The Diwali festival: short-term high effect of fireworks emissions on particulates and their associated empirically calculated health risk assessment at Bhubaneswar city.

This article elucidates the role of the short-term combustion of firecrackers and sparklers as a significant source of atmospheric pollutants that deteriorate ambient air quality and increase health risks during the popular Diwali festival. The study was conducted at Bhubaneswar during the festive celebration in early November 2021 (4th Nov) and late October 2022 (24th Oct) to assess the level of particulates (PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentration) and the relative health risks associated with them. PM2.5 (113.83 µg/m3) and PM10 (204.32 µg/m3) showed significant rises on D-day at all seven different sites that exceeded the NAAQS in 2021. From 2021 to 2022, an overall decrease in PM2.5 (41%) and PM10 (36%) was observed. On D-day, the total concentration of quantified metals in PM2.5 and PM10 were found to be 4.83 µg/m3 5.97 µg/m3 (2021) and 5.08 µg/m3 5.18 µg/m3 (2022) respectively. The AQI during both years (2021-2022) was found to be high for PM2.5 (unhealthy) and PM10 (moderate), but it was markedly good for all other pollutants on the scale. The overall population in the study area were under a significant health risk was observed in the overall population as PM surpassed the threshold concentration amid the festivities for consecutive years, with PM2.5 being more potent than PM10. The total excess health risk in 2022 was found to be decreased lower by ~ 88% from 2021 on D-day. But, metal exposure (through inhalation) in children were more compared to the adults for both the years. However, the exposure risk of both children and adults were high in the year 2022 with inhalation of metals like K, Al, Ba, Fe and Ca found in higher concentration and directly emitted from the firecrackers.

Role of South Asian outflow on the oxidative potential of marine aerosols over the Indian Ocean.

Oxidative potential (OP) of fine marine aerosols (PM2.5) over the northern Indian Ocean (N_IO) and equatorial Indian Ocean (E_IO) were studied using shipborne measurements conducted as part of the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB-2018). During the study, an enhanced concentration of PM2.5 was found over N_IO (27.22 ± 14.29 µg.m-3) compared with E_IO (15.91 ± 2.58 µg.m-3), as N_IO experiences continental outflow from anthropogenically dominated South Asian region. However, E_IO received pristine air masses from the middle of the Arabian Sea, implying a reduced concentration. The OP of PM2.5 was evaluated using a dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The mass (DTTm or intrinsic OP) and volume (DTTv or extrinsic OP) normalized DTT exhibited a significant spatial variation over the Indian Ocean (IO). Intrinsic OP showed ∼2 times higher values over N_IO than E_IO, indicating aging of aerosols during long-range transport impacts OP of marine aerosol. Similarly, increased concentrations of anthropogenic species such as non-sea sulfate (nssSO42-), nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), non-sea potassium ion (nssK+), water-soluble transition metals (Fe, Ti, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr), elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), were also observed over N_IO compared with E_IO. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis revealed that combustion sources, chemical processing and co-transportation of anthropogenic species during long-range transport are the main drivers of intrinsic OP in the outflow region.

Food and fruit waste valorisation for pectin recovery: Recent process technologies and future prospects.

Pectin possesses a dual property of resistance and flexibility and thus has diverse commercial value which has generated research interest on this versatile biopolymer. Formulated products using pectin could be useful in food, pharma, foam, plasticiser and paper substitute industries. Pectin is structurally tailor-made for greater bioactivity and diverse applications. Sustainable biorefinery leaves greener footprints while producing high-value bioproducts like pectin. The essential oils and polyphenols obtained as byproducts from a pectin-based biorefinery are useful in cosmetics, toiletries and fragrance industries. Pectin can be extracted from organic sources following eco-friendly strategies, and the extraction techniques, structural alterations and the applications are continually being upgraded and standardized. Pectin has great applications in diverse areas, and its green synthesis is a welcome development. In future, growing industrial application of pectin is anticipated as research orients on biopolymers, biotechnologies and renewable source-based processes. As the world is gradually adopting greener strategies in sync with the global sustainable development goal, active involvement of policy makers and public participation are prime. Governance and policy framing are essential in the transition of the world economy towards circularity since green circular bioeconomy is ill-understood among the public in general and within the administrative circles in particular. Concerted efforts by researchers, investors, innovators, and policy and decision makers to integrate biorefinery technologies as loops within loop of biological structures and bioprocesses is suggested. The review focusses on generation of the different nature of food wastes including fruits and vegetables with cauterization of their components. It discusses the innovative extraction and biotransformation approaches for these waste conversions into value-added products at cost-effective and eco-friendly way. This article compiles numerous effective and efficient and green way pectin extraction techniques with their advantages with varying success in an integrated manner.

Progress in COVID research and developments during pandemic.

The pandemic respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread over the globe within a small span of time. Generally, there are two important points are being highlighted and considered towards the successful diagnosis and treatment process. The first point includes the reduction of the rate of infections and the next one is the decrease of the death rate. The major threat to public health globally progresses due to the absence of effective medication and widely accepted immunization for the COVID-19. Whereas, understanding of host susceptibility, clinical features, adaptation of COVID-19 to new environments, asymptomatic infection is difficult and challenging. Therefore, a rapid and an exact determination of pathogenic viruses play an important role in deciding treatments and preventing pandemic to save the people's lives. It is urgent to fix a standardized diagnostic approach for detecting the COVID-19. Here, this systematic review describes all the current approaches using for screening and diagnosing the COVID-19 infectious patient. The renaissance in pathogen due to host adaptability and new region, facing creates several obstacles in diagnosis, drug, and vaccine development process. The study shows that adaptation of accurate and affordable diagnostic tools based on candidate biomarkers using sensor and digital medicine technology can deliver effective diagnosis services at the mass level. Better prospects of public health management rely on diagnosis with high specificity and cost-effective manner along with multidisciplinary research, specific policy, and technology adaptation. The proposed healthcare model with defined road map represents effective prognosis system.

Evaluating the filtration efficiency of commercial facemasks' materials against respiratory aerosol droplets.

Respiratory droplets serve as a viable transmission mechanism for many viruses and other pathogens. Facemasks are commonly used to minimize the risk of this transmission. However, information on the size-resolved filtration efficiency of commonly available commercial facemasks is not readily available in the literature. To fill this gap, the current study performs aerosolized chamber experiments to evaluate the filtration efficiencies of commonly available commercial facemasks' materials in a size range of 0.3-10 µm. Results rank the performance of filtration through commercial facemasks' materials as follows (values in brackets indicate the average filtration efficiencies across 0.3-10 µm): 6-Layer N95 mask (0.918) > N95 mask - without valve (0.88) > KN95 mask (0.84) > N95 mask -with valve (0.834) > Heavy knitted cotton mask (0.808) > Surgical mask (0.778) > Cotton mask-2 layers (0.744) > Nylon fabric mask-2 layers (0.740) > T-shirt fabric mask-2 layers (0.708) > T-shirt fabric mask-1 layer (0.648). The size-resolved filtration efficiencies through the material across the evaluated commercial facemasks ranged from 38-83% in the size range of 0.3-0.5 µm, 55-88% in the size range of 0.5-1 µm, 69-93% in the size range of 1-2.5 µm, 76-96% in the size range of 2.5-5 µm, and 86-99% in the size range of 5-10 µm. Subsequently, the filtration efficiencies of materials post washing (with detergent in warm water and allowing to dry completely) were also evaluated. The average reduction in filtration efficiencies post washing are as follows: 6-Layer N95 mask: 3%, N95 mask - without valve: 2%, KN95 mask: 4%, N95 mask -with valve: 3%, Heavy knitted cotton mask: 4%, Surgical mask: 18%, Cotton mask-2 layers: 11%, Nylon fabric mask-2 layers: 6%, T-shirt fabric mask-2 layers: 6%, T-shirt fabric mask-1 layer: 8%. This decrease in the filtration efficiency was more pronounced for the sub-micron particles than the super-micron ones.Implications: Facemasks are commonly used to minimize the risk of pathogens through ambient air transmission. However, information on the size-resolved filtration efficiency of commonly available commercial facemasks materials is not readily available in the literature. To fill this gap, the current study performs aerosolized chamber experiments to evaluate the filtration efficiencies of commonly available commercial facemasks materials in a size range of 0.3-10 µm. The performance of the commercial facemasks materials as follows in the order of (values in brackets indicate the average filtration efficiencies across 0.3-10 µm): 6-Layer N95 mask (0.918) > N95 mask - without valve (0.88) > KN95 mask (0.84) > N95 mask -with valve (0.834) > Heavy knitted cotton mask (0.808) > Surgical mask (0.778) > Cotton mask-2 layers (0.744) > Nylon fabric mask-2 layers (0.740) > T-shirt fabric mask-2 layers (0.708) > T-shirt fabric mask-1 layer (0.648). The choice of facemask is greatly driven by the size of viable respiratory droplets that need to be eliminated. If droplets with particle size less than 0.5 µm are required to be filtered, N95 masks without the valve or more layers are preferred. If the primary objective is to filter particles between 0.5-1 µm, then N95 (both with or without valves) or KN95 masks are recommended. Surgical masks and heavy knitted cotton masks may also be used for this purpose, but with caution.

Metals in coarse ambient aerosol as markers for source apportionment and their health risk assessment over an eastern coastal urban atmosphere in India.

Ambient PM10 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 µm) samples were collected and characterized from July 2012 to August 2013 with the objective to evaluate the variation in elemental concentration and use the same as markers for source apportionment and health risk assessment for the first time over Bhubaneswar, India. The yearly average mass of PM10 was 82.28 µg/m3, which was ~ 37% higher than the national ambient air quality (NAAQ) standards. Maximum PM10 concentration was observed during winter season followed by post-monsoon, pre-monsoon, and monsoon months. Acid soluble components in the PM10 samples were analyzed using ICP-OES (inductive coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy), and 19 different elements including heavy metals were determined. Enrichment factor analysis attributed the source to either crustal or non-crustal origin. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that crustal sources, industrial activities, and vehicular emissions were significant contributors to PM mass. The contribution of total average elemental concentration showed a seasonal variation with the lowest (11.96 µg/m3) and highest (17.77 µg/m3) during monsoon and winter, respectively, which is relatively less significant than the variation in total PM10 mass that ranged between 48.43 µg/m3 in monsoon and 138.24 µg/m3 during the winter season. This observation evidences the predominant contribution of local/regional emission sources to the metallic components in coarse PM10 mass, which is corroborated by the wind pattern studies carried out using polar plots and a Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model (LPDM) FLEXPART. Further, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk assessments of the measured elements that find their way into the human body through different exposure pathways have been calculated using United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) standards. The carcinogenic risk of most of the elements was insignificant. The potential risk assessment study revealed that regular exposure to heavy metals through the ingestion pathway caused detrimental health effects. These effects were observed to be more severe in children in comparison to adults.

A study on variation of atmospheric pollutants over Bhubaneswar during imposition of nationwide lockdown in India for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nationwide lockdown in India to flatten the pandemic COVID-19 curve has resulted in the reduction of anthropogenic emission sources to a great extent. This study reports change in air quality and its impact on the environment during the unique lockdown scenario at Bhubaneswar, a coastal smart city in east India. The urban air shows a remarkable reduction in the mean pollutant levels influenced by traffic emission viz. NOx (~ 67 %) and BC (~ 47 %) during lockdown over the pre-lockdown. Comparatively, a lower reduction of CO (~ 14 %) is attributed to the dominance of natural atmospheric chemical regulation and biogenic sources in addition to anthropogenic contributions. In addition to the lockdown, frequent rain events due to depression in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) also had a significant role in the reduction of the primary pollutants over the study site. An enhancement of secondary pollutant viz. O3 (~ 3%) with a distinct diurnal pattern was observed during the first phase of lockdown over the pre-lockdown period. An anti-correlation between O3 and NOx during pre-lockdown points to a higher O3 production potential with decreasing NOx. While a reduction in the titration of O3 due to suppression of fresh NO emissions led to accumulation of O3 in the first phase of lockdown, inhibited photochemistry due to cloudy skies as well as reduction in precursors led to lower O3 values during the later phases of lockdown.

Treatment of industrial effluents and assessment of their impact on the structure and function of microbial diversity in a unique Anoxic-Aerobic sequential batch reactor (AnASBR).

A novel Anoxic-Aerobic Process (AnAP) that eliminated the anaerobic process was optimized and operated for the simultaneous remediation of phosphate, nitrate, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from industrial effluents. Two sequential batch reactors (SBR) with AnAP were established for the treatment of effluent from two industries; phosphate fertilizer (AnASBR_PPL) and dairy industry (AnASBR_DW). The adaptability of the bacterial consortium in the SBRs, dominated by denitrifying phosphate accumulating organisms (DNPAOs), facilitates the stable performance of AnAP for simultaneous nutrient and COD removal. Up to 90% and ~80% of COD removal were achieved in AnASBR_PPL and AnASBR_DW, respectively. Nearly complete denitrification was observed along with phosphate removal accounted for ~90% in both the reactors. Granulation of sludge has been widely reported in aerobic reactors; however, interestingly, in this study, partial granulation of the sludge was observed in both the AnASBRs which facilitated the microorganisms to uptake a minimal amount of phosphate and nitrate even under the aerobic condition. The underlying mechanism of DNPAOs and other associated microbes in the consortium were investigated for microbial diversity by 16S rDNA based targeted amplicon sequencing using the Illumina platform and imputed metagenomic analysis. The dominance of Betaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidia was observed in AnASBRs. At steady-state operation, the identity of the core community members remained largly stable, but their relative abundances changed considerably in both the reactors as a function of varying industrial effluent. However, population of few strains such as Lactobacteriales, Enterobacteriales changed drastically with respect to the influent, as these strains were predominat in AnASBR_DW but not present in AnASBR_PPL. The dominant strains were the vital contributor to the gene pool encoding for denitrification, dephosphatation, TCA cycle, glycolysis, EPS production, and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) storage, etc. Few less abundant but persistent species were also detected as contributors to these functional groups. It unveiled the TCA cycle remains preferable over conventional glycolysis in both the SBR irrespective of carbon source. The new AnASBR was proved to be an efficient alternative system that is energy efficient with higher ease of operation for the treatment of different industrial effluents without fail.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of PM10 over Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), adjoining regions and Indo-Himalayan Range (IHR) during a winter 2014 campaign.

For source identification, a field campaign involving simultaneous sampling of particulate matter (PM10) was conducted at eight sampling sites in the Indian mainland during winter 2014. The sampling sites include Delhi (upper IGP), Lucknow (middle IGP), and Kolkata (lower IGP) in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP); Mohal-Kullu and Darjeeling in the Indo-Himalayan Range (IHR). In addition, Ajmer, located upwind of the IGP in NW-India and Giridih and Bhubaneswar, in the downwind to the IGP has also been chosen. To characterize the sources of the ambient PM10, stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13CTC) and nitrogen (δ15NTN) for the total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) fractions have been considered. Ancillary chemical parameters, such as organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble ionic components (WSIC) mass concentrations are also presented in this paper. There was very small variation in the daily average δ13CTC ratios (- 24.8 to - 25.9‰) among the sites. Comparison with end-member stable C isotopic signatures of major typical sources suggests that the PM10 at the sites was mainly from fossil fuel and biofuel and biomass combustion. Daily average δ15NTN ratios were not observed to vary much between sites either (8.3 to 11.0‰), and the low δ15NTN levels also indicate substantial contributions from biofuel and biomass burning of primarily C3 andC4 plant matter. Graphical abstract Scatter plot of the average (± 1 standard deviation (SD)) δ13CTC (‰) compared to δ15NTN (‰) at the sampling sites.

Bismuth oxide decorated graphene oxide nanocomposites synthesized via sonochemical assisted hydrothermal method for adsorption of cationic organic dyes.

Bismuth oxide decorated graphene oxide (Bi2O3@GO) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by sonochemical method followed by hydrothermal treatment. The structural, morphology/microstructure and functional groups were investigated through X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. In the FESEM and TEM studies, well dispersed Bi2O3 nanoparticles of size 3-5nm were found uniformly distributed throughout the surface and edges of GO sheets. The HRTEM measurements on the Bi2O3 nanoparticle decorated graphene oxide shows imaged lattice spacing of 3.2Å corresponding to (111) plane of Bi2O3 which confirms the successful synthesis of bismuth oxide decorated graphene oxide (Bi2O3@GO) nanocomposite. The synthesized nanocomposite was employed for adsorption and removal of cationic organic dyes like RhB from industrial wastewater. The effect of various parameters, viz., contact time, temperature, pH and amount of adsorbent on the adsorption capability as well as dye removal capacity of the adsorbent was studied in detail. Under optimized conditions, like, contact time (65min), amount of adsorbent (5mg), temperature (35°) and pH (4), the adsorption capacity of GO and Bi2O3@GO were recorded and the percentage of removal was found to be 64% and 80.7% for GO and Bi2O3@GO, respectively. The Bi2O3@GO nanocomposite shows higher adsorption capacity (320mg/g) as compare to only GO (224mg/g). The adsorption isotherm follows both the Temkin as well as Langmuir isotherm having heat of sorption 65.88 with Langmuir constant of 13.13 corresponding to the complete monolayer coverage of 387.44mg/g. The adsorption kinetics also follow, both pseudo first order and intraparticle diffusion model with adsorption capacity of 84.91mg/g and intra particle diffusion rate constant of 10.53mg/g min1/2 for Bi2O3@GO nanocomposites. Our results suggest that the prepared Bi2O3@GO nanocomposites possess potential application as high-performance renewable adsorbent for removal of toxic dyes from wastewater.

Loss of crop yields in India due to surface ozone: an estimation based on a network of observations.

Surface ozone is mainly produced by photochemical reactions involving various anthropogenic pollutants, whose emissions are increasing rapidly in India due to fast-growing anthropogenic activities. This study estimates the losses of wheat and rice crop yields using surface ozone observations from a group of 17 sites, for the first time, covering different parts of India. We used the mean ozone for 7 h during the day (M7) and accumulated ozone over a threshold of 40 ppbv (AOT40) metrics for the calculation of crop losses for the northern, eastern, western and southern regions of India. Our estimates show the highest annual loss of wheat (about 9 million ton) in the northern India, one of the most polluted regions in India, and that of rice (about 2.6 million ton) in the eastern region. The total all India annual loss of 4.0-14.2 million ton (4.2-15.0%) for wheat and 0.3-6.7 million ton (0.3-6.3%) for rice are estimated. The results show lower crop loss for rice than that of wheat mainly due to lower surface ozone levels during the cropping season after the Indian summer monsoon. These estimates based on a network of observation sites show lower losses than earlier estimates based on limited observations and much lower losses compared to global model estimates. However, these losses are slightly higher compared to a regional model estimate. Further, the results show large differences in the loss rates of both the two crops using the M7 and AOT40 metrics. This study also confirms that AOT40 cannot be fit with a linear relation over the Indian region and suggests for the need of new metrics that are based on factors suitable for this region.

Dosimetry of indigenously developed (192)Ir high-dose rate brachytherapy source: An EGSnrc Monte Carlo study.

Clinical application using high-dose rate (HDR) (192)Ir sources in remote afterloading technique is a well-established treatment method. In this direction, Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India, jointly indigenously developed a remote afterloading machine and (192)Ir HDR source. The two-dimensional (2D) dose distribution and dosimetric parameters of the BRIT (192)Ir HDR source are generated using EGSnrc Monte Carlo code system in a 40 cm dia × 40 cm height cylindrical water phantom. The values of air-kerma strength and dose rate constant for BRIT (192)Ir HDR source are 9.894 × 10(-8) ± 0.06% UBq(-1) and 1.112 ± 0.11% cGyh(-1)U(-1), respectively. The values of radial dose function (gL(r)) of this source compare well with the corresponding values of BEBIG, Flexisource, and GammaMed 12i source models. This is because of identical active lengths of the sources (3.5 mm) and the comparable phantom dimensions. A comparison of gL(r) values of BRIT source with microSelectron-v1 show differences about 2% at r = 6 cm and up to 13% at r = 12 cm, which is due to differences in phantom dimensions involved in the calculations. The anisotropy function of BRIT (192)Ir HDR source is comparable with the corresponding values of microSelectron-v1 (classic) HDR source.

Evaluation of simultaneous nutrient and COD removal with polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulation using mixed microbial consortia under anoxic condition and their bioinformatics analysis.

Simultaneous nitrate-N, phosphate and COD removal was evaluated from synthetic waste water using mixed microbial consortia in an anoxic environment under various initial carbon load (ICL) in a batch scale reactor system. Within 6 hours of incubation, enriched DNPAOs (Denitrifying Polyphosphate Accumulating Microorganisms) were able to remove maximum COD (87%) at 2 g/L of ICL whereas maximum nitrate-N (97%) and phosphate (87%) removal along with PHB accumulation (49 mg/L) was achieved at 8 g/L of ICL. Exhaustion of nitrate-N, beyond 6 hours of incubation, had a detrimental effect on COD and phosphate removal rate. Fresh supply of nitrate-N to the reaction medium, beyond 6 hours, helped revive the removal rates of both COD and phosphate. Therefore, it was apparent that in spite of a high carbon load, maximum COD and nutrient removal can be maintained, with adequate nitrate-N availability. Denitrifying condition in the medium was evident from an increasing pH trend. PHB accumulation by the mixed culture was directly proportional to ICL; however the time taken for accumulation at higher ICL was more. Unlike conventional EBPR, PHB depletion did not support phosphate accumulation in this case. The unique aspect of all the batch studies were PHB accumulation was observed along with phosphate uptake and nitrate reduction under anoxic conditions. Bioinformatics analysis followed by pyrosequencing of the mixed culture DNA from the seed sludge revealed the dominance of denitrifying population, such as Corynebacterium, Rhodocyclus and Paraccocus (Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria). Rarefaction curve indicated complete bacterial population and corresponding number of OTUs through sequence analysis. Chao1 and Shannon index (H') was used to study the diversity of sampling. "UCI95" and "LCI95" indicated 95% confidence level of upper and lower values of Chao1 for each distance. Values of Chao1 index supported the results of rarefaction curve.

Synthesis and characterization of titania nanorods from ilmenite for photocatalytic annihilation of E. coli.

Titania nanorod structures have been obtained by thermal plasma reduction of ilmenite (FeTiO3) followed by chemical treatments. Inherently present iron in the titania nanorods acts as a dopant which results in shifting the absorption edge of titania from ultraviolet to visible region. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study confirms the existence of rutile phase of titania. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) reveals the presence of Ti(4+), O(2-), Fe(3+) and surface hydroxyl group. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) confirms the formation of nanorod structure having width of 6 nm and length of 32 nm. Photocatalytic annihilation property of titania nanorods derived from ilmenite (titania-I), rutile titania obtained from titanium(IV) butoxide (titania-A) and Degussa P25 titania was studied under UV and UV-Visible irradiation conditions separately and compared. The time required for complete photocatalytic annihilation of Escherichiacoli cells are 10, 15 and 45 min under UV irradiation whereas it has taken 15, 10-15, 30 min under UV-Visible irradiation for titania-A, Degussa P25 titania and titania-I respectively. It is observed that titania-I shows significantly stronger antibacterial property under UV-Visible irradiation compared to UV alone.

Seasonal trends, meteorological impacts, and associated health risks with atmospheric concentrations of gaseous pollutants at an Indian coastal city.

This study presents surface ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) measurements conducted at Bhubaneswar from December 2010 to November 2012 and attempts for the very first time a health risk assessment of the atmospheric trace gases. Seasonal variation in average 24 h O3 and CO shows a distinct winter (December to February) maxima of 38.98 ± 9.32 and 604.51 ± 145.91 ppbv, respectively. O3 and CO characteristics and their distribution were studied in the form of seasonal/diurnal variations, air flow patterns, inversion conditions, and meteorological parameters. The observed winter high is likely due to higher regional emissions, the presence of a shallower boundary layer, and long-range transport of pollutants from the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Large differences between daytime and nighttime O3 values during winter compared to other seasons suggest that photochemistry is much more active on this site during winter. O3 and CO observations are classified in continental and marine air masses, and continental influence is estimated to increase O3 and CO by up to 20 and 120 ppbv, respectively. Correlation studies between O3 and CO in various seasons indicated the role of CO as one of the O3 precursors. Health risk estimates predict 48 cases of total premature mortality in adults due to ambient tropospheric O3 during the study period. Comparatively low CO concentrations at the site do not lead to any health effects even during winter. This study highlights the possible health risks associated with O3 and CO pollution in Bhubaneswar, but these results are derived from point measurements and should be complemented either with regional scale observations or chemical transport models for use in design of mitigation policies.

Water disinfection through photoactive modified titania.

TiO(2), N-TiO(2) and S-TiO(2) samples have been prepared by various chemical methods. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Laser Raman spectrometer, UV-Visible spectrophotometer, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). X-ray powder diffraction study reveals that all three samples are single anatase phase of titania and the crystallinity of titania decreases with sulphur doping whereas nitrogen doping does not affect it. UV-Visible (diffuse) reflectance spectra shows that doping of titania with nitrogen and sulphur shift the absorption edge of titania from ultraviolet to visible region. XPS study confirms that both nitrogen and sulphur are well doped in the titania lattice. It is observed that nitrogen occupies at both substitutional and interstitial position in the lattice of titania. FE-SEM and TEM studies demonstrate that the particles are below 50nm range. It is found that S and N doping of titania increased its water disinfection property in the order TiO(2)

Role of microorganisms in emission of nitrous oxide and methane in pulse cultivated soil under laboratory incubation condition.

Soil from a pulse cultivated farmers land of Odisha, India, have been subjected to incubation studies for 40 consecutive days, to establish the impact of various nitrogenous fertilizers and water filled pore space (WFPS) on green house gas emission (N2O & CH4). C2H2 inhibition technique was followed to have a comprehensive understanding about the individual contribution of nitrifiers and denitrifiers towards the emission of N2O. Nevertheless, low concentration of C2H2 (5 ml: flow rate 0.1 kg/cm(2)) is hypothesized to partially impede the metabolic pathways of denitrifying bacterial population, thus reducing the overall N2O emission rate. Different soil parameters of the experimental soil such as moisture, total organic carbon, ammonium content and nitrate-nitrogen contents were measured at regular intervals. Application of external N-sources under different WFPS conditions revealed the diverse role played by the indigenous soil microorganism towards green house gas emission. Isolation of heterotrophic microorganisms (Pseudomonas) from the soil samples, further supported the fact that denitrification might be prevailing during specific conditions thus contributing to N2O emission. Statistical analysis showed that WFPS was the most influential parameter affecting N2O formation in soil in absence of an inhibitor like C2H2.