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The benthic foraminiferal community is an excellent bio-indicator of pollution in coastal and marginal marine settings. Their abundance, diversity and its relationship with environmental parameters, viz. grain size, organic carbon (Corg) and trace metals concentration, from the surface sediment layer of the southwestern shelf of the Bay of Bengal, have been used to understand the marine pollution in this study. A total of 32 surface sediment samples were collected at various water depths.The samples were analysed for grain size distribution, organic matter (OM), foraminiferal and trace metals studies. Statistical analyses such as correlation matrix, PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and cluster analysis show that the foraminiferal species composition is significantly influenced by the organic carbon (Corg), Co, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni concentrations. The dominance of stress-tolerant species, viz. Ammonia beccarii, Ammonia tepida, Nonion faba, Bulimina marginata, Bolivina robusta, Elphidium craticulatum and Elphidium advenum, as well as less species diversity, demonstrates the elevated Corg and trace metal pollution in the marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to comprehensively explore the biochemical profile of the novel halotolerant microalgae strain, biogas laboratory scenedesmus (BGLRS), previously isolated from waterlogged regions in the southwest zone of Punjab, India. To achieve this, three distinct drying methods viz. freeze‐drying, oven‐drying, and shade‐drying were employed and biochemical composition and antioxidant analyses on the microalgal biomass were conducted. Utilizing advanced analytical techniques, including high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP‐AES), and gas chromatography‐mass spectroscopy (GC‐MS) on freeze‐dried biomass, its carbohydrate profile, micronutrient composition, and presence of bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic and nutraceutical significance were sought to unravel. Among the drying methods evaluated, freeze‐drying exhibited the most promising experimental results, prompting its selection for further investigation. Notably, ICP‐AES unveiled elevated concentrations of essential elements such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus in BGLRS, with negligible traces of heavy metals, underscoring its safety for human consumption. GC‐MS analysis further divulged the existence of numerous biologically active compounds, indicating potential applications in medical and nutraceutical fields. Through molecular identification using sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, a close taxonomic resemblance between BGLRS and Scenedesmus sp. MKB was established, solidifying its unique position within the microalgal taxonomy. The deposition of ITS sequences into the NCBI GenBank, obtaining accession number MN796425, attests to the rigor and transparency of this research. Overall, these findings strongly suggest that microalgae BGLRS possesses high‐quality biochemical attributes of significant therapeutic and nutraceutical importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals from mica waste not only deteriorate the soil quality but also results in the uptake of metals in the crop. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of different fractions of metals on the uptake in rice, soil microbial and biochemical properties in mica waste-contaminated soils of Jharkhand, India. From each active mine, soil samples were randomly collected at distances of < 50 m (zone 1), 50–100 m (zone 2), and >100 m (zone 3). Sequential metal extraction was used to determine the fractions of different metals (nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb)) including water-soluble (Ws) and exchangeable metals (Ex), carbonate-bound metals (CBD), Fe/Mn oxide (OXD) bound metals, organically bound metals (ORG), and residues (RS). The Ni, Cr, Cd and Pb in rice grain were 0.83±0.41, 0.41±0.19, 0.21±0.14 and 0.17±0.08 mg/kg respectively. From the variable importance plot of the random forest (RF) algorithm, the Ws fraction of Ni, Cr and Cd and Ex fraction of Pb was the most important predictor for rice grain metal content. Further, the partial dependence plots (PDP) give us an insight into the role of the two most important metal fractions on rice grain metal content. The microbial and enzyme activity was significantly and negatively correlated with Ws and Ex metal fractions, indicating that water-soluble and exchangeable fractions exert a strong inhibitory effect on the soil microbiological parameters and enzyme activities. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative analysis of trace metals in the groundwater of the Handri river basin was conducted using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Descriptive statistics, box whisker plots, and GIS assessed their spatial distribution in South India. The elements arsenic, cadmium, and iron were the most abundant, with iron having the highest concentration and copper the lowest. Chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc complied with BIS and WHO standards for drinking water. In certain locations of the Handri river basin, elevated concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead, and manganese were found to be polluting and endangering the water. A comprehensive analysis revealed that, out of 41 water quality sites, copper, chromium, nickel, and zinc were within acceptable limits, while arsenic and cadmium exceeded the limits. Twenty groundwater sites showed elevated iron content, revealed by a spatial distribution map. Excessive manganese and lead levels were observed in specific stations, such as Gorantla, Bondi Madugula, Ramachandrapuram, Konganapadu, and Tangaradona. The study suggests that population growth and industrialization contribute to resource depletion and environmental deterioration. The cohesive findings from descriptive models, box whisker plots, and spatial analyses aim to guide decision-makers in developing adaptive groundwater trace element monitoring strategies for the Handri basin in Kurnool district, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lucknow is one of the most polluted metro-city in India with increasing vehicular density and fuel consumption in the last three decades. The study was conducted during years 2019–2021 for measurement of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), respirable particulate matter (PM10), and noise levels at nine selected sites; 4 residential, 4 commercial, and 1 industrial, encompassing prior-to-lockdown, during-lockdown, and after-lockdown periods. Values of PM10 for prior-to-lockdown, during-lockdown, and after-lockdown period ranged from 133.2 to 197.4, 77.0 to 135.0, and 91.4 to 148.0 µg/m3, respectively while values of PM2.5 were 66.5 to 93.6, 41.9 to 67.5 and 49.5 to 98.6 µg/m3, respectively. Corresponding values of SO2 ranged from 8.7 to 12.8, 5.5 to 7.6, and 11.4 to 17.6 µg/m3, respectively while values of NO2 were 24.6 to 57.0, 20.5 to 32.8, and 26.1 to 43.8 µg/m3, respectively. Order of the trace metals associated with PM2.5 is Co < Cd < As < Cr < Ni < Cu < Pb < Mn < K < Zn, Co < Cd < As < Cr < Cu < Ni < Pb < Mn < Zn < K and Cd < Co < As < Cr < Cu < Ni < Pb < Mn < K < Zn in the same periods. Statistical data evidenced that the air quality of the city witnessed drastic improvement during the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO AIRQ + was utilized to calculate attributable health risk and post-neonatal disease burden; showing 1447 ± 768 estimated number of cases attributable to ambient PM10 per lakh of population. Regulatory authorities need to establish new benchmarks for the prevention and management of public health risks for urban resilience and environmental management for episodic events in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hindon River is the main tributary of river Yamuna and it is a significant source of surface water, which flows through the major cities of western Uttar Pradesh, India. The indiscriminate development of industries and urbanization along river basin coupled with rapid population growths contribute various amounts of pollutant in the river. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the spatial–temporal variability of river water quality (seventeen physicochemical parameters and eight heavy metals) during pre- and post-monsoon seasons for 5 years data at 19 sampling sites along the river stretch. Indices associated with water quality and heavy metals were computed to scale the accurate state of risk associated to its use for drinking and irrigation. During the pre- and post-monsoon seasons, only four sites were found having safe water quality index (WQI) values. The mean heavy metal concentrations are found in order of Zn > Fe > Pb > Cu > Cr > Cd > Ni > Mn. Considering the spatial and temporal distribution, the study benchmarked the water quality of Hindon River for priority attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Krishna delta along the east coast of India presents a complex hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical situation with Holocene marine transgression events marked by paleo strand lines and subsequent evolutionary trends of the delta marked by numerous paleochannels/lobes. These paleochannels/lobes act as huge repositories for groundwater in the near surface aquifer systems with depth levels varying between 10 and 80 m bgl (below ground level) with high recharge potentials and are underlained by brackish water aquifers deposited during the marine transgressional events. These near surface aquifer systems have been subjected to over abstraction of groundwater to meet the irrigation and drinking water demands through multiple shallow well field systems resulting in vertical migration of brackish water and mixing with near surface freshwater aquifers. These processes are dominant in the regions with high abstractions and relatively low or insignificant mixing in the low abstraction and high recharge regions. Sixteen trace metals Beryllium (Be), Cobalt (Co), Strontium (Sr), Boron (B), Nickel (Ni), Molybdenum (Mo), Lead (Pb), Vanadium (V), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Zircon (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Arsenic (As), Iron (Fe), Selenium (Se) and Barium (Ba) were analyzed from the groundwater of the near surface aquifer systems at 29 sites covering the entire delta complex. Almost all the trace metals incorporated lie within safe and acceptable limits prescribed by WHO/BIS excepting Sr, B, Mo, Pb, V, Mn, As, and Fe located at few isolated sites due to localized pollution impacts prevailing in the low-lying delta regions. The spatial distributional trends, intensity levels and their impacts on natural/ anthropogenic processes are analyzed and presented. Pollution indices related to Contamination Factor (CF) and Pollution Load Index (PLI) are estimated and applied to arrive at different levels of contamination against each element. A number of graphical cross plots are also drawn between TDS and different trace metal levels to assess the trends of each element in relation to fresh and brackish water zones and their impacts on salinization and anthropogenic processes. Multivariate statistical analysis (correlation matrix and factor analysis) are also used to assess the natural/ anthropogenic impacts. The overall analysis indicates dominant brackish water mixing processes and low to moderate impacts due to several automobile units, agro-based fertilizer units, aqua forms, electro chemicals and coal-based industries in addition to municipal wastes and sewerage disposal sites existing in the delta region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates bioaccumulation factor (Bfc), Edaphic pollution indices and associated health risk assessment of trace metals (TMs) i.e., Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn and Co in the crops, agricultural soil (AgS), and irrigation water (IgW) collected from various peri-urban area of metropolitan city of India, Lucknow. Though the level of these TMs was within the permissible limits (PL) (FAO/WHO, 2011) in AgS and IgW however it was higher than PL in tomato, spinach and wheat cultivated in the fields. The bioaccumulation factor of Cu, Fe and Mn in edible parts of tomato, spinach and wheat was 8 to 25 times higher through the AgS and 10 to 300 times higher through the IgW in the tomato, spinach and wheat samples. The enrichment factor (Efc), contamination factor (Cfc), contamination degree (Cdg) and modified contamination degree (mCdg) values of Co, Cu, Mn, Fe and Zn ranged from low to high levels of contamination, whereas the geo-accumulation index reflected low contamination in agricultural soil. on the other hand, the metal pollution load index (Mpi) was found strongly contaminated in most of the study areas. Due to the consumption of these contaminated vegetables and cereal (VCs) by human consumers, the hazard quotient (HQ), total hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) were found to be more than the requisite value of 1, which indicates a far-long health risk in this crowded city and its surrounding regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor groundwater quality through the leaching of contaminants from depleted landfill is a concern to the scientific community. Therefore, the role of landfills on groundwater quality cannot be neglected in an urban area. The factors influencing the leaching of trace metals in groundwater are soil profile, geochemical and environmental condition of disposed of refuse materials, groundwater-table depth, and climatic factors. This research work delineates landfill role in contaminating groundwater through the chemical speciation of trace metals. Analyzed groundwater quality data indicate most of the samples were classified under Ca2+-Na+ type cation and Cl− type of anion hydrogeochemical facies. The investigations of the mineral equilibrium indicate equilibrium with silicate minerals, which favors kaolinite formation. Saturation index indicates that hematite, goethite, chrysotile, dolomite, ferric-hydroxide, hydroxyapatite, jarosite-K, cerussite, vivianite, and willemite are reactive minerals in the aquifer water and control their hydrogeochemistry. The study of chemical speciation of trace metals indicates the high possibility of oxidation-reduction, ion-exchange, and chemical-weathering reaction mechanism, which causes the release of trace metal ions and further contaminated aquifer water through leaching. It also justifies through study of contaminant movement in vertical profile of the soil. The chemical speciation of trace metals indicates a reducing atmosphere in the aquifer due to the dominance of Fe2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ ions in aquifer water. Mn2+ and Zn2+ concentration decreases with depth, while Fe2+ and Pb2+ ion concentration low in the middle layer of the aquifer indicate the contribution through anthropogenic input since it is not available in geology of study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pykara Lake was formed as a result of the dam and power plant built on the river, and it is surrounded by a rich green shola forest. It is a popular tourist site that is situated in the Western Ghats. The trace metal contamination history of Lake Pykara was investigated utilizing a 210Pb-dated core sediment sample and EDXRF over the calendar year 1910–2019 AD. The metal concentrations (Mn, Cr, Cu, Cd, Ni, Zn, As, Pb, and Co) were found to vary significantly over time, implying a contribution from both geogenic and human causes such as nearby rocks, fossil fuel combustion, sewage, and agrochemicals. The average sedimentation rate of the Lake Pykara sediment core was calculated to be around 0.70 cm year−1, corresponding to an age of 109 years. The contamination factor (Cf) suggested a low to very high level of contamination in the study area. Sediment samples with moderate-high potential toxicity levels were detected using sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). Assessment of the ecological risk of the sediments revealed a considerable ecological risk in the study area. It is evident that continual monitoring and control are necessary to avoid serious pollution from sewage, agriculture, and commercial operations in the regions surrounding the lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-nine shelf sediment samples have been collected from the Southwestern part of the Bay of Bengal in 5 transects lying offshore between the coasts of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu, India. Collected samples were analyzed for sediment texture, organic matter (OM), and trace metals (Fe, Cu, Co, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni). Sandy fractions were found to be abundant in all transects except transect 3, because of the existence of the Pichavaram estuary fed by river Vellar in the north and Coleroon in the south. Among all the trace metals, Fe is the most abundant in the sediment samples. And metals such as Co, Pb, Cr and Ni are higher than the average background values, suggesting adverse effects of human activities in polluting the marine environment. The pollution indices viz. Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), and Contamination Factor (CF) were calculated to assess trace metal pollution. The results imply that Cu, Co, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni in most of the sampling sites are highly contaminated in terms of Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo). Pb, Zn and Cr are heavily contaminated, while Cu, Mn, Ni, and Co showed moderate contamination, as demonstrated by the CF values. Pearson correlation and principal component analysis (PCA), explain the combination of geogenic and anthropogenic sources contributing trace metals to the marine system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on heavy metals distribution and their ecological risk in river water, bed sediment, and suspended particulate matter (SPM) along the Ganga River basin. Overall abundance of the metals followed the sequence, Fe > Al > Mn > Pb > Ni > Cd > Cr > Zn > Co in water, Al > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Co > Pb > Cd in bed sediment, while Al > Fe > Mn > Cr > Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb > Co > Cd in SPM. Among the abundant metals, Fe and Mn average concentrations exceeded BIS and WHO limits in river water. Similarly, Fe, Cd, and Zn, and most metals exceeded local background concentrations in bed sediment and SPM, respectively. Major ion chemistry in water signified carbonate weathering dominance during the time of sampling. Generally, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cr, and Co were derived from natural weathering and erosion, while Zn, Cd, and Pb were derived from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Metal index (MI) for river water showed that 27% of the locations were anthropogenically affected, whereas contamination factor and ecological risk assessment indicated highest contamination and risk from Cr and Cd in suspended sediments around urban centers in the middle basin. Furthermore, the confluence of Chambal and Yamuna increased heavy metal load in Yamuna and Ganga, respectively. The study highlighted the role of the water–sediment interaction indicating SPM is acting as a sink for metals followed by bed sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, distribution of metals in different geochemical forms, their mobility and bioavailability in bulk surface dust samples of Bhiwadi industrial cluster (BIC) in Rajasthan, India, was assessed by modified Community Bureau of Reference (m-BCR) sequential extraction procedure. Potential risk of metals in surface dust to environment and human health was evaluated using Contamination factor (Cf), Mobility Factor (MF) and Risk Assessment Code (RAC), and carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk. Residual fraction contained significant amount of metals as Cd(55.86%), Cr(86.05%), Fe(90.06%), Mn(69.94%), Ni(66.08%), and V(71.80%). Pb(52.43%) was present in reducible fraction, while Cu was equally distributed in reducible (27.66%) and oxidizable (28.20%) fractions. Zn was equally distributed in acid exchangeable (33.15%) and reducible (35.01%) fractions. High Cf values were observed for Zn (1.32–16.98), followed by Pb (0.38–11.23) and Cu (0.26–8.22). RAC indicated high risk of Cd, Mn, Ni and Zn to environment due to their high mobility and toxic nature. Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd showed highest mobility (potential bioavailability) in samples collected around metal casting, electroplating, and automobile part industries. Data indicated that metals can bio-available with the changes in redox conditions in environment. Ingestion was major pathway for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks followed by dermal and inhalation. Hazardous Index value (6.32) indicated higher susceptibility of children for non-carcinogenic risk as compared to adults. Carcinogenic risk of Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb was higher than acceptable levels in surface dust, suggesting a high risk of cancer to exposed population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of heavy metals and pesticides in our environment largely varies based on their chemical composition and the geographical conditions where they are present. This study assesses the variation in the concentration of heavy metals and pesticides in Kasaragod District, Kerala, Southern India. For the assessment, soil samples were collected from eight different locations of agricultural land during the three different seasons of 2017 and 2018. All the samples were tested for physicochemical characteristics, levels of heavy metals, and pesticides. The spatial distribution of trace metals and pesticides in the study area was performed by using the software Arc GIS, version 10.6. Significant variation in the physicochemical properties was observed during the different seasons. Similarly, the variation in the concentration of heavy metals in the soil ranged from 0.01 to 1018 μ g/kg. Among various heavy metals detected, aluminum (Al) was the most abundantly detected metal in the region of Malakallu, and cobalt (Co) was the scarcely detected metal in the region of Panathady. The average levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) in the soil samples were from below detectable level (bdl) to 610 μ g/kg and bdl to 441 μ g/kg respectively. Thus, our study indicates the continuous occurrence and persistent nature of contaminants in the agricultural soil of Kasaragod. Therefore, periodic monitoring of soil contaminants is recommended in Kasaragod to assess its effect on the ecosystem and to develop an effective remediation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace metals act as a limiting nutrient and prerequisite for primary productivity in marine environments. The distribution of metals in dissolved phase along the salinity gradients of Swarna, Sharavati and Kali estuaries in southwestern India, during post and pre-monsoon seasons, were studied. We have investigated the behaviour of trace metals in the estuarine environment and their extent of impact on human health and ecosystem. The study revealed, non-conservative behaviour of dissolved Mn, Fe, Ni, Cd and Co in the estuaries. Whereas Cu behaved non-conservatively in post-monsoon and conservatively in pre-monsoon seasons. Risk assessment studies revealed that higher chronic daily intake (CDI) in humans, through dermal pathway, in Swarna and Sharavati estuaries during post-monsoon, whereas it was during pre-monsoon season in the Kali estuary. Hazard Index values for the studied metals in adults and children are below risk thresholds, though children are more prone to health risk through the dermal pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, non-conventional farming practices have emerged as a viable alternative to check soil degradation due to the indiscriminate application of agrochemicals. However, limited studies have been conducted on soils under different management systems in farmer-managed settings. The present study aims to understand whether the documented advantages of going non-conventional are reflected in such a setting, provided its susceptibility to variations in nutrient input availability and environmental factors. The study was conducted on two different farm management systems, i.e. conventional and non-conventional, in close geographical proximity in a semi-arid tropical region of India. The soils were analysed for their physical and chemical properties, major and micronutrients and trace metals during the post-monsoonal season. The studied soils are sandy loam in texture, neutral to moderately alkaline and non-saline. These are deficient in organic carbon and total N, with very low to medium available P and low to high available K. Although adequate availability of Fe, Mn and Cu is observed, Zn deficiency is present in 16% of the soils. The soils are predominantly composed of SiO2, followed by Al2O3 and minor quantities of FeO, K2O and CaO, with generally low concentrations of trace metals (Cr, Zn, Ni, Cu, Pb, Co and Cd). Though no distinct differences are observed in major nutrient abundances and micronutrient availability, yet a significant difference is noticed in the trace metal concentration in soils from the two management systems. In light of similar parentage and absence of any significant difference in other soil properties, the relative trace metal enrichment observed in soils from the conventional farm might indicate an impact of differences in the management practices adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of synthetic textile dyes poses a challenge to the textile industry and a threat to the environment's flora and fauna. These dyes are recalcitrant and not very amenable to physical and chemical techniques of degradation. Hence, several studies on alternative bioremediation methods involving plants, plant roots, single microbes, or a consortium of microbes for the decolorization of dyes have been carried out. In the present study, potent bacteria for dye decolorization were isolated from rhizospheric soil of mangrove plants collected from Kamothe, Navi Mumbai, India. Of the 20 isolates obtained after enrichment, seven isolates were used for further screening of efficient decolorization ability in minimal basal media containing 10% glucose, 2.5% trace metal solution, and 0.1% of Methyl Orange (MO) dye concentration. Physiological parameters to optimize the decolorization of dye at optimum pH, temperature, and incubation time were studied for all the seven isolates. UV–vis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate dye decolorization. The seven isolates were characterized morphologically, biochemically, and molecular identification of these bacterial isolates was performed by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The isolates were identified as Bacillus paramycoides, Pseudomonas taiwanensis, Citrobacter murliniae, Acinetobacter pitti, Exiguobacterium acetylicum, Psychrobacter celer, and Aeromonas taiwanensis. Out of these, Aeromonas taiwanensis has shown exceptional capacity by ~ 100% decolorization of azo dye in minimum time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the recent upsurge in the construction of new ballasted railway tracks and their maintenance, the high requirement of ballast and subballast materials has become an important challenge. The use of industrial by-products in the construction of railroads can be an approach for the sustainable development of railway. With an increase in steel production, the generation of steel slag is also expected to increase at an alarming rate in India. At present, the utilization of this by-product of the steel industry is marginal; however, it has an enormous potential to be used in railroad construction. Therefore an attempt has been made to use steel slag as the subballast material in the present work. The objective of this study is to assess the strength and stiffness, leaching behavior, and mineralogical characteristics of the cement-stabilized steel slag (CSS) as a subballast layer and its implications in the design methodology. A series of laboratory tests such as compressive strength, splitting tensile, flexural strength, and flexural modulus tests were carried out on the CSS with four different (1%, 3%, 5%, and 7%) cement contents. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were also employed to examine the mineralogical characteristics. The results suggest that cement stabilizations lead to strength and stiffness gain along with resistance to the leaching of the trace metals such as arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, and zinc. The results show the steel slag has the potential to be used as subballast material. A step-by-step design methodology suitable for cement-stabilized steel slag as a subballast layer has been proposed by modifying the existing Association of American Railroads (AAR) method along with a practical design example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to understand the metal enrichment and toxicity in lower and middle regions of a tropical Mandovi Estuary, revealed metals dilution by coarser intertidal mudflat sediments in the lower estuary (downstream of the fishing jetty-core S). A relatively calm depositional environment prevailed at the middle estuary (core M) and also at the upstream of the jetty of the lower estuary (core L) facilitating deposition and enrichment of Mn and Zn in cores M and Mn, Cu and Co in core L. The distribution of trace metals in sediments was regulated by grain size, total organic carbon and Fe–Mn oxides. The potential contamination index indicated a moderate degree of metal contamination in sediments while the anthropogenic factor showed the signatures of human-induced activities in the enrichment of metals. The sequential extraction of metals showed bioavailability of Mn, Cu, Zn and Co. Fe–Mn oxide and organic/sulphide were key phases for the retention of bioavailable metals. The elevated level of these metals suggested possible toxicity to benthic biota, particularly from Mn (cores L and M) and Co (core L) according to the screening quick reference table. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid fuel usage for domestic cooking energy needs is an integral activity in several developing countries. Emissions from the daily usage of solid fuel lead to release of various pollutants which have adverse health effects. In the present study, an attempt was made to determine the influence of processing of fuel on emission characteristics from cookstoves. Processed fuel included carbonised and briquetted forms of raw coal which were tested in traditional and improved Indian cookstoves. Emission factors (EFs) were developed for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Elemental Carbon (EC), Organic Carbon (OC), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and trace metals. Overall, mass-based PM 2.5 reductions of ~40 % by use of carbonised coal and ~47 % by use of coal briquettes were achieved. Carbonaceous aerosols were found to be the most dominant form of PM 2.5 mass fraction (50–62 %) for all stove fuel combinations. PAHs and trace-metals represent ~1–5 % of the overall mass but can be critical from a health perspective. EFs of trace metals increased when shifting from raw to processed fuel pointing towards the need for standardization for processed fuel recipes. [Display omitted] • First an attempt made to quantify and profile the emissions from coal burning cookstoves used in India. • EFs of PM2.5, CO, EC-OC, 20 PAHs and 18 trace elements were developed from 3 types of raw coal, 2 carbonised coal and 2 briquetted coal in 2 traditional and 1 improved cookstove. • Highest PM 2.5 emissions are emitted from raw coal samples followed by carbonised coal and subsequently the least by the briquettes • Processing of fuel, lead to substantial increase in the 'toxic' component of the PM mass fraction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shark is a seafood commodity that is a good source of minerals and accumulates heavy metals and trace elements through biomagnification, which can pose health risk if taken above the permissible limit. A study was conducted on commonly landed eleven shark species (Scoliodon laticaudus , Rhizopriodon oligolinx , Sphyrna lewini (CR), Carcharhinus macloti , Carcharinus limbatus , Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides , Carcharhinus sorrah, Carcharinus falciformes(VU), Glaucostegus granulatus, Chiloscyllium arabicum, Loxodon macrorhinus) and analyzed for their heavy metal content, Hazard Index, Total Hazard Quotient, Metal Pollution Index, and also calculated the health risk associated with the consumption. Most of the heavy metals and trace minerals were found to be within the acceptable limit. The Targeted Hazard Quotient (THQ) and the Hazard Index (HI) of all the species except two were less than 1 (HI ≤ 1.0). The Metal Pollution Index (MPI) is showing either no impact or very low contamination. An overall study on hazard identification and health risk characterization in terms of heavy metals shows contamination of some heavy metals in sharks, but there is no potential human health risk associated with consumption. • Total eleven shark species are evaluated for non-carcinogenic health risk due to selected heavy metals. • THQ, HI and Metal Pollution Index are within the safer limits. • Heavy metal content in the commonly landed shark species, along the Saurashtra coast of India is safe to consume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate the contamination of heavy metals in the sediments of a tropical ecosystem, India, and to evaluate the factors responsible for the dominance of specific macrobenthic communities, particularly in estuarine sediments. For the analysis of Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb and Cd in sediments, acid digestion and subsequent quantification by microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy was performed, whereas for Hg determination, cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used. The general trend of the heavy metal concentration was observed as Cr > Cu > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cd > Hg, regardless of any seasonal alteration. The estuarine region was considerably contaminated by Cu and Cr (C.F. > 2) irrespective of any seasonal difference, and by Cd in 2017 non-monsoon (CF > 3). Heavy metal contamination was most pronounced during the monsoon (2018). Estuarine and marine zone together considered as deteriorated zone especially during monsoon seasons (PLI > 1, 2018 monsoon) while riverine zone remained poorly contaminated (PLI < 1). Clay Loam/Clay/Heavy Clay textures preferred polychaetes and bivalves in the estuarine and marine zone as compared to other macrobenthic communities (OMC). Among the hydrochemical parameters, total dissolved solids in general and euryhaline and slightly alkaline pH preferred domination of bivalves followed by polychaetes in non-monsoon seasons. The trace metal contamination in estuarine sediments increases the concern of bioaccumulation tendency of dominant bivalves of the estuarine and coastal sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a spatial assessment of eight potentially toxic elements (PTE: Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, Mn, and Zn) in white button (Agaricus bisporus J.E. Lange) mushroom samples collected from the local vegetable markets of Uttarakhand State, India. Fresh A. bisporus samples were collected from thirteen districts and fifteen sampling locations (M1-M15) and analyzed for the concentration of these PTE using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The results revealed that A. bisporus contained all eight selected PTE in all sampling locations. Based on the inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation, principal component (PC), and hierarchical cluster (HC) analyses, the areas with a plane geographical distribution showed the highest PTE concentrations in the A. bisporus samples as compared to those in hilly areas. Overall, the decreasing order of PTE concentration in A. bisporus was recognized as Fe > Zn > Mn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Cd > Pb. The Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA tests displayed a highly significant (p < 0.05) difference among the sampling locations. However, the concentration of PTE was below permissible limits, indicating no potential hazard in consuming the A. bisporus. Similarly, the health risk assessment studies using the target hazard quotient (THQ) also showed no significant health risk associated with the consumption of A. bisporus being sold in the local mushroom markets of Uttarakhand, India. This study is the first report on state-level monitoring of PTE in A. bisporus mushrooms, which provides crucial information regarding the monitoring and occurrence of potentially toxic metallic elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jharia Coalfield (JCF) has been affected by coalmine fire and subsidence problems for several years. The emission of particulate pollutants is due to the history of unscientific and unregulated coal mining in the JCF area. In the present study (conducted in the year 2019), seasonal variations, possible causes, and human health hazards of particulate matter (PM10)‐bound trace metals like Cd, Cu, Fe, Cr, Ni, Mn, Co, Pb, Zn, and As were estimated. The mean concentration of PM10 (418 ± 67 µg/m3) exceeded the limit of NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards India, 2009) by a factor of 4.18. PM10‐bound trace metal concentrations were found in the order of Fe > Mn > Cu > Zn > Cr > Pb > Co > Ni > Cd > As. The maximum trace metal concentrations of all the metals studied were observed at the mining areas of JCF affected by coalmine fire. Human health carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks in children and adults were estimated through exposure pathways, ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation. The cancer risk was evaluated as excess cancer risk (ECR). Noncancer risk estimates were evaluated as the hazard index (HI) and the hazard quotient (HQ). The HI and HQ values for Cr, Cu, Cd, As, and Pb at coalmine‐fire‐affected areas were observed to be higher than the value of safe dose (≤1), showing a possible noncarcinogenic risk to the inhabitants as a result of multielemental toxicity. The ECR values (>10−6) in JCF areas suggested a carcinogenic risk to the populace of the area, owing to inhalation of PM10‐linked Cd. Active mine fire (related to mining activities), higher transportation load, and resuspended particulate matter from road transportation were identified as the possible causes of the estimated risks based on principal component analysis and Pearson correlation analyses. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:469–478. © 2021 SETAC KEY POINTS: Spatiotemporal variations of trace metal concentrations are present in coal mining areas of Jharia Coalfield.Adults were more prone to the carcinogenic risks posed by the element Cd.Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and As had noncancer risk due to multielemental exposure.Mine fire, mining activities, and vehicular load were the main sources of pollutants in the coalfield area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to assess the extent of trace metal pollution in the sediments of Sita-Swarna estuary, west coast of India, and investigate their possible ecological risk on the aquatic environment. The sediment cores were analyzed for sand, silt, clay, organic carbon, and trace metals (Al, Fe, Mn, As, Cd, Co, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, and Cu) at 2-cm intervals. The study revealed that sediments have deposited in relatively violent to very violent hydrodynamic energy conditions. Factor analysis indicated that the metal distribution is mainly controlled by Fe–Mn oxyhydroxides and organic carbon. Further, the geochemical approach, pollution indices, and statistical evaluation revealed moderate pollution in the catchment. From an ecotoxicological perspective, the estimated risk index (RI) value was found to less than 150, indicating low risk for aquatic life. Thus, this baseline study would help to adopt strategies in pollution control and protect the fragile marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface water is a significant feature in the hydrological system and is a vital compound for life growth. Assessment of trace elements in the water bodies is essential since it poses huge threats to aquatic organisms and humans if present in high concentrations. This study was carried out to assess the seasonal changes in the dissolved trace elements concentration in Bhavani river, which is one of the major rivers of Tamil Nadu, southern India and also to assess the human health risk due to its consumption. A total of 46 surface water samples were collected along the river during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon of 2018 and were analyzed for various trace elements such as Zn, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Pb. The variation in trace element concentration is observed spatially, where higher concentration is found in samples from agricultural and urban areas than the samples from the undisturbed natural-mountain terrains. The results highlighted that the concentrations of trace elements differ temporally where the concentration is greater during the monsoon due to increased discharge of sewage and agricultural run off to the river. Multivariate statistical analysis indicates stronger relationship between trace elements and other physio-chemical parameters hinting that natural and anthropogenic sources alters the riverine chemistry. Thus, the rainfall–runoff characteristics along with lithology, topography, and landuse of the basin plays a dominant role in the seasonal variation of dissolved trace elements. The water quality index value shows "good/excellent" during pre-monsoon and "marginal/fair" during monsoon season and the Heavy Metal Pollution Index values were also low during both the seasons. The river water samples which defy these indices were found to be either from urban or agricultural lands. The oral and dermal ingestion health risk to adults was assessed, which indicates that the risks posed to humans by consumption of water were minimal. The trace metal concentration of the river was then compared with the other rivers of world and India, where it shows that Zn, Cu, and Ni concentration was higher in Bhavani than in most of the rivers. Thus, the study highlighted that the urban settlements and agricultural lands have a considerable influence on river quality thereby triggering the increase in trace element concentrations. Therefore, the study necessitates on the continuous monitoring of river along with adoption of stringent discharge protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace metal concentrations were monitored in the yellow clam (Paphia malabarica), green mussel (Perna viridis) and edible oyster (Crassostrea madrasensis) from growing areas in the Ashtamudi and Vembanad estuaries, Kerala. Samples of shellfish (clams n=26, mussels n=18, oysters n=36) and environmental parameters (salinity, temperature, pH and rainfall) were measured in these growing areas from July 2012 to December 2014. Ranges of mean annual concentrations (mg/kg) were Ni (0.46–0.65); Co (2.87–3.49); Fe (80.0–119.4); Mn (3.88–9.38); Zn (40.8–76.2); Pb (1.28–2.00); and Cu (1.59–4.38). In Ashtamudi, clams had higher mean concentrations of Ni, Co, Fe, Mn and Pb than oysters. Mean concentrations of Ni, Pb (in all species), Zn (in clams and mussels) and Cu (in mussels) did not exceed maximum permissible limits mandated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Mean Mn concentrations exceeded the World Health Organization guideline (1 mg/kg) in the three species while mean Fe concentrations in clams and oysters did not exceed the guideline (100 mg/kg). Target hazard quotients were generally ≤ 1, except for a few Pb results in clams and mussels. Although results suggest no health risk to consumers for the reference doses, daily intakes and elements considered, regular monitoring of trace metals is recommended to maintain consumer protection given increasing anthropogenic and climatic pressures on the shellfish growing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large quantity of trace metals has been continuously polluting the environment as a result of increasing urbanization and industrial processes. In 2016-2017, the metal (Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) levels were determined in fecal pellets of Blue Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) at Bais Godam (industrial location) in Jaipur and Chittora (rural location) in Rajasthan, India. Fecal pellets in industrial regions which are under higher anthropogenic influence exhibited higher metal concentrations when compared with the fecal pellets of the same species in rural area which have minimal anthropogenic input, with statistically significant industrial-rural differences in the metal concentrations except for Ni. Results obtained in this study, as well as the comparison with literature data, indicated that concentrations of Cr and Cu were high in fecal pellets of Blue Rock Pigeon in the industrial region of the present study. Furthermore, many significant correlations were also observed between metal levels in the industrial region which could be attributed to a similar source. Moreover, contamination levels of pigeon excrement serve as one of the most compelling indicators in terrestrial systems for the monitoring of metal pollution levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the contamination level of trace metals in river water, its sediments, the surrounding groundwater and its soil sediments. The region stretching between Upper Anicut and Grand Anicut in the Cauvery delta in Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, India, was chosen for study. This stretch of the river Cauvery experiences maximum quantum of water flow during the monsoon season. Once a perennial river, in recent decades, it experiences only seasonal flow. The Cauvery is the lifeline of millions of people and various flora and fauna. The Cauvery irrigates thousands of hectares of cultivable land, and its delta has sustained the enviable name—the 'Granary of the South.' However, the contamination of water and sediments poses grave threat to all life forms. In this study, by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) the presence of seven trace metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Fe, Pb and Zn in water and sediments was ascertained. The trace metal contamination level in sediments was predicted by pollution load indicators such as pollution load index (PLI), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and contamination factor (CF).The concentration level of trace metals in water and sediments was determined for four different seasons of a year, at 11 locations (five from river sites and six from land sites) along the Cauvery. A higher-level concentration of Fe 2.18 mg/l and 2.95 mg/kg was found in water and sediments, respectively, during the four different seasons. It was also found to have a low-level concentration of Ni with a range of 0.09 mg/l and 0.24 mg/kg in water and sediments, respectively, for four different seasons. Based on pollution load indicators, the PLI values of trace metals in sediment samples in all four seasons were less than zero; the Igeo values of trace metals in sediment in all four seasons were less than zero; the contamination factor (CF) values of all heavy metals except cadmium in sediments samples in all seasons were less than zero; the enrichment factor (EF) value of trace metals in all sediment in all four seasons was higher than 40. Eventually, it was disclosed that the study area was lightly contaminated by the presence of the trace metals Fe and Cd than other trace metals. It is a known fact that all living organisms need some trace metals including cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, strontium and zinc. When the levels of essential metals exceed the desirable limit, they prove to be detrimental to the organisms. Similarly, the presence of nonessential metals like cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead, arsenic and antimony in water bodies causes undesirable effects on human and aquatic life. Once these metals enter into the system, they are capable of reacting with a variety of binding sites in the human body. Thus, this study assumes significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the concentration, distribution, along with the environmental and human health impact of eight heavy metals-Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, Mn, Ni, and As-on St. Martin's Island in the northeastern Bay of Bengal, and in doing so to help implement new legislations to protect the island. Focusing on the island's significance as a tourist destination, with seafood being a prominent dietary component, three sample types (sediment, seawater, and crustaceans) were selected for a comprehensive assessment, considering seasonal variations. Concentration of metals was observed to be lower than the established standards in sediment samples, but in seawater samples, Pb, Cr, Cd and Zn were higher than US-EPA values for natural marine water. The metals displayed a decreasing trend of Zn > Ni > Pb > Cu > Mn > As > Cd > Cr in crustacean samples for both seasons. Crustacean samples displayed higher metal concentrations in winter than in monsoon. Pb exceeded the maximum allowable limit for crustaceans with a concentration of about 3 and 4 mg kg -1 in monsoon and winter respectively; being more than 6-8 times the standard for Bangladesh which is only about 0.5 mg kg -1 . Health indices displayed that although adults may suffer less from carcinogenic/non-carcinogenic health effects, the risks are far greater for children. For both age groups, As and Ni displayed possibilities of developing cancer. Principal Component Analysis (PCA)shed light on the sources of metals and showed that most of them were from anthropogenic sources. Overall, this study found that the quality of the environment of the island was better in comparison to previous studies made before the pandemic, and so, if the trend continues, it may lead to a better environment for the organisms around the island and help to keep the negative physiological impacts from the consumption of these organisms to a minimal., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Characterizing the chemical composition of ambient particulate matter (PM) provides valuable information on the concentration of secondary species, toxic metals and assists in the validation of abatement techniques. The chemical components of PM can be measured by sampling on filters and analysing them in the laboratory or using real-time measurements of the species. It is important for the accuracy of the PM monitoring networks that measurements from the offline and online methods are comparable and biases are known. The concentrations of water-soluble inorganic ions (NO3-, SO42-, NH4+ and Cl-) in PM2.5 measured from the 24 hrs filter samples using ion chromatography (IC) were compared with the online measurements of inorganics from aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) with a frequency of 2 mins. Also, the concentrations of heavy and trace elements determined from the 24 hrs filter samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) were compared with the online measurements of half-hourly heavy and trace metal's concentrations from Xact 625i ambient metal mass monitor. The comparison was performed over two seasons (summer and winter) characterized by their different metrological conditions at IITD and during winter at IITMD, two sites located in Delhi, NCR, India, one of the heavily polluted urban areas in the world. Collocated deployments of the instruments helped to quantify the differences between online and offline measurements and evaluate the possible reasons for positive and negative biases. The slopes for SO42- and NH4+ were closer to 1:1 line during winter and decreased during summer at both sites. The higher concentrations on the filters were due to the formation of particulate (NH4)2SO4. Filter-based NO3- measurements were lower than online NO3- during summer at IITD and winter at IITMD due to the volatile nature of NO3- from the filter substrate. Offline measured Cl- was consistently higher than AMS derived Cl- during summer and winter at both sites. Based on their comparability characteristics, elements were grouped under 3 categories. The online element data were highly correlated (R2 > 0.8) with the offline measurements for Al, K, Ca, Ti, Zn, Mn, Fe, Ba, and Pb during summer at IITD and winter at both the sites. The higher correlation coefficient demonstrated the precision of the measurements of these elements by both Xact 625i and ICP-MS. Some of these elements showed higher Xact 625i elemental concentrations than ICP-MS measurements by an average of 10-40 % depending on the season and site. The reasons for the differences in the concentration of the elements could be the distance between two inlets for the two methods, line interference between two elements in Xact measurements, sampling strategy, variable concentrations of elements in blank filters and digestion protocol for ICP measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many toxicological studies revealed the deleterious effects on human health induced by trace metals in ambient particulate matter (PM). This study reports the season-dependent water-soluble and total metal mass in PM10 collected simultaneously over five microenvironments in a semi-arid urban region, Ahmedabad, located in western India. The mineral dust fraction in PM10 over Bapunagar, Narol, Paldi, Income Tax, and Science City was estimated to be around 39, 45, 47, 44, and 31% during summer (May–June 2017) and 24, 55, 28, 27, and 28% during winter (December 2017–January 2018), respectively, corroborating mineral dust is perennial in the air over Ahmedabad. The PM2.5/PM10 mass ratios over all the sites were higher during winter (40–60%) as compared to those during summer (30–40%), indicating the contribution from the anthropogenic sources to PM mass. Among the metals monitored, the estimated considerable amount of high masses of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, and Sb during winter can be ascribed to the anthropogenic inputs based on the estimated enrichment factors (EF). In contrast to the crustal source, these metals might have been possibly emitted from several other man-made sources, which were found to be more water-soluble during both seasons. As per the standards of incremental excess lifetime cancer risk (IELCR), it is estimated that the atmospheric mass concentration of carcinogenic metals such as Cr, Co, and As was higher in all these sites, whereas the metals such as Pb, Ni, and Cd are also found over the industrial site (Narol) in addition to the above-said metals. Notably, people are highly susceptible to these metals, leading to the potential risk of cancer during both seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre and Post-Monsoon levels of ambient SO2, NO2, PM2.5 and the trace metals Fe, Cu, etc. were measured at industrial and residential regions of the Kochi urban area in South India for a period of two years. The mean PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 concentrations across all sites were 38.98 ± 1.38 µg/m3, 2.78 ± 0.85 µg/m3 and 11.90 ± 4.68 µg/m3 respectively, which is lower than many other Indian cities. There was little difference in any on the measured species between the seasons. A few sites exceeded the NAAQS (define acronym and state standard) and most of the sites exceeded WHO (define acronym and state standard) standard for PM2.5. The average trace metal concentrations (ng/m3) were found to be Fe (32.58) > Zn (31.93) > Ni (10.13) > Cr (5.48) > Pb (5.37) > Cu (3.24). The maximum concentration of trace metals except Pb were reported in industrial areas. The enrichment factor, of metals relative to crustal material, indicated anthropogenic dominance over natural sources for the trace metal concentration in Kochi's atmosphere. This work demonstrates the importance of air quality monitoring in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flight campaign over sites in India using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) was undertaken in 2016. Among the sites overflown were abandoned and active mining sites, Ambaji and Zawar, in northwestern India in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. AVIRIS-NG data was examined for signs of acid-generating minerals that could contribute to acid mine drainage and for distinct minerals or changes in spectral absorption features that could be signs of contamination by trace metals released by mining activities. Processing approaches used included an expert system/spectral feature fitting programme, MICA (Material Identification and Classification Algorithm), that matches absorption features in image spectra to those in user-defined library spectra. Also used were low abundance material detection approaches. Over the Ambaji site, the acid-generating mineral jarosite was mapped with the MICA approach and relative abundance was mapped with a low probability detection algorithm. The Zawar mine has a better-defined drainage which was mapped with MICA. A larger number of phyllosilicate minerals were mapped in the Tiri River drainage from the Zawar mine than were observed in similar sized rivers in other Ambaji and Zawar AVIRIS-NG flightlines. The 2.2 μm absorption feature associated with the minerals mapped in these drainages was examined to determine band parameters associated with the absorption. It was determined that minerals mapped, including montmorillonite, muscovite, and illite had a wider scatter in band parameters, principally asymmetry, but to a lesser extent bandwidth, than similar exposures of these mineral classes in the other riverbeds in the AVIRIS-NG scenes. Also mapped in the Tiri River, using a spectral matched filter, were gypsum precipitates. Field samples of this precipitate had high trace metal abundances. The combination of mapping the precipitates, such as gypsum, and an association with distorted absorption features (due to trace metal adsorption) holds the prospect for using imaging spectrometer data to assess the spread of trace metals from mining sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentration of trace metals Mn, Pb, Ni, Zn, and Cu in the core sediment from Kabar Tal wetland was analyzed to understand the level of contamination in the vertical profile. Additionally, total organic carbon (TOC) and available phosphorus (AP) were also analyzed to infer the biogeochemistry of trace metals and the correlation that exists among them. Five core sediments were collected at the end of the monsoon season from different locations in the study area, representing diverse anthropogenic and agricultural activities. The average concentration of trace metals in sediments followed the order Mn > Pb > Ni > Zn > Cu. The trace metal concentration in the surface sediments was higher and decreased with depth in the vertical profile. Contamination factor (CF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF), and pollution load index (PLI) were used to evaluate sediment quality and the pollution status of the lake sediments. Cu, Zn, and Ni showed minor to moderate enrichment, and Pb showed a severe level of enrichment in all the core sediment samples. However, the sediment quality guidelines' index indicates that the sediments are moderately polluted with copper, zinc, and nickel and severely polluted with lead. There exists a strong positive correlation among Pb-Ni, Ni-AP, and AP-Pb, and a strong negative correlation among TOC-Ni, TOC-Pb, and TOC-AP for all the sediment samples. Additionally, the principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) suggest that a good similarity exists among Pb, Ni, and Zn. The study indicates that trace metals in wetland sediments have originated from multiple anthropogenic sources like agricultural runoff (fertilizers), direct addition of solid wastes, discharge of untreated wastewater, and long-range transport from the oil refinery in the wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ooty lake, in the southern part of India, has raised huge concern about the role of metals in a lake due to increasing anthropogenic activities. Present study is aimed at understanding fate of trace metals in a lake's sediment. Sixteen sediment samples collected from bottom of the lake at various locations during March 2017 were analysed for trace metals cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel and zinc. Fe and Mn dominate total metal concentration followed by Ni and Cr. A high concentration of Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn in residual fraction indicates weathering as the source for these metals. A significant concentration of metals in exchangeable, reducible and oxidisable fraction indicates adsorbtion/chelation of these metals with oxides and organic matter due to change in oxic state. Geo-accumulation index for metals show unpolluted to moderate nature of sediments at all sampling locations. Moderate to significant enrichment factor of Cr, Ni and Zn indicates influence of anthropogenic sources. Co, Pb and Zn show a high amount of bioavailability for aquatic life. Other metals (Cr, Ni, Fe and Mn) show scarce to moderate bioavailability. On the other hand, a global contamination factor denotes moderate to high metal contamination of sediments in the entire lake. Statistical analysis of metals shows good inter-element correlation among metals Fe, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu and Zn indicating natural source. Influence of domestic sewage and recreational activities as the main/additional source is revealed by negative loading of Pb and Zn in principal component analysis. The present study, in essence, has identified rock weathering, as a major source of trace meals in the sediments of Ooty lake entering through stream and surface runoff from an adjacent forest area. The study has also identified high bioavailability of Pb and Zn, which is derived through the recreational activities (boating) causing permanent adverse impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main emphasis of this study was to assess the status of drinking water quality from four different water sources available in and around an institutional campus of Lumami, Nagaland University, with special reference to the detection of trace heavy metal elements. The results of the physico-chemical parameters of the water show that values of DO, BOD5 and free CO2 at S3 are beyond the permissible limit set by WHO and BIS. The values of DO in all the three stations (S1, S2 and S4) are near the maximum permissible limit of drinking water, indicating the deterioration of water quality, whereas the rests of the parameters are below the permissible limit of WHO and BIS. The detection of Hg in all stations along with alarmingly high concentrations of Fe and others such as Cu, Zn, Mn and Se is perceived as a matter of concern. On the other hand, As and Pb were not detected in any station. The detection of Hg and Fe in all the four types of water sources is an indication of contaminant hazards and needs drinking water treatment practices in these areas which in turn have implications on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evaluated the particulate matter trend and trace element concentrations, during the Diwali week for two consecutive years, November 2018 and October 2019. Diwali celebrations worsen the city's air quality from poor to a severe category of air quality index (AQI). A peak rise in PM10 concentration was found on Diwali day, 1.8 times more than a normal day of the same period. The concentration was 5.6-fold more than the permissible limit prescribed by National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), India, and 11.26-fold higher than the permissible limit of World Health Organization (WHO). The more firework bursting in the year 2019 results in the rise of PM10 concentration by 132% compared with the previous year. Lead (Pb), a carcinogen, was found in higher levels, in Diwali samples of year 2019. The average metal concentration on Diwali day was found in the following order: Pb (396.17) > Cu (70.34) > Mn (66.34) > Cr (29.66) > Ni (4.96) in year 2019 while Ni (195.20) > Pb (149.45) > Mn (64.85) > Cu (13.44) in year 2018. A significant positive correlation between Cr and Pb, Cu and Pb, Cr and Cu, and with PM10 have been observed, indicating their emission from a common source and the contribution of firecrackers to particulate pollution. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified the contribution of the bursting of firecrackers and vehicular emissions towards PM10 pollution in the year 2019 and vehicular emissions and dust resuspension in the year 2018 over the megacity Prayagraj. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study depicts the true failed scenario of the arsenic (As) removal units (ARU) in West Bengal by evaluating their treated water quality. Annual As removal efficiency of the 12 studied ARUs range between 35.2% and 82.6%. A comprehensive physico-chemical parameters and trace elements analysis find almost 25% and 16.7% of treated drinking water samples with poor water quality index (WQI) and high heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), respectively. The pond-based water treatment plant maintains the production of continuous As-safe water with a range between 60.2% and 66.7% due to its high Fe/As ratio. It's a discontent concluding the treated drinking water of the groundwater based-ARUs were observed with sufficient As mediated cancer risk (3 ×10 -3 ). The non-cancer risk (HQ) of As is safe for the surface water treatment plant (0.38), whereas it is threatening for the groundwater based-ARUs (7.44). However, the drinking water samples are safe in view of HQ from the other trace elements like Hg, Al, Cd, Cr, Pb, F - and NO 3 - . Small scale ARU could be a feasible mitigation strategy in reducing the As menace in the long run if the plants are maintained correctly. Nevertheless, surface treated water is the most sustainable solution as withdrawal of groundwater for drinking purpose is not a viable practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The study was conducted to monitor concentration of six toxic metals in faecal pellets of blue rock pigeon from six industrial areas of Jaipur, i.e. Jhotwara, Malviya, Mansarover, Sitapura, Vishwakarma industrial areas and Sanganer industries, by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. At the same time, trace metals were also analysed for a reference area so that a comparative impact of the metal pollution from the industries could be figured out. From the data obtained, the highest Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations were found in the faecal pellets from Sitapura industrial area (1.12 ± 0.60 μg/g; 128.9 ± 11.10 μg/g; 17 ± 2.87 μg/g; 79.6 ± 42.69 μg/g; 2250 ± 1390.16 μg/g) and the highest Cr (18.6 ± 3.65 μg/g) from Jhotwara industrial area. However, industrial environment has high deposition of studied trace metals (except Ni for Sanganer industries) as compared with reference area. The concentration of Cd was below the detectable level in faecal pellets from reference area. The trend of trace metals from Malviya, Sitapura, Jhotwara and reference areas was noticed as Zn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Ni > Cd and almost same for Sanganer industries and Mansarover industrial area as Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cd. The excretion of heavy metals in fa1ecal pellets from Vishwakarma industrial area was noticed as Zn > Cr > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cd. Further levels of metals were varied significantly among different industrial areas, P ≤ 0.05, as well as between industrial areas and reference area. The observed high concentration of different heavy metals in faecal pellets of bird species shows their exposure to metal contamination which is warning to spiked environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The groundwater quality of Vishwamitri River Basin (VRB), Central Gujarat, is assessed to evaluate its competency to meet the agricultural and drinking standards, and to determine associated human‐health risk by consumption of this groundwater, if any. The overall groundwater quality for drinking is expressed by water quality index. Various indices like sodium adsorption ratio, salinity hazard, soluble sodium percentage, magnesium adsorption ratio, and Kelly's ratio represent groundwater's agricultural suitability. A health risk assessment model is used to measure non‐carcinogenic human health hazard. Results reveal that i) trace metals like lithium, manganese, molybdenum, strontium, thallium, vanadium and zinc are present in groundwater indicating contamination of groundwater by hazardous industrial and agricultural wastes; ii) groundwater of about 78% of VRB area is unsuitable for drinking; iii) positive values of Schoeller index of maximum groundwater samples indicate that ion exchange of Na+ and K+ with Ca2+and Mg2+ is the dominant mechanism to control the quality of groundwater; iv) SAR values indicate high to very high salinity of groundwater and therefore, it is unsuitable for irrigation; and v) the health risk assessment model discloses that the risk of gastrointestinal disorder is higher in children than adults; and oral ingestion is more dangerous than dermal exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study enhances the understanding of the particulate matters (PM2.5 and PM10) and their physical and chemical behavior over the Taj Mahal, Agra, in North-Central India. The mass concentration was determined, and the shape and size of the particles and chemical characterizations have been carried out using SEM–EDX. The high level and significant variation of PM10 (162.2 µg m−3) and PM2.5 (83.9 µg m−3) were observed. The exceedance factor of the present study region is in critical and moderate condition. Morphological characterization reveals the particles of different shapes and sizes, while elemental analysis shows the presence of Si, Al, Fe, Ca, K, Cl, Mg, Na, Cu, and Zn. The dominance of Si indicated the contribution of natural sources, i.e., soil over this region. Three significant sources, viz. soil/road paved dust/vegetative emissions, vehicular/industrial emissions, and intermingling of dust and combustion particles, have been identified using principal component analysis over North-Central India. Health risk analysis of particulate matter identified carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic metals in the present study, which comes in contact with human beings during inhalation. The non-carcinogenic risk was much higher than the acceptable level. The high carcinogenic risks were found in Zn in PM10 and Cu in PM2.5 for both children and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural characterization of fulvic acids (FAs) along with the essential heavy metals (Fe, Co, Zn, and Cr) was carried out in the surface soil samples of prominent mango orchards in Palakkad district, Kerala, India. The FAs were examined with the help of elemental analyzer, UV-Visible, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The heavy metal distribution in the soil was observed in the following order: Fe > Cr > Zn > Co. The statistical analysis indicated the lithogenic and agricultural origin of metals in the study area. The detected level of Fe from the sampling sites was higher than the WHO guideline, while Co and Cr concentration exceeded the USEPA guideline values. The influence of cation exchange capacity, clay content, and CaCO3 of soil over the fate of heavy metals was identified through canonical correspondence analysis. The aliphatic and oxidation degree of FAs was examined using UV-Visible absorbance ratios, atomic ratios, and elemental composition. Results revealed that aliphatic moieties and polar functional groups enrich the FAs in the study area. Pearson correlation analysis exposed the dominant role of FAs in the fate of metals along with the other soil properties. These outcomes provide necessary information that might be useful in the assessment of risk/deficiency associated with the heavy metals in agricultural soils of the study region. It emphasizes the necessity of soil constituent evaluation before crop cultivation to attain sustainable farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant geochemical characteristics of the groundwater quality assessment including the impact of monsoon variation of chemical composition of groundwater were determined. 44 groundwater samples were collected in the Arani Taluk of South India and all important physico-chemical parameters including trace metals were determined to characterize and evaluate the hydrogeochemical nature and water quality. In order to evaluate the geochemical characteristics, the order of abundance of the ions in the groundwater is determined for both seasons. In this study, Gibb's diagram is used to evaluate the mechanism responsible for the change in the chemical composition of groundwater. The unique characteristic of the groundwater has been brought out using the inter-relationship among the principal ions. Utilizing the application of 1 : 1 equiline diagrams, hydrochemical features of the physico-chemical parameters pertaining to the groundwater were evaluated. Reverse ion-exchange study and Chloro-alkaline indices were carried out to evaluate the occurrence of ion-exchange/reverse ion-exchange in the groundwater of the region. The suitability of groundwater to irrigation is studied in detail using various ratios' including Residual sodium carbonate, SAR and Wilcox and USSL diagrams. The results clearly illustrates that the groundwater of the study area is suitable for irrigation. Water quality studies with respect to trace metals have been carried out and the results show that the water has higher concentration of heavy metals and the results of Heavy metal pollution index also substantiates the fact and many groundwater samples found to show higher values than the allowed limit with respect to heavy metal contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake contamination by anthropogenic activities has become a serious threat to the aquatic ecosystem due to the presence of a high concentration of toxic heavy metals. In this study, a contaminated Lake Hussain Sagar in India was assessed for toxic heavy metal pollutants at sites associated with industrial discharges and idol immersion activities. The observed high concentration of As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni in the surface water was due to industrial effluent discharge. About 1.5 times the high concentration of the same elements were observed in surface sediments (0–10 cm) by both industrial discharges and idol immersion activities, compared to deep sediments (0–40 cm) associated only with industrial discharge. The depth-wise variation of heavy metal concentration in surface sediments is due to sorption and settling behavior of suspended solids; whereas in deep sediment, it is due to constant loading of effluents, over a period of time. The sorption capacity of surface sediments is in increasing order as Pb > Cd ≥ Ni ≥ Cr ≥ Zn ≥ Cu, and the desorption revealed that Pb and Cu were retained to a greater extent due to high clay and organic content. By fractionation study, 20–50% of Zn and 50–80% of Cd were associated with exchangeable and carbonate fraction of sediments. By risk assessment code, Zn and Cd are classified under high risk to a very high-risk category, and Cr, Pb, Ni, and Cu are classified under the medium risk category. The enrichment factor value of sediments for Cd (20.42–119.48), Zn (2.19–4.85), Cu (2.02–3.19), and Pb (2.85–7.72) signifies the significant pollution by anthropogenic activities. Therefore, this study evaluates the intensity and distribution of heavy metals in the lake environment for remediation and restoration of the lake ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural waters vary in chemical composition and the factors controlling the composition include physical, chemical and biological processes. Water is one of the most important natural resources for all the living organisms because it is required for various metabolic activities. In addition, water is required for various domestic purposes, irrigation and power generation and the industries. Amongst various organic components, the iron and manganese are an important trace metal required for all the biological systems. The occurrence of iron and manganese, in the present study, was reported from Ramgarh Lake in Gorakhpur, India. Two sampling stations were selected for the present study. The iron and manganese have several effects due to their high concentration. The study was carried out for one year (January 2017 to December 2017). The significance of iron and manganese is discussed in the present investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report an assessment of metal (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb) contamination in surface sediments of a tropical estuary from Goa-the West coast of India. Surface sediment samples were collected along the 35 km stretch of the Zuari estuary on monthly basis for a period of 1 year and samples were analyzed for texture, organic carbon (OC) and metals. Seasonal variation of metals did not show any significant variation, except for Zn and Pb in the present study. Spatial variation of metals was influenced by sediment texture, OC and land runoff. The contamination factor and Geo-accumulation index (I Geo) revealed moderate contamination of Pb and Cr. Factor analyses suggest role of Fe–Mn oxy-hydroxide, OC and textural variables in abundance of trace metals in the sediments. Further, an attempt was made to understand the impact of mining on the Zuari estuary by comparing the present data (during mining ban period) with earlier published reports (during extensive mining period). It revealed influence of mining on the concentrations of Fe and Mn in surface sediments, but had no impact on the concentration of Cu, Cr, Zn and Pb in the Zuari estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of proposed uranium mining area, it is very important to evaluate the presence of certain trace metals in groundwater around a proposed uranium mining area at Peddagattu and Seripally areas of Nalgonda district, Telangana (India). The concentrations of certain metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Fe, Mn, Cd, Co, Sr, Ba, Cr, Cs and As) were measured in 37 groundwater locations and 10 surface water locations for seven times during 2 years around proposed uranium mining areas. The risk of the chemical toxicant [may be characterized using a hazard quotient (HQ)] is calculated by the results obtained during the study. The HQs of both groundwater (37) and surface water (10) all the considered trace metals were well below the threshold value of 1 as suggested by USEPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various environmental indicators were used to evaluate the water and sediment quality of the Netravathi-Gurupur estuary, India, for trace metals and pesticide pollution. The descended order of studied metal concentrations (μg/L) in the water was Fe (592.71) > Mn (98.35) > Zn (54.69) > Cu (6.64) > Cd (3.24) > Pb (2.38) > Cr (0.82) and in sediment (mg/kg) was Fe (11,396.53) > Mn (100.61) > Cr (75.41) > Zn (20.04) > Cu (12.77) > Pb (3.46) > Cd (0.02). However, pesticide residues were not detected in this estuarine environment. The various metal indexes categorised the water as uncontaminated, whereas contamination factor, enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index, degree of contamination and pollution load index indicated low to moderate sediment contamination. Multivariate statistics showed that the dominance of natural sources of trace metals with little anthropogenic impact. Improvement in water/sediment quality during the study period might be due to COVID-19 imposed lockdown. [Display omitted] • Assessed trace metal and pesticides in water -sediment of Netravathi-Gurupur estuary. • Monsoon season exhibited higher metal concentration than non-monsoon. • Sediment was low to moderately contaminated with reference to pollution indices. • Pesticide was not detected in this estuary, suggesting no new pollution input. • Decreased metal concentration attributing to COVID-19 imposed lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work attempts to make an appraisal of soil regime pollution by heavy metals in the hilly tracts of Nalagarh valley, Himachal Pradesh, India, using geochemical indexing approaches and chemometric techniques. Nalagarh valley houses various industries and is a centre of economic activities in Himachal Pradesh. Fifteen soil samples were collected and analysed for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead and zinc. Concentrations of these heavy metals lie within the prescribed limits of most developed countries including those of India with their average concentrations too lying within the crustal average shale values except that of cadmium, but assessment by geochemical indexing approaches such as geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, contamination factor, pollution load index and ecological risk indicates that cadmium, lead and copper are slowly contaminating the valley soil with potential ecological risk index varying between 48.07 and 157.00, which implies low-to-moderate risk intensity of metals on ecosystem. Principal component analysis extracts three principal components: Principal Component 1 loading on the metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, iron, manganese and lead) is regulated by mixed factor, Principal Component 2 (copper, lead and zinc) is influenced by anthropogenic inputs and Principal Component 3 (chromium and manganese) is influenced by weathering of parent materials. Cluster analysis has been integrated with potential ecological risk index to appraise its relations and validate the pollution factors affecting the potential ecotoxicity in the soil regime. Geochemical indexing approaches coupled with chemometric analysis, therefore, offer a robust method in detecting pollution and identifying mitigation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]