Promises and potential of in situ nano-phytoremediation strategy to mycorrhizo-remediate heavy metal contaminated soils using non-food bioenergy crops (Vetiver zizinoides & Cannabis sativa).

Heavy metals (HMs) in soil, air, and water environments effect human health. These HMs cannot be degraded in soil and they can only be transformed from one state to another. Food and energy resources such as coal, oil, petrol, etc. are gradually diminishing due to ever increasing demand and consumption, world faces crisis. There is an urgent need to address these problems by reclaiming the waste/polluted land for food and energy production. Various physicochemical remediation strategies are being proposed, developed, and tested but they are all very costly and only applicable to small contaminated sites. During the past two decades or so, plant-based phytoremediation technology is rapidly evolving as a promising new tool to address the issue with the potential to remediate HM contaminated soils in a sustainable manner. Plants, labeled as phyto-tolerant or phyto-accumulators, surviving on such contaminated soils reduce the toxicity by preventing their translocation or destroying the contaminants by sequestration by synthesizing thiol-containing HM-binding proteins (nano-molecules) and peptides (phytochelators or PCs) which modulate internal levels of metal concentration between deficient and toxic levels. But such plants are very slow growing, producing small biomass, and the process taking a long time to effectively remediate such soils. To overcome limitations of using such plants, plants capable of high biomass production and tolerating multiple HMs, such as non-food bioenergy crops (Vetiver and Hamp), are required. This plant-based remediation strategy can further be enhanced with the use of both plants and rhizosphere microbes like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting bacteria. The combination of three components, i.e. high biomass producing plant, soil, and its rhizosphere harboring plant growth-promoting rhizobial (PGPR) microbiota, particularly AMF, will further improve the process of nano-phytoremediation of HM contaminated soils. This mini review focuses on how phytoremediation, nanotechnology, AMF and PGPR technologies can be merged together to form an integrated nano-mycorrhizo-phytoremediation (NMPR) strategy which synergistically achieve the goal of remediation of soil contaminants and improve the phytoremediation performance of bioenergy plants grown on HM polluted soils. This review also identifies the urgent need to conduct field-scale application of this strategy and use it as potential tool for reestablishing plant cover and population diversity during restoration of derelict land post-industrial/mining activities.

India's progress towards the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 on infant and maternal mortality.

BACKGROUND: India is in a race against time to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to '28' and Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to '109', by 2015. This study estimates the percent net contribution of the states and the periods in shaping India's IMR/MMR, and predicts future levels. METHODS: A standardized decomposition technique was used to estimate each state's and period's percent share in shaping India's decline in IMR/MMR between two time points. Linear and exponential regression curves were fitted for IMR/MMR values of the past two decades to predict IMR/MMR levels for 2015 for India and for the 15 most populous states. RESULTS: Due to favourable maternal mortality reduction efforts in Bihar/Jharkhand (19%) and Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh (11%), Uttar Pradesh (33%) - India is predicted to attain the MDG-5 target by 2016, assuming the pace of decline observed in MMR during 1997-2009 continues to follow a linear-trend, while the wait may continue until 2023-2024 if the decline follows an exponential- trend. Attaining MDG-4 may take until 2023-2024, due to low acceleration in IMR drop in Bihar/ Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. The maximum decline in MMR during 2004-2009 coincided with the launch and uptake of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). CONCLUSIONS: Even though India as a nation is not predicted to attain all the MDG 4 and 5 targets, at least four of its 15 most populous states are predicted to do so. In the past two decades, MMR reduction efforts were more effective than IMR reduction efforts.

Quality of effluents from Hattar Industrial Estate.

Of 6634 registered industries in Pakistan, 1228 are considered to be highly polluting. The major industries include textile, pharmaceutical, chemicals (organic and inorganic), food industries, ceramics, steel, oil mills and leather tanning which spread all over four provinces, with the larger number located in Sindh and Punjab, with smaller number in North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) and Baluchistan. Hattar Industrial Estate extending over 700 acres located in Haripur district of NWFP is a new industrial estate, which has been developed with proper planning for management of industrial effluents. The major industries located in Hattar are ghee industry, chemical (sulfuric acid, synthetic fiber) industry, textile industry and pharmaceuticals industry. These industries, although developed with proper planning are discharging their effluents in the nearby natural drains and ultimately collected in a big drain near Wah. The farmers in the vicinity are using these effluents for growing vegetables and cereal crops due to shortage of water. In view of this discussion, there is a dire need to determine if these effluents are hazardous for soil and plant growth. So, effluents from different industries, sewage and normal tap water samples were collected and analysed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total soluble salts (TSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen, cations and anions and heavy metals. The effluents of ghee and textile industries are highly alkaline. EC and TSS loads of ghee and textile industries are also above the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS), Pakistan. All the effluents had residual sodium carbonates (RSCs), carbonates and bicarbonates in amounts that cannot be used for irrigation. Total toxic metals load in all the effluents is also above the limit i.e. 2.0 mg/L. Copper in effluents of textile and sewage, manganese in ghee industry effluents and iron contents in all the effluents were higher than NEQS. BOD and COD values of all the industries are also above the NEQS. On the whole, these effluents cannot be used for irrigation without proper treatment otherwise that may cause toxicity to soil, plants and animals as well add to the problems of salinity and sododicity. Similarly, these effluents cannot be used for fish farming.

Preliminary assessment of plant community structure and arbuscular mycorrhizas in rangeland habitats of Cholistan desert, Pakistan.

Plant species dominance and arbuscular mycorrhizas (AMs) were evaluated in four different habitats of Cholistan desert, Pakistan. The sites were selected on the basis of variations in topography, floristic composition and biotic interference. The phytosociological data revealed obvious differences in the floristic composition, plant species diversity, AM colonization and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spore densities in the rhizospheres. The vegetation pattern and composition was governed by topography and edaphic characteristics of a particular site. Grasses were dominant and main components of vegetation at all the study sites and were invariably mycorrhizal. Some plant species were mycorrhizal at one site but non-mycorrhizal at the other. The AMF survey reported here offers an important starting point from which to analyse AMF community structure in different phytosociological habitats and land uses of Cholistan desert.

Monoxenic in vitro production and colonization potential of AM fungus Glomus intraradices.

The paper reports the establishment of mycorrhizal infection of a non-mycorrhizal Ri-T-DNA transformed carrot root when co-cultured with a surface sterilized sweet potato root segment colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus G. intraradices on minimal M medium. Extensive fungal hyphal emergence from each cut end of the mycorrhizal sweet potato root piece was observed in one week old cultures. These hyphae caused infection on contacting the transformed-carrot- root segment and produced many hyphae and spores both inside and outside the zone of the root after 6 week of growth. Axenically produced fungal propagules proliferated on the surface of fresh minimal M medium when sub-cultured without any root segment. On repeated sub-culturing, these propagules did not lose their ability to grow and produced many juvenile small spore-like vesicles during the non-symbiotic phase. Although these spores were morphologically and anatomically similar to their soil borne counter parts, they were much smaller. When placed in the vicinity of a fresh hairy root on the minimal medium or a Sudan grass seedling in sand culture, the axenically produced AM fungal propagules caused root infection, but the infection characteristics were significantly different to the original culture in terms of shape (spherical vs oval) and size (20 microm vs 45 microm) of the intraradical vesicles, and absence of 'H' branches. Sudan grass seedlings inoculated with the axenically cultured fungus showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher dry weights plant'. When compared to the plants inoculated with sand cultures, the growth parameters and the percentage infection were not significantly different. However, when both sources of inocula were used together, a synergistic effect on plant growth as well as root infection was observed.

Relationships between chromium biomagnification ratio, accumulation factor, and mycorrhizae in plants growing on tannery effluent-polluted soil.

Heavy metal-contaminated land is increasingly becoming an important environmental, health, economic, and planning issue in Pakistan. The unplanned disposal of industrial effluent from tannery, for example, has resulted in a many fold increase in chromium (Cr) in the land near a tannery. This study was undertaken to compare the total and the DTPA-available Cr contents in the soil and the roots and leaves of tree species growing on it with those on the nearby noncontaminated reference site at Kala Shah Kakoo, Panjab, Pakistan. A very reduced plant cover on the tannery effluent-contaminated site was noted and there was a sharp boundary between the polluted and nonpolluted reference sites, suggesting a strong selection pressure. Polluted soil contained considerable higher amounts of Cr as compared to the reference soil but no correlation was found between Cr contents in the dried plant tissue and the total DTPA-extractable Cr. Roots of all the three tree species, i.e. Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia arabica, and Populus euroamericana, growing on both the contaminated as well reference site possessed arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) infection in their roots and AMF propagules in the associated rhizospheres. D. sissoo and A. arabica roots were also studded with nitrogen-fixing rhizobial root nodules, while those of P. euroamericana possessed AMF as well as ectomycorrhizal infections. The dual infection would encourage mineral nutrition, including Cr. AMF community varied, i.e. trees growing on the reference site were exposed to a wide variety of AMF such as Glomus, Scutellospora, and Acaulospora, whereas those on the contaminated site contained only Gigaspora spp. in their mycorrhizospheres, suggesting a selection pressure. Typical Glomus infection patterns in the roots of D. sissoo growing on the contaminated soil but absence of spores of Glomus spp. in the associated rhizospheres indicate the potential error of using AMF spores to extrapolate the root infection. High Cr contents adversely affected the size, diversity, and species richness of AMF as measured by Shannon-Weiner index. The potential of mycorrhizae in protecting the host plant against the harmful effect of heavy metals and in phytoremediation of the Cr-polluted soil is discussed.

Tropane alkaloid production by shoot culture of Duboisia myoporoides R. Br.

This work demonstrates the presence of hyoscyamine and scopolamine at different stages of shoot regeneration from non-organogenic and organogenic calli. The 11-week-old non-organogenic calli contained 0.41+/-0.03 and 0.23+/-0.02 microg g(-1) dry wt hyoscyamine and scopolamine respectively. However, no root meristem was found in the calli. The alkaloids were absent in 2-week-old organogenic calli. The shoot-buds induced on the non-organogenic and organogenic calli did not contain these alkaloids. Hyoscyamine and scopolamine contents of the 6-week-old non-rooted shoots regenerated from non-organogenic calli were 7.8+/-0.1 and 6.5+/-0.4 microg g(-1) dry wt respectively and those in the 9-week-old non-rooted shoot regenerated from organogenic calli were 38.5+/-0.4 and 3.6+/-0.1 microg g(-1) dry wt respectively. Hyoscyamine and scopolamine contents of the 4-week-old roots regenerated from non-organogenic and organogenic calli were higher than those in the non-rooted shoots. Since the presence of hyoscyamine and scopolamine in the non-rooted shoot depends on the stage of differentiation, manipulation of culture environment may improve hyoscyamine and scopolamine contents of the non-rooted shoots.

Role of plants, mycorrhizae and phytochelators in heavy metal contaminated land remediation.

Phytoremediation is a site remediation strategy, which employs plants to remove non-volatile and immisible soil contents. This sustainable and inexpensive process is emerging as a viable alternative to traditional contaminated land remediation methods. To enhance phytoremediation as a viable strategy, fast growing plants with high metal uptake ability and rapid biomass gain are needed. This paper provides a brief review of studies in the area of phytoaccumulation, most of which have been carried out in Europe and the USA. Particular attention is given to the role of phytochelators in making the heavy metals bio-available to the plant and their symbionts in enhancing the uptake of bio-available heavy metals.

Mate selection and its impact on female marriage age, pregnancy wastages, and first child survival in Tamil Nadu, India.

Marriage in Indian society is a religious duty. Consanguineous marriage is common, where individuals prefer to marry within their clan (a unilateral kin group based on either matrilineal or patrilineal descent). Keeping in mind that this form of marriage has certain disadvantages for social and biological as well as demographic aspects of individuals and families, the present study examines the influence of mate selection (i.e., close relatives, distant relatives, not related) on female age at marriage, pregnancy wastages, and survival status of the first child. The study was designed based on the information collected on a sample size of 3,948 married women aged 13-49 in Tamil Nadu, India, by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), 1992. Results suggest that 48 per cent of women in Tamil Nadu marry their relatives. This practice of marrying relatives is high in rural areas, among Hindus, Scheduled Castes/tribes, and illiterate women as compared to urban areas, among non-Hindus, non-SC/ST, and educated women, respectively. The bivariate analysis reveals that women marrying their close relatives had low age at marriage and experienced a higher per cent of pregnancy wastage and child loss (first child) as compared to those women marrying their distant relatives or nonrelatives. The result is found to be consistent even after controlling for selected background variables through multivariate techniques (applied separately for age at marriage, pregnancy wastages, and the survival status of first child). Hence, this study suggests that steps should be taken to inform people about the problems of marrying close relatives through appropriate IEC programs in Tamil Nadu.

PIP: This study examined consanguinity and pregnancy outcomes among married women in Tamil Nadu state, India. Data were obtained from the 1992-93 National Family Health Survey among a sample of 3948 married women aged 13-49 years. Consanguineous marriage was highest in Tamil Nadu, where 48.2% of marriages were between relatives. Other states with high consanguinity were Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Findings reveal that about 50% of the sample were women aged under 30 years. 70.2% lived in rural areas. 88% were Hindus. 50% were illiterate. 66% were unaware of the legal marriage age. 38.3% married close relatives, 9.9% married distant relatives, and 51.7% married nonrelatives. Educated women were more likely to marry nonrelatives. Consanguinity was high among Hindus, scheduled castes, and tribes. Consanguinity occurred at earlier ages and was significantly associated with lower age at marriage. Female age at marriage was also significantly influenced by religion, age at menarche, education of women, childhood place of residence, and caste. Pregnancy wastage was 22.7% for women marrying close relatives, 21.6% for women marrying distant cousins, and 18.7% for women marrying nonrelatives. The odds of pregnancy wastage were 1.3 times higher for women marrying close relatives. Loss of the first child was 16.8% of women marrying close relatives, 15% of women marrying distant relatives, and 11.5% of women marrying nonrelatives. Controlling for background characteristics, women marrying close relatives were 1.3 times more likely to lose their first child than the reference group.

Influence of the dwarfing gene dw on egg production and viability under summer heat stress.

1. Dwarf egg layer (Narmada XL) dwarf broiler (DB) and normal bodied sib (NB) hens were studied under cyclic summer hot and dry heat stress of 21.1 to 45.5 degrees C for a period of 50 d. The genotype effect for egg production was significant (P less than 0.01). 2. N-XL and DB genotypes laid 12.1% more eggs than NB. Egg production declined by 3.17, 1.27 and 3.25% for a rise in temperature (maximum) of 1 degree C for N-XL, DB and NB genotypes respectively. 3. Egg production in Narmada XL declined by 42% compared to 25% in the dwarf broilers. The regression coefficients differed significantly. 4. For polygenically identical DB and NB broiler breeder hens the heat stressor significantly reduced egg production 1.98% more in the NB genotype compared with DB with a 1 degree C rise in temperature. 5. Mortality was less in the N-XL as compared to DB, but NB hens showed 11.7% more mortality than dwarfs.

The effect of reciprocal crosses between dwarf and normal parents on blood constituents of the progeny.

1. Heterozygous cockerels which inherited the sex-linked recessive dwarfing gene (dw) from a normal dam had significantly different contents of sodium and potassium in the blood serum compared with heterozygous cockerels from dwarf dams. 2. Hemizygous dwarf pullets had a significantly lower packed cell volume than normal pullets, while mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration was significantly lower in the normal pullets. 3. Total serum calcium values were significantly higher in normal pullets. Sodium concentration was higher in dwarf pullets. It is suggested that the better adaptation of dwarf pullets to higher temperatures might be due to their capacity to retain more water in body tissue under a stressful environment.

Heritabilities and genetic correlations in related dwarf and normal broiler populations.

Heritability estimates were higher for 8-week body weight in dwarf than in normal broiler populations due to the maternal effects of dwarf dams. 2. The dwarfing gene dw did not induce new genetic variability for egg weight, 30-week body weight and age at sexual maturation. 3. Genetic correlation estimates showed that the selection for 8-week body weight will increase egg weight in dwarf pullets more than in normals. 4. Within a dwarf population it should be possible to increase 8-week body weight without influencing the mature size of pullets.

Sexual dimorphism in the weight of chicks.

1. Male chicks hatched from eggs heavier than 60 g weighed more (P less than 0-05) than female chicks from eggs of similar weight. 2. The weight of the residual yolk was similar in both sexes. 3. It is concluded that male embryos are better able to utilise the energy supplies in the egg, particularly after the 18th day of incubation.

Body growth response to selection and crossbreeding in dwarf and normal broiler-type chickens.

A normal-bodied broiler population and one dwarfed by the dw sex-linked gene were each sub-divided into two lines. AGB (normal) and D2B (dwarf) were selected only for superior body weight at eight weeks of age. AGE (normal) and D2E (dwarf) were sublines in which prospective dams were selected for large egg weight while prospective sires were selected for eight-week body weight. Selection for large eight-week weight of both sexes in both dwarf and normal populations during each of three generations resulted in superior growth rate to that observed when the dams were selected for egg weight. When the selected dams were tested each generation for their ability to produce superior broiler crossbreds using a commercial broiler sire strain, AGE proved superior to AGB in the second and third generations while D2B and D2E dams produced crossbreds with similar broiler weights. Normal-bodied dams which produced crossbreds having superior growth to that of the dwarf dams in the first generation lost most of this superiority by the third generation in sons and the second generation in daughters. Reproductive fitness was superior within the dwarf lines as well as in their ability to produce more crossbred progeny.

The influence of season and stage of development of plant on Endogone mycorrhiza of field-grown wheat.

A quantitative and qualitative survey of the indigenous Endogone population in wheat field soil and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza in wheat roots as influenced by season and by the stage of development of the wheat plant was made. The number of Endogone spores in wheat field soil remained relatively unchanged in winter until January during the period of maximum root growth. The extent of formation of arbuscules was influenced by the stage of development of the wheat plants.

Aplastic anemia associated with lithium therapy.

A case is reported of fatal aplastic anemia developing in a 50-year-old woman who received lithium carbonate in the generally accepted dosage for a manic-depressive disorder. The serum lithium had been determined at regular intervals and never exceeded what is considered a safe level. Patients for whom lithium is prescribed should have periodic hematologic examinations.