Variation in the Ability of Various Tree Species to Capture Particulate Matter in Industrial and Urban Areas

There are several short- and long-term negative effects on human health caused by the well-known pollutant known as particulate matter (PM), which also significantly contributes to urban air pollution. Trees can act as a sustainable air purifying filter by adsorbing and absorbing tiny airborne dust. Their effectiveness is influenced by a number of variables, including particulate matter concentration and leaf features of tree species. In this study, the particulate matter capturing capacity of commonly grown 20 tree species were compared and the best tree species were chosen for the urban plantation to reduce particulate matter pollution. In this study, Ficus bengalensis (0.67 mg/cm2), Mangifera indica (0.61 mg/cm2), Polyalthia longifolia (0.57 mg/cm2), Tectona grandis (0.66 mg/cm2) and Terminalia catappa (0.63 mg/cm2) were found to be the best tree species among the 20 tree species and also it was confirmed that morphological characteristics of tree leaves plays an important role in capturing the particulate matter from the atmosphere. In conclusion, our findings may help in the selection of greening tree species with strong particulate matter purifying capacities for both industrial and urban areas.

Assessment of Biodrainage Potential of Existing Plant Species Along the Sewage Drains of Vedapatti Drainage Stretch, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

The proper disposal of manufacturing and consumer waste, including sewage sludge, is one of the numerous environmental issues facing today's society. In addition to posing serious health concerns to humans, anthropogenic activities are a major source of environmental pollution and can result in an overabundance of pollutants entering the terrestrial ecosystem. The goal of the current study was to determine how existing tree and plant species near sewage drains were affected by the bioaccumulation of carcinogenic metals (Cd, Ni, Co, and Cr) together with other heavy metals. These heavy metals found in the sewage are hazardous to the health of both people and the environment. To further understand how well these plant species adapted to the metal-contaminated soil, many biological parameters, including stomatal density, leaf length, leaf area index, and stress hormone levels, were investigated. For every species included in the study, soil samples were taken near the sewer drains and the rhizosphere. The plant species' leaves and roots (where feasible) were also harvested. To check for metal buildup in the wood, various tree species had their trunks harvested. All of these samples go through an acid digestion process using an aquaregia combination. Following digestion, the samples are examined using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (MP-AES) for the presence of heavy metals. In this study, we briefly address the findings on the accumulation of heavy metals by certain plant species.

Design of Filtration System for Aerated Sewage Water

The study investigated the potential of sand and activated charcoal filtration systems to enhance water quality for irrigation by treating aerated sewage effluent from. Setup involved a 60 cm deep sand filter connected as the inlet to another 30 cm deep sand filter and this filter linked as the inlet to a 30 cm deep charcoal filter. These filters were operated in series at hydraulic loading rates (HLR) of 60 m/h and 10 m/h. Notably, operating the filters in series at an HLR of 10 m/h yielded superior effluent water quality compared to an HLR of 60 m/h. System achieved significant removal efficiencies for turbidity, BOD5, COD, Total Nitrogen (Total-N), Total Phosphorous (Total-P) with 71.9%, 54.4%, 71.9%, 44.4%, 39.1%, and 42.9% with a 90 cm deep sand filter at an HLR of 10 m/h, and also with a combination of sand and charcoal filters at an HLR of 25 m/h system achieved 81.6%, 80.3%, 63.5%, 47.5%, and 64.3% respectively. We also examined the chemical characteristics of both untreated and treated sewage water samples, revealing a hierarchy of cation and anion prevalence as follows: Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ for cations, and Cl- > HCO3- > SO42- > CO32- for anions. Our study demonstrates that the combination of aeration and sand filtration effectively ensures safety by preventing water body pollution and unpleasant odours with high-quality treated wastewater suitable for sustainable agricultural use.

Development of Microbial Inoculants for Green House Gases Mitigation under Irrigated Rice Ecosystem

Our earth releases several types of green house gases into the atmosphere viz., carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbon etc. Rice is a prime food crop in the Asian countries which fulfil the food security. Methane is one among the greenhouse gases which usually emitted from low land rice field. Methanogen survive in the absence of oxygen and usually releases methane from irrigated rice ecosystem. Methanotroph are aerobic group of organism that require minor amount of oxygen to survive. Rice ecosystem is the ideal ecosystem for the survival of methanogens and methanotrophs. With this background methanotrophs were isolated from four different location of cauvery delta zone. Cultures were confirmed through methane monooxidase activity. Methanotroph isolates were mass multiplied and bioinoculants were developed.

RHIZOSPHERE MICROBES AS BIOSORBENTS FOR HEAVY METAL REMOVAL

Intense industrial activity in the twentieth century, particularly in developing nations, has resulted in significant environmental pollution, resulting in a vast number and variety of polluted sites that pose a threat to the surrounding ecology. Metal pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems today as a result of human activities such as metal mining and smelting, electroplating, gas exhaust, energy and fuel production, fertilizer, sewage and pesticide application, municipal waste generation, and so on (Kabata-Pendias and Pendias, 2000). Most plants are affected by an excessive buildup of heavy metals. Heavy metal ions are disproportionately absorbed by roots and translocate to shoots when present at high levels in the environment, resulting in decreased metabolism and growth. In recent years, phytoremediation has gained a lot of market acceptance. Phytoremediation technology appears to be a potential cleanup solution for a wide range of metal-contaminated locations, albeit it does have limitations, according to preliminary study. The rhizosphere is a biologically active zone of the soil around plant roots that contains soil-borne microorganisms including bacteria and fungi. Plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere can be advantageous to the plant, the microbes or to neither of them.

Congestive heart failure in a male with "carcinoma tongue": a case of mistaken identity.

We present a case of primary amyloidosis with macroglossia and restrictive cardiomopathy, that was mistakenly diagnosed as carcinoma of the tongue. He had characteristic echocardiographic findings, and bone marrow plasmacytosis but with normal serum electrophoresis and no Bence Jones proteins in the urine.

Post-trauma electrocardiogram mimicking myocardial infarction.

A case of roadside accident victim is discussed who had electrocardiographic changes of hypothermia wrongly interpreted as "evolving myocardial infarction", which completely reverted after increasing core body temperature.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with secundum atrial septal defects.

BACKGROUND. Experience in Vellore suggests that pulmonary arterial hypertension develops at an earlier age in Indian patients with secundum atrial defects than it does in westerners. We examined the haemodynamic data on patients with secundum atrial defects to determine whether this was also true in Delhi. METHODS. We analysed the data on 461 patients with secundum atrial defects, grouping them according to their pulmonary (Qp) and systemic (Qs) flow rates as well as the ratio of pulmonary to systemic systolic pressure (Pap/Sap) into 4 groups: [table: see text] RESULTS. There were 8 (2%) patients in group 1, 282 (61%) in group 2, 124 (27%) in group 3, 28 (6%) in group 4a and 19 (4%) in group 4b. Of the 19 patients in group 4b, 6 (1%) were below 20 years of age and 13 (3%) above 20 years. CONCLUSION. Our findings indicate that obstructive pulmonary arterial hypertension does not develop early in patients in Delhi.