleading results. To avoid this, other metrics are also being used in studying changes in forest ecosystems. In this article, we review use of fractal geometry in measuring ecosystem components in a range of ecological conditions. Further, case studies from forest fragmentation and soil aggregates stability in different Indian tropical ecosystems with respect to management practices and environmental change have been described using fractal dimension. We have tried to point out some instances where fractals can more appropriately be used in assessing ecosystems properties and where it could not be successfully used. Characterization of ecological situations where fractals can effectively be used in general remains an important issue.

4 illus, 2 tables, 59 ref

016109   Tripathi M (Plant Biology Dep, Kumaon Univ, Almora Campus, Almora-263 643, Email: mayank179@rediffmail.com) : Afforestation/reforestation-clean development mechanism and Indian farmers. Curr Sci 2015, 109(9), 1522-3.

1 ref

016108   Tiwari V K;Masih S K;Sahu K P (NO, State Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh) : Plant diversity in forested corridor connecting kanha and achanakmar protected areas. J trop For 2015, 31(1), 20-45.

The proposed corridor area connects Kanha and Achanakmar wild life protected areas in Madhya Pradesh and Chhatishgarh states. It is spread over two states and three districts covering an approximate area of 600 km^{2, out of which about 40% area lies in Bilaspur district of Chhattishgarh state and the remaining 60% area is under Mandla and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh. On the basis of detailed floristic survey carried out from 2009 to 2013, a total of 330 species belonging to 227 genera and 73 families were catalogued. Floristic composition (Biological specstrum) is comprised of 85 (25.64%) tree, 58 (18.59%) shrub, 82 (25.0%) herb, 78 (24.0%) grasss and 27 (8.00%) species of climbers, respectively. Out of total 73 families, 59 families belong to Dicots 13 families to Monocot groups and one family to Pteridophytes. Aquatic ecosystems in the proposed areas comprise of 50 aquatic species belonging to 29 families.}

3 tables, 16 ref

016107   Swamy K R;Shaivprasad D;Bammanahalli S; Lamani N T;Shivanna H (College of Forestry, Sirsi, Univ of Agriculture Sciences, Dharwad, Email: scamykrs@gmail.com) : Assessment of carbon sequestration of different tree species planted under shelterbelt of Northern transitional zone of Karnataka. Res Envir Life Sci 2015, 8(4), 657-8.

Study was conducted in Ranebennur Talluk, Haveri district. Four year old existing shelterbelts at Devaragudda and ARS Hanumanamatti were selected to assess the amount of carbon sequestration in five different tree species. Among five different tree species in shelterbelts of Devaragudda, maximum volume accumulation of 0.017 m^{3 was noticed in Acacia auriculiformis, Dalbergia sissoo showed maximum biomass accumulation of 25.69 ton/ha (for four years) with carbon sequestration of 12.84 ton/ha. Shelterbelts at ARS Hanumanamatti showed significant difference among different tree species. Among different tree species Acacia auriculiformis showed maximum volume accumulation, biomass accumulation and carbon sequestration of 0.022 m3, 29.44 ton/ha and 14.72 ton/ha respectively. The study concludes that among five different tree species, three species i.e. Acacia auriculiformis, Azadirachta indica and Dalbergia sissoo performed well at northern transitional zone of Karnataka. These species could be recommended for shelterbelt plantations in low rain fall areas, for their ability to fix atmospheric carbon.}

1 table, 9 ref

016106   Sunil Kumar;Dhankhar R (Environmental Sciences Dep, Maharishi Dayanand Univ, Rohtak-124 001, Email: sunilevs@yahoo.com) : Assessment of floristic and avian faunal diversity of Bhindawas wetland, Jhajjar (Haryana), India. Pl Archs 2015, 15(2), 733-40.

Bhindawas Wetland is spread over an area of 1074 acres in Jhajjar district of Haryana State, India. Bhindawas wetland in present time encountered with various environmental problems viz., point and non-point pollution created by surrounding agricultural fields and from drain No. 8, weed infestation, eutrophication and siltation etc. Water logging of peripheral agricultural field with higher salinity is threat to biodiversity loss. Keeping in view of biodiversity losses in the wetland, the present study was carried out to generate documentation information regarding floral and avian faunal diversity ofBhindawas wetland. Plants and birds were identified by comparing the specimen of plants with existing herbarium and picture of material prescribed in good reference books and with the help of expert. A total of 84 plants species have been reported. The maximum numbers of plant species were belonged to order Fabales followed by order Lamiales family. Total of 66 species of wetland birds belonging to 30 families have been recorded from the study area. Of all, families Anatidae dominated the list with 9 species.

1 illus, 4 tables, 25 ref

016105   Strizhenok A V;Korelskiy D S (NO, National Mineral Resources Univ (Mining Univ), St. Petersburg, Email: russiaenvirosrt2015@gmail.com) : Assessment of the anthropogenic impact in the area of tailings storage of the apatite-nepheline ores. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 819-21.

Research of evaluation of the natural environment components on the territory of the alluvial anthropogenic array, which is the largest on the territory of Russian Federation is described in this paper. This anthropogenic array represents the tailings storage of apatite-nepheline ores.

6 ref

016104   Sreedhar Rao R;Gyananatha G;Krishamacharyulu S K G (Chemical Engineering Dep, CBIT, Hyderabad, Email: gyananath52@gmail.com) : Effectiveness of adsorbents for treatment of different industrial effulents: a statistical approach. J appl Geochem 2015, 17(3), 304-10.

Effective and low cost treatment methodologies are one of the major concerns of environmental scientists. The effluents from industries are to be effectively treated before their release into the environment. The current paper deals with adsorbents like fly ash, activated carbon, and saw dust that are tested for its effectiveness. The waste waters and effluents form different industries from the industrially developed city, Hyderabad, India are considered and examined for effectiveness of these adsorbents. The waste waters from industries like textile, tanning, chemical plants, electroplating and drug formulations are considered for the above treatment. The effluents of water treated in the respective treatment plants of the industries and the water treated through the treatment methodologies developed for this study were analyzed for various physicochemical constituents. The statistical normalized ratios are calculated and analyzed and compared to identify the performance of each treatment technology and its costeffective application.

4 illus, 8 tables, 12 ref

016103   Singh R P;Tripathi B K;Bhairam C L (Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Atomic Energy, West Block-7, R.K. Puram, Email: rpsingh.amd@gov.in) : Geogenic distribution and baseline concentration of uranium and fluoride in ground water in parts of Punjab, India. J appl Geochem 2015, 17(3), 335-41.

This paper describes the geological environment and characterization of ground water in parts of Bhatinda, Mansa, Faridkot and Ferozpur districts of punjab. One hundred and sixty five samples were collected and analysed for major cations (Ca^{+2, Mg+2, Na+, K+) and anions (F-, CO₃-2, HCO₃-, Cl-, SO₄-2) along with pH, conductivity, Uranium and some of the toxic elements viz. As, Pb, Cr and Ni. However, the toxic elements show below detection limit concentrations and are not discussed. Statistical analysis techniques have been applied to discriminate baseline concentration and anomalous concentration of elements. The study was carried out to understand the role of these elements in terms of adversely affecting the health of inhabitants, with special reference to the geological factors responsible for higher elemental concentrations. The study reveals that ground water of the area is generally alkaline in nature and U content in general is higher than the permissible limit with a wide variation, recorded at a few places particularly in the proximity of Bhatinda town. About 45% of the samples show F-concentration (<60> 1 - 19 mg/l) which is higher than the permissible limit specified by WHO (2006). Alkalies (Na+ + K+) exceed alkaline earth metals (Ca+2 + Mg+2) in a majority of the population of ground water samples. Ground water in the study area is dominant in cations and anions viz. Na+, K+ and HCO₃-. Since the presence of uranium and fluoride in the environment impose risk to both the eco-system and human health, we evaluated the labile pool and availability of non-anthropogenic factors which suggests that weathering of rock forming minerals constituting the uranium rich granites of Tosham area couple with evaporites including limestone/dolomite present in the area are mainly responsible for ground water composition of the area.}

6 illus, 1 table, 14 ref

016102   Shah J S;Wayal A S (Civil and Environmental Engineering Dep, V.J.T.I, Mumbai, Email: jainamshah32@gmail.com) : Assessment of wastewater used for cultivation near railway tracks: Mumbai. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 783-6.

The untreated use of wastewaters is a major problem that affects soil and groundwater. Different studies have discussed the effects of wastewater on its social and aesthetic impacts. In this work, a holistic approach is proposed and the main research focuses on the effects of discharge of raw wastewater on soil characteristics. This research paper compares various limits prescribed by The Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 of wastewater effluents to be discharged on land for irrigation with the existing physicochemical parameters of the wastewater used. This reused water was loaded with 0.0-5.0 mg/L Dissolved Oxygen, 25-100 mg/L Biochemical oxygen demand, 80-320 mg/L Chemical oxygen demand, 133-697 mg/L Total Suspended Solids, 20-160 mg/L Oil and Grease, 0.56-2.02 Sodium Adsorption Ratio, 1.0-3.6 mg/L Nitrates, 70-540 CFU/100 mL Most Probable Number. During the study in Mumbai it was observed that on all the locations the values of wastewater quality parameters such as total suspended solids and that of oil and grease exceeded the critical thresholds as per standards of The Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 given by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India. Also the total concentration of viable microorganism is a matter of concern when compared with the standards prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO).

13 ref

016101   Sethy N K;Jha V N;Ravi P M;Tripathi R M (NO, Health Physics Univ, Environmental Survey Laboratory, Jaduguda, Singbhum (E), Jharkhand-832 102, Email: sethybarc@rediffmail.com) : Assessment of human exposure to dissolved radon in groundwater around the uranium industry of Jaduguda, Jharkhand, India. Curr Sci 2015, 109(10), 1855-60.

Measurement of dissolved radon and ^{226Ra in groundwater was carried out in 30 different locations around the uranium mining and ore processing area of Jaduguda, Jharkhand, India. Activity concentration of 226Ra was found to be very low, whereas dissolved radon was observed to be slightly elevated due to geological features of the area consisting of uranium mineralization. No definite relation was observed between radon and 226Ra in groundwater. The annual dose due to ingestion of radon containing water estimated at 60% locations was less than 100 μSv. The maximum ingestion dose was found to be 300 μSv to adult members of the public. The average dose due to the ingestion of radon in water was 94 μSv, which is less than the stipulated limit of 1000 μSv prescribed by regulatory body.}

4 illus, 3 tables, 36 ref

016100   Sati M;Verma M;Rai J P N (Environmental Sciences Dep, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, G.B. Pant Univ of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarkhand, Email: minakshi088@gmail.com) : Biosorption of PB (II) by Spirogyra communis: kinetics and isotherm model studies. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 707-12.

Biosorption of Pb(II) using immobilized beads of green algae, Spirogyra communis to evaluate biosorption potential was studied. The experimental results showed that Pb(II) biosorption was dependent on equilibrium pH, biosorbent dose, initial metal ion concentration and contact time. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were employed to analyze the experimental data. To determine the best fit kinetic equation for the biosorption of Pb(II) ions onto the algal beads two sorption kinetic models, viz., pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order equations were also used. Analysis of FTIR spectra indicated the presence of electronegative functional groups on surface of S. communis responsible for binding of Pb(II) ions.

5 illus, 2 tables, 18 ref

016099   Sanyal S;Niranjan D S S (Geography Dep, Banaras Hindu Univ, Mob.09453759147) : Brick kiln emissions and its impact: A review. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2015, 38(2), 128-33.

Environment literally means surrounding and everything that affect an organism during its lifetime is collectively known as its environment. In another words "environment is sum total of water, air and land interrelationships among themselves and also with the human being, other living organisms and property" (Wood, 2009). It includes all the physical and biological surrounding and their interactions. Presently, sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and suspended paniculate matter (SPM) are the main issue pertaining to air pollution problems in developing countries. The main components of environment which are being affected by the brick industries are not limited to air, water, soil etc. Bricks are mainly made of soil and use of excessive amount of soil causes soil degradation. This process of loss is called soil erosion were structure of the soil and sometimes the underlying shape of the land is damaged due to, brick making and firing. It has been revealed from studies that emission of both trace and non-trace gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from traditional brick industries and suspended paniculate matters are the major causes of air pollution. The use of huge amount of fuel and kiln process used is highly inefficient and causes pollution and damage to vegetation and human health. The paper discusses the effect of these industries on the environment and human health and suggests alternative sustainable strategies for the kiln process, so that economic development and environmental protection can go hand in hand.

30 ref

016098   Sahoo A K;Sahoo B (NO, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore-700 120, Email: amiya7@gmail.com ) : Environmental flow estimation under climate change. Curr Sci 2015, 109(9), 1522.

2 ref

016097   Ravikumar P;Davis D;Somashekar R K;Prakash K L;Shivanna K (Environmental Science Dep, Bangalore Univ, Bangalore, Email: prakruthiravi@gmail.com) : Temporal variation in indoor air soil-gas radon concentrations. J appl Geochem 2015, 17(3), 296-303.

Airborne indoor radon activity ranged from 0.0 to 67.10 Bq/m^{3 with an average value of 20.71 Bq/m3 over a period of 48 hours, which was very less compared to the respective action level values of 148 and 100 Bq/m3 prescribed by EPA (1991) and WHO (2009). The radon progeny (PAEC) concentration varied from 0.0 to 7.25 mWL (average: 2.24 ± 2.11 mWL) while their resultant lifetime fatality risk varied from 0.0 x 10-4 to 0.90 x 10-4 (average: 0.28 x 10-4). The study area is categorized as low radon risk area (<60> 10 kBq/m3) as the soil gas radon concentration varied from 7130 to 9590 Bq/m3 (viz., 7.13 to 9.59 KBq/m3).}

2 illus, 2 tables, 34 ref

016096   Rajasekaran A;Thakur S D (Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Dep, Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Panthaghatti, Shimla-171 009, Email: shalu2006@gmail.com) : Assessment of status and site-specific management stategies for conservation and rejuvenation of sacred groves in Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh. Res Envir Life Sci 2015, 8(4), 679-86.

Concept of sacred and nature have long been interlinked. Various cultural aspects such as religion, faith, traditions bring people closer to nature and the natural environment. Sacred Groves is the example of such cultural landscapes that exist today. The Research article mainly deals with the significance of such sites to the environment and the deep rooted significance it has to the people. These sacred groves play an important role in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection. There are many differences between the establishments of sacred groves, but the underlying significance is the same. Sentiments, emotions play an important role in landscape planning and management. Hence the people and communities living at these sites need to be involved in any planning activity or decisions. The conservation of the environment should appeal to the sentiments of the people; the need to be 'with nature' should be used in the preservation of sacred groves.

2 illus, 3 tables, 12 ref

016095   Rajalakshmi P;Barathi S;Sivaruban T (Zoology Dep, Queen Mary's College, Chennai-600 028, Email: rooban2002@yahoo.com) : Contamination of heavy metals in tannery effluent and soil. Uttar Pradesh J Zool 2015, 35(3), 207-11.

This paper analyzes the determination of heavy metals like Chromium, Copper, Lead and Cadmium deposited in soil as well as in the effluent in the tanneries at Dindigul. The tanneries discharge untreated tannery effluents which get mixed with the soil, water of rivers and canals in this area. The physico-chemical parameters were analysed and heavy metal analysis was conducted by using Atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). The results showed that all metals such as Cr, Pb and Cd exceeded the standard limits in effluents and soil. Copper concentration was found lower than the permissible limit. All the physico-chemical parameters were present in significant quantities.

2 illus, 2 tables, 7 ref

016094   Rahman M F;Chakraborty A;Das T (Chemistry Dep, Burdwan Univ, Burdwan-713 104, Email: faridur1979@gmail.com) : Spectrophotometric determination of arsenic in water samples by thiophene-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone impregnated with alumina. Oriental J Chem 2015, 31(4), 2401-8.

Thiophene-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone has been successfully applied as an analytical reagent for micro level solid phase spectrophotometric determination of As (III) at pH 3.5. Here it can be seen that arsenic reacts with the new chelating ligand in acidic medium to form the As (III)-tctsc complex. The complex showed maximum absorbance at λ_max 281 nm for As (III) ions. The Beer's law range was 0.1-1.0 mg/L. Job's method and Mole-ratio method showed that As (III)-ligand ratio in the complex is 1:2. The Molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity were 5.96 x 10^{4 L mol-1 cm-1 and 0.01μg/cm2 respectively for As (III) ions. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of arsenic in drinking water samples of Kaliachak, in the district of Malda, West Bengal, India.}

5 illus, 5 tables, 24 ref

016093   Radhakrishnan S;Alarfaj A A;Annadurai G (Environmental Nanotechnology Div, Sri Paramakalyani Centre for Environmental Sciences, Manonmaniam Sundaranar Univ, Alwarkurichi-627 412, Email: annananoteam@gmail.com) : Estimation of phytochemical analysis and In vitro antioxidant activity of Calotropis gigantea extract: wound healing activity and its biomedical application. Int J pharm Sci Res 2015, 6(7), 3053-60.

Wound is unpreventable consequences of life, which originates due to physical damage, chemical injury and microbial pathogenic infections, which extend to loss of cellular and functional continuity of living tissue. Calotropis gigantea is a weed plant it used as a wound healing agent. Calotropis gigantea is a waste land weed. Antioxidants represent a significant function to assist human, against infections and chronic diseases. The exhibit investigation has been contained to assess the phytochemicals and invitro antioxidant activity of Calotropis gigantea. Phytochemicals were analyzed qualitatively and the result sustained the presence of alkaloids, phenols, saponin, and steroids. The invitro antioxidant activity of root was investigated by DPPH (1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and Super oxide free radical scavenging activity method. In both methods, plant extract possess high antioxidant activity when equated with standard ascorbic acid due to presence of high capacity of various phytochemicals. The pro-wound healing activity of the Calotropis gigantea extract may be due to its high content of glycosides, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and triterpenoids with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. From the results obtained, it may be concluded that Calotropis gigantea extract has the potential to be developed into new therapeutic agent for wound healing.

26 ref

016092   Pruthvi S N;Nagendra H G (Biotechnology Dep, Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Hunasamaranahalli, Via Yelahanka, Bangalore-562 157, Email: pruthvireddysn@gmail.com) : Molecular interaction studies on melanoidin pigments with peroxidases reveal preferential binding and their plausible roles in bioremediation. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 737-43.

The presence of melanoidin polymers in the distillery effluent are considered as the main reason for its pitch dark brown colour and its recalcitrant property render the spent wash formidable to any easy remediation procedures. Due to the complex structure and xenobiotic nature, melanoidin rich distillery effluents when disposed into water bodies, causes severe stress on BOD, leading to rapid dip in the photosynthetic activity and dissolved oxygen contents, thus gravely affecting the aquatic life. Consumption of the food products from such aquatic sources and livestock reared in that region, in turn affect the health of humans, as the accumulation of melanoidin polymers and associated toxic ligands in the food chain would trigger skin allergies, lung ailments, and colon cancer. Therefore, rapid cost-effective treatment strategies of these distillery effluents are the need of the hour. Peroxidases present in the fungal sources, which have acclaimed bioremediation and biopulping properties, are known to bind to melanoidin polymers thereby assisting in their easy filtration. However, the molecular level of interaction of fungal enzymes with melanoidins is still unclear. Hence, docking studies with two fungal peroxidases were carried out to appreciate their efficacies of binding. The results reveal interesting patterns of association, exhibiting that the melanoidin ligands specifically bind to the coordinating residues in the targets. This knowledge would enable one to develop novel and innovative setups, towards effective in situ remediation methods.

2 illus, 5 tables, 25 ref

016091   Pillai J S;Brijesh Nair A N (School of Mechanical and Building Sciences (SMBS), VIT Univ, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, Email: jayaspillai@gmail.com) : Subsurface flow constructed wetlands: review of applications and recent developments. Pollut Res 2015, 34(4), 745-55.

Constructed wetlands are gaining importance as a sustainable technology for the decentralized treatment of wastewater. The potential for application of constructed wetland technology in developing countries is enormous, but the rate of adoption has been found to be very slow. The primary objective of this review is to present the current state of practice, range of applications, recent developments and researches in constructed wetlands and placing them in the overall perspective of the need for decentralized ecological sanitation systems. A brief summary of the principles of ecological sanitation is presented followed by definition, classification, and performance of subsurface flow constructed wetlands. Special emphasis is given to subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland systems considering the aspects of water reuse, nutrient reuse, biomass production and other ancillary benefits.

56 ref

016090   Padhye S M;Dahanukar N (NO, Wildlife Information Liaison Devlopment Society, Coimbatore-641 035, Email: sameer.m.padhye@gmail.com) : Determinants of 'water fleas' (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera) diversity across seasonal and environmental gradients of a polluted river. Curr Sci 2015, 109(10), 1777-80.

2 illus, 1 table, 19 ref

016089   Otobo G;Abia A A (Pure and Industrial Chemistry Dep, Univ of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, Email: otobog@yahoo.com) : Adsorption fo cadmium and copper ions on wetland soil in niger delta. Int J pure appl Sci Technol 2015, 30(2), 13-25.

This study investigated the use of low cost adsorbent (Fadama clay) of Delta state in the adsorption of heavy metal ions such as cadmium and copper. The effects of pH, contact time, and adsorbate concentration on the adsorption of the metals on the adsorbents were evaluated. The adsorption behavior was characterized using adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics (pseudo second order rate equation), Diffusion-Chemisorptions kinetics and adsorption edge experiments. Application of Langmuir Isotherm and adsorption kinetics showed that the three soil samples FAIK, FAP and FAU representing fadama clays from Kokori, Patani and Uwheru respectively adsorbed the metal ions at lower pH values of 1 to 4. The adsorbents showed faster kinetic uptake for cadmium (0.285mg/l) while FAP exhibited faster kinetic uptake for Copper. Adsorption of Cadmium by FAK increased with increase in pH value which suggested that surface carboxyl groups (nCOOH) are involved in interaction with Cadmium. Application of Diffusion-Chemisorptions kinetics indicated that Fadama clay from Kokori (FAK) had the highest Diffusion-Chemisorptions rate constant (K_DC: 0.69; 0.62mg/l g)for Cu and Cd ions respectively followed by Fadama clay from Patani (FAP)(K_DC: 0.50; 0.28mg/l/g) and Fadama clay from Uwheru (K_DC: 0.27; O.17mg/lg) the least. This was as a result of available surface area and reduced distance for the Sorbate to travel to reach an active sorption site.

10 illus, 4 tables, 20 ref