Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant potentials of Chlorella vulgaris grown in effluent of a confectionery industry.

Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant potentials of Chlorella vulgaris have gained considerable importance in recent decades. C. vulgaris strain highly tolerant to extreme pH variations was isolated and mass-cultivated in the wastewater from a confectionery industry. C.vulgaris showed better growth in wastewater than in improvised CFTRI medium. The microalgal biomass was then screened for the following antioxidants: peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, polyphenol oxidase, glutathione peroxidase, chlorophyll a, ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol and reduced glutathione. The total polyphenol content of the strain was also studied. The strain showed a high degree of enzymatic antioxidant activity (0.195 × 10(-5) ± 0.0072 units/cell peroxidase, 0.04125 × 10(-5) ± 0.001 units/cell superoxide dismutase, 0.2625 × 10(-5) ± 0.003 units/cell polyphenol oxidase and 0.025 × 10(-5) ± 0.003 glutathione peroxidase). The microalgal biomass also showed, per milligram weight, 0.2182 ± 0.005 µg of ascorbic acid, 0.00264 ± 0.001 µg of α-tocopherol and 0.07916 ± 0.004 µg of reduced glutathione. These results represent the possibility of using C. vulgaris grown in confectionery industry wastewater as a source of nutritious supplement, which is highly promising in terms of both economic and nutritional point of view.

Is phycovolatilization of heavy metals a probable (or possible) physiological phenomenon? An in situ pilot-scale study at a leather-processing chemical industry.

Using algae to treat industrial effluents containing heavy metals presents an alternative to the current practice of using other biosorbents and physical and chemical methods. In this study, effluent from a leather-processing chemical industry in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu, India, was treated for the removal of heavy metals using the microalga, Chlorella vulgaris, which was isolated from the effluent itself. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the mass balance of a model parameter, lead, in laboratory conditions and estimate the lead adsorption capabilities of the microalga and (2) conduct pilot-scale studies for the removal of heavy metals, using the microalga, from the effluent and the solid waste accumulated over the years generated by conventional treatment methods. The results of the study show that after 8 hours, Chlorella vulgaris exhibited a better adsorption capacity under sunlight compared to laboratory conditions (i.e., 30.6 mg/g dry weight vs 10.5 mg/g dry weight, respectively). Similarly, reduction of heavy metals and mass balance in pilot-scale field studies conducted in a high-rate algal pond showed that the microalga, apart from adsorption, complexation, and entrapment mechanisms, is likely to possess phycovolatilization capability probably via biotransformation processes.

Report: Hospital waste management--awareness and practices: a study of three states in India.

The study was conducted in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh in India. Hospitals/nursing homes and private medical practitioners in urban as well as rural areas and those from the private as well as the government sector were covered. Information on (a) awareness of bio-medical waste management rules, (b) training undertaken and (c) practices with respect to segregation, use of colour coding, sharps management, access to common waste management facilities and disposal was collected. Awareness of Bio-medical Waste Management Rules was better among hospital staff in comparison with private medical practitioners and awareness was marginally higher among those in urban areas in comparison with those in rural areas. Training gained momentum only after the dead-line for compliance was over. Segregation and use of colour codes revealed gaps, which need correction. About 70% of the healthcare facilities used a needle cutter/destroyer for sharps management. Access to Common Waste Management facilities was low at about 35%. Dumping biomedical waste on the roads outside the hospital is still prevalent and access to Common Waste facilities is still limited. Surveillance, monitoring and penal machinery was found to be deficient and these require strengthening to improve compliance with the Bio-medical Waste Management Rules and to safeguard the health of employees, patients and communities.