Most of the tropical rivers of the world are being affected by multiple sources of pollution. The intensity of pollution is much bigger in the urban stretches due to discharge of untreated or ...partially treated sewage. A rapid and cost-effective tool is required for identification of water quality problems and their spatial variation for determining the main pollution sources and to detect relationships between various parameters. For this study, Gomti River, a major tributary of River Ganges, India, was considered which has gained substantial attention because of increasing anthropogenic pollution loads that has badly affected its water quality and ecosystem functions. The urban segment is polluted with organic substances, nutrients and heavy metals. The study provides an overview of the quality of water in the Gomti River through water quality index (WQI) and multivariate statistical techniques to check if WQI is enough for a nutrient-polluted river in the urban stretch. The study suggests that periodic monitoring and the water quality index development are not enough as it does not incorporate all the aspect of a rivers water quality. The separate assessment of nitrogenous biochemical oxygen demand, carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, sediment oxygen demand and the nitrification inhibition aspects are required to be integrated when developing a WQI. Present study illustrates that water quality of Gomti River has gradually worsened from upstream and downstream to middle stretch. The middle stretch was found to be most polluted as the major drains are concentrated within this stretch. Principal component analysis/factor analysis (PCA/FA) helped in obtaining and recognizing the factors/sources accountable for river water quality differences in the study area. The findings are useful for the decisions regarding water quality management and this can also be applied for speedy and low-cost assessment of water quality of the polluted urban stretch of other tropical rivers for better environmental management and planning perspective.
Fossil fuels are sharing a large portion of energy demand. Conventional energy sources emit a huge amount of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, which creates energy and environmental challenges for ...the ecosystem. To fulfill the world energy demand and to support environmental as well as economic development in a sustainable way, with the utilization of technological advancement of renewable energy resources, algae are presently believed as most adaptable feedstock materials for bioenergy production. Algae has a high fixation rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide which supports to fast growth rate with high productivity per unit area in the form of renewable algal biomass. The present article aims to elaborate on the three generations of biofuels, sustainable microalgae biomass production, cultivation systems, and a wide range of growth parameters. The microalgae harvesting methods and their challenges are also discussed, with a special focus on lipid extraction methods and future r recommendations. The upstream and downstream processes of microalgae could help to harness the microalgae energy in an eco-friendly manner and will help in achieving overall sustainable development.
•Microalgal biomass is a sustainable feedstock for biofuel and bioproducts.•Optimization of upstream and downstream processes enhance produces of microalgae.•Important biotic and abiotic factors of microalgae cultivation are summarized.•Critical steps of harvesting and transesterification of microalgal are discussed.•The key challenges with future recommendations of algal cultivation are briefed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In the environment, heavy metal contamination is a well known problem due to its persistence and toxicity. Heavy metal pollution has significantly affected soil properties and functions, resulting in ...significantly increased land degradation as a result of anthropogenic interventions that include mining and various industrial and agriculture activities. While heavy metals pollution in soil have been studied very rarely in this District, this paper explores the current status of agricultural soil pollution by heavy metals in Raebareli. This study identifies heavy metals as well as their quantities in the soil and their spatial distribution; our study employed various pollutant indices and geographical information system (GIS) techniques. This research work evaluated the physiochemical properties, the pollution load index (PLI), contamination factor (CF) and the degree of contamination and geoaccumulation (Igeo) in sodic soils of the Raebareli District, Uttar Pradesh, India. Uchahaar site (US) has the most polluted soil, while the Bacharawa site (BS) has the least contaminated soil. The soil quality has degraded due to anthropogenic interventions at most sites. There is slight to moderate contamination by heavy metals at all sites. The Igeo values in subSites US1, US2 and US3 included high levels of Cu, Zn, Pb, Mn and Sr. SubSites BS2 and BS3 have high Sr levels and US1 has a high As level all these Subsites have high anthropogenic influences. The PLI values indicate that most of the study subSites come under a slightly polluted class, except US1 where the PLl was > 3 indicating severe heavy metal pollution at this site. All the pollution indices have then been utilized for building maps using the IDW method of interpolation. The spatial projection of PLI and ecological risk index (Er) values suggest that the northern part of Raebareli has a high pollution load and ecological risk in terms of heavy metal pollution. This study provide valuable information that policymakers could use to develop an appropriate plan to control pollution within the agricultural sector.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Riverfront development is one of the important pervasive modifiers of river morphology and processes affecting river corridors, floodplains and associated riparian zones. The Irrigation and Water ...Resources Department of Government of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, undertook an ambitious project of riverfront development during April 2015 to March 2017 in the capital city of Lucknow on Gomti River, a meandering perennial tributary of Ganges which is fed by rainfall and groundwater. Under this project, straightening and shortening of the river channel was done by controlling its width, shape and riverbed through constructing a heavily reinforced diaphragm wall on both banks on an 8.1 km stretch. River floodplain width was restricted to 240 m out of 450 m and clear waterway to 100–125 m from existing 250 m to reclaim about 200 ha of land upstream and downstream of Gomti barrage in the city. This paper assesses the loss of river processes and ecosystems under changed hydraulic regimes post riverfront development project. We observed eight types of habitat in the undisturbed segments of the Gomti River, while only two major habitat types were present in the channelized segments. The paper argues that, due to heavy channel engineering led riverfront development and other related morphometric changes, there would be decline in freshwater species and water quality, lowering of groundwater tables in the city reach, resulting from diminishing base flow and flooding of the downstream areas. The river is fed by rainfall and groundwater, maintaining variable flow regimes with a very lean flow during the summer season. The reduction in flow, in the absence of water augmentation measures, will further impact the minimum environmental flows required to maintain the healthy ecosystems in the river broadening the area of ecological disturbances. This study can provide valuable insights for future projects on riverfront development and restoration measures in India and elsewhere.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The advent of technologies has stimulated the economic growth of western countries, however, some Asian and African countries are among the Lower Middle Income Countries due to lack of technology ...adoption and digitally skilled human capital. The use of technologies produces digital competent human capital stock that accelerates economic growth. The prime goal of this article is to explore dynamics of technology adoption, technology innovation, human capital and skill development for Lower Middle Income Countries region over the period 2000-2016 by Generalised Method of Moments and cross sectional dependence. New technology adoption, technology innovation and human capital & skill development indices are formulated. The empirical findings indicate that human capital development & skill and investment have positive linkage with Lower Middle Income Countries economic growth while technology adoption and innovation have different linkage across the Lower Middle Income Countries regions. The panel error correction method was applied to estimate short run dynamics and convergence rate. The fully modified ordinary least square was applied to authenticate whether the long run estimates are consistent and valid for policy implications. The findings propose policy implications for advance technology adoption and innovation with the focus on human capital development & skill and investment in Lower Middle Income Countries region.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl. is responsible for causing leaf spots and blight diseases on a large number of horticultural and agricultural crops including pea. The response and resistance of ...different pea varieties to this fungus might vary. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the varietal differences in the physiological response of Pisum sativum L. to A. alternata. Various physiological and biochemical parameters of two commercial pea varieties (Leina and Meature) were assessed at vegetative stage in pot experiment. Sterilized seeds were soaked in 1×105 mL conidial suspension of A. alternata for 15 min and control seeds were soaked in sterilized water. These sterilized seeds were sown in pots containing sterilized soil. In both varieties, germination percentage, germination rate, seedling vigor index, root and shoot length, dry and fresh biomass, leaf sugar, chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, leaf osmotic potential, leaf relative water content, significantly decreased under A. alternata stress as compared to control. But proline and protein content significantly increased. It is concluded from the results that A. alternata caused adverse effects on the physiology of pea plant. The tested pea variety Leina was found to be more sensitive under fungal stress of A. alternata as compared to Meature and the extent of stress caused by both test varieties can be exploited in future studies.
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