Vehicular emission and its impact on heavy metal accumulation and photosynthetic pigments on pine needles in Pahalgam forest ecosystem.

Human interference is rising day by day which adds more problems to conserve valuable forest resources. Vehicular exhausts are the main source of heavy metals that have detrimental impacts on the vegetation. The research provides comprehension about the increase in vehicular traffic along the Pahalgam highway, which is disturbing the balance of the forest ecosystem. The concentration of heavy metals and leaf pigments were determined in the leaf tissues collected along with the roadside pine trees in the Pahalgam resort. A total of 25 samples at each sampling site were collected in 100 m diameter along main road. High vehicular movements in summer correlated with the high accumulation of heavy metals such as Pb2+ (0.563 mg/kg), Ni2+ (0.271 mg/kg), and Cu2+ (0.202 mg/kg) in pine needles. However, Zn2+ exhibited higher concentration (0.468 mg/kg) at Batakote and Cd2+ (0.05 mg/kg) at Pahalgam in autumn. Moreover, total chlorophyll content determined low (1.97 mg/g) at Pahalgam in autumn and high (3.81 mg/g) at Chandanwari in summer. In general, the chlorophyll content in the pine needles was certainly affected by the accumulation of heavy metals which indicating a negative correlation of chlorophyll content with heavy metals. Thus, the increase in traffic movement and tourist influx significantly affects the accumulation of heavy metals and decreases the pigment content in the pine needles. Rapid tourist influx in world-famous health resorts is dramatically influencing the forest ecosystem. Therefore, the need is to use green fuel or ban the old vehicles which can be helpful in maintaining the balance of the forest ecosystem.

Gastrointestinal helminth parasites of wild ungulates in Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary, Kashmir, India.

Parasitic infection represents an emerging threat to wild ungulates and a challenge to their management. Although a lot of work has been carried out on helminth parasitic infestation of domestic ungulates of Kashmir but the data pertaining to this aspect of wild ungulates has been ignored. The study on gastrointestinal helminth parasitic infestation of wild ungulates was carried out during post livestock grazing period (November to May) of 2018/2019 in Hirpora Wildlife sanctuary (HWLS) to fill the gap in the existing literature. During the study fresh faecal samples of musk deer Moschus spp. (n = 44) and markhor Capra falconeri (n = 41) were collected and examined qualitatively and quantitatively for gastrointestinal helminth parasites. A total of seven helminth parasites were recorded which are arranged in the descending order of their overall prevalence as Haemonchus spp. (44.70%), Nematodirus spp. (40%), Trichuris spp. (37.64%), Strongyloides spp. (34.11%) Trichostrongylus spp. (28.23%) Moniezia spp. (23.52%) and Fasciola spp. (20%). The mean EPG (eggs per gram) of different parasites showed a considerable variation in both the wild ungulates. The highest mean EPG was that of Haemonchus spp. and the lowest mean EPG was that of Fasciola spp. in both hosts. A statistically significant difference was observed in the mean EPG of different parasites between two wild hosts (t = 3.606, p = 0.01) .

Arsenic and Human Health: Genotoxicity, Epigenomic Effects, and Cancer Signaling.

Arsenic is a well-known element because of its toxicity. Humans as well as plants and animals are negatively affected by its exposure. Some countries suffer from high levels of arsenic in their tap water and soils, which is considered a primary arsenic-linked risk factor for living beings. Humans generally get exposed to arsenic by contaminated drinking waters, resulting in many health problems, ranging from cancer to skin diseases. On the other hand, the FDA-certified drug arsenic trioxide provides solutions for various diseases, including several types of cancers. This issue emphasizes the importance of speciation of the metalloid elements in terms of impacts on health. When species get exposed to arsenic, it affects the cells altering their involvement. It can lead to abnormalities in inflammatory mechanisms and the immune system which contribute to the negative impacts generated on the body. The poisoning originating from arsenic gives rise to various biological signs on the body which can be useful for the diagnosis. It is important to find true biomarkers for the detection of arsenic poisoning. In view of its application in medicine and biology, studies on understanding the biological activity of arsenic have increased. In this review, we aim at summarizing the current state of knowledge of arsenic and the mechanism behind its toxicity including genotoxicity, oxidative insults, epigenomic changes, and alterations in cellular signaling.

Vulnerability of municipal solid waste: An emerging threat to aquatic ecosystems.

Dumping waste materials into aquatic ecosystems leads to pollution, which directly and indirectly poses a danger to all life forms. Currently, huge quantities of wastes are generated at a global scale with varying constituents, including organic fractions, emerging contaminants and toxic metals. These wastes release concentrated contaminants (leachates), which are lethal for all ecosystems around the globe because they contain varying concentrations of chemical constituents with BOD5 and COD in the order of 2 × 104-2.7 × 104 mg/L, and 3.4 × 104-3.8 × 104 mg/L, respectively. Herein, in-depth knowledge of municipal solid waste dumping into the aquatic ecosystems, changes in physicochemical characteristics, availability of in-/organic contaminants, and long-term unhealthy effects are presented. Moreover, an attempt has been made here to summarize the facts related to identifying the deadly impacts of waste on different ecosystem components. The unresolved challenges of municipal waste management are emphasized, which will help employ suitable waste management techniques and technologies to conserve the everlasting freshwater resources on earth.

Ceratophyllum demersum-An accretion biotool for heavy metal remediation.

Freshwater habitats are under serious threat due to the diverse pressures of development and restoration of these ecosystems is an important challenge in the present era. With a number of scientifically advanced methods available for restoration of these systems, phytoremediation finds its unique space as an ecologically sustainable technique. In this paper, a case study of Certophyllum demersum as a tool of heavy metal remediation in Dal lake, a natural freshwater system in Kashmir, India is presented. At all concentrations (2 ppm, 4 ppm, 6 ppm) the metal accumulation efficiency of C. demersum is of the order of Co2+ > Cd2+ > Mn2+ followed by other metals. The carbohydrate- protein plot reveals positive correlation (0.696) with the heavy metal uptake while the lipid-protein plot overall shows a weak correlation (0.296) and the carbohydrate-lipid plot shows an insignificant correlation (0.019). The results of the present study revealed attenuation of protein levels at low doses which lowered with increased heavy metal concentrations. Further, the overall lipid and carbohydrate content of the cultured C. demersum displayed a general decline with a rise in the concentration of heavy metals The overall study indicates the efficiency of C. demersum to adapt in polluted conditions and its potential to remove heavy metals for sustainable restoration of the degraded aquatic systems.

Antioxidant enzyme responses and metabolite functioning of Pisum sativum L. to sewage sludge in arid and semi-arid environments.

The productivity of plants is a direct variant of the countless biotic and abiotic stresses to which a plant is exposed in an environment. This study aimed to investigate the capabilities of leguminous plant garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) to resist water deficit conditions in arid and semi-arid areas when applied with varied doses of sludge for growth response. The effect of sludge doses was evaluated on crop yield, antioxidant enzymes, viz., ascorbate peroxidase (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione reductase (GR), and metabolites (ascorbic acid, glutathione, and total protein content). The effective sludge concentrations with respect to seed weight and crop yield were found to be in the following trend: D2 (6.25%)>D3 (12.5%)>D1 (2.5%)>D0 (control) under organic amendment (OA). Conversely, a high dose of the sludge reduced the seed weight and total crop yield. The sludge doses D2 under arid and semi-arid conditions along with organic amendments (OA) significantly enhance the antioxidant enzyme activity, whereas sludge dose D3 with OA ominously regulates the activity of these enzymes. Besides, seeds depicted a considerable increase in ascorbic acid, glutathione, and total protein content in arid and semi-arid conditions upon the application of sludge with OA. Sewage sludge as a source of nutrients indirectly enhances crop yield, antioxidant enzymes, and antioxidant metabolites. Thus, it improves the defense mechanism, reduces abnormal protein glycation, and depletes the susceptibility of protein to proteolysis.

Qualitative assessment of compost engendered from municipal solid waste and green waste by indexing method.

The present study aims at quantification of the quality of three varieties of composts made from municipal solid waste, green waste and combined waste by critically evaluating their physicochemical attributes, effect on soil fertility and metal pollution risk. Each waste type was treated with effective micro-organisms to compare the compost quality using Quality Control Indices. The effect of microbial consortia on the wastes was prominent resulting in decreased pH levels and increased electrical conductivity. C/N ratio ranged between 14-24 for waste composts without microbial treatment, and 8-11 for microbial treated wastes. The fertility parameter was observed to be more in microbial treated waste composts. Also, heavy metals concentration in waste compost without effective microbial treatment was higher than the types given EM. Based on the fertility and clean indices, the treated and untreated municipal solid waste and combined waste compost belonged to class RU-1 and class D, respectively. Moreover, compost prepared from treated and untreated green waste belonged to classes B and C respectively. In general, the prepared CW and GW composts have medium to high fertilizing potential and are fit for domestic as well as commercial use. However, MSW compost is not fit for agricultural purposes as it didn't improve soil fertility to a greater extent but can be used as a soil conditioner in limited quantity as it can cause metal toxicity. For this reason, proper segregation of inputs at the start of a composting process is necessary to improve its quality before being put to agricultural use as any unbalanced or unchecked content of mixed waste will affect the overall compost quality.Implications: Significance of the work: The research dealt with different combinations of segregated wastes to analyze the best fit solid waste compost. Experiments were conducted on the actual landfill site area to simulate the conditions for the process. The manuscript provides evidence and other facts advocating the use of composting for waste management and ultimately reducing pollution caused by landfilling. It ought to cause a multiplier effect if the same is to be followed in other parts of the world, and thus working our way toward getting the Smart city project to fruition. The results of the study exhibit the differences in physiochemical nature of various types of composts. A treatment of microbial consortium with restrictions enabled a conducive atmosphere in the colonies to thrive faster and initiate the process of decomposition. We observed that treated samples converted faster into compost as compared to non-treated samples. We also observed the effect of treatment on fertility parameters of prepared compost samples. In general, it was found that the organic carbon and C/N ratio declined while the total nitrogen and total potassium was observed to increase with very little to no change in phosphorous content, with the inoculation of beneficial micro-organisms throughout the composting course. A reduction in the heavy metal levels was observed in samples treated with active micro-organisms. The compost classification into A, B, C, and D classes represents the quality of compost and further use in agricultural land on commercial levels. The quality index values were determined highest for green waste compost (GWC). The municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) exhibited lowest index values. Therefore, based on the quality index values, the utilization of GWC will aid in reutilizing the green waste and in boosting soil fertility and reduce the waste quantity generation rates. It's also necessary to make compost making widespread among the farmers for a sustainable environment. The GWC has been considered as a sustainable option of waste management, being economically and ecologically viable.

Impact of COVID-related lockdowns on environmental and climate change scenarios.

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a major challenge from human health perspective. The alarming exponential increase in the transmission and fatality rates related to this disease has brought the world to a halt so as to cope up with its stern consequences. This has led to the imposition of lockdown across the globe to prevent the further spread of this disease. This lock down brought about drastic impacts at social and economic fronts. However, it also posed some positive impacts on environment as well particularly in the context of air quality due to reduction in concentrations of particulate matter (PM), NO2 and CO across the major cities of the globe as indicated by several research organizations. In China, Italy, France and Spain, there were about 20-30% reduction in NO2 emission while in USA 30% reduction in NO2 emission were observed. Compared to previous year, there was 11.4% improvement in the air quality in China. Drastic reductions in NO (-77.3%), NO2 (-54.3%) and CO (-64.8%) (negative sign indicating a decline) concentrations were observed in Brazil during partial lockdown compared to the five year monthly mean. In India there were about -51.84, -53.11, -17.97, -52.68, -30.35, 0.78 and -12.33% reduction in the concentration of PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, O3 and NH3 respectively. This article highlights the impact of lockdown on the environment and also discusses the pre and post lockdown air pollution scenario across major cities of the world. Several aspect of environment such as air, water, noise pollution and waste management during, pre and post lockdown scenario were studied and evaluated comprehensively. This research would therefore serve as a guide to environmentalist, administrators and frontline warriors for fighting our the way to beat this deadly disease and minimize its long term implications on health and environment.

Agricultural soils a trigger to nitrous oxide: a persuasive greenhouse gas and its management.

Agricultural soils form the backbone of the country's economic development. The increased population has not only reduced this treasure but also has affected the global climate at an alarming rate. Among the GHGs, emission of N2O due to agricultural activities is nowadays a global concern. Agricultural industries have increased N2O and CH4 by 17% in the atmosphere since 1990, with an average emanation rate of around 60 MT CO2 equivalents per year. Crop production accounts for approximately 50% of N2O emissions stemming from the farming community and discharges of fertilizer-induced N2O, for the time being estimated by IPCC at 1.24% of the N used ranging from 0.76% (rice) to 2.77% (maize). The concentration of atmospheric N2O has increased (60 ppb) after the industrial revolution, at the pace of 0.73 ppb year-1. Besides, soil structure, temperature, moisture, denitrifying microbial population, pH, C:N ratio, and relief are the factors which significantly enhance the N2O levels into the atmosphere. N2O as a GHG has more potential towards global warming than CO2 and has a very long residence period (115 years) in the atmosphere. N2O emission is nowadays a core issue which needs to be mitigated so as to decline the levels of its production in agricultural soils. However, priority should be given to the organic farming, management of soil chemistry, and phytoremediation to reduce the addition of N2O into the ambient air. Furthermore, deployment of N2O reductase in agricultural soils increases the efficiency of converting N2O to inert N2 which is a valuable strategy to reduce N2O production.

Environmental and socioeconomic factors induced blood lead in children: an investigation from Kashmir, India.

Blood lead toxicity has been prominently related to vehicular emissions. The lead is a carcinogenic metal systematically damages bones and central nervous system. The present investigation is focused on likely impacts of environmental and socioeconomic factors on the concentration of blood lead levels in children. The findings of the study show that the highest blood lead levels were observed in the age group of 4-8 years (5.46 µg/dl) with mother's education having an inverse proportionality with the blood lead levels of children. Furthermore, children belonging to families with income (> 100,000) exhibited the highest blood lead levels (5.52 µg/dl) than the rest of the categories which was further advocated by lower blood lead levels in children residing in better residential conditions. High proximity of school to highway distance seemed to play a vital role in the concentration of lead in children while the traffic flow density was observed to have proportionality effect on the blood lead levels. From the study, it is concluded that 28% of the children in the sample population were having lead levels above the permissible limits as per Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The study reflects the alarming toxicity of lead in children residing in a non-industrial region which further gives rise to concerns about the health of the children residing in industrialized regions of the world with high lead levels in the environment.

Heavy metal contamination in two commercial fish species of a trans-Himalayan freshwater ecosystem.

Toxic metals have disturbed the quality of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. The concentration of heavy metals was investigated in liver, gills and muscle tissues of Schizothorax niger and Cyprinus carpio captured from river Jhelum of Kashmir Himalaya. The heavy metals displayed a wide range of disparity in studied tissues, seasons, sites and species. Cu2+ exhibited the highest concentration (279.6 µg/kg) in the liver tissues of S. niger in autumn at site 2 and the lowest (53.1 µg/kg) in the gill tissues in winter at site 1. In C. carpio, the Cu2+ was recorded highest (309.4 µg/kg) in the liver tissues in autumn at site 2. The concentration of Zn2+ was found highest (575.7 µg/kg) in the liver tissues at site 2 and the lowest (65.8 µg/kg) was recorded in the muscle tissues in autumn at site 1. Zn2+ was recorded highest (416.6 µg/kg) in the liver tissues in autumn at site 3 and lowest (51.5 µg/kg) in the gills of C. carpio during winter at site 1 (control). The concentration of Pb2+ (14.42 µg/kg) and Fe2+ (323.9 µg/kg) was observed in the liver tissue and gills of S. niger at site 3. Similar levels of Pb2+ and Fe2+ were recorded in the tissues of C. carpio at different sites. Four-way ANOVA (four way) indicated a statistically significant variation (p ≤ 0.05) in heavy metals with the sites, seasons, species and organs. The study emphasises the utmost need to monitor the level of heavy metals in S. niger on a regular basis as this native fish species is showing a continuous decline in the freshwater ecosystems of Kashmir Valley.

Vehicular stress a cause for heavy metal accumulation and change in physico-chemical characteristics of road side soils in Pahalgam.

In an effort to determine vehicular impact on soil quality, soil samples were collected from three different zones (Pahalgam, Batakote, and Chandanwari) in Pahalgam forest ecosystem. Results showed that a significant decrease in moisture content, organic carbon, available nitrogen, and potassium was observed in nearby road side soils. However, pH was observed to be on neutral side and available phosphorus recorded high concentration. The concentration of heavy metals Pb2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+ estimated was also significantly high. Furthermore, concentration of Pb2+ at high vehicular load subzones was observed to be highest (1.168 mg/Kg) followed by Zn2+ (0.896 mg/Kg), Ni2+ (0.649 mg/Kg), Cu2+ (0.415 mg/Kg), and Cd2+ (0.079 mg/Kg). An inter-zone analysis revealed that the concentration of the heavy metals (Pb2+ > Ni2+ > Cd2+) was observed to follow the trend, Z-I > Z-II > Z-III. Variation along the temporal gradient and the impact on soil qualities were notably higher in summer. Vehicular pollution to a great extent impacts physico-chemical characteristics and more interestingly adds substantial concentration of heavy metals in soils.

Actinomycetes benefaction role in soil and plant health.

Actinomycetes are aerobic, spore forming gram-positive bacteria, belonging to the order actinomycetales characterized with substrate and aerial mycelium growth. They are the most abundant organisms that form thread-like filaments in the soil and are responsible for characteristically "earthy" smell of freshly turned healthy soil. They play major roles in the cycling of organic matter; inhibit the growth of several plant pathogens in the rhizosphere and decompose complex mixtures of polymer in dead plant, animal and fungal material results in production of many extracellular enzymes which are conductive to crop production. The major contribution in biological buffering of soils, biological control of soil environments by nitrogen fixation and degradation of high molecular weight compounds like hydrocarbons in the polluted soils are remarkable characteristics of actinomycetes. Besides this, they are known to improve the availability of nutrients, minerals, enhance the production of metabolites and promote plant growth regulators. Furthermore, actinobacteria do not contaminate the environment instead, they help sustainably in improving soil health by formation and stabilization of compost piles, formation of stable humus and combine with other soil microorganisms in breaking down the tough plant residues such as cellulose and animal residues to maintain the biotic equilibrium of soil by cooperating with nutrient cycling.

Municipal solid waste generation rates and its management at Yusmarg forest ecosystem, a tourist resort in Kashmir.

The present study was carried out at Yusmarg, a forest ecosystem and tourist resort, in the Kashmir valley during 2012 with the objectives of determining the municipal solid waste (MSW) generation rates per capita and on a daily basis, and assessing the existing MSW system. It was estimated that daily generation of MSW at Yusmarg by tourists, as well as residents, was 107.74 kg; on average, the MSW generated at each site was about 36.48 kg/day. The per capita generation of MSW was highest (0.97 kg/person/day) at site 1 followed by 0.288 kg/person/day at site 2 and 0.201 kg/person/day at site 3, with an average per capita MSW generation rate of 0.484 kg/person/day. Manual segregation of the collected wastes showed that it comprised some recyclable, combustible, compostable and inert materials. Among the different waste categories, 56% of waste was recyclable materials, 29% was compostable wastes, 9% was combustible wastes and 6% was inert materials. The present study infers that MSW management in Yusmarg was inappropriate, and infrastructure, skilled manpower and a proper scientific disposal mechanism is lacking in the area. In order to conserve the forest wealth of the area there is a great need to focus on the solid waste problem of the tourist resort.

Penile fracture: experience from a third world country.

Aim. To ascertain the clinical presentation, commonest age group affected, and treatment of patients diagnosed to have penis fracture. Materials and Methods. We performed a retrospective study carried at a tertiary care hospital from January 2005 to January 2011. All the 36 patients diagnosed to have penile fracture were enrolled in the study group. The diagnosis was made based on the clinical findings in the patients. All, except two patients, were managed by a standard surgical procedure, same for all the patients, on the day of presentation to the hospital. All the data pertaining to the presentation, management, and followup of these patients were studied and scrutinized thoroughly. Results. Thirty-four patients were operated while 2 refused surgery. Most of our patients were between 16 and 30 years (55.6%) of age. The commonest presenting complaints were penile swelling and detumescence during sexual intercourse or an erection. All except two of our patients were managed with immediate surgical repair which had excellent results even in the presence of associated urethral injury. Conclusion. Fracture of the penis is a surgical emergency which can be best managed by immediate surgical repair with excellent results even in the presence of urethral injury.