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s Plant-parasitic nematodes infect the roots of crops which bring rigorous economic loss to food industry across the globe. Several plant protection agents are being used but they cause severe negative environmental and health impacts. Recently, organic matter has become an important green alternative for several pesticides including nematicides. In the present study, identification and management of stylet bearing nematodes associated with Malus pumila from different locations of Khanpur, Pakistan, have been presented. Soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere of infected M. pumila and isolated using Baermann funnel extraction technique. Collected specimens were killed, fixed and mounted. After identification, cow dung (organic) and carbofuran (inorganic) were applied after taking the first soil samples and soil samples were recollected and analyzed after 3 months of applications. Ten species of nematodes; Helicotylenchus pseudorobustus, Helicotylenchus dihystera, Helicotylenchus vulgaris, Meloidogyne javanica, Meloidogyne incognita, Aphelenchus avenae, Pratylenchus penetrans, Filenchus sheri, Psilenchus hilarulus and Tylenchus semipenetrans were identified from different locations. Results of amendments revealed that carbofuran was found more effective because of its intense toxic properties, whereas nematode decline rate was slow in case of organic amendments. Being an insecticide, carbofuran killed maximum nematodes but it is highly toxic. If the time period is increased, comparable results can be achieved by applying cow dung, which makes it an environmentally friendly option for the protection of plants against nematodes.

Polymer materials are vulnerable to damages, failures, and degradations, making them economically unreliable. Self-healing polymers, on the other hand, are multifunctional materials with superior properties of autonomic recovery from physical damages. These materials are suitable for biomedical and tissue engineering in terms of cost and durability. Schiff base linkages-based polymer materials are one of the robust techniques owing to their simple self-healing mechanism. These are dynamic reversible covalent bonds, easy to fabricate at mild conditions, and can self-reintegrate after network disruption at physiological conditions making them distinguished. Here we review self-healing polymer materials based on Schiff base bonds. We discuss the Schiff base bond formation between polymeric networks, which explains the self-healing phenomenon. These bonds have induced 100% recovery in optimal cases.

Fungal endophytes can improve the growth of plants and are considered as an effective tool for metal remediation. Trametes hirsuta was tested for Cd and Pb tolerance, further Petunia hybrida Vilm. was infected at seedling stage by T. hirsuta and was tested to see the impact of Cd and Pb toxicity. On potato dextrose agar media plates T. hirsuta showed growth till 500 mg/L of Cd and 1000 mg/L of Pb, respectively. P. hybrida inoculated with fungus showed increased fresh biomass of 33.1, 20.1 and 51.8% in roots, stems and leaves, respectively, for Cd exposed plant, along with 53.5% higher chlorophyll content as compared to their respective non-inoculated plants. In case of Pb, plants inoculated with fungus showed 39% higher stem and 42% root fresh biomass along with 64% higher chlorophyll content. Significantly higher Cd and Pb accumulation in the roots and stems was observed in case of T. hirsuta infected plants as compared to their respective non-infected ones. While antioxidant production reduced significantly in case of T. hirsuta infected plants. Our results strongly suggest that T. hirsuta is capable to promote P. hybrida growth and also improves the extraction of Cd and Pb. Therefore, endophytic fungus assisted phytoremediation can have great potential to restore contaminated soils.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are a major source of pollution due to their toxicity, persistence, and bio-accumulating nature in riverine bed sediments. The sediment, as the largest storage and source of PTEs, plays an important role in transformation of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and other toxic PTEs. Several important industrial hubs that contain a large population along the banks of different rivers, such as Kabul, Sutlej, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab in Pakistan, are acting as major sources of PTEs. In this study, 150 bed sediment samples (n=30 from each river) were collected from different sites. Total (acid extracted) PTE (Hg, Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Pb) concentrations in bed sediments were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Sediment pollution indices were calculated in the major rivers of Pakistan. The results demonstrated high levels of Hg and Ni concentrations which exceeded the guideline standards of river authorities in the world. The contamination factor (CF) and contamination degree (CD) indices for Hg, Ni, and Pb showed a moderate to high (CF≥6 and CD≥24) contamination level in all the selected rivers. The values of geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were also high (Igeo≥5) for Hg and Pb and heavily polluted for Ni, while Cr, Cu, and Zn showed low to unpolluted (Igeo) values. Similarly, the enrichment factor (EF) values were moderately severe (5≤EF≤10) for Hg, Pb, and Ni in Sutlej, Ravi, and Jhelum, and severe (10≤EF≤25) in Kabul and Jhelum. Moreover, Hg and Ni showed severe to very severe enrichment in all the sampling sites. The ecological risk index (ERI) values represented considerable, moderate, and low risks, respectively, for Hg (The ERI value should not be bold. Please unbold the ERI in the whole paper. It should be same like RI, CD and EF. $$ \mathtt{80}\ge \mathtt{ERI} $$ ≥160), Pb and Ni (40≤ $$ \mathtt{ERI} $$ ≤80), and Cr, Cu, and Zn ( $$ \mathtt{ERI} $$ ≤40). Similarly, potential ecological risk index (PERI) values posed considerable (300≤RI≤600) risk in Ravi and moderate (150≤RI≤300) in Kabul and Jhelum, but low (RI≤150) risk in Ravi and Chenab. On the basis of the abovementioned results, it is concluded that bed sediment pollution can be dangerous for both ecological resources and human beings. Therefore, PTE contamination should be regularly monitored and a cost-effective and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment plant should be installed to ensure removal of PTEs before the discharge of effluents into the freshwater ecosystems.

Heavy metals are environmental contaminants that have gained much attention globally. Plant growth and development are greatly affected by toxic heavy metals like lead, copper, and chromium. Cosmos sulphureus Cav. an ornamental plant was grown in hydroponics system against these metals. Plants were exposed to 2, 4, and 8 mg L−1 lead; 5, 10, and 15 mg L−1 copper, and 2.5, 5, and 10 mg L−1 chromium for 3 weeks using control as reference. Lead stress slightly affected the growth of C. sulphureus, however, had extreme signs of phytotoxicity due to copper and chromium. At 8 mg L−1 lead, reductions by 21, 25, 45, and 38% in fresh and dry weight, shoot, and root length were observed, respectively, as compared to control while reductions due to copper/chromium (15/10 mg L−1 in hydroponics) were 79/77, 90/73, 56/60, and 87/90%, respectively. Lead accumulated mostly in roots of C. sulphureus and was observed to be 1000 mg kg−1 at 8 mg L−1. While copper and chromium were also accumulated mainly in roots and were 3 mg kg−1 and 900 mg kg−1, respectively, at 10 mg L−1 in external solution. C. sulphureus without lead-induced phytotoxic effects as well as higher accumulation in roots, strongly advocates this plant as a potential candidate of lead-hyperaccumulator; however, further investigations at the physiological and molecular level are needed to explore the mechanisms for lead homeostasis in roots.

The intensive applications of chlorpyrifos (CPF) in agricultural production have resulted in lethal effects on the environment, particularly on aquatic fauna. Thus, present study was aimed to assess the haematological responses, antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD] and catalase [CAT]) activity, acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) inhibition and histopathological alterations in liver and gill tissues of cold‐water fish rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in their native habitat, when exposed to CPF. In total, 240 fingerlings were subjected to various CPF concentrations (0, 2, 4 and 6 μg/L) for acute and sub‐lethal toxicity tests. Results revealed that increasing CPF concentration and exposure time have resulted in reduced erythrocyte count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit level; however, leucocyte count was increased. Additionally, decrease in AChE activity was also observed with increasing concentration. CPF concentrations at lowest exposure duration induced slight increase of SOD and CAT activity while the high exposure durations (14 and 21 days) exhausted the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Structural damages produced by CPF in liver tissues were hyperaemia, dilated central veins, sinusoids and degenerative changes, while the lesions observed in gill tissue were curling of secondary lamella, cell degeneration, cell necrosis, narrowing of water channels, hyperplasia, oedematous changes, fusion of secondary lamella and sloughing.

In Pb-factored soils, soil application of appropriate inorganic amendment along with cultivation of salt-tolerant crop species/genotypes for Pb immobilization can be a good choice. Hence, in saline-sodic and non-saline/sodic Pb-factored soils, Pb immobilization was observed as influenced by exogeneously applied inorganic amendments. Salt-tolerant rice cultivar Shaheen basmati was grown in present study. The current pot study consists of two factors: three inorganic amendments (i.e., gypsum, rock phosphate and di-ammonium phosphate) each with their three increasing rates along with uncontaminated and contaminated controls, and two types of Pb-factored soils (non-saline/sodic and saline–sodic). At harvest maturity, crop was reaped and straw, paddy yields and height of plant were noted. The results showed that Pb induced decrease in rice growth and physiological attributes (i.e., transpiration rate, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids) were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) counteracted by exogeneously applied inorganic amendments. Among the tested amendments, the highest gypsum application rate of 9 me Ca 100 g−1 soil was proved the most effective to improve rice growth, yield, physiological functions, and to reduce Pb concentration in rice both in saline-sodic and non-saline/sodic Pb-factored soils.

Fruits are the valuable and important components of human diet. Among them, Prunus persica is a rich source of different minerals and dietary fibers. In Pakistan, the total annual production of P. persica is approximately 837,000 tons. In order to enhance agricultural yield and quality, the plant protection agents are employed during fruit production. Ultimately, this in turn leads to the incorporation of pesticide residues in fruits. In present study, an effort has been made for the determination of three selected pesticide residues, i.e., chlorpyrifos (CPF), difenoconazole (DFN), and carbendazim (CRB) in samples of P. persica collected from Swat territory. Samples were analyzed through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results revealed the occurrence of all three pesticides in studied samples; however, levels of CPF and DFN were found to be higher than MRLs. Moreover, the effects of different mitigation techniques revealed that highest reduction of CPF, DFN, and CRB (86%, 97%, 89%) residues was obtained by treatment with 10% CH3COOH followed by 10% NaCl (74%, 78%, 84%). The lowest reduction was obtained by treatment with 10% solution of NaOH (52%, 55%, 63%).

Microplastics (MPs) have been reported as an emerging xenobiotic organic pollutant in freshwater ecosystems and a universal hazard for ecosystems because of the rapid increase in global demand. The present study was conducted to explore MPs' occurrence, abundance and spatial distribution in sediment, water and

The present study encompasses the application of cost effective, organo-modified bentonite material for efficient desulfurization of model oil and real fuel. For the adsorptive desulfurization of oil, dibenzothiophene (DBT) was used as model compound. Various experimental parameters (time, temperature, adsorbent-amount and DBT concentration) were thoroughly investigated. The synthesized material was characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The modification exhibits the increase in interlayer spacing of clay as confirmed from XRD and modified material shows interesting morphology as compared to unmodified bentonite. The results showed that >90% of DBT removal was achieved under optimized conditions for B-BTC, B-BTB and B-DSS and >80% for B-BEHA, for model fuel oil. Additionally, the findings from desulfurization of real fuel oil declare that 96.76% and 95.83% removal efficiency was achieved for kerosene and diesel oil respectively, at optimized conditions and fuel properties follow ASTM specifications. The obtained findings well fitted with thermodynamic, isothermal (Langmuir) with adsorption capacity (70.8 (B-BTC), 66 (B-BTB), 61.2 (B-DSS) and 55.2 (B-BEHA) in mg/g) and pseudo-second-order kinetics. In thermodynamic studies, negative sign (\(\varDelta G^\circ )\) specifies the spontaneity whereas, \(\left(\varDelta H^\circ \right)\) endothermic and positive sign \((\varDelta S^\circ )\) show randomness after DBT adsorption.

The present study encompasses the application of cost effective, organo-modified bentonite material for efficient desulfurization of model oil and real fuel. For the adsorptive desulfurization of oil, dibenzothiophene (DBT) was used as model compound. Various experimental parameters (time, temperature, adsorbent-amount and DBT concentration) were thoroughly investigated. The synthesized material was characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The modification exhibits the increase in interlayer spacing of clay as confirmed from XRD and modified material shows interesting morphology as compared to unmodified bentonite. The results showed that > 90% of DBT removal was achieved under optimized conditions for B-BTC, B-BTB and B-DSS and > 80% for B-BEHA, for model fuel oil which are greater than unmodified clay ($$\Delta G^\circ )$$ Δ G ∘ ) specifies the spontaneity whereas, $$\left(\Delta H^\circ \right)$$ Δ H ∘ endothermic and positive sign $$(\Delta S^\circ )$$ ( Δ S ∘ ) show randomness after DBT adsorption onto organoclay.

The current study aimed to develop poloxamer 407 (P407) gel for transungual delivery of antifungal hydrophobic drugs with sufficient gel strength and drug loading. Gel strength and drug loading of P407 gel was improved by use of functional additives. Hydration enhancement effect was used to select optimum nail penetration enhancer. Face-centered central composite design (FCCCD) was used to observe the effect of the selected penetration enhancer (thioglycolic acid (TGA)) and cosolvent (ethanol) on gelation behavior to develop formulation with enough loading of hydrophobic drug, i.e., terbinafine HCl (TBN), and its permeation across the nail plate without compromising on gel strength. It was observed that increasing concentration of P407 and TGA significantly reduced gelation temperature and enhanced the gel strength of P407 gel and can be used to improve P407 gel strength. Under the scanning electron microscope, the significant effect of TGA as an ungual penetration enhancer was observed on the morphology of the nail plate. Optimized P407 gel prepared with modified cold method showed a gelation temperature of 8.7 ± 0.16 °C, gel strength of 122 ± 7.5 s and drug loading of 1.2% w/w, which was four times more than the drug loading in the gels prepared with conventional cold method. Rheological behavior was pseudoplastic with 47.75 ± 3.48% of gel erosion after 12 washings and 67.21 ± 2.16% of drug release after 12 h. A cumulative amount of TBN permeated from P407 gel with and without PE after 24 h was 27.30 ± 4.18 and 16.69 ± 2.31 µg/cm2, respectively. Thioglycolic acid can be used as a nail penetration enhancer without the chemical modification or addition of extra additives while retaining the gel strength. Water miscible cosolvents with moderate evaporability such as ethanol, can be incorporated to P407 gel by minor modification in method of preparation to load the required dose of hydrophobic drugs. Developed P407 gel formulation with sufficient gel strength and drug loading will be a promising carrier for transungual delivery of hydrophobic antifungal agents.

Fish and other aquatic biota are hampered by mixtures of pesticides which pollute natural water through agricultural runoff and other sources. Toxicity of combined exposures of endosulfan and imidacloprid on zebrafish in terms of oxidative stress and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in liver and histological alterations in gills and muscles was investigated. Zebrafish were exposed to three different sub-lethal concentrations of endosulfan and imidacloprid along with control selected for each treatment for 21 days: control treatment (CT), treatment 1 (T1), treatment 2 (T2) and treatment 3 (T3). T1, T2 and T3 groups were exposed to 0.1, 0.5 and 1 μg/L of endosulfan, respectively, while imidacloprid concentration was maintained at 1 ppm in all three treatments. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Comet assay was applied to measure degree of DNA damage. Dose- and time-dependent decrease in SOD and CAT activity was observed after 21 days of exposure while low concentrations of pesticides induced SOD and CAT activities after early exposure to reduce the oxidative stress. MDA content was found to be increased in T3 having high concentrations of pesticides. Substantial increase in DNA damage was noticed after 21 days' exposure to pesticides. Significant morphological changes were observed in gills relative to muscles.

Disinfection is considered as a vital step to ensure the supply of clean and safe drinking water. Various approaches are adopted for this purpose; however, chlorination is highly preferred all over the world. This method is opted owing to its several advantages. However, it leads to the formation of certain by-products. These chlorination disinfection by-products (DBPs) are genotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic. Still chlorination is being practiced worldwide. Present review gives insights into the occurrence, toxicity and factors affecting the formation of regulated (THMs, HAAs) and emerging DBPs (N-DBPs, HKs, HAs and aromatic DBPs) found in drinking water. Furthermore, remediation techniques used to control DBPs have also been summarized here. Key findings are: (i) concentration of regulated DBPs surpassed the permissible limit in most of the regions, (ii) high chlorine dose, high NOM, more reaction time (up to 3 h) and high temperature (up to 30 °C) enhance the formation of THMs and HAAs, (iii) high pH favors the formation of THMs while low pH is suitable of the formation of HAAs, (iv) high NOM, low temperature, low chlorine dose and moderate pH favors the formation of unstable DBPs (N-DBPs, HKs and HAs), (v) DBPs are toxic not only for humans but for aquatic fauna as well, (vi) membrane technologies, enhanced coagulation and AOPs remove NOM, (vii) adsorption, air stripping and other physical and chemical methods are post-formation approaches (viii) step-wise chlorination is assumed to be an efficient method to reduce DBPs formation without any treatment. Toxicity data revealed that N-DBPs are found to be more toxic than C-DBPs and aromatic DBPs than aliphatic DBPs. In majority of the studies, merely THMs and HAAs have been studied and USEPA has regulated just these two groups. Future studies should focus on emerging DBPs and provide information regarding their regulation.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the radiation levels, radiological doses and excess lifetime cancer risk possessed by the urban soils that were collected from the vicinity of the exclusive mining and excavation centers of Dera Ghazi Khan. The high purity germanium detector was utilized for assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides (NORMs) in soil and results showed that the average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K (37 Bq/kg, 43.07 Bq/kg, 737 Bq/kg respectively) surpassed the world's average documented values (35 Bq/kg, 30 Bq/kg, and 400 Bq/kg respectively). Moreover, the average values of radiological hazards assessment like radium equivalent, internal and external hazard indices, absorbed dose rate, annual gonadal dose equivalent and excess lifetime cancer risk were 155.70 (Bq/kg), 0.4, 0.5, 73.96 (nGy/h) 90.73 (μSv/y), 476.24 (μSv/y) and 0.31(10-3) respectively. The data acquired was analyzed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and principal component analysis. ArcGIS (10.5) software was utilized for developing maps of radionuclide's concentration for the study area. Results of the study may serve as an important baseline radiometric data for future epidemiological studies and monitoring initiatives in the study area.

The application of urea-based fertilizers in developing countries has gained significant momentum over time. urea usage is to meet demand and supply gap of food resources as world population is increasing at a fast pace. urea contains largest content of nitrogen (46%) among all the solid nitrogenous fertilizers. However, main drawback of urea is its higher dissolution rate. After soil application, most of urea nitrogen is lost through a leaching, runoff, nitrification-denitrification and ammonia volatilization. To tackle urea related environmental pollution, development of slow-release urea fertilizer is a need of the hour and this would also increase product use efficiency in terms of crop productivity and its N uptake. We studied the usage of polymeric materials in combination with inorganic substances like sulfur and plaster of Paris as effective and biodegradable coating substances for urea prills. For coating on urea prills, fluidized bed coater was used whereas paraffin wax and molasses were used as binding agents. The urea was coated with four different formulations, i.e., C-1: PVA 5% + plaster of Paris 10% + sulfur 5% + paraffin wax 2%, C-2: PVA 5% + starch 10% + sulfur 5% + paraffin wax 2%, C-3: gelatin 5% + plaster of Paris 10% + sulfur 5% + paraffin wax 2% and C-4: PVA 5% + starch 10% + sulfur 5% + paraffin wax 2.5% + molasses 2.5%. Each formulation along with uncoated urea prills (C-0) were evaluated for characterization and N release kinetics. All the formulations along with uncoated urea were applied to spinach crop in pot experiment. A control (No N: untreated) was also kept. Spinach biomass yield and N uptake were determined. The formulation C-1 yielded highest urea-N release efficiency and spinach N uptake of6.87% and 1.93 g N/pot, respectively. Themodified Schwarz and Sinclair formula gave the excellent representation of release of nutrient-N from coated urea prills. It is concluded that coating urea prills with organic and inorganic blends is better option to slow down N release kinetics and improve spinach productivity. Therefore, by using coated fertilizers, farmers can improve agro-environmental value of urea, worldwide.

While Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is not a life-threatening disease, it leads to devastating effects on local community. CL is widely scattered manifesting a noticeable epidemiological pattern around the globe. The present study was planned to address the role of Geographic Information System (GIS) using CL clinico-epidemiological data to determine the high-risk areas of CL. Recorded data (2014-2018) of 3630 positive individuals was collected from Basic Health Units of the Upper and Lower Dir Districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Descriptive and statistical analysis was used for clinico-epidemiological characterization. For spatial analysis, ArcGIS V.10.3 was used and the CL average incidence was tagged on the proportional, choropleth, and digital elevation model maps. For focal transmission and high-risk zones, Inverse Density Weight (IDW) spatial interpolation, focal statistics, hot spot, cluster and outlier, and Bayesian geostatistical analysis were used. The trend of CL cases was elevated from 2014 to 2016 except for 2017 and 2018. Individuals of both genders younger than 20 years old were highly susceptible. Single lesions were more prominent (56%) and frequently affected facial parts (51%). The size and pretreatment duration of the CL lesion was significantly associated. Spatially, a choropleth map displayed the maximum CL incidences in Tehsil Balambat, Khal, and Termergara (31%-13%) located within a range of 948-1947m elevation in the central regions with proximal CL transmissions. Hot spot and cluster and outlier analysis affirmed that Tehsil Khal was the high-risk CL foci. The Bayesian geostatistical analysis revealed high temperature, less altitude, and annual precipitation as important risk factors. An increasing trend in CL transmission has become evident, affecting both genders and20 years old children. GIS resolute the concealed CL hubs in the least elevated central regions which warrant the control strategies to restrict future epidemics.

Pharmaceuticals are chemical compounds employed as medicinal drugs. They have severe physic-chemical properties which make them destructive for non-target species. Consequently, their continuous addition in the environment may pose hazardous effects. Among these, diclofenac (DCF), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is extensively used in Pakistan which may lead to its accumulation in both terrestrial and aquatic environment. Present study aims to assess the presence and concentration of pharmaceutically active drug (DCF) in surface water and wastewater of twin cities of Pakistan (Rawalpindi and Islamabad). For this purpose, a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was adopted involving solid-phase extraction procedure. Wastewater samples were collected from various sites of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Results of HPLC analysis revealed that DCF was extant with considerably high concentration, not only in wastewater but also in surface water samples. Concentrations as high as 216 μg L−1 was detected in Rawat industrial area and low as 8 μg L−1 was detected in dairy farm wastewater samples collected from Taramri. However, maximum DCF levels in residential wastewater and hospital wastewater were detected to be 105 μg L−1 and 34 μg L−1, respectively. Moreover, the highest detected level (116 μg L−1) was found in surface water of Sawan River. Further, results of ecological risk assessment revealed its possible toxic effects of DCF on various aquatic organisms.

Dechlorane Plus (DP) is an unregulated, highly chlorinated flame retardant. It has been manufactured from past 40 years but its presence in the environment was initially reported in 2006. Later, it has been found in various biotic and abiotic environmental matrices. However, little attention has been paid to monitor its presence in Asia. Many studies have reported the occurrence of DP in the environment of Asia, yet the data are scarce, and studies are limited to few regions. The objective of present review is to summarize the occurrence, distribution, and toxicity of this ubiquitous pollutant in various environmental matrices (biotic and abiotic). DP has also been reported in the areas with no emission sources, which proves its long-range transport. Moreover, urbanization and industrialization also affect the distribution of DP, i.e., high levels of DP have been found in urban areas relative to the rural. Tidal movement also incorporates in transport of DP across the aquatic system. Further, bioaccumulation trend of DP in various tissues is kidney > liver > muscle tissues, whereas, blood brain barrier resists its accumulation in brain tissues. Additionally, gender-based accumulation trends revealed high DP levels in females in comparison to males due to strong metabolism of males. Furthermore, methodological aspects and instrumental analysis used in previous studies have also been summarized here. However, data on biomagnification in aquatic ecosystem and bioaccumulation of DP in terrestrial food web are still scarce. Toxicity behavior of syn-DP and anti-DP is still unknown which might gain the interest for future studies.

Rapid industrialization and increasing population are continuously adding contaminants to our environment. Among those, heavy metals are considered to be one of the serious threats to the ecosystem due to their persistent nature. Microbe assisted phytoremediation is an effective tool for metal remediation as microbes enhance the metal availability and uptake to the host plants or reduce it by binding them intracellularly or extracellularly. An endophytic fungus, Trametes hirsuta, was isolated from Chenopodium album L. plant growing in the lead (Pb) contaminated soil of an industrial area. This is the first study citing Trametes hirsuta, as a root endophyte of Chenopodium album L. This endophytic fungus was found to be tolerant to high concentration of Pb i.e., 1500 mg L−1, when tested in-vitro. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings were infected by Trametes hirsuta and Pb tolerance was observed. With the fungal inoculation plants cumulative growth and total chlorophyll content increased by 24% and 18%, respectively as compared to their respective non-inoculated controls at 1000 mg kg−1 Pb. Similary, 50% more Pb accumulation was measured in the shoots of fungal inoculated plants at 1500 mg kg−1 Pb as compared to control. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that mutualism with endophytic fungi can improve the survival of host plants in metal contaminated soils, additionally it can also assist the phytoextraction of heavy metals from polluted sites by increasing their uptake by the host plants., Trametes hirsuta; Endophytic fungi; Pb tolerance; Metal accumulation; Triticum aestivum L., Rhizosphere; Soil microbiology; Soil pollution; Environmental chemistry; Environmental toxicology, Environmental science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Toxicology.

Three distinct copper/nickel oxide doped zirconia (Cu-NiO-ZrO2) photocatalysts were synthesized using one pot hydrothermal method. In these synthesized photocatalysts Cu-NiO ratio were 1:1, 1:2, 2:1 while CuNiO to ZrO2 ratio was kept constant (1:4). It was observed that these prepared materials displayed strong photocatalytic properties for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (NP) and degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) respectively. XRD pattern, BET surface area, SEM and EDX have determined the physical properties of these synthesized photocatalysts. The effect of initial dye concentration, photocatalyst dose, pH, and time on the efficiency of degradation were evaluated by selecting efficient catalyst for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction, methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) degradation respectively. It was found that the degradation efficiency of these pollutants decreased with increase in the solution’s pH and the initial concentration of dye while it enhanced by increasing the catalyst dose and irradiation reaction time during photocatalysis. Almost complete reduction of 4-NP was accomplished while using 20 mg/L of 4-NP and 0.02 g of catalyst within 5 min using 25 Mm NaBH4 solution. The reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP using Cu/NiO-ZrO2 photocatalyst follows pseudo-first order kinetics having a rate constant 0.882 min−1 with R2 value of 0.9957. In reactions of MB (50 mg/L) and MO (50 mg/L), approximately 99% degradation efficiency was achieved by using 0.03 g of catalyst dose with reaction time of 10 and 35 min, respectively.

Fruits are the valuable and important components of human diet. Among them, Prunus persica is a rich source of different minerals and dietary fibers. In Pakistan, the total annual production of P. persica is approximately 837,000 tons. In order to enhance agricultural yield and quality, the plant protection agents are employed during fruit production. Ultimately, this in turn leads to the incorporation of pesticide residues in fruits. In present study, an effort has been made for the determination of three selected pesticide residues, i.e., chlorpyrifos (CPF), difenoconazole (DFN), and carbendazim (CRB) in samples of P. persica collected from Swat territory. Samples were analyzed through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results revealed the occurrence of all three pesticides in studied samples; however, levels of CPF and DFN were found to be higher than MRLs. Moreover, the effects of different mitigation techniques revealed that highest reduction of CPF, DFN, and CRB (86%, 97%, 89%) residues was obtained by treatment with 10% CH

Present study aimed to provide a baseline data on arsenic (As) and other potentially toxic element (PTEs; Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb) contamination in groundwater and soils (surface and sub-surface) from an industrial area of district Gujrat, Pakistan. Statistical parameters, principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR), and health risk assessment model were used to elaborate the interrelations, source contributor, and associated health risks. This study revealed that the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb in drinking water were within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization (WHO). However, As and Ni concentrations exceeded the WHO limits of 10 μg/L for As and 0.07 mg/L for Ni. In soils, the concentration of Cr was within permissible limits, whereas As, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb exceeded the prescribed values. Solid waste and industrial effluents from the area also contained high levels of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb. Calculated health index of As and other PTEs for industrial site and control area was less than 1 which indicated that the groundwater was assumed to be safe for drinking. High contamination of As (15 mg/kg) and other PTEs (Pb was 978, Cr 51, Cu 111, Cd 68, and Ni was 90 mg/kg, respectively) in upper soil could be due to the discharge of industrial effluent prior to the treatment, which signifies the industrial contribution towards As and heavy metal contamination. It can be concluded that critical examination of soil profile affinity to the respective, industrial waste pollutants can reduce the health risks to the local community. This trend not only reveals the geochemistry of the area but also useful for developing a link to access health risk and associated remediation processes.

Selective CO2 capture from a high temperature point source and its subsequent facile release is an important industrial challenge. It is well established that the nitrogen content can influence the CO2 uptake selectivity of carbon-based adsorbent materials. This work presents an example of how nitrogen type and content in mesoporous carbon directly determines CO2 uptake (and release) behaviour. Higher loadings of intrinsic nitrogen lead to increased isosteric heat of adsorption (Qst) values, with selective low- pressure binding and large uptake of CO2 at high temperature (75 °C). The process is reversible, only a mild vacuum exposure is sufficient to drive off the adsorbed CO2, with sustained performance without a noticeable loss in activity. The work highlights the scope of the fine tuning the application specific structure of the adsorbent materials for optimal use.

Water pipes are considered to be one of responsible sources for the water pollution. Among these sources of water supply, the water pipes are the only source of carrying out fresh or processed water into lakes, ponds and streams etc. In Pakistan, knowledge on the condition of water pipes is scarce as deterioration of water pipes are hardly inspected due to high cost. The aim of the current research was to examine the quality of water pipelines of eight districts of South-Punjab, namely, Mianwali, Khushab, Layyah, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan. Selected sampling stations were analyzed for physio-chemical parameters such as pH, Total Dissolve Solids (TDS), Sulfate (SO4), Chlorine (Cl), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Hardness, Nitrate (NO3), Fluoride (F) and Iron (Fe). The data pertaining water monitoring contain different parameters and seem difficult work for the interpretation of water quality by managing different parameters separately. For this purpose, National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NSF-WQI) was determined to communicate the quality of water in a simple form. Besides this, groups comprising of similar sampling sites based on water quality characteristics were identified using unsupervised technique. Factor Analysis (FA) has been performed for extracting the latent pollution sources that may cause the more variance in large and complex data. The calculated values of WQI from 1600 sampling stations ranging from 20.73 to 223.74 are divided into five groups; Excellent to Unsuitable class of waters with the average value 62.09 described as good limit for drinking water. Further sampling stations are divided into five optimal clusters selected with suitable k value obtained from Silhouette coefficient. Results of k-means clustering are also verified with natural groups made by WQI. Analysis of multivariate techniques showed several factors to be responsible for the water quality deterioration. It is found out from the FA that three latent factors such as organic pollution, agriculture run-off and urban land use caused 83.30 % of the total variation. Hence, water quality management and control of these latent factors are strongly recommended.

TiO 2 anatase photocatalysts with ca. 2, 4 and 8 wt.% copper metal loading have been employed for the photocatalytic degradation of textile dyes (one of the major contaminants in effluent from textile industries around the world) and their degradation efficiencies compared with benchmark Degussa P25. In order to investigate their surface and bulk composition, all catalysts were characterized using XRD, UV–vis, XPS and TEM techniques. TEM and XPS results confirmed the presence of Cu in its oxide form (Cu 2 O-CuO). Under optimized conditions (i.e. catalyst dose of 125 mg L −1 and initial dye concentration of 5 mg L −1 ), Degussa P25 showed 76% degradation efficiency for primary reactive blue 49 (RB 49) dye in 80 min. However, under the same optimized conditions, a complete primary RB 49 dye removal was observed at ca. 4 wt.% Cu 2 O-CuO/TiO 2 catalyst. Kinetics analysis of photodegradation ( k d ) nearly followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model with a regression coefficient (R 2 ) value in the range of 0.97–0.86 for 4 wt.% Cu 2 O-CuO/TiO 2 catalyst. These results indicate that non noble supported TiO 2 anatase may be a better choice for photocatalytic dye degradation as compared to other commercially available photocatalysts.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has a diverse fauna due to its peculiar position bordering the Afrotropical, Oriental and Palaearctic zoogeographic zones. The present study reports the phylogenetics of five mosquito species belonging to five series of Anopheles (Cellia) . We collected mosquito larvae from eastern, western and southwestern regions of KSA. The sampled mosquitoes were morphologically identified using the pictorial keys of mosquitoes and characterized by using single and multi-locus analysis of -internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region and cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI). Based on the morphological and molecular data, five species were recognized, like An. stephensi (Neocellia) (Oriental), An. arabiensis (Pyretophorus) (Afrotropical), An. dthali (Myzomyia) (Oriental and Palaearctic), An. cinereus (Paramyzomyia) and An. rhodesiensis rupicola (Neomyzomyia) (Oriental and Palaearctic). The phylogenetic analysis showed that An. stephensi is a monophyletic species with different ecotypes found in different geographic regions. Comprehensive phylogenetics and population genetics studies are crucial for a better understanding of the role of these five mosquito species in malarial transmission across various zoogeographic zones of different ecological and demographic characteristics.

Any substance foreign to a biological system is known as xenobiotic compound. The manufacturing and processing of xenobiotic chemicals on the large scale have led to serious surface and subsurface soil contamination. Biotransformation of the hazardous pollutants to less toxic substances or their complete mineralization represents an economical substitute to clean up soil and water. In principle, fungi by virtue of their enzymes can biodegrade any naturally existing biopolymers and some of the synthetic polymers as well. Degradation of polymers largely depends on the fungal extracellular enzymes, namely, oxidoreductases and hydrolases. White-rot ligninolytic fungal strains such as T. versicolor and P. ostreatus have been recognized to be the major decomposers of biopolymers via laccase-mediated transformation. Moreover, the ligninolytic fungal strains carrying enzyme Mn-peroxidase activity demonstrated the maximum degradation of naphthalene (69 %). Many non-ligninolytic species degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) via cytochrome P450 monooxygenase and epoxide hydrolase-catalyzed reactions to form transdihydrodiols. Remediation of nitro-aromatics along with their recalcitrant carcinogenic intermediates, possessing the worst degree of toxicity hazardous rating 3, has been described by utilizing fungal species such as Phanerochaete chrysosporium or Pseudomonas sp. ST53. Additionally, white-rot fungi possessing oxidative enzymes have the ability of TNT degradation and mineralization to CO2. On the other hand, fungal laccases have been reported to catalyze the transformation of the model endocrine disruptors, alkylphenols and biphenyls. For instance, T. versicolor catalyzed the partial transformation of nonylphenol into carbon dioxide. Discovering the new beneficial fungal strains in addition to isolation, engineering, and sequencing of new useful enzymes is highly desirable to further strengthen the biodegradation of contaminated soil.

The present study examined the ecological effects of a range of chronic exposure concentrations of the fungicide azoxystrobin in freshwater experimental systems (1270-L outdoor microcosms). Intended and environmentally relevant test concentrations of azoxystrobin were 0 µg active ingredient (a.i.)/L, 0.33 µg a.i./L, 1 µg a.i./L, 3.3 µg a.i./L, 10 µg a.i./L, and 33 µg a.i./L, kept at constant values. Responses of freshwater populations and community parameters were studied. During the 42-d experimental period, the time-weighted average concentrations of azoxystrobin ranged from 93.5% to 99.3% of intended values. Zooplankton, especially copepods and the Daphnia longispina group, were the most sensitive groups. At the population level, a consistent no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) of 1 µg a.i./L was calculated for Copepoda. The NOEC at the zooplankton community level was 10 µg azoxystrobin/L. The principle of the European Union pesticide directive is that lower-tier regulatory acceptable concentrations (RACs) are protective of higher-tier RACs. This was tested for chronic risks from azoxystrobin. With the exception of the microcosm community chronic RAC (highest tier), all other chronic RAC values were similar to each other (0.5–1 µg a.i./L). The new and stricter first-tier species requirements of the European Union pesticide regulation (1107/2009/EC) are not protective for the most sensitive populations in the microcosm study, when based on the higher tier population RAC. In comparison, the Water Framework Directive generates environmental quality standards that are 5 to 10 times lower than the derived chronic RACs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:2775–2785. © 2014 SETAC

This paper evaluates the effects of different time-varying exposure patterns of the strobilurin fungicide azoxystrobin on freshwater microsocosm communities. These exposure patterns included two treatments with a similar peak but different time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations, and two treatments with similar TWA but different peak concentrations. The experiment was carried out in outdoor microcosms under four different exposure regimes; (1) a continuous application treatment of 10 μg/L (CAT(10)) for 42 days (2), a continuous application treatment of 33 μg/L (CAT(33)) for 42 days (3), a single application treatment of 33 μg/L (SAT(33)) and (4) a four application treatment of 16 μg/L (FAT(16)), with a time interval of 10 days. Mean measured 42-d TWA concentrations in the different treatments were 9.4 μg/L (CAT(10)), 32.8 μg/L (CAT(33)), 14.9 μg/L (SAT(33)) and 14.7 μg/L (FAT(16)). Multivariate analyses demonstrated significant changes in zooplankton community structure in all but the CAT(10) treated microcosms relative to that of controls. The largest adverse effects were reported for zooplankton taxa belonging to Copepoda and Cladocera. By the end of the experimental period (day 42 after treatment), community effects were of similar magnitude for the pulsed treatment regimes, although the magnitude of the initial effect was larger in the SAT(33) treatment. This indicates that for long-term effects the TWA is more important for most zooplankton species in the test system than the peak concentration. Azoxystrobin only slightly affected some species of the macroinvertebrate, phytoplankton and macrophyte assemblages. The overall no observed ecologically adverse effect concentrations (NOEAEC) in this study was 10 µg/L.

The present study compared the effects of different time-variable exposure regimes having the same time-weighted average (TWA) concentration of the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos on freshwater invertebrate communities to enable extrapolation of effects across exposure regimes. The experiment was performed in outdoor microcosms by introducing three different regimes: a single application of 0.9 µg active ingredients (a.i.)/L; three applications of 0.3 µg a.i./L, with a time interval of 7 d; and continuous exposure to 0.1 µg a.i./L for 21 d. Measurements showed that the TWA21d concentration in the continuous-exposure treatment (0.098 µg/L) was slightly lower than in the three-application (0.116 µg/L) and single-application (0.126 µg/L) treatments. The application of chlorpyrifos resulted in decreased abundances in the arthropod community, with the largest adverse effects reported for the mayfly Cloeon dipterum and cladocerans Daphnia gr. longispina and Alona sp., while smaller effects were observed for other insects, copepods, and amphipods. At the population level, however, the mayfly C. dipterum only responded to the single-application treatment, which could be explained by the toxicokinetics of chlorpyrifos in this species. At the end of the experimental period the invertebrate community showed approximately the same effect magnitude for all treatment regimes. These results suggest that for this combination of concentrations and duration of the TWA, the TWA concentration is more important for most species than the peak concentration for the assessment of long-term risks of chlorpyrifos. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011; 30:1383–1394. © 2011 SETAC

Plant extracts offer a vast, virtually untapped reservoir of chemical compounds with many potential uses. One of these uses is in agriculture to manage pests with less risk than with synthetic compounds that are toxicologically and environmentally undesirable. Increasing evolution of resistance in pest population further derives the need to search for new bioactive compounds with a wide range of new modes of action. Various experiments using plant extracts in human and animal health protection, agriculture and household pest management have been particularly promising (Pascual-Villalobos & Robledo, 1999; Scott et al., 2004). The apparent societal hope for using plant extracts in place of more traditional pesticides has also increased the attention paid to natural products in the past decade (Duke et al., 2003). Plant products have been exploited as insecticides, insect-repellents, antifeedants and insect growth and development regulators (Saxena, 1998). The deleterious effects of phytochemcials or crude plant extracts on insects are manifested in several ways, including suppression of calling behaviour (Khan & Saxena, 1986), growth retardation (Breuer & Schmidt, 1995), toxicity (Hiremath et al., 1997), oviposition deterrence (Zhao et al., 1998), feeding inhibition (Wheeler & Isman, 2001) and reduction of fecundity and fertility (Muthukrishnan & Pushpalatha, 2001). Many plants have been recognized to have anti-termitic activities (Sakasegawa et al., 2003, Park & Shin, 2005, Jembere et al., 2005, Cheng et al., 2007, Ding & Hu, 2010, Supriadi and Ismanto, 2010) or repellent to the termites i.e., Eucalyptus globules, lemmon grass, Eucalyptus citrodora, cedar wood, clove bud and vetiver grass (Zhu et al., 2001a, b), Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayat (Chang et al., 2001), Dodonaea viscosa (Purple hop bush) a termite resistant shrub (Anonymous, 2001), Ocimum basilicum L., Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt, Cinammomum camphora, Rosmarinus officinalis (Sbeghen et al., 2002) and Coleus ambionicus (Singh et al., 2004) are less extensively studied against termites.