bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
History of Development and Attendant Environmental Changes in the	Brantas River Basin, Java, Indonesia, since 1970
Authors: Adi Seno , Jänen Ingo , Jennerjahn Tim C.
Published: November 2024

The Brantas River is the second largest river on the island of Java which has undergone major changes in the past decades because of the demands of an evergrowing population. Water management measures were mainly designed (i) to provide flood protection, (ii) to provide raw water for irrigation, households and industry, and (iii) to generate hydropower. The objective of this paper is to delineate the history of development and attendant environmental changes since 1970 as well as to address the effects of a mud volcano eruption in 2006. Data from three gauging stations representing the upstream, midstream and downstream portions of the Brantas River were chosen to display patterns in discharge (1970-2003) and in nutrients (1991-1997). Overall discharge decreased over time at all stations with the strongest decrease in the downstream portion. The amplitude of seasonal changes in discharge was highest in the downstream portion. Dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations increased slightly downstream as a result of land use. An eruption of a mud volcano in 2006 added to the initially high sediment load of the river. A portion of the mud was directed into the river leading to extremely high suspended matter and low dissolved oxygen concentrations. As a large part of the high suspended sediment load, already settled in the river, dredging was initiated in order to avoid blocking of the river. The dredging material was used for land reclamation. The high nutrient and sediment loads of the Brantas River are to a large extent the result of intensive human activities in the catchment like hydrological alterations and land-use change. Extreme natural events like the mud volcano exacerbate the consequences of human alterations on the water quality and biogeochemistry of the river.
The Estimation of Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) for 24	Hours Duration in the Upper Brantas River Basin, East Java
Authors: Nugroho Sutopo Purwo , Adi Seno
Published: November 2024

The probable maximum precipitation (PMP) is defined as the highest precipitation (measured by a rain gauge) for a given period that is meteorologically reliably recorded in the rainfall station. Estimation of the PMP is very important, especially for the safety design of dams and reservoirs, because precipitation data are available for a much longer period of time than those for river floods. Analysis of the daily rainfall, which was used to estimate the PMP values of the upstream Brantas River showed high consistency, so that the collected rainfall data were reliable. These facts were shown by a straight line produced by each rainfall station based on the double mass curve test. The PMP estimation for upstream Brantas River varied between 419 and 556 mm/day. The estimated PMP values were highest at the Birowo station and lowest at the Tangkil station. They were then not correlated to the maximum daily rainfall observed at a rainfall station. This means that there are other factors as described by the Hershfield equation that resulted in higher estimated PMP values. Therefore, the safety design of dam and reservoir construction in this area has to consider the estimated maximum PMP reaching 556 mm/day.
Seasonal Variability of the Water Residence Time in the Madura	Strait, East Java, Indonesia
Authors: Nugrahadi Mochamad Saleh , Duwe Kurt , Schroeder Friedhelm , Goldmann Dirk
Published: November 2024

A Lagrangian particle tracer method embedded within a 3-D finite difference hydrodynamic model is used to study the transport and exchange processes in a semi-enclosed water of Madura Strait, East Java, Indonesia. The 3-D hydrodynamic model forcing functions consist of tidal elevation at north and east open boundary, river discharge of Brantas River estuaries, and monsoonal wind. The validated model successfully estimated the variability of residence time. The calculation results show that water residence times in Madura Strait and especially in its tributaries are mainly governed by the strength of river discharges, whereas the direction of advection is influenced mainly by monsoon wind directions and less by the tide-induced residual current.
Impact of the Bangshi River Water Quality on Irrigated Soil and	Rice in Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Masudur , Mondal M. Shahjahan
Published: November 2024

This study was conducted to investigate the impact of water quality of the Bangshi River, a part of the Bangshi-Turag system in the north-central (NC) region of Bangladesh, on irrigated soil, and growth and yield performances of rice (BRRIdhan-29) by selecting a polluted site (PS) and a pollution free control site (CS) along the river. Water and soil samples from both sites were collected on different growing stages of rice and analyzed on spots and in laboratories following standard methods and instruments. Growth and yield parameters of rice from both sites were collected through measurements and surveys in the rice fields and farmers' households. The results of the study revealed that the values of pH, EC, DO, Cl, NH $_4$ -N, SAR, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr in river water exceeded the safe limits for irrigation at the PS, whereas these parameters were within the safe limits at the CS. The contents of most nutrients (except B) as well as metals in soil were found to be higher at the PS than those of the CS. However, the most growth and yield parameters of rice (except the weights of unfilled/damaged grains and rice husks) were significantly lower at the PS than those of the CS, which might be due to the irrigation with water polluted mostly by untreated industrial effluents.
Effects of Cadmium on Some Haematological Parameters of the	Mozambique Tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters 1852)
Authors: Ranatunge R.A.A.R. , Wijesinghe M.R. , Ratnasooriya W.D. , Wijesekera R.
Published: November 2024

Haematological profiles have been frequently used to assess the health status of fish subject to metallic stress. The present study examined potential alterations that may arise in the haematological profile of the Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) due to exposure to cadmium (Cd). Adult female fish collected from an aquarium were housed in glass tanks and exposed to three concentrations (0.2, 2 and 10 mg l $^{-1}$ ) of CdCl $_2$ for five days. At the end of the trial, fish were sacrificed to obtain blood to record five primary (erythrocyte count - RBC, lymphocyte count - WBC, haemoglobin concentration - Hb, packed cell volume - PCV and clotting time) and three secondary (mean cell haemoglobin - MCH, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration - MCHC and mean cell volume - MCV) haematological parameters. Results revealed that the observed patterns were erratic and significant changes were observed only at the low (0.2 mg l $^{-1}$ ) and high (10 mg l $^{-1}$ ) levels of exposure. Significant increases were noted in RBC and WBC counts, Hb, PCV, MCH, MCHC and MCV, while the clotting time was significantly reduced (2.2 minutes in the control and 0.8 at the highest concentration). These results are of particular concern since the lowest test concentration (0.2 mg l $^{-1}$ ), which was capable of inducing changes in some of the blood parameters, falls within the ranges recorded in some of the water bodies of Sri Lanka.
Arresting 'Development' as Environmental Governance: An Empirical	Assessment
Authors: Irshad S. Mohammed
Published: November 2024

Valuing ecology on the basis of its contributions to environment protection is getting less social acceptance in contemporary development governance. Although, there are multiple models and approaches to tackle the question of ecology, the development governance still prefers to put economic value on ecology. The use value of ecology is becoming an administrative instrument, which often undermines the environment. The impact of this changing perception of ecology is well reflected in natural resource governance. It has become an issue of satisfying individual needs rather than sustainable utilization of resources. This governance is heading towards the project of arresting development; indeed it is becoming an unacceptable solution.
Evaluation of Water Quality Index of Damodar River for Drinking	Purpose Using Computer Programming
Authors: Verma Ravindra Kumar , Murthy Shankar , Tiwary Rajani Kant , Verma Sangeeta
Published: November 2024

The objective of the study is to evaluate and compare the water quality of river Damodar for drinking purposes using Water Quality Index (WQI) and Sensitivity Index (SI) respectively. WQI gives information about spatial and seasonal variations of pollution load and to classify river water into five classes: Excellent, Acceptable, Slightly polluted, Polluted and Heavily polluted for drinking purposes. However, SI gives an idea about whether quality of water is increasing or decreasing at same point during subsequent monitoring. Both were estimated using two separate computer programs; written in Clanguage based on the eleven water quality parameters such as pH, DO, BOD5, TDS, TSS, Cl $^-$ , NO $_3^ -$ - N, SO $_4^{2-}$ , THARD, T-alkalinity, and T-coliform. A total 76 water samples were collected from 19 sampling points of a stretch D/S Tenughat dam to D/S Barakar river in mid-upper Damodar Valley to estimate spatial and seasonal variations in water quality for the year 2010. The values of WQI were found in the range of 66.2-75.6 in summer, while it was 55-76.0 in winter, affected mainly due to high values of total coliform, TSS and pH, exceeded the tolerable limits of IS:10:500 (1993) at almost all the sampling points. The results indicate that all sampling points were falling in the Acceptable (C2) to Slightly polluted (C3) range, except at Garga Nalla [Polluted (C4) category]. This study demonstrates the application of WQI using computer programming tool for quick assessment of water quality of any water body and also can be used for effective water quality management.
Effect of Operating Variables on the Batch Removal of a Dye Using	Activated Plant Biomass
Authors: Rajamohan N. , Rajasimman M.
Published: November 2024

Acid activated date palm tree powder is proposed as an adsorbent for the removal of acid dye, Acid Blue 92, in this study. The influence of operating variables like solution pH, adsorbent dosage and initial dye concentration are studied thoroughly to evaluate the optimum conditions. Maximum adsorption was found to take place at pH 2.0 while equilibrium was achieved in 6 h. The mechanism of adsorption was explored by Pseudo-second order and Elovich models and it was found that this sorption process is well represented by Elovich model with a higher value of R $^2$ = 0.997. The physicochemical properties of the adsorbent are also studied.
A Comprehensive Study on Road Traffic Noise of an Industrial Town	of Odisha, India
Authors: Sahu Susanta Kumar , Goswami Shreerup , Das Meera
Published: November 2024

Noise is a disturbance to the human environment and will become a major threat to the quality of human lives. In last few decades, noise in urban areas have been increasing rapidly. Noise pollution was analysed in 10 different squares (road sections) during four different specified times (7-10 a.m., 11a.m.-2 p.m., 3-6 p.m., 7-10 p.m.) to assess the level of noise pollution of the Rayagada township. The sources of noise at the studied sites were predominantly attributable to motor vehicular traffic. Noise descriptors such as L $_{10}$ , L $_{50}$ , L $_{90}$ , L $_{eq}$ , TNI (Traffic Noise Index), NPL (Noise Pollution Level) and NC (Noise climate) were analysed to reveal the extent of noise pollution of this town. L $_{10}$ , L $_{50}$ , L $_{90}$ , L $_{eq}$ , TNI, NPL, and NC values of all 10 monitored sites ranged from 85.4 to 99.3 dB, from 72.6 to 86.5 dB, from 64.6 to 76.7 dB, from 80.4 to 99 dB, from 95.2 to 128.2 dB, from 95.1 to 159.2 dB, and from 13.3 to 30.3 dB, respectively. The present noise assessment depicted that even the minimum values of Leq (80.4 dB), NPL (95.1 dB), TNI (95.2 dB) during day time were more than the permissible limit (70 dB). The number of vehicles passing through a fixed point on the studied road are counted to assess the traffic volume (Q) and the percentage of heavy trucks and buses to total traffic was also calculated to work out truck traffic mix ratio (P). Moreover, individual contribution to environmental noise by the air horn of different motor vehicles has also been assessed during day time. The episodic and impulsive noise levels of different types of vehicles were more than the traffic noise-limit i.e. 70 dB (A). A survey adopting questionnaire method amongst 241 local inhabitants had also been carried out to gather information regarding the effect of noise on human health.
Health Effects Associated with Fluoridated Water	Sources – A Review of Central Asia
Authors: Bashir Muhammad Tariq , Ali Salmiaton Binti , Adris Azni , Haroon Razif
Published: November 2024

Water fluoridation is a common practice in different parts of the world, mostly as a means of decontaminating water. It has been used in developed, as well as in developing countries. In recent years, however, other countries have minimized, even eliminated its use due to health issues. In Central Asia, usage of fluoride is profoundly extant, thus occasioning the citizens' exposure to various health risks. An excessive level of fluoride causes various health issues, mostly on dental and skeletal fluorosis which often leads to vulnerabilities in the bones and teeth. Studies also indicate that excessive levels of fluoride have been known to contribute to poor neurological development among children, hip fractures to older adults, as well as osterosclerosis. Moreover, the review has concluded that fluoride contamination in ground water is very high in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In contrast, fluoride levels are below threshold value of 1.5 mg/L in Bangladesh. Fluorosis cases have been observed in Nepal but available data is quite unsystematic and incomplete, thus rendering them of no statistical significance. In India, districts such as Kerala, Gujrat, Bakresh (West Bengal), Khudra (Orissa), Manikaran (Himachal Pradesh), Unkeeher (Maharashtra) and Tattapani (Chattisgarh) are currently facing a high level of fluoride. In Pakistan, fluoride data of 29 major cities are reviewed and 34% of the cities show fluoride levels with mean value greater than 1.5 mg/L where Lahore and Quetta are having the maximum values of 23.60 mg/L and 24.48 mg/L, respectively. Sri Lankan dry zone is polluted with fluoride having maximum value of 8.00 mg/L. Considering these verities, health authorities urgently need to establish alternative means of water decontamination in order to prevent associated health problems.
Statistical Approach in Assessing Dynamic Variations of Estuarine	Water Quality of Dhamra, Bay of Bengal
Authors: Sangita S. , Panda, S.K. , Satapathy D. , Kar R.N. , Panda C.R.
Published: November 2024

Multivariate statistical techniques such as cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA) and factor analysis (FA) were applied for the evaluation of dynamic variations in water quality of Dhamra estuarine region from 2009 to 2010. The concentrations of salinity, conductivity, turbidity and inorganic nutrients varied significantly in different seasons from estuarine region to deep marine region. The intensity of microbial activities and the influx of organic sewage are reflected in high BOD content. A strong positive correlation of salinity with conductance, chlorophyll-a with total phytoplankton, phytoplankton with inorganic phosphate and total viable count (TVC) with temperature have been established. Further, TVC was having negative correlation with salinity. Hierarchical cluster analysis, grouping 14 parameters into two significant clusters based on their similarity and their interrelationship identified phosphate as the major nutritional requirement for phytoplankton growth. The factor loading further indicates the influence of salinity gradient and nutrient availability for the distribution plankton. FA generates six latent factors explaining 82.67% of the total variance illustrating various interrelationships of biotic and abiotic factors.
Levels and Source Apportionment of Trace Metals in Bed Sediment of	the Bharalu Tributary of Brahmaputra River
Authors: Hoque Raza Rafiqul , Gohain M. , Das Apurba Kumar , Devi Upasona , Kusre B.C.
Published: November 2024

Bharalu Tributary originates in the foot-hills of Khasi Hills and meets the Brahmaputra River flowing northwards through Guwahati city. Trace metals viz., Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd, Cu and Zn were estimated in the bed sediment of Bharalu and their concentrations were found to be 39.54 ± 31, 40.62 ± 19, 32.00 ± 18, 0.93 ± 1, 65.45 ± 33 and 435.08 ± 246 μg g $^{-1}$ respectively. Levels of Cd, Pb and Zn in the bed sediments were 3, 1.5 and 5 times, respectively, higher than the concentrations in shale. Enrichment factors (EF%) of the metals showed substantial loading of the sediments with trace metals. Muller's Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) of the metals was calculated which showed that the river was moderate to strongly polluted. Pearson's correlation showed stronger associations for the metal pairs – Pb-Cd (r = 0.90), Ni-Cu (r = 0.68), Ni-Zn (r = 0.61), Cu-Zn (r = 0.87) and Pb-Cu (r = 0.75) – indicating similar sources. A multivariate statistical tool, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), was used to define the possible input sources of the trace metals and three main sources viz. industrial discharge, vehicular contribution and waste dumping were identified.
Atmospheric Heavy Metal Accumulation in Epiphytic Lichens and	Their Phorophytes in the Brahmaputra Valley
Authors: Daimari Rebecca , Hoque Raza Rafiqul , Nayaka Sanjeeva , Upreti Dalip K.
Published: November 2024

Lichens are indicator species of air quality of a locality. Estimate of heavy metal (HM) accumulation in lichens offers an indirect measure of their levels in the atmosphere. Accumulated HMs of lichen thalli of 16 species belonging to 10 genera and their phorophytes of two characteristic areas of Brahmaputra valley were studied. Acid digested samples of thalli and phorophytes were analysed for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Pb by ICP-OES. Mean concentrations of the HMs were found to be higher in lichens at the area situated close to the downtown area of the city and the Brahmaputra River. Accumulation of Cd, Cu, Fe and Ni were found to be higher in lichen thalli; however, leaves accumulated higher levels of Co and Mn. Linear regression analysis shows poor dependency of the thalli on their phorophytes indicating accumulation of metals from atmosphere. The extent of enrichment in the lichen thalli, which was evaluated by calculating enrichment factors (EFs) revealed moderate enrichment of Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb; however, Cd was found to be highly enriched. Ecological risk posed by the heavy metals were calculated and it was found that Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the data set identifies three contributing sources: coal-fired industrial emission, crustal dust blown from dry river bed and vehicular emission.
Ecological Impacts and Management of Acid Sulphate Soil: A Review
Authors: Michael Patrick S.
Published: November 2024

The ecological impacts of acid sulphate soils (ASS) and the management of the impacts are a major concern globally. The reasons being how to minimize the exposure, reduce the residual impacts and make available management options. Despite the numerous studies, no review exists that synthesizes the major findings of the impacts from an agricultural soil, water and environment pollution point of view. Therefore, this paper presents a synthesis of the impacts on water and the soil together with the management options that are available. The review also identifies main areas that need further investigations.
The Photosynthetic Behaviour and Biomass as Indicators for the	Resistance and Tolerance Capacity of the Algae as well as Its Potential Use for	Tannin Removal in the Tannery Effluents
Authors: Jasmine R.
Published: November 2024

Tannery effluents have reutilization potentials and may be harnessed for human welfare. Tannin, the chief component of tannery effluent, increases biological oxygen demand. Admittedly disposal of these untreated effluents will affect all life. Such disposal operations will ultimately depend on the biodegradation. Tannins, the chief component of tannery effluents, are degraded by bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Little work has been attempted using blue green algae. It is seen that the algae when made to grow in the effluent (diluted) survives and later flourishes. Since the algae are significant photosynthetic organisms, it is important to investigate the effect of tannins on the pigmentation and also on biomass which serve as bioindicators for tolerance to tannins. The photosynthetic pigments and biomass of the algae were analysed before and after the treatment with effluent. The present investigations showed that cyanobacteria can serve as the potential bioremedial organism for industrial pollution. Today, bioremediation is widely applied in the treatment of contaminated water, soil, sludge and sediments. Bioremediation is the best method for remediation of the long chain molecular organic compounds, hazardous waste and toxicity chemical.
Lagrangian Model Simulation of Passive Tracer Dispersion in the	Siak Estuary and Malacca Strait
Authors: Putri Mutiara R. , Pohlmann Thomas
Published: November 2024

The 3-dimension hydrodynamical Hamburg Shelf Ocean Model (HAMSOM) is used to study the dispersal of riverine pollutants in the Malacca Strait. Surface currents dominantly flow northward, i.e. from south eastern Java Sea to the Malacca Strait. The model simulations indicate particles discharged by the Siak River could reach the northern part of Bengkalis Strait within 20 days.
Simulation of Organic Pollutants: First Step towards an Adaptation	to the Malacca Strait
Authors: Mayer Bernhard , Pohlmann Thomas
Published: November 2024

For the simulation of the transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), a set of numerical models has been adapted and applied to the Malacca Strait and the adjacent South China Sea and Java Sea. As a fi rst step, a model experiment, namely input of POPs into model region only via rivers, was performed, because realistic input data regarding concentrations, sources and sinks of POPs for the marine environment as well as different other parameters responsible for the fate of POPs in the ocean were not yet available. Firstly, a numerical hydrodynamical model has been applied to the region of interest to simulate the hydrological situations as realistically as possible. Secondly, a numerical model for the fate and transport of POPs has been run on the basis of the hydrodynamical model results to simulate the dispersal of two differently behaving POPs, i.e., γ-HCH and PCB 153, from river input only. It is shown that only a clear seasonal but hardly annual variation is present in the model results for the currents and for the total POP concentrations. Despite permanent riverine input, the seasonal pattern of total POP concentration in water repeats in the simulation results year after year without further accumulation indicating that a quasi-steady state has been reached. Tidal mixing leads to vertically homogeneous concentrations except in deeper areas of northern Malacca Strait. Furthermore, the concentration distributions of PCB 153 in water show similar patterns but lower values than γ-HCH.
Organic Production of Koromjol, Passur River System of the	Sundarbans, Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Farzana , Rahman Mir Tamzid , Rahman Md Sayadur , Ahmad Jasim Uddin
Published: November 2024

A study on organic production of Koromjol, Passur River System of the Sundarbans was conducted from September 2008 to May 2009. The present study deals with organic production, phytoplankton abundance and nutrients of Koromjol in our sampling station, Koromjol, the values of gross and net primary production were ranged from 18 to 146 and 15 to 86 mgC/m $^3$ /L respectively where maximum were recorded during winter and minimum at rainy season. Supporting biomass and phytoplankton abundance were also given highest values at winter and lowest during rainy season which makes the seasonal variation very signifi cant. Phytoplankton taxa belonging to some major classes, i.e. Cephaladonia sp., Coscinodiscus sp., Oscillatoria sp. and Melosira sp. were identifi ed. The ojectives of this study are to determine the organic production, phytoplankton abundance and chlorophyll-a with the nutrients of the Passur river.
Assessment of the Chemical Quality of Water in the	Halabja-Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Authors: Mohammed Barzinji Dana A. , Ganjo Dilshad G.A.
Published: November 2024

A study of water pollution was conducted at Halabja-Sulaimani. Water samples were collected from five different locations in a radial manner around and within Halabja town. Water sources included artesian wells, drilled wells and Kahreezes. Before the chlorination and disinfection process, water samples were collected and then chemical and bacteriological analyses were conducted. The field works commenced according to a regular schedule twice per month, starting in June and ending in November 2007. The chemical evaluation of the well waters in the present study based on standards given for drinking water by the World Health Organization guidelines, can be assessed as good-quality; ranging from moderately hard to hard. Saturated by oxygen and healthy with regard to biological oxygen demand. The maximum and minimum of reactive phosphorus, nitrate, nitrite and chloride were 0.05–4.29 mg at P-PO $_4$ l $^{-1}$ , 0.83–8.40 N-NO $_3$ l $^{-1}$ and 1.42–25.16 mgl $^{-1}$ , respectively. All water samples during the investigation period revealed pollution by nickel, lead, molybedinum and chromium. In all investigated sites, cations were dominated by calcium followed by magnesium, sodium and potassium in order of decreasing concentrations.
Impacts of and Adaptations to Sea Level Rise in Malaysia
Authors: Sarkar Md. Sujahangir Kabir , Begum Rawshan Ara , Pereira Joy Jacqueline , Jaafar Abdul Hamid , Saari M. Yusof
Published: November 2024

Sea level rise (SLR) due to global warming would severely affect the coastal areas of many countries of the world through inundation of coastal areas and islands, shoreline erosion, and destruction of important ecosystems such as wetlands and mangroves. A significant increase of sea level would hamper the economy, trade, tourism, biodiversity and livelihood. This article attempts to highlight a snapshot of physical, economic and social impacts of SLR and adaptation measures needed in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the total mangrove would be lost with 90 cm rise in the sea level and destruction of coastal bunds could inundate 1000 km $^2$ agricultural lands. Malaysia would be needing 5750 million US$ PPP additional economic cost for SLR in 2030. In addition, Malaysia would lose 7000 km $^2$ land area and more than 0.05 million population would be displaced by 1 m SLR in 2100 if no adaptation measures are taken. The country's total cost of SLR with and without adaptation would be 160.92 and 655.09 million US$/year respectively under A2 scenario. Thus, adaptation measures are necessary to reduce the possible impacts of SLR in coastal zones. Adaptation measures such as coastal defenses, beach nourishment, offshore barriers, flood gate, mangrove creation etc. should be taken to limit the negative impact of SLR in Malaysia. These adaptation measures and responses should be mainstreamed with local policy, planning and resilience-building strategies.
A Long-Term Study of Mine Site Rehabilitation in Australia
Authors: Fergusson L.
Published: November 2024

This paper presents a three-part treatment and revegetation programme conducted at a derelict metaliferous mine site in Australia from 2000-2013. Programme #1 examined the treatment of acidity and leachable metals and the impact of revegetation in a control and three treated areas of contaminated waste rock at one part of the site; Programme #2 examined the treatment of acidity, plant uptake of metals and trace elements, and tree growth in a control and four treated areas of contaminated waste rock at a second section of the site; and Programme #3 examined the treatment of acidity and leachable metals and revegetation of submerged mine tailings and an exposed tailings beach.

Programme #1, which assessed lime and biosolids amended waste rock, a standard clay-topsoil capping of waste rock, and the addition of Terra B reagent to waste rock compared to a control, showed soil pH in the control remained unchanged from years 1-14 at around 4.0, while soil pH in the limed and capped areas was initially increased but fell back to starting levels of around 4.0 within 12 months and remained low for 14 years. In contrast, soil pH in the Terra B treated area was 6.8 immediately after treatment and increased to 7.2 in year 6 and 8.7 by year 14 without further treatment; these findings were consistent for data on total actual acidity and total potential acidity.

Similarly, leachable metals were generally lower in the Terra B area than either the control or other treatment areas. Tree height and density were also measured in 2005 and again in 2013 indicating acidity in the control, limed and capped areas suppressed tree height and density, however by 2013 in the Terra B area revegetation was comparable to undisturbed, remnant forest. In Programme #2, outcomes over the 14-year period were consistent with those observed in Programme #1 for the control, biosolids and Terra B treatment areas.

Programme #3 showed the submerged and exposed tailings which had low pH of 3.5 and high concentrations of total and leachable metals before treatment, but heavy metals became non-leachable immediately after treatment with Terra B reagent and pH rose to 8.0, remaining steady for 14 years. Revegetation was achieved on the tailings beach, with almost uniform colonization of bulrush and common reed, along with bottlebrush and golden wattle; a variety of reptiles have also been observed on the revegetated tailings beach, along with migrating ducks, spoonbills and grebes. In each case, what was highly contaminated waste rock or tailings before treatment, effectively became a neutralised, stable growth medium after treatment with Terra B reagent.
A Preliminary Study on Assessment of Noise Levels in Indian	Offices: A Case Study
Authors: Swain Bijay Kumar , Goswami Shreerup , Das Madhumita
Published: November 2024

The urban noise pollution is growing day by day and has become a universal problem for both the public and the policy-makers. The increase in number of market complexes, growing population and consequently increase in number of vehicles have inevitably caused major noise pollution in different public places and government offices. Now-a-days, there are records of high level of dissatisfaction due to noise incidence in and around different offices. Therefore, an attempt has been made to assess the noise pollution levels at 10 different office corridors in and around the city of Balasore. The noise data collected from different offices displayed wide ranges of noise level varying in three different times (10-12 noon, 1-3 pm and 3-5 pm). The maximum noise level was assessed at RTO office (83.4 dB), while minimum was assessed at Head Post Office (43.7 dB). Also, the maximum equivalent noise level was assessed at RTO office (75.3), while minimum was assessed at Income Tax office (58.3). The maximum noise pollution level (NPL) and Noise Climate (NC) were assessed at RTO office (96.6) and Collectorate office (26.5) and minimum was assessed at Inspector of Schools (70.4) and at Horticulture office (11.2) respectively.
Mangrove Sediment Heavy Metals from Southeast Coast of India
Authors: Sakthivel Kollimalai , Kathiresan Kandasamy
Published: November 2024

Heavy metals such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) concentration range were 13330–32500 ppm, 260–780 ppm, 32.7–158 ppm, 27.6–82.6 ppm, 15.6–46.8 ppm, 5.46–42.7 ppm, 3.48–14.7 ppm and 0.15–1.75 ppm reported respectively. At all the sampling sites, the mean concentrations were found to follow the decreasing orders: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Co > Pb > Cd. ANOVA of variation ratio and level of significance between study areas were 1% significant except manganese (5%) and copper (not significant). Statistical reports also showed 1% significant except cadmium (5%). Iron and zinc can be considered as high level of contamination and a serious threat, copper was a moderate to serious threat, nickel slight contamination and cadmium no hazards.
Lignin and Isotope Signatures in Pollen: A Caveat of Lignin Phenol	Biomarker for Reconstructing Paleovegetation
Authors: Tareq Shafi M. , Ohta Keiichi
Published: November 2024

Lignin phenol and stable isotope have been used as a biomarker to trace the sources of sedimentary organic matter (SOM), reconstruction of paleovegetation and climate changes without considering the possible occurrence of fossil pollen grain in sedimentary matrix. Lignin phenol analysis of modern pollen showed that both gymnosperm and angiosperm pollen yielded very high concentration of cinnamyl (C) phenols as compared to that of vanillyl (V) and syringyl (S) phenols (C/V=3.05–23.67) with variation in isotopic compositions (δ $^{13}$ =−20.2 to −28.3‰ and δ $^{15}$ N =−9.2 to 1.7‰). Therefore the isotopic and lignin phenol signatures in SOM might be distorted to some extent by fossil pollen. This was especially true in the sediments of low altitude and latitude continental lakes and coastal areas where significant amount of fossil pollen might be deposited. Therefore, before using lignin phenol as a biomarker, one should consider a possible distortion derived from lignin of fossil pollen in sedimentary matrix.
Performance of Mesophilic Biofilter for the Treatment of Ethyl	Benzene Polluted Air: Effect of Process Parameters
Authors: Natarajan Rajamohan , Al-Sinani Jamila , Viswanathan Saravanan
Published: November 2024

The removal of ethyl benzene in a laboratory scale biofilter was investigated using a mixed microbial culture immobilized on a tree bark and proflex media based biofilter. The effect of operating variables namely inlet VOC concentration and flow rate were studied in the range of 1.0-4.0 g/m $^3$ and 0.25-1.0 m $^3$ /h. The maximum removal efficiency of ethyl benzene attained was 98% with an initial concentration of 1.0 g/m $^3$ and Empty Bed Residence Time of 282 s. Increasing the inlet ethyl benzene concentration and the air flow rate reduced the removal performance of the biofilter. A maximum elimination capacity of 130.5 g/m $^3$ /h was achieved under optimal conditions. Temperature variation of approximately 4.4°C was observed during the entire biofiltration period confirming the exothermic nature of bio-reaction. Maximum carbon dioxide production of 310.1 g/m $^3$ /h was recorded when the maximum elimination capacity was achieved.
A Comparative Study on the Bioaccumulation of	Cr$^{+3}$ and Cr$^{+6}$ by an Emergent	Macrophyte Scirpus mucronatus
Authors: Marbaniang Donboklang , Chaturvedi S.S.
Published: November 2024

A laboratory experiment was conducted to examine Cr $^{+3}$ and Cr $^{+6}$ uptake capacity of Scirpus mucronatus. The selected macrophytes were transferred to the laboratory containing nutrient solution enriched separately with 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 and 16 mg/L of K $_2$ Cr $_2$ O $_7$ and Cr(NO $_3$ ) $_3$ and were separately harvested after 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days. The bioaccumulation study showed a linear relationship between chromium uptake with the exposure time (2-10 days). The calculated linear regression coefficients (R $^2$ ) between uptake and exposure time were found to be in the range of 0.577-0.800 and 0.972-0.994 for Cr $^{+6}$ and Cr $^{+3}$ respectively. In both the experiments, the concentration of chromium was found to be higher in the roots than the shoots of S. mucronatus. The maximum accumulation, bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) value were calculated at 2343.6 μg/g dry weight, 489 and 0.33 for Cr $^{+3}$ and 1044 μg/g dry weight, 1034 and 0.68 for Cr $^{+6}$ , respectively. S. mucronatus has the ability to accumulate Cr $^{+6}$ from the surrounding water with a BCF value >10 $^2$ but poorly translocate Cr $^{+3}$ and Cr $^{+6}$ (TF < 1) to the aerial parts.
Two-dimensional Simulation of Nitrate Transport in an	Agriculture-intensive Region
Authors: Mohsenipour Morteza , Asgari Hamid , Shahid Shamsuddin , Hadipuor Sahar , Roushenas Peiman
Published: November 2024

A two-dimensional steady-state solute transport model is developed to simulate movement of non-point sources of pollution in anisotropic porous media. The migration of chemicals dissolved in groundwater is governed by advective-dispersive processes which are also affected by the velocity of the flowing groundwater. Therefore, groundwater flow equation is solved for hydraulic gradient and hydraulic conductivity to approximate the average linear velocity of the fluid. The advection-dispersion is used to approximate the spatial and temporal distribution of non-reactive dissolved chemical in a flowing groundwater. A computer code is developed in MATLAB to solve the groundwater flow and solute transports equations by finite difference methods. The developed program is verified with soil-tank experimental data. The solute transport model is used to simulate non-point source of nitrate pollution in an agriculture-intensive region. Finally, the model outputs are analyzed to understand the factors that influence the pollution transport in the study area.
Vegetational Diversity and Community Level Analysis in a Landfill	Site for Solid Waste Disposal
Authors: Manwal Seema , Joshi S.P.
Published: November 2024

A total of 177 species were recorded from all the three sites of the landfill/study area of Doon valley; cultivated species outnumbered the natural species in landfill sites and periphery. Dicots contributed 76.28% of the total vegetation. Herbs were dominating growth form. TWINSPAN classified the herbaceous vegetation of landfill site into five groups in rainy season, four groups in winter season and four groups in summer season. The high moisture content in the landfill site with high organic matter and other similar habitat parameters have clustered the vegetation of landfill sites and periphery. The results of a study indicating the great influence of soil parameters on the diversity and composition of vegetation are presented.
Green Revolution in India: Environmental Degradation and Impact on	Livestock
Authors: Rahman Saidur
Published: November 2024

The Green Revolution has transformed India to a food grain surplus country from a deficit one. No other activity has such immense impact on the socio-economic development of the people as the Green Revolution. Intensification of agriculture over the years has led to overall degradation of the fragile agro-ecosystem. High cost of production and diminishing economic returns from agricultural practices are affecting the socio-economic condition of farmers. Loss of soil fertility, erosion of soil, soil toxicity, diminishing water resources, pollution of underground water, salinity of underground water, increased incidence of human and livestock diseases and global warming are some of the negative impacts of over adoption of agricultural technologies by the farmers to make the Green Revolution successful. Indiscriminate and disproportionate use of chemicals pollutes the soil, air and water and feed and fodders offered to animals. This may be one of the important etiologies of increased productive and reproductive health problems of livestock.

Various scientific studies and surveys conducted on fertilizer and pesticide residues during last 45 years indicate the presence of residues of fertilizers and pesticides like nitrates, organochlorines, organophosphates, synthetic pyrethroids and carbamates at higher level than permissible limit in milk, dairy products, water, fodder, livestock feeds and other food products. As urea, a nitrogen-rich fertilizer is used much more than the recommended 4-to-1 ratio to potassium; it is contributing to the global warming. The extent of systematic damages caused in the process of Green Revolution to the soil, groundwater, and ecosystem needs to be quantified. It could lead to irreversible consequence to the life of the people who are benefited once if the timely, adequate and sustainable measures are not taken up to mitigate the harm done by the Green Revolution.
BOD Approximation for Common Effluent Treatment Plant Using	ANN
Authors: Vyas Monika , Modhera Bharat , Sharma Anil
Published: November 2024

In developing countries like India, common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) are often suggested as cost-effective options for centralized treatment of effluents emerging from separate waste-streams. The treatment/operation cost of CETPs is met by individual waste generators in proportion to the strength of the waste generated by them. This necessitates the regular determination of parameters such as BOD, which often is cost intensive, requires specialized lab personnel, and is time consuming (3-5 days minimum). Approximation of BOD, therefore, presents a relevant strategy which can save upon cost, effort and time. This paper presents a framework that employs Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique to approximate influent and effluent BOD for common effluent treatment process. The framework is applied to the case of a CETP at Bhopal city, India. In the present work, a three-layered feed forward ANN that compares two different learning algorithms has been applied, and suitable architecture of the neural network models has been ascertained after several steps of training and testing of the models. The results indicate accuracy above 90%, thereby ANN proves to be a promising tool in the field of modelling.
Environmental Magnetism of Roadside Soil Contamination in the	Restricted Bijyodaira Area of Mt. Tateyama, Toyama, Japan
Authors: Kawasaki Kazuo , Horikawa Keiji , Sakai Hideo
Published: November 2024

Environmental magnetic techniques have been shown to be highly useful for investigating roadside pollution in Europe, North America and Asia. However, no studies have reported such magnetic monitoring in Japan. Here we report environmental magnetic results along the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine route at the Bijyodaira area of Mt. Tateyama in Toyama, which is part of the Special Protection Zone of the Chubu Sangaku National Park. In-field susceptibility measurements from 17 sites (297 points) as well as in-laboratory susceptibility measurements from six sites (75 surface and auger core soil samples) show higher susceptibilities near the roadside and a positive correlation between the susceptibility and heavy metal contents. Also, the concentration of the magnetic minerals and associated heavy metals near the surface shows less vertical downward migration of these materials below 15 cm from surface. Rock magnetic analyses indicate that: (a) the major magnetic minerals are pseudosingle- and multi-domain magnetite and/or titanomagnetite; (b) the closer the road side, the more anthropogenic magnetite is present; and (c) most pollutants derived from the vehicles are deposited within a few metre distances from the road through the area. Overall, the results show that environmental magnetic techniques are suitable for studying pollution associated with vehicle traffic elsewhere in Japan.
Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Medical	Gauze as Unseen Environmental Pollutant
Authors: Banerjee Devjani , Gohil Tejas , Dudhat Sarika
Published: November 2024

The present study was undertaken to screen the bacterial isolates causing hemolysis present in medical gauze, used to wrap wounds. The medical gauze was obtained from medical store Anand, Gujarat, India. Isolation was done according to Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines along with 16S rDNA characterization and further PCR was performed to check the presence of hemolysin gene. In all, 10 different bacterial colonies were isolated out of which seven were found to be resistant against one or the other antibiotic. Molecular characterization of colony number 7 confirmed the presence of hemolysin gene and was found to be resistant to large number of antibiotics, identified as Enterobacter hormaechei.

Enterobacter hormaechei is lesser known strain as not much has been reported in India. But this is thought to be one of the major bacteria responsible for nosocomial infection by means of various transmissions. Medical gauzes are widely used in surgeries and covering wounds. The possible presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria like this can give rise to devastating effect leading to various nosocomial outbreaks.
Kitchen Air Pollution in India
Authors: Sinha Malavika
Published: November 2024

The discussion about the kitchen is tiny one but most effective. The function of a domestic kitchen is quite restless because it operates almost 365 days in a year. In India total number of domestic kitchens is quite higher than total Indian households. These kitchens are small food preparing industry where energy used in terms of kitchen fuel and matter in terms of food and industrial sewage occurs in the form of pollutants. Indian women on an average spend two hours per day and minimum 75 minutes per day in kitchen. This paper covers the most focal aspect of realistic picture of domestic kitchen air pollution in Indian middle class families. The exposure of air pollution is vast one. The preventive measure to combat air pollution in the kitchen is the first foot stepping of it. Here the effort has been made to make aware about the exposure of kitchen air pollution in India. This is just like the concept of charity begins at home. This paper depicts the clear picture of preventive measures to combat air pollution in a developing country (India) which has to be started from domestic kitchens.
Evolutionary Music Monophony Generator Using Non-Binary Representation Genes from Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Soong Hoong-Cheng , Ayyasamy Ramesh Kumar , Ku Chin Soon , Khamis Shakiroh
Published: November 2024

The art of music, integral to the human experience, has been present since ancient civilizations. Diverse musical styles emerge from various cultures, geographic locations, and historical periods. Nevertheless, creative individuals may unknowingly produce compositions resembling existing works, even without exposure to similar pieces. Consequently, the cultivation of evolutionary music is crucial for generating a broad spectrum of compositions less likely to evoke familiarity. Hence, music appreciation is significantly subjective from one person to another in society. With the advancement of today’s technology, evolutionary music can be created at ease using algorithmic composition methods from evolutionary algorithms. In this manuscript, we present a method for creating concise, non-binary genetic representations of music notes to generate short, monophonic melodies without harmonic accompaniment. This approach is specifically tailored for the preliminary stage of the research project. Genetic Algorithm (GA) is a metaheuristic about an evolutionary algorithm based on the natural selection processes, which are appropriate for the approach. Genetic Algorithms are versatile that can be combined with other algorithms to produce melodies, harmonies, chords, music structures, scales and others. The novelty of my proposed method is able to create monophony melodies with just solely genetic algorithm without having additional algorithms for the rhythms. Therefore, a literature survey is conducted to provide insight into the latest research using other machine learning methods for evolutionary music. Deep learning is a subset newer to machine learning that increases the accuracy of the results with more extensive data sets.