Iron oxide doped rice biochar reduces soil-plant arsenic stress, improves nutrient values: An amendment towards sustainable development goals.

Arsenic (As) contamination in paddy soils and its further translocation to the rice is a serious global issue. Arsenic loading to the rice depends on soil physico-chemical parameters and agronomic practices. To minimize this natural threat, as a natural substance, rice straw was used to produce rice biochar (RBC) and doped with iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles, another eco-friendly composite. In this study, RBC was used at three different concentrations- 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% alone as well as conjugated with fixed 20 ppm IO nanoparticles. These treatments were compared with the control soil and control plants that had only As in the setup, without any amendments. The application of these treatments was efficient in reducing soil As bioavailability by 43.9%, 60.5%, and 57.3% respectively. Experimental data proved a significant percentage of As was adsorbed onto the RBC + IO conjugate. Further, the 1% RBC + IO conjugate was found to be the best treatment in terms of making soil macro-nutrients bioavailable. Rice seedlings grown under this treatment was more stress tolerant and produced less antioxidant enzymes and stress markers compared to the control plants grown under As-stress only. Rice plants from these different growth setups were observed for internal anatomical integrity and found that the RBC alone and RBC + IO conjugate, both improved the internal vascular structure compared to the control plants. To minimize soil As stress in crops, IO-doped RBC was proven to be the best sustainable amendment for improving soil-crop quality and achieving the proposed motto of Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations.

Antioxidant enzymes and transporter genes mediate arsenic stress reduction in rice (Oryza sativa L.) upon thiourea supplementation.

Thiourea (TU) is a chemo-priming agent and non-physiological reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger whose application has been found to reduce As accumulation in rice grains along with improved growth and yield. The present field study explored TU-mediated mechanistic changes in silicon (Si) assimilation in root/shoot, biochemical and molecular mechanisms of arsenic (As) stress amelioration in rice cultivars. Gosai and Satabdi (IET-4786) rice cultivars were selected for field experiment at three different places; control field and two other As contaminated experimental fields (EF1 and EF2) in West Bengal, India. The average As reduction was observed to be 9.5% and 19.8% whereas the yield increment was 8.8% and 17.7% for gosai and satabdi, respectively among all the three experimental fields. The positive interrelation was also observed between improved internal ultrastructure anatomy and enhanced Si assimilation (36%-423%) upon TU application. The level of photosynthetic pigments was increased by 29.8%-99.2%. Further, activities of antioxidant enzymes were harmonically altered in TU supplemented plants. The expression of various As related transporter genes in flag leaf and developing grains (inflorescence) was changed in both the rice cultivars (gosai and satabdi). It was also presumably responsible for observed As reduction in grains. Thus, TU application was found to be an efficient and sustainable agronomic practice for amelioration of As toxicity in rice plants in As contaminated field conditions.

Enhanced phytoremediation of Metal(loid)s via spiked ZVI nanoparticles: An urban clean-up strategy with ornamental plants.

The increasing industrialization and urbanization are also triggering environmental pollution, mostly unnoticed, in the case of soil pollution due to uncontrolled contamination by toxic elemental dispersion. The present study focused on this aspect and studied the clean-up of urban soil in a low-cost and eco-friendly way to restrict arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) contamination. Four potential ornamental plants, Catharanthus roseus (vinca), Cosmos bipinnatus (cosmos), Gomphrena globose (globosa) and Impatiens balsamina (balsamina) were used along with zero valent iron (ZVI) nanoparticles (Fe NPs) for remediation of the soil spiked with As (70 mg kg-1), Pb (600 mg kg-1) and Hg (15 mg kg-1) in a 60 d pot experiment. All plants were divided into four groups viz. control, spiked, spiked+20 mg kg-1 ZVI NP and spiked+50 mg kg-1 ZVI NP. FTIR and SEM were used for ZVI NP characterization. Soil and plant analyses and elemental assessments were done using ICP-MS, XRF and SEM. Among the four plants, cosmos showed the maximum accumulation of toxic elements (41.24 ± 0.022 mg kg-1 As, 139.15 ± 11.2 mg kg-1 Pb and 15.57 ± 0.27 mg kg-1 Hg) at 60 d. The application of ZVI NP at 20 mg kg-1 dosage was found to further augment plants' potential for metal(loid)s accumulation without negatively hampering their growth. Cosmos were observed to reduce soil As from 81.35 ± 1.34 mg kg-1 to 28.16 ± 1.38 mg kg-1 (65.38%), Pb from 1132.47 ± 4.66 to 516.09 ± 3.15 mg kg-1 (54.42%) and Hg from 17.35 ± 0.88 to 6.65 ± 0.4 mg kg-1 (61.67%) at 60 d in spiked + 20 mg kg-1 ZVI NP treatment. Balsamina was the most sensitive plant and showed the least metal(loid)s accumulation. In conclusion, three of these plants are potent enough to use together for a better and enhanced removal of toxic elements from the contaminated soil with cosmos to be the best amongst these in urban areas.

Chemical intervention for enhancing growth and reducing grain arsenic accumulation in rice.

Arsenic (As) is a ubiquitous environmental carcinogen that enters the human food chain mainly through rice grains. In the present study, we evaluated the potential of thiourea (TU; non-physiological reactive oxygen species scavenger) in mitigating the negative effects of arsenic (As) stress in indica rice variety IR64, with the overall aim to reduce grain As accumulation. At seedling stage, As + TU treatment induced the formation of more numerous and longer crown roots compared with As alone. The As accumulation in main root, crown root, lower leaf and upper leaf was significantly reduced to 0.1-, 0.14-, 0.16-, 0.14-fold, respectively in As + TU treated seedlings compared with those of As alone. This reduced As accumulation was also coincided with light-dependent suppression in the expression levels of aquaporins and photosynthesis-related genes in As + TU treated roots. In addition, the foliar-supplemented TU under As-stress maintained reducing redox conditions which decreased the rate of As accumulation in flag leaves and, eventually grain As by 0.53-fold compared with those of As treatment. The agronomic feasibility of TU was validated under naturally As contaminated sites of Nadia (West Bengal, India). The tiller numbers and crop productivity (kg seed/ha) of TU-sprayed plants were increased by 1.5- and 1.18-fold, respectively; while, grain As accumulation was reduced by 0.36-fold compared with those of water-sprayed control. Thus, this study established TU application as a sustainable solution for cultivating rice in As-contaminated field conditions.

Thiourea supplementation mediated reduction of grain arsenic in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars: A two year field study.

The present study delineates the interactions of arsenic (As), a carcinogenic metalloid, and thiourea (TU), a non-physiological reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, in rice plants grown in As contaminated fields in West Bengal, India. The study was performed for four consecutive seasons (two boro and two aman) in 2016 and 2017 with two local rice cultivars; Gosai and Satabdi (IET-4786) in a control and two As contaminated experimental fields. Thiourea (0.05% wt/vol) treatment was given in the form of seed priming and foliar spray. Thiourea significantly improved growth and yield of rice plants and reduced As concentration in root, shoot, husk and grains in both cultivars and fields. The reduction in As concentration ranged from 10.3% to 27.5% in four seasons in different fields. The average (four seasons) increase in yield was recorded about ~8.1% and ~11.5% in control, ~20.2% and ~18.6% in experimental field 1, and ~16.2% and ~24.1% in experimental field 2, for gosai and satabdi, respectively. Mean hazard quotient (HQ) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values of As reduced upon TU supplementation for both cultivars as compared to that of non-TU plants. Hence, TU can be effectively used to cultivate rice safely in As contaminated fields.

Arsenic dynamics and flux assessment under drying-wetting irrigation and enhanced microbial diversity in paddy soils: A four year study in Bengal delta plain.

Arsenic (As) assessment in agricultural soils and corresponding crops is necessary from the global health safety perspective. To the best of our knowledge, we are reporting for the first time, As flux determining parametric equations for paddy field with seasonal rice cultivation under conventional flooding and dry-wet irrigation approaches. Rigorous field experiments and measuring quantitative parameters, flushed out or percolated into the deeper soil As flux was assessed. A wintery (boro)-monsoonal (aman) study from 2016 to 2019 has been conducted showing the efficiency of dry-wet irrigation on reduction of soil As bioavailability. The reduction in boro was 52.4% in 2016 to 64.8% in 2019 while in aman, it was 61% in 2016 to 74.9% in 2019. Low bioavailability was correlated to plant's internal vascular structure that was found more rigid and firm in dry-wet field grown plants. Observed soil physico-chemical parameters clearly influenced As bioavailability as well as soil microbial community. Assessment of microbial diversity using metagenomics under altered water regime was done by population analysis, relative abundance, species richness, Krona chart comparison. Dry-wet field was found to be more diverse and enriched in microbial community than that of the flooded soil indicating an affective reduction of As bioavailability under biotic-abiotic factors.

Arsenic mitigation in rice grain loading via alternative irrigation by proposed water management practices.

Over the past three decades, the occurrence of high concentrations of arsenic (As) in drinking-water and its subsequent poisoning in rice has been recognized as a major public-health concern globally, especially in Ganga Delta Plain with more than 80 million peoples in serious As exposure far beyond than its allowable limit. An extensive field study was conducted for consecutive four years viz. 2013 to 2016, introducing a process of intermittent irrigation pattern comparing to the conventional practice of rice cultivation in India. The practice provides a combination of aerobic and anaerobic irrigation resulting better rice productivity with lesser arsenic mobility and accumulation in rice grains. This present research finding clearly points out to the marked reduction of arsenic load from average 1.6 mg/kg to 0.5 mg/kg in rice grain, much closer to FAO/WHO prescribed safe limit and in the continuous practice of proposed agricultural strategy resulting in a gradual decrease of 15% bioavailable arsenic in each year. Total productivity (in kg/hectare) also increased by 540 kg/year in boro and 340 kg/year in amon subsequently achieving the prescribed safe limit of As in grain.

Ultra-structure alteration via enhanced silicon uptake in arsenic stressed rice cultivars under intermittent irrigation practices in Bengal delta basin.

The study implements a periodical intermittent water cycle during rice cultivation providing insight potential in minimizing soil bio-available arsenic. Soil As concentrations were 34 ±â€¯0.49 and 72.03 ±â€¯0.54 mg kg-1 As respectively in two selected fields with rice cultivars gosai and satabdi, in comparison to 42.26 ±â€¯0.37 and 83.69 ±â€¯0.48 mg kg-1 in continuously flooded field soil, determined through ICP-MS. The study found higher translocation of silicon from soil to rice plant parts under intermittent irrigation having pH range of 7.6-9.4 and greater availability of soil organic content that in turn release more labile silicon from soil to aqueous phase for plant accumulation. This increased uptake of silicon strengthens rice shoots, nodes and leaf xylem-phloem integrity compared to conventional continuously flooded rice cultivation approach, suppressing the arsenic translocation, as observed under FE-SEM real-time imaging. Fresh plants were analysed for bioaccumulation and translocation factors of arsenic and silicon to justify the enhanced silicon uptake under proposed practice. Plant stress regulator enzymes viz. malondialdehyde (MDA), total protein, superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) from both conditions and found to be better in intermittent method over conventional practice with higher productivity.

An assessment of arsenic hazard in groundwater-soil-rice system in two villages of Nadia district, West Bengal, India.

The present study measured arsenic (As) concentrations in soil, groundwater and rice grain samples in two villages, Sarapur and Chinili, under Chakdaha block, Nadia district, West Bengal, India. This study also included a survey of the two villages to understand the knowledge among villagers about the As problem. Soil and groundwater samples were collected from fields in two villages while rice grain samples were collected from villagers' houses. The results revealed the presence of As in higher concentrations than the maximum permissible limit of As in drinking water (10 µg L-1 and 50 µg L-1 by WHO and Indian standard, respectively) in groundwater [124.50 ± 1.11 µg L-1 (Sarapur) and 138.20 ± 1.34 µg L-1 (Chinili)]. The level of As in soil was found to range from 47.7 ± 0.14 to 49.3 ± 0.19 mg Kg-1 in Sarapur and from 57.5 ± 0.25 to 62.5 ± 0.44 mg Kg-1 in Chinili which are also higher than European Union maximum acceptable limit in agricultural soil (i.e. 20 mg Kg-1). The analysis of As in rice grains of five varieties, collected from residents of two villages, showed the presence of higher than recommended safe level of As in rice by FAO/WHO (0.2 mg Kg-1). The As concentration order was Gosai (0.95 ± 0.044 mg kg-1), Satabdi (0.79 ± 0.038 mg kg-1), Banskathi (0.60 ± 0.026 mg kg-1), Kunti (0.47 ± 0.018 mg kg-1) and Ranjit (0.29 ± 0.021 mg kg-1). Importantly, Gosai and Satabdi were the most popular varieties being consumed by local people. The data of consumption of rice per day in the survey was used for the measurement of average daily dose and hazard quotient. It was seen that the As hazard was negatively correlated to the age of residents. Therefore, children and toddlers were at higher risk of As exposure than elderly people. In addition, people with skin related As toxicity symptoms were also cited in the two villages. The study emphasized the severity of As problem in remote areas of West Bengal, India where people consume As tainted rice due to lack of awareness about the As problem and associated health issues.

Iron homeostasis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential for persistence.

Tuberculosis, caused by the obligate intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is responsible for 2-3 million deaths annually worldwide. Intracellular adaptability, which is critical for long-term persistence, requires the pathogen to neutralize host-mediated insults. The iron-sulphur (Fe-S) cofactor is essential for many enzymes critical for such 'adaptation'. The Mtb genome harbors only one putative iron-sulphur cluster (ISC) operon (rv1460-66) predicted to be involved in the generation of the Fe-S cofactor. Except for rv1460, all other genes in this operon are anticipated to be essential. The current study investigated the role of rv1460, an sufR homologue of Mtb (sufRTB), in maintaining intracellular Fe homeostasis and its implications on mycobacterial pathogenesis. We found that Mtb ISC locus (rv1461-66) was transcribed as a single multigene transcript. We successfully generated the sufRTB null mutant strain (ΔsufRTB) of Mtb, suggesting nonessentiality of the gene under normal growth conditions. The mutant strain demonstrated enhanced biofilm generation and failed to grow under a low-Fe condition. Growth characterization studies indicated that SufRTB-mediated intracellular Fe homeostasis is essential for Mtb to persist in the host. Targeting mycobacterial persistence by inhibiting SufRTB protein activity may be a novel intervention strategy in tuberculosis treatment.

Vermiremediation of metal(loid)s via Eichornia crassipes phytomass extraction: A sustainable technique for plant amelioration.

Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), imparts deficiency of soluble arsenic and other toxic metal (loid)s through rhizofiltration and phytoaccumulation. Without proper management strategy, this phytoremediation of metal (loid)s might fail and get reverted back to the environment, contaminating the nearby water bodies. This study, focused on bio-conversion of phytoremediating hyacinths, spiked with 100 times and greater arsenic, lead and cadmium concentrations than the average water contamination, ranging in 58.81 ±â€¯0.394, 16.74 ±â€¯0.367, 12.18 ±â€¯0.153 mg Kg-1arsenic, 18.95 ±â€¯0.212, 9.53 ±â€¯0.054, 6.83 ±â€¯0.306 mg kg-1 lead and 2.79 ±â€¯0.033, 1.39 ±â€¯0.025, 0.92 ±â€¯0.045 mg kg-1 cadmium, respectively in root, shoot and leaves, proving it's phytoaccumulation capacity. Next, these hyacinths has been used as a source of organic supplement for preparing vermicompost using Eisenia fetida following analysis of total metal content and sequential extraction. Control soil was having 134.69 ±â€¯2.47 mg kg-1 arsenic in compare to 44.6 ±â€¯0.91 mg kg-1 at premature stage of compost to 23.9 ±â€¯1.55 mg kg-1 at mature compost indicating sustainable fate of phytoremediated vermicompost. This vermiremediation of arsenic and other toxic elements, restricted the bioavailability of soil pollutants. Furthermore, processed compost amended as organic fertilizer, growing chickpea, coriander, tomato and chilli plant, resulted in negligible metal(loid)s in treated samples, enhancing also plant's growth and production.

Evaluation of HDPE and LDPE degradation by fungus, implemented by statistical optimization.

Plastic in any form is a nuisance to the well-being of the environment. The 'pestilence' caused by it is mainly due to its non-degradable nature. With the industrial boom and the population explosion, the usage of plastic products has increased. A steady increase has been observed in the use of plastic products, and this has accelerated the pollution. Several attempts have been made to curb the problem at large by resorting to both chemical and biological methods. Chemical methods have only resulted in furthering the pollution by releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere; whereas; biological methods have been found to be eco-friendly however they are not cost effective. This paves the way for the current study where fungal isolates have been used to degrade polyethylene sheets (HDPE, LDPE). Two potential fungal strains, namely, Penicillium oxalicum NS4 (KU559906) and Penicillium chrysogenum NS10 (KU559907) had been isolated and identified to have plastic degrading abilities. Further, the growth medium for the strains was optimized with the help of RSM. The plastic sheets were subjected to treatment with microbial culture for 90 days. The extent of degradation was analyzed by, FE-SEM, AFM and FTIR. Morphological changes in the plastic sheet were determined.

Arsenic contamination in agricultural soils of Bengal deltaic region of West Bengal and its higher assimilation in monsoon rice.

In the Bengal deltaic region, the shallow groundwater laced with arsenic is used for irrigation frequently and has elevated the soil arsenic in agricultural soil. However, the areas with seasonal flooding reduce arsenic in top layers of the soils. Study shows arsenic accumulation in the deeper soil layers with time in the contaminated agricultural soil (19.40±0.38mg/kg in 0-5cm, 27.17±0.44mg/kg in 5-10cm and 41.24±0.48mg/kg in 10-15cm) in 2013 whereas depletion in 2014 and its buildup in different parts of monsoon rice plant in Nadia, India. Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis were performed, and Enrichment Factor was calculated to identify the sources of arsenic in the soil. Potential Ecological Risk was also calculated to estimate the extent of risk posed by arsenic in soil, along with the potential risk of dietary arsenic exposure. Remarkably, the concentration of arsenic detected in the rice grain showed average value of 1.4mg/kg in 2013 which has increased to 1.6 in 2014, both being above the permissible limit (1mg/kg). These results indicate that monsoon flooding enhances the infiltration of arsenic in the deeper soil layer, which lead to further contamination of shallow groundwater.

Facets of Nanotechnology as Seen in Food Processing, Packaging, and Preservation Industry.

Nanotechnology has proven its competence in almost all possible fields we are aware of. However, today nanotechnology has evolved in true sense by contributing to a very large extent to the food industry. With the growing number of mouths to feed, production of food is not adequate. It has to be preserved in order to reach to the masses on a global scale. Nanotechnology made the idea a reality by increasing the shelf life of different kinds of food materials. It is not an entirely full-proof measure; however it has brought down the extent of wastage of food due to microbial infestation. Not only fresh food but also healthier food is being designed with the help of nano-delivery systems which act as a carrier for the food supplements. There are regulations to follow however as several of them pose serious threats to the wellbeing of the population. In coming days, newer modes of safeguarding food are going to be developed with the help of nanotechnology. In this paper, an overview has been given of the different methods of food processing, packaging, and preservation techniques and the role nanotechnology plays in the food processing, packaging, and preservation industry.

A broader view: microbial enzymes and their relevance in industries, medicine, and beyond.

Enzymes are the large biomolecules that are required for the numerous chemical interconversions that sustain life. They accelerate all the metabolic processes in the body and carry out a specific task. Enzymes are highly efficient, which can increase reaction rates by 100 million to 10 billion times faster than any normal chemical reaction. Due to development in recombinant technology and protein engineering, enzymes have evolved as an important molecule that has been widely used in different industrial and therapeutical purposes. Microbial enzymes are currently acquiring much attention with rapid development of enzyme technology. Microbial enzymes are preferred due to their economic feasibility, high yields, consistency, ease of product modification and optimization, regular supply due to absence of seasonal fluctuations, rapid growth of microbes on inexpensive media, stability, and greater catalytic activity. Microbial enzymes play a major role in the diagnosis, treatment, biochemical investigation, and monitoring of various dreaded diseases. Amylase and lipase are two very important enzymes that have been vastly studied and have great importance in different industries and therapeutic industry. In this review, an approach has been made to highlight the importance of different enzymes with special emphasis on amylase and lipase in the different industrial and medical fields.

Liprin-α4 is required for nickel induced receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-leukocyte antigen related receptor F (RPTP-LAR) activity.

Liprin-α4 was strongly induced following nickel (II) chloride exposure in a variety of cell types including BEAS-2B, A549, BEP2D and BL41 cells. Liprin-α4, a member of the Liprin alpha family, has seven isoforms but only three of these variants were detected in BEAS-2B cells (004, 201 and 202). The level of Liprin-α4 variants 201 and 004 were highly increased in BEAS-2B cells in response to nickel. We showed that Liprin-α4 bound directly to the cytoplasmic region of RPTP-LAR (receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-leukocyte antigen-related receptor F). The cytoplasmic region of RPTP-LAR contains two phosphatase domains but only the first domain shows activity. The second domain interacts with other proteins. The phosphatase activity was increased both following nickel treatment and also in the presence of nickel ions in cell extracts. Liprin-α4 knock-down lines with decreased expression of Liprin-α4 variants 004 and 201 exhibited greater nickel toxicity compared to controls. The RPTP-LAR phosphatase activity was only slightly increased in a Liprin-α4 knock-down line. Liprin-α4 appeared necessary for the nickel induced tyrosine phosphatase activity. The presence of Liprin-α4 and nickel increased tyrosine phosphatase activity that reduced the global levels of tyrosine phosphorylation in the cell.

Chemical fractionation and translocation of heavy metals in Canna indica L. grown on industrial waste amended soil.

A pot experiment was carried out to assess the effect of different amendments of industrial sludge on the growth of Canna indica L. as well as the translocation potential of heavy metals of this plant. The accumulation of metals (Cr, Fe, Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Mn and Pb) in different parts of C. indica L. grown on industrial sludge-amended soil increased with time and increasing doses of sludge amendments. Sequential extraction method was followed to estimate the different fractions of heavy metals in sludge-amended soils collected from different periods of this study. The results showed that Mn, Zn, Cd, Cr and Pb were mostly associated with Fe-Mn oxide fraction in all amendments, whereas, Ni was mostly found in residual (RES) fraction. Cu and Fe were found to be higher in organically bounded form (OM) and RES fraction. The metal concentration in C. indica L. after 90 days of experiment started, was in the order of Fe>Cr>Mn>Zn>Ni>Cu>Cd>Pb and the metal translocation was found lesser in shoot. With the increasing percentage of sludge amendments in soil the metal concentrations increased in different parts of plants. Overall, the plant C. indica L. was found to be well adapted in industrial sludge amendments and it may be recommended that this plant was found suitable for phytoremediation of most of the studied metals.

Translocation of metals in pea plants grown on various amendment of electroplating industrial sludge.

A pot-culture experiment was conducted to observe the effects of acidic sludge addition to the soils on bioavailability and uptake of heavy metals in different parts of pea plant as well as its influence on the growth of that plant. It is observed from our result the abundances of total and bio-available heavy metals in sludge vary as follows: Fe>Mn>Cr>Ni>Cu>Pb>Zn>Cd and Fe>Ni>Mn>Cr>Cu>Zn>Pb>Cd. Sludge applications increased both the total metals, DTPA-extractable metals and total N in the soils. On the other hand lime application has decreased the bioavailability of heavy metals with no change in total N in sludge amended soils. Organic carbon showed positive correlation with all metals except Zn, Cr and Pb. CEC also showed a strong positive correlation (R(2)>0.7) with the low translocation efficiency of pea plants. The value of translocation factor from shoot to seed was found to be smaller than root to shoot of pea plants. Our study thus shows that pea plants were found to be well adapted to the soil amended with 10% sludge with 0.5% lime treatment, minimizing most of the all metal uptake in the shoot of that plant. So, on the basis of the present study, possible treatment may be recommended for the secure disposal of acidic electroplating sludge.

Heavy metal accumulation in wheat plant grown in soil amended with industrial sludge.

The concentrations of different forms of Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni, Cd, Cr, Pb and Fe metals were determined for the roadside sludge collected from pickling-rolling and electroplating industrial area. In sludge the relative abundance of total heavy metals were Fe>Mn>Cr>Ni>Cu>Pb>Zn>Cd and DTPA-extractable metals were in the order--Fe>Ni>Mn>Cr>Cu>Zn>Pb>Cd. Pot-culture experiment was conducted in soils amended with sludge (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%), pretreated with lime (0%, 0.5% and 1%). The soils were alkaline in nature (pH>8.3) with organic carbon contents were 0.34% and 0.72%. The most abundant total and bio-available metal was Fe. Two wheat seedlings were grown in each pot containing 3kg sludge-amended or control soil and the experiment was conducted till harvesting. Application of sludge increased both total and bio-available forms of metals in the soils, while lime application decreased the bioavailability of heavy metals in sludge-amended soils. The content of organic carbon showed positive correlation with all metals except Zn, Cr and Pb. CEC also showed a strong positive correlation (R2>0.7) with Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni and Cd. Though wheat plants are not accumulators, the translocation efficiency was appreciably high. The translocation factor from shoot to grain was found smaller than that of root to shoot of wheat plants. This makes an implication that the heavy metal accumulation was proportionally lesser in grain than in shoot. In, 10% sludge with 0.5% lime-amended soils; each of these toxic heavy metals was found to be within permissible range (USEPA). Hence, on the basis of present study, the best possible treatment may be recommended.