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Tackling Marine Plastic Pollution Through Source-To-Sea Approach and Circular Economy

Marine litter and associated marine pollution are becoming a complex global environmental hazard these days. Among the different faces of marine pollution, by far the largest and probably the most dangerous part is marine plastic litter. Plastic litter can be found in almost every marine environment in the world, including deep ocean beds and frozen polar ice. Unless new sustainable methods of plastic production and waste management are encouraged, marine plastic pollution will continue to pose a severe threat to the natural ecosystems of the world. In this paper, the status of marine plastic litter is reviewed using a DPSIR framework, and it is found that significant changes in the way we live and consume are needed to prevent it. A framework that combines the source-to-sea approach and circular economy is introduced as a possible solution to eliminate plastic waste from the environment as well as from the economy.

A. E. Francis and S. Herat

A Review on Green Synthesis of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles

Metal oxide nanoparticles have captivated scrupulous research interest because of its major relevance in the field of medicine, catalysis, pigment, electronics, biotechnology, sensors, optical devices, adsorption, DNA labelling, drug delivery, kinetics, spintronics and piezoelectricity. Nanoparticles (NPs) became more significant for its reasonable property as a heterogeneous non-toxic catalyst with environmental reimbursement. The biogenic innovation of metal oxide NPs is an enhanced alternative owing to eco-friendliness. In the biological field, the probable efficacy of NPs has been reported by scores of scholars in the treatment of cancer. Owed to munificent returns, NPs explored as a powerful catalyst for several organic transformations. This section unlocks with a short course on to synthesize metal oxide NPs on a natural scale.

D. Gnanasangeetha and M. Suresh

Spatio-Temporal Change Detection and Its Impact on the Waterbodies by Monitoring LU/LC Dynamics - A Case Study from Holy City of Ratanpur, Chhattisgarh, India

The holy city of Ratanpur is situated in the Bilaspur district of the Central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. In the past few decades, the wetlands and water bodies of Ratanpur have been subjected to various anthropogenic pressures and undergone changes in land use land cover (LULC) patterns. The paper focuses on assessing the changes in land use and land cover in and around Ratanpur city from 1989 to 2015 using LANDSAT satellite imageries. The processing of satellite imageries and quantitative assessment of LULC data was done using ArcGIS and ERDAS Imagine software. From the current study, it is evident that the numbers and quality of ponds have decreased resulting in decreased numbers and frequency of avian fauna in the area. Earlier water bodies covered an area of 3.76% which has decreased to 2.06%. The reduction in areas covered under water bodies has increased in the dry watercourse area (3%) and river bed area (0.80%). As seen from 2015 data the built-up land areas have expanded by 2.22% as compared to 1989. A considerable decrease in open forest area (8.21%) and agricultural land (3.97%) has been witnessed, whereas the area occupied by scrubland (6.42%), wasteland (1.18%), and built-up land (1.99%) has increased. The Spatio-temporal LULC changes of the study area can be used to monitor, plan, and implement proper town and country planning to maintain the sustainable environment of Ratanpur city. The adverse impact of urban growth in the surface water bodies/ponds must be regulated by taking suitable conservation measures at the individual and community level for maintaining the biodiversity and aesthetic beauty of the area.

J. P. Koshale and Anupama Mahato

Microplastic Occurrence in Marine Invertebrates Sampled from Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa in Different Seasons

The occurrence of microplastics in the environment, together with increasing temperatures as a result of climate change, has become a global concern. However, few reports are available on microplastic ingestion in lower benthic marine animals sampled from their natural environment during different seasons of the year. This study investigated microplastic uptake in Dotilla fenestrata (Hilgendorf 1869), Holothuria cinerascens (Brandt 1835) and Pyura stolonifera (Heller 1878) sampled from their natural environment during winter and summer. Animals sampled were cleaned of sand and attached animals and transported on ice to the laboratory. D. fenestrata, H. cinerascens (guts), and P. stolonifera (soft tissues) were digested in 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution for 24 hours at 60°C and analysed for microplastics. The per cent occurrences of microplastics found in sampled animals were more than 95 % in both seasons, and fibres were the most predominant microplastic types found. Season significantly affect microplastic uptake in Dotilla fenestrata (t-test: t-value = 2.915, df = 58, p = 0.01) while it had no effect in H. cinerascens and P. stolonifera sampled. A significantly higher number of microplastics were found in D. fenestrata than H. cinerascens (ANOVA HSD: df = 2, p = 008) and P. stolonifera (ANOVA HSD: df = 2, p = 000) in winter while H. cinerascens had a higher number of microplastics than P. stolonifera in summer (ANOVA HSD: df = 2, p = 002). These results show that microplastic uptake in some ectotherms may be season-dependent and that feeding method impacts the accessibility of marine invertebrates to microplastics in their environment.

O.A. Iwalaye, G.K. Moodley and D.V. Robertson-Andersson

Biochemical Changes Induced by Cartap Hydrochloride (50% SP), Carbamate Insecticide in Freshwater Fish Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton, 1822)

The freshwater fish Cirrhinus mrigala was exposed to Cartap hydrochloride (50% SP) for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. The LC 50 values were found to be 0.436, 0.419, 0.394 and 0.376 mg-1 in static method and 0.399, 0.371, 0.361 and 0.339 mg.L-1 in continuous flow-through system. The static LC50 values are higher than the continuous flow-through method. The LC50 values showed a decreasing trend with an increase in time of exposure in both the methods. The decrease was more in a continuous flow-through method than in the static method. The fish were exposed to sub-lethal (1/10th of 96 h LC50 value 0.0376 mg.L-1) and lethal (96 h LC50 value 0.376 mg.L-1) concentrations of the pesticide for 24 and 96 hours to study the alterations in glycogen, total proteins and nucleic acids (DNA & RNA) contents of various tissues viz., gill, brain, liver, kidney and muscle. Glycogen, total proteins and nucleic acids (DNA & RNA) content values decreased in all the tissues of exposed fish and the per cent decrease is more apparent in lethal concentrations than in sub-lethal concentrations. From the present study, it can be concluded that Cartap hydrochloride caused a decline in the glycogen, total protein and nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) content in Cirrhinus mrigala and the changes are more pronounced in lethal exposure than in sub-lethal exposure.

G. Vani, K. Veeraiah, M. Vijaya Kumar, Sk. Parveen and G.D.V. Prasad Rao

Synergistic Effect of Fungal Consortia and C/N Ratio Variation on Rice Straw Degradation

In this study, the efficiency of fungal consortia was evaluated on the degradation of rice straw by varying the initial carbon/nitrogen ratio of the compost piles. Consortia of three potent cellulose-degrading fungal strains: Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus flavus were used as an inoculant to degrade rice straw in a 90-day composting process. The carbon/nitrogen ratio of the composting piles was varied by varying the proportion of bedding material in different treatments. The composts thus achieved were subjected to physic-chemical analysis and phytotoxicity assay using Solanum lycopersicum as test seeds. After 90 days of composting, compost from treatment 4 with initial carbon/nitrogen ratio 34 depicted maximum stability by achieving a final carbon/nitrogen ratio of 16.25. Compost from treatment 4 showed the highest Germination Index (%) followed by treatment 3 and treatment 2 as 94.32%, 88.88% and 79%, respectively on the growth of Solanum lycopersicum seeds. Results concluded that fungal consortia derived agro-waste compost with an initial carbon/nitrogen ratio 34 depicted the earliest maturity which is suggestive of its suitability for agricultural application.

Sheetal Barapatre, Mansi Rastogi, Babita Khosla and Meenakshi Nandal

Isolation and Characterization of Bacterial Isolates from Psidium guajava Obtained from Local Markets of Patna and Their Antibiotic Sensitivity Test

The study was conducted to investigate the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in guava, sold in the local markets of Patna. A total of twenty five fresh samples of guava were collected from five different market places in Patna city. Several microbiological tests were performed to assess the growth and type of bacteria. The colonies were isolated and identified as isolate 1 and 3 (identical to Staphylococcus spp.), isolate 2 (identical to Escherichia spp.) and isolate 4 and 5 (identical to Bacillus spp.) based on their cultural, morphological, Gram’s staining and biochemical characteristics. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted to detect their actual resistance capability. In the present study, S1 and S3 were found resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ofloxacin and intermediate to gentamycin while S2 was found resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamycin, ciprofloxacin, cephalexin and intermediate to ofloxacin. The isolates S4 and S5 were found sensitive to gentamycin, intermediate to chloramphenicol and resistant to ciprofloxacin. Results of this study showed that the guava samples obtained from different markets of Patna possess multidrug resistant bacteria.

Deepak Kumar Jha, Ritu Raj, Pravritti, Samiksha, Aditi, Gulistan Parveen and Niti Yashvardhini

Kinetic and Adsorption Study for Removal of Arsenic from Aqueous Medium by Low Cost Bentonite of Rajmahal Hills and Hazaribagh, Jharkhand

The paper deals with the feasibility of arsenite removal by the adsorption from bentonite mineral. Groundwater arsenic contamination has been reported in different parts of the world including Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Tube wells in Holocene Newer Alluvium are characterized by grey to black coloured organic-rich argillaceous sediments which have arsenic-contaminated groundwater. The majority of arsenic present in the groundwater is in the form of As(III) which exists as uncharged species arsenic tri hydroxide at pH value of less than 9.2. Arsenite is removed by various techniques like coagulation microfiltration, fixed bed adsorption, bioremoval, ion exchange, membrane filtration, etc. Our studies have shown that locally available bentonites containing a unit of montmorillonites can remove the arsenic from an aqueous medium. On the treatment of 100 mL arsenite solution with 300 mesh sieves bentonites up to different intervals of time, it has been found that bentonites are good adsorbent of arsenite. The percentage removal of arsenite is up to 99 per cent with 3 g sodium derivative of bentonite for 1 hour. The removal efficiency, adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies show the suitability of bentonite minerals for arsenic removal following first-order kinetics. Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms are obeyed in the adsorption of arsenite by bentonite minerals. Adsorption of arsenic by bentonite minerals has proved to be a low-cost eco-friendly method. Sodium derivative of bentonite minerals has been found more efficient for removal of arsenite.

Sourav Majumder, Ashok Kr. Jha

Poisonous Effects of Carbamate Pesticide Sevin on Histopathological Changes of Channa striata (Bloch, 1793)

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

S. Suja and E. Sherly Williams

Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Azolla pinnata Inclusion in Backyard Chicken Production

Backyard chicken production is an integral part among rural families in the tropics like the Philippines. However, it has been declining as it continues to suffer low productivity with its small-scale operations. Among its production inputs, feeds remain to be the top cost driver, as well as the top contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that result in global warming potential (GWP). In a prior experiment, 50% inclusion of Azolla Pinna was recommended in feed ration due to its favourable and comparable growth performance of Dominant DZ backyard chickens. Hence, this study further evaluated the inclusion in terms of environmental performance. The 50% inclusion resulted in reductions of CO2 by 35%, N2O by 22.32%, and CH4 by 4.74%. The gross effect of this reduction of conventional feeds is a climate change mitigation equivalent 28.47% of GWP kg CO2 -eq./1,000 birds. The potential impacts indicate that Azolla Pinnata can be a cost-effective and sustainable feedstuff in backyard chicken rearing system especially that it requires simple propagation method. The environmental impacts and savings can encourage more livelihood activities in rural.

M. T. M. Espino and L. M. Bellotindos

Temporal Variations of PM2.5 and PM10 Concentration Over Hyderabad

The association between urbanization and health at the global level, as well as the role of air pollution, has increased the interest in studies, aimed to improve the air quality of urban areas. Addressing the challenges of pollution caused by urbanization plays a crucial role in developing sustainable urbanization. Understanding the temporal characteristics of particulate matter mass concentrations with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 ?m and 10 ?m (PM2.5 and PM10) is very important to counter the effect of air pollution. We have analysed and interpreted the diurnal, monthly and seasonal variations of one-hour average PM concentrations taken from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for six stations over Hyderabad, India during March 2018 to February 2020. Average concentrations of PM2.5 (41.5 ?g/m3) and PM10 (91.52 ?g/m3) for two consecutive years (2018 and 2019) are found to exceed the standard values of World Health Organization (WHO) standards (PM2.5 = 10 ?g/m3 and PM10 = 20 ?g/m3) and National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) (PM2.5 = 40 ?g/m3 and PM10 = 60 ?g/m3). A clear diurnal and seasonal variations are observed for all the stations. In diurnal cycle, a large PM concentration was observed between 8 AM to 10 AM and again between 6 PM to 9 PM with a minimum at 3 PM in all seasons and also for all stations which clearly shows semidiurnal variations. Data analysis shows a high concentration of particulate matter in winter compared to other seasons. The PM2.5 (PM10) concentrations in winter were found to be increased by three (two times) when compared to monsoon. The ratio of PM2.5 to PM10 is very close to 0.5 during post-monsoon and winter, and 0.4 in summer and monsoon seasons, which clearly shows that PM2.5 comprises a major portion of PM10. The PM2.5 and PM10 are highly correlated with correlation coefficient 0.9. Out of 6 stations, Zoo Park is contributing more particulate matter pollutant concentrations.

M. C. Ajay Kumar, P. Vinay Kumar and P. Venkateswara Rao

Assessment of Heavy Metal, Arsenic in Chhilpura Pond Water and its Effect on Haematological and Biochemical Parameters of Catfish, Clarias batrachus

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

Mohnish Pichhode, Ambika Asati, Jyotish Katare and S. Gaherwal

A New Index Contributing to an Early Warning System for Cyanobacterial Bloom Occurrence in Atlantic Canada Lakes

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHAB) have become more frequent and prominent in Atlantic Canada freshwater bodies over the last several years, especially in Nova Scotia (NS). Inspired by the trophic index of Vollenweider, a new index was developed with modification and adaptation for freshwater systems. Our model TRINDEX shows the effectiveness of estimation for the variation of cyanobacterial dominance in phytoplankton communities. TRINDEX can assist in determining the threshold for cyanobacterial bloom onset. Combinations of nutrients and pigments under TRINDEX were tested by a binary discrimination test to find the optimal range of threshold for cyanoHAB formation in freshwater lakes.

K. Hushchyna and T. Nguyen-Quang

Cost Estimation of Electrokinetic Soil Remediation for Removal of Six Toxic Metals from Contaminated Soil

The purpose of the study is to estimate the operating cost of the electrokinetic methods in the removal of toxic metals (TMs) from granite mine tailing soil with the help of the proposed cost estimation models. The conventional electrokinetic technologies have not considered the cost estimation in the removal of TMs from polluted soils. In this study, we incorporated the chelates such as citric acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) enhanced electrokinetic soil remediation process followed by a cost estimation of the processes. Our study proposed the cost estimation models to determine the operating cost of the conventional and enhanced electrokinetic treatment processes, specifically for the removal of six TMs such as chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) from granite mine tailing soil. We investigated the chelating enhanced electrokinetic removal of TMs about six times more than the conventional process for 20 days of operation. Furthermore, we estimated that the operating cost of the conventional and enhanced electrokinetic processes was about US$ 110 to US$ 508 per cubic meter of treated soil. The total operating cost was about US$ 110 to US$ 1006 per cubic meter of treated soil including enhancers cost. We believe the chelating enhanced electrokinetic treatment of soil was more effective than conventional treatment for removal of TMs from contaminated soil.

G. Koteswara Reddy, V. Nikhil Reddy, V. Sunandini and K. Hemalatha

A Study on Chemical Disintegration of POP Ganesh Idols in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

In India, festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja form an integral part of its rich and diverse cultural heritage. The ritual of idol worshipping and immersion into water bodies signifies the cycle of creation and dissolution, acknowledging the rhythm of nature that all things come from nature and go seamlessly back to it for a cycle to begin. But, in recent times the practice of immersing Plaster of Paris (POP) made idols along with other decorative material into natural water bodies has immensely raised the severe issue of water pollution and creating an uncongenial aquatic ecosystem. In this purview, a pilot project for chemical disintegration of POP idols during Ganesh festival was run in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India to study the effective application of a chemical method developed by CSIR-NCL, Pune by using ammonium bicarbonate. Water samples were collected before and after idol immersion activity from the tank. The detailed chemical analysis of the aqueous phase was carried out to study the effect on various parameters and application of residues. The analytical results reveal that the method has its practical utility as both the products of the reaction can further be used in chalk making and as fertiliser with dilution. The concentration of heavy metals was found minimal and in the limits in the treated aqueous phase. This paper also supports the sustainable management of such functions rather than the use of artificial materials.

Y. K. Saxena, R.C. Verma and P. Jagan

Monitoring Impacts of Human Activities on Bouskoura Stream (Periurban of Casablanca, Morocco): 3. Bio-Ecology of Epilithic Diatoms (First Results)

The epilithic diatoms of a periurban watercourse of Casablanca city (Bouskoura stream) were studied from samples taken in 8 stations (distributed in the upstream-downstream direction) for two years (August 2015-July 2017). The recorded diatomic flora consists of 54 species corresponding to 27 genera and belonging to 5 main families: Monoraphids, Naviculaceae, Nitzschiaceae, Araphids and Surirellaceae. This flora is predominantly alkaliphile and characterizes ?-mesosaprobe to polysaprobes and eutrophic to hypereutrophic media. Responses assemblage to natural and anthropogenic disturbances were analyzed. Diatom assemblages structure analysis shows that downstream of this watercourse, where pollution is intense, the abundances of pollosensitive taxa such as Achnanthes minutissima, Cymbella affinis are low or even nulls and we are witnessing the appearance of polysaprobe forms such as Nitzschia palea, Nitzschia capitellata and Nitzschia frustulum that tolerate rich environments in organic matter or highly polluted. Spatial variation in species diversity could not highlight changes in water quality at the prospected sites; on the other hand, the change in the percentage of pollutant-tolerant taxa (PTV) revealed the full extent of the alteration due to gradual nutrient and organic matter inputs into the Bouskoura watercourse. In addition, the correlation obtained between this index and the organic pollution index (IPO) is highly significant. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted taxonomic differences between stations. The results obtained in this work have emphasized the importance of diatoms as a bioindicator of the health status of this periurban watercourse.

Lhoucine Benhassane, Said Oubraim, Jihad Mounjid, Souad Fadlaoui and Mohammed Loudiki

Remazol Effluent Treatment in Batch and Packed Bed Column Using Biochar Derived from Marine Seaweeds

The release of textile effluents into the biosphere is a serious threat to the environment and promotes several health issues. Although several studies have been carried out in the remediation of textile effluents using adsorbents, the continuous mode of operation (packed bed) to treat effluent generated from the cotton-based textile industry using biosorbent is seldom reported. Here, one such investigation is made to remediate the Remazol effluent solution in batch and continuous mode of operation. A maximum decolourization efficiency of 77.5% and 49.66% was obtained for Ulva lactuca derived biochar in batch and continuous study. Column data parameters such as overall sorption time zone, breakthrough time, exhaustion time and volume of effluent treated were also calculated. Regeneration studies showed that 0.01 M sodium hydroxide can be utilized for sorption-elution up to three regeneration cycles.

R. Gokulan, A. Vijaya Kumar, V. Rajeshkumar and S. Praveen

Growth and Reproduction of Perionyx excavatus (Perrier) During Vermicomposting of Different Plant Residues

The data on growth and reproduction of composting earthworms may be beneficial for large scale earthworm production. The growth and reproduction of Perionyx excavatus were assessed in limited supplies of four experimental diets-cow dung alone and its mixture with acacia (Acacia auriculiformis) leaf litter, bamboo (Bambusa polymorpha) leaf litter and terrestrial weed Mikania micrantha under laboratory conditions to select suitable diet from our locally available resource for vermiculture. Growth performance of Perionyx excavatus was significantly (P<0.05) higher in cow dung (maximum weight mg worm-1 629 and growth rate mg worm-1 day-1 22.91). The rate of reproduction (0.3 cocoons worm-1 day-1 and 3.31 juveniles adult-1 week-1) was significantly higher (P<0.05) in acacia-cow dung mixture. The cocoon production was maximum on the 30th day in all experimental diets (cow dung, acacia-cow dung, bamboo-cow dung, mikania-cow dung). All the diets showed a maximum peak of juvenile production on the 45th day. The lowest rate of biomass increase as well as the rate of reproduction were observed in mikania-cow dung mixture. Present result indicates that cow dung and acacia leaf litter can be used as vermiculture substrate for P. excavatus.

S. Debnath and P. S. Chaudhuri

The Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural and Livestock Production and Groundwater Characteristics in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Agriculture is located at the crossing point between ecosystems and society, where changes in the global environmental conditions affect agricultural activities. The total agricultural area in Abu Dhabi Emirate in 2017 was 749,868 donums. This study had two main objectives; first, to understand how agricultural and livestock production has changed and how these changes are relevant to socioeconomic statuses; second, to assess climate change’s impact on agricultural and livestock production through groundwater characteristics. We distributed and collected 301 surveys throughout the three main regions in the Abu Dhabi Emirate (Abu Dhabi City, Al-Ain City, and Al Dhafrah). The results indicated that approximately 68% of the respondents in Al-Ain agreed that it is currently much easier and more profitable to manage a farm than it was 20 years ago. Further, 39% of the farmers agreed that both product quality and quantity have improved over the past 20 years. About 51% of Emirati nationals agreed that production has changed over time. The farmers aged between 51-60 years also agreed that there has been a change in production over time. Half of the farm owners agreed that production has changed, while a majority of the workers provided neutral responses on this topic. While a number of both owners and workers agreed that both production and income levels changed, more respondents disagreed than agreed that these changes had occurred. Finally, the farmers aged between 51-60 years agreed more that the groundwater levels and quality had changed over the past 20 years.

L. S. Al Blooshi, T. S. Ksiksi, M. Aboelenein and A. S. Gargoum

Water Quality Assessment of River Tungabhadra, India

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

Ranjith S., Anand V. Shivapur, Shiva Keshava Kumar P., Chandrashekarayya, G. Hiremath and Santhosh Dhungana

Reduction of Wave Energy Due to Monotypic Coastal Vegetation Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Information of interactions between waves and aquatic vegetation is becoming increasingly important, in particular, due to the trend of plant-induced wave attenuation towards sustainable coastal management systems. This study aims to understand monotypic vegetation-wave interactions through three-level, four factors, response surface methodology (RSM) using laboratory wave flume under controlled conditions. Cymodocea Serrulata is one of the prevalent monotypic seagrass species found in the Gulf of Mannar, Tamilnadu, South India. It was physically simulated using synthetic plant imitations to create a relationship between wave attenuation (E%) and four direct control factors, i.e., water depth (h), wave period (T), plant density (N) and bed roughness factor (f) using an empiric model. The model developed was tested using the analysis of variance technique (ANOVA) and evaluated for the main and interaction effects of the studied parameters. The findings showed that both individually and in combination, all of the parameters considered were significantly effective on E%. All model-based findings were compared with a new collection of experimental data and validation tests were performed. The comparison of experimental results with model predictions was at a good agreement with a high coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.98 (with p-value < 0.05).

S. Hemavathi and R. Manjula

Measurement of Radon Concentrations in Mineral Water of Iraqi Local Markets Using RAD7 Technique

The effective technique of RAD7 has been applied to determine the concentrations of radon and annual effective dose of mineral water samples collected from Iraqi local markets. The results show that the level of radon concentrations in mineral water samples ranged between 0.035 and 0.248 Bq/L with an average value of 0.120 Bq/L. In addition to the annual effective dose ranged from 0.129 to 0.905 ?Sv/y with an average value of 0.440 ?Sv/y. It was found that the mean value of radon concentration and annual effective dose in all the studied mineral water samples were within the acceptable limits according to the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and World Health Organization (WHO).

Osamah Nawfal Oudah and Anees A. Al-Hamzawi

Assessment of the Surface Water Quality: A Case of Wadi El-Kébir West Watershed, Skikda, North-East Algeria

The considerable increase in the amount of nitrogen in the surface water is a major environmental problem. It has become a great matter of worry because of the multiple environmental effects including eutrophication and health risks. The El-Kebir West watershed is a coastal plain in northeastern Algeria.This study aims to determine the physicochemical quality of waters of the western WadiEl-Kebir and its main tributariesand also to evaluate the spatiotemporal variabilityof its physicochemical quality in particular of mineral nitrogen during wet and dry periods. Four sampling campaigns were realized as follows: January 2015 and February 2016 corresponding to water high season and in March and September 2016 corresponding to the low season. The water samples were obtained from the seven stations located along western Wadi El-Kebir. Temperature, pH,conductivity,dissolved oxygen,SO42-, PO43-, NO3-, NO2-and NH4+ were measured either in situ or in the laboratory.A statistical treatment employingthe PCA method (The Principal Components Analysis) was applied for all the obtained results. It has been noticed that the S2 and S3 upstream stations are very rich in ammonium (NH4+) at the low water period with average values of 15.22 mg/L and 20.41 mg/L, respectively.This study has shown the influence of seasonal variations and anthropogenic activities on the evolution of physicochemical settings, in general, and on mineral nitrogen in particular. In conclusion,the waters of Wadi El-Kebir were of an average to poor quality.

A. Lazizi and A. Laifa

Removal of Azo Dyes Reactive Black from Water by Zero-Valent Iron: The Efficiency and Mechanism

The removal kinetics and mechanism of active black removal by zero-valent iron were investigated. The experimental results showed that the rate of reactive black removal by zero-valent iron increased with the decreasing of pH and initial dye concentration, and increased with the increasing of temperature and ZVI dosage. SO42- promoted the removal rate of reactive black. Ca2+ had an inhibitory effect on the removal of reactive black in the early stage by zero-valent iron and promoted it in the later stage, while Mg2+, CO32-, ClO4-, NO3-, PO43- and HCO3- all inhibited the removal rate of reactive black by zero-valent iron. The activation energy was 26.38 KJ mol-1 by using the Arrhenius formula, indicating that this reaction was easy to occur. The degradation process was further analysed by UV-Vis, SEM and XRD, and the main reaction product was Fe2O3.

Y.Y. Xue, L.P. Liang, Q. Wu, Y.T. Zhang, L.B. Cheng and X. Meng

Acute Toxicity and Haematological Studies of Textile Based Industrial Effluent of Pali City on a Freshwater Fish Clarias batrachus (L.)

The acute toxicity bioassay of textile industrial effluent (TIE) was carried out by the probit analysis method. The 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h LC50 values were obtained as 56.23 %, 28.84 %, 22.38% and 16.59% respectively. LC50 values were significantly decreased with increase in effluent concentration. The safe value was found to be 32.88 %. The experimental fish C.batrachus exhibited stressful behaviour which increased with toxicant concentration. Due to acute toxicity of textile based industrial effluent, experimental fish C. batrachus expressed high secretion of mucus, uncoordinated and tailfin movement, surfacing, loss of buoyancy, escaping tendency, hyperactivity, and discolouration of the skin. Mortalities were observed in all treatments except control. The haematological analysis was also carried out in experimental fish C.batrachus exposed to various periods in textile-dyeing effluents. Haematological data were evaluated for parameters such as Hb, RBCs, WBCs, PCV, MCH, and MCHC of the test species. The alterations of these parameters have been discussed. So it can be concluded that the TIE is toxic to fishes and aquatic organisms.

Surendra Makwana

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