Browsing by Author "Pardeep Singh"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 46

A critical review on the research trends and emerging technologies for arsenic decontamination from water
(Elsevier B.V., 2021) Pardeep Singh; Anwesha Borthakur; Rishikesh Singh; Rahul Bhadouria; Vipin Kumar Singh; Pooja Devi
To understand the current research output on arsenic (As) removal and research related to the As contamination, a bibliometric analysis based on Scopus database was carried out. The analysis includes the research covering the leading countries and year wise literature outputs. Bibliometric analysis revealed increasing trend in research published on As removal (more than 1200 articles) using physico-chemical methods during 1995 onwards and United States of America (USA) as leading contributor. Among different research institutions, Chinese Academy of Sciences has contributed maximally to research articles reaching up to 950 and maximum 635 research articles were published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology with respect to As removal using physico-chemical methods. With respect to As removal using biological methods, around 400 research articles were recorded during 1995 onwards and maximum article contribution (1052) was registered for China followed by USA (964). Based on Scopus data 2021, maximum 222 articles on As removal using biological methods were recorded for the journal ‘Chemosphere’. The present review emphasizes on currently available physico-chemical as well as emerging treatment processes for the removal of As, generally occurring as arsenite and arsenate, from drinking water. It has been suggested by various studies that a combination of low-cost physico-chemical treatment methodologies like ion exchange, reverse osmosis, precipitation, filtration and adsorption along with biological methods can be a safe alternative for As removal from drinking water. Overall, the study suggests that there is a strong need for further research on efficient processes involving lab to land approaches for As removal from groundwater in order to reduce the toxicity and contamination of As in drinking water. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
Agriculture in the era of climate change: Consequences and effects
(Elsevier, 2019) Rahul Bhadouria; Rishikesh Singh; Vipin Kumar Singh; Anwesha Borthakur; Arif Ahamad; Gaurav Kumar; Pardeep Singh
The changing environmental conditions, especially global warming and climate variability, are major concerns and have an adverse impact over the future of agriculture. The changing climate has become a global issue which needs rapid policy development at national and international levels. The melting of massive Himalayan glaciers would considerably change the impact of temperature regimes which is necessary for blossoming of several crop plants. Thus, the current generation needs to find solutions to combat the negative impacts of environmental consequences on agricultural crops. Useful strategies include the conservation of the world’s huge biodiversity together with other natural resources. Modifications in currently used agricultural practices and the search for new plant species tolerant to different abiotic and biotic environmental stresses could help to mitigate the negative impact of climate change. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Airborne heavy metals deposition and contamination to water resources
(Elsevier, 2022) Harshbardhan Kumar; Gurudatta Singh; Virendra Kumar Mishra; Ravindra Pratap Singh; Pardeep Singh
Heavy metals are group of metals or metalloids with higher atomic weight, density, and toxicity. These metals occur in a natural background geochemical composition in Earth’s crust, atmosphere and water. But in the past few decades, due to increased anthropogenic activities and emissions, the background level of heavy metals has changed considerably, which has overwhelmed the natural biogeochemical cycling processes of the metals across the Earth’s system. Most of the metals exist in ionic or inorganic form which cannot be further disintegrated like organics and thus persist, accumulate, and get transported from one sphere to another in the interlinked environmental system. They are highly undesirable and of paramount concern because of their toxicity, even at a low concentration, except for some essential metals. Mining, smelting, and refining of metals, industrial processes (electroplating, coating, galvanizing, paint, and spray), coal-based power plant, agriculture activities, and open metallurgical processes are some potential anthropogenic sources of heavy metal emission to atmosphere. Once the metals or metalloids bound particle or vapor emitted to the surrounding atmosphere their fate come under the purview of prevailing meteorology and wind circulation. Their natures of nondegradability add another moment to persist longer in the atmosphere and thus get long-range transported far away from the source region. That eventually scavenged through wet or dry depositional processes over open lands, water bodies and on plant leaves. In aquatic system via physiochemical and biological processes, they get metabolized into ingestible form which may then be taken up by plants and lower living organisms. This chapter will present an overview of in-land emission sources of heavy metals, their advection in the free troposphere and eventually their deposition to aquatic body. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Assessment of ground and surface water quality along the river Varuna, Varanasi, India
(Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2015) Pardeep Singh; R.K. Chaturvedi; Ankit Mishra; Lata Kumari; Rishikesh Singh; D.B. Pal; Deen Dayal Giri; Nand Lal Singh; Dhanesh Tiwary; Pradeep Kumar Mishra
Multivariate statistical techniques were employed for monitoring of ground-surface water interactions in rivers. The river Varuna is situated in the Indo-Gangetic plain and is a small tributary of river Ganga. The study area was monitored at seven sampling sites for 3 years (2010–12), and eight physio-chemical parameters were taken into account for this study. The data obtained were analysed by multivariate statistical techniques so as to reveal the underlying implicit information regarding proposed interactions for the relevant area. The principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA), and the results of correlations were also studied for all parameters monitored at every site. Methods used in this study are essentially multivariate statistical in nature and facilitate the interpretation of data so as to extract meaningful information from the datasets. The PCA technique was able to compress the data from eight to three parameters and captured about 78.5 % of the total variance by performing varimax rotation over the principal components. The varifactors, as yielded from PCA, were treated by CA which grouped them convincingly into three groups having similar characteristics and source of contamination. Moreover, the loading of variables on significant PCs showed correlations between various ground water and surface water (GW-SW) parameters. The correlation coefficients calculated for various physiochemical parameters for ground and surface water established the correlations between them. Thus, this study presents the utility of multivariate statistical techniques for evaluation of the proposed interactions and effective future monitoring of potential sites. © 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.
Assessment of groundwater quality with special emphasis on nitrate contamination in parts of Varanasi City, Uttar Pradesh, India
(Springer Verlag, 2018) Arif Ahamad; Sughosh Madhav; Pardeep Singh; Jitendra Pandey; A.H. Khan
In the current study, an effort was made to assess the geochemistry of groundwater by random collection of the samples from 15 different borewells located in various parts of Varanasi City, Uttar Pradesh, India. Geology of the study region is dominated by Quaternary alluvial sediments of Pleistocene to recent times where the younger alluvium receives fresh deposits of silt, clay and loam from periodic flood events. Ca–Mg–HCO3was inferred as major hydrogeochemical facies from Piper trilinear diagram. Ca–Mg type and HCO3− type were the dominating cation and anion facies, respectively. Hydrogeochemistry reveals that the cation abundance follows the order Na+> Mg2+ > Ca2+ > K+ and anion abundance HCO3− > Cl− > NO3− > SO42− > F−. As per Gibb’s plot, chemical weathering of rock minerals is affecting the quality of groundwater. Overall, most of the samples for majority of parameters lie within the allowable limits as set by WHO (guideline for drinking water quality, fourth edn, WHO, Geneva, p 340, 2004) except nitrate, which varied in the range of 40.32–78.97 mg/l. 80% of the groundwater samples in which nitrate exceeded beyond acceptable limit (50 mg/l), as per WHO standard, which may be due to poor sewerage, human excreta leakage from septic tanks, poorly maintained disposal of solid waste locally, agricultural activities, wastewater irrigation and irrigation runoff. The Water quality index (WQI) value of the study region depicts that 93% samples lie in the category of excellent water and 7% in good water category. Good positive correlation of NO3–Cl (r = 0.60) and Na–NO3 (r = 0.55) signifies an anthropogenic input of these ions into the subsurface water of the study region. The various indices such as electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, percent sodium, sodium absorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), permeability index (PI), Kelly’s ratio and magnesium ratio are used to check the fitness of ground water for irrigation uses which shows that groundwater samples of the study region is good to permissible for agricultural uses. © 2018, The Author(s).
Biological degradation of toluene by indigenous bacteria Acinetobacter junii CH005 isolated from petroleum contaminated sites in India
(Joint Center on Global Change and Earth System Science of the University of Maryland and Beijing Normal University, 2018) Pardeep Singh; Vipin Kumar Singh; Rishikesh Singh; Anwesha Borthakur; Ajay Kumar; Dhanesh Tiwary; P.K. Mishra
The bacterium Acinetobacter junii was isolated from petroleum-contaminated site in India and tested for its efficiency in degradation of toluene under aerobic condition. Within pH range 4–9, the optimum pH for toluene biodegradation was found to be 7.5. With increase in time, there was enhancement in degradation of toluene. Pure culture of Acinetobacter junii was able to degrade 69, 73 and 80% of 150, 100, and 50 ppm toluene, respectively, within 72 h at 37 °C. Simultaneous growth and degradation of toluene by the bacterium indicated the utilization of toluene as carbon source. After 72 h of treatment, toluene biodegradation was nearly stable. Scanning electron microscopic characterization of bacterial cells treated with toluene revealed the changes in surface morphology. Some of the cylindrical cells of bacterium got transformed into ovoid and spherical shape to escape the toluene toxicity. Degradation intermediates were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. The major intermediate compounds identified after toluene degradation by bacteria were 1-isopropenyl-4-methyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene; 1,3-Cyclohexadiene; 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl); 4-methoxycarbonyl-4-butanolide; and vinyl (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadienoate, which are less-toxic in nature. The degradation of toluene into non-toxic intermediate compounds as well as the growth in the presence of toluene presents the suitability of Acinetobacter junii in biofiltration of toluene-containing petroleum waste. © 2018, Joint Center on Global Change and Earth System Science of the University of Maryland and Beijing Normal University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Bioremediation: A sustainable approach for management of environmental contaminants
(Elsevier, 2019) Pardeep Singh; Vipin Kumar Singh; Rishikesh Singh; Anwesha Borthakur; Sughosh Madhav; Arif Ahamad; Ajay Kumar; Dan Bahadur Pal; Dhanesh Tiwary; P.K. Mishra
The release of various inorganic and organic chemicals from various industries such as petrochemicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals, agro-based industries, and tanneries is highly toxic to the environment and human health. Several processes and technologies such as physical, chemical, and advanced oxidation processes are available for treatment of these pollutants. However, these processes and technologies have their own limitations and the end products are also of toxic nature. Therefore, there is a need for identifying and exploring sustainable and eco-friendly methods which require a lesser amount of chemicals, are economically feasible, and produce nontoxic end products. The bioremediation approaches to clean up environmental pollutants are considered as emerging and sustainable methods recently. Bioremediation process is based on an integrated approach employing microbial communities such as actinomycetes, bacteria, fungi, and earthworms. It is considered as a sustainable process for management of organic pollutants-rich solid wastes and wastewater. Many microorganisms metabolize toxic chemicals to produce CO2 or CH4, water, and biomass. These pollutants may be enzymatically altered to metabolites that are less noxious or innocuous. Moreover, the solid residue generated in this process has been found to have a potential influence on soil macro- and micronutrients, indicating its application as organic manure. However, bioremediation technique required more research for its establishment at a larger scale with an emphasis on the environmental consequences of the end products. In this chapter, we have performed a literature survey based on biological methods for the management of organic pollutants. Microbes responsible for degradation processes have also been presented in the later part of the chapter. In this chapter, a thorough understanding of the bioremediation processes and methods applied for abatement and remediation of organic pollutants has been described in detail. © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Challenges and opportunities at the crossroads of Environmental Sustainability and Economy research
(Elsevier, 2021) Daniela Perrotti; Pramit Verma; K.K. Srivastava; Pardeep Singh
Cities occupy only nearly 3% of the world’s land surface. However, they account for over 75% of global natural resource consumption and contribute to about 70% of greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP International Resource Panel). Thus, human activities in cities are drivers of multiple environmental challenges, which are likely to increase with an expected rise of the global urban population by 70%-80% by 2050, and their effects extend over all the ecosystems of the world. Cities are human ecosystems where social, economic, biological, and ecological components work together forming a system of feedback loops and interactions. These interactions in urban ecosystems are guided through human values, agency, and perceptions. An ecological understanding of cities can help conceptualize them as key socioeconomic and environmental “nodes” where great potential exists for sustainability-oriented innovations in resource management and the mitigation of pollutant emissions, climate change, and other negative externalities of resource consumption. For several decades now, the need for sustainable development has emerged across different systems working in human societies on a global level. However, the challenge remains to integrate the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. The focus of this chapter is to read environmental sustainability through a socioeconomic lens. In this context, the transition to innovative socioeconomic models and “metabolic” approaches has been explored here, learning from main insights from the chapters in this book. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Climate change and its impact on natural resources
(Elsevier, 2021) Jyoti Kushawaha; Sivaiah Borra; Abhishek Kumar Kushawaha; Gurudatta Singh; Pardeep Singh
The places, population, and flora and fauna are at stake because of climate change. Natural resources regulate the economic, social, and cultural lives. Water is a basic need in everyday life, and its cycle is inextricably linked with climate change. The main concern is the changing scenario of the water resources and the factors supporting the condition of water scarcity. Forest resources have a very high value as a maximum of the national population, and the whole tribal community is dependent on the forest resources. Moreover, water itself plays a vital role directly or indirectly to affect the climate change on the oceans including warming, sea-level rise, changes in ocean currents pattern, coastal flooding, ocean acidity, and sea ice. These effects can, in turn, lead to significant changes in regional climate, climate pattern, and human migration. This chapter discusses climate change, its indicators and its impact on natural resources, especially on water, ocean, and forest resources. Moreover, the impact of climate change on water resources is the fundamental concern in this chapter. The industrialization leads to the emergence of employment, economic growth, development, and high living standards, but along with this the climate change poses a fundamental threat to ecology and environment because of the exploitation of the natural resources recklessly. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Comparative study of dye degradation using TiO2-activated carbon nanocomposites as catalysts in photocatalytic, sonocatalytic, and photosonocatalytic reactor
(Taylor and Francis Inc., 2016) Pardeep Singh; M.C. Vishnu; Karan Kumar Sharma; Rishikesh Singh; Sughosh Madhav; Dhanesh Tiwary; Pradeep Kumar Mishra
In the present study, activated carbon-based TiO2 nanocomposites with carbon loading were synthesized by sol–gel method for photocatalytic, sonocatalytic, and sonophotocatalytic degradation of colored compound in wastewater. The prepared catalysts were characterized by Brunauer–Emmet–Teller surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared analysis (FT-IR). The degradation efficiencies of the synthesized composites were determined by the degradation of Direct Blue-199 dye under three different reactors viz., photocatalytic, sonocatalytic, and sonophotocatalytic. Reaction kinetic modeling was done for these processes and the degradation rate was found maximum for sonophotocatalytic process as compared to individual ones. However, on considering the energy efficiency and degradation efficiency, photochemical reactor was found to be most economical. Therefore, for the treatment of wastewater-containing dye from industries, a photocatalytic process can be applied with further modification. © 2015 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.
Critical assessment and future dimensions for the urban ecological systems
(Elsevier, 2020) Pramit Verma; Rishikesh Singh; Pardeep Singh; A.S. Raghubanshi
This chapter indicates that there is a dire need for a comprehensive book on urban ecological studies, which holistically addresses emerging concepts of urbanization and compiles an all-inclusive account of development in its various themes. In this chapter, we have applied bibliometric analysis to assess the state of research in the past 10 years. Furthermore, the conceptual structure, density and centrality of the major themes were explored, which revealed that the current research may be organized into Ecology of Cities, Ecology in Cities and Management and Sustainability. The major challenges faced in these broad categories were described based on the review of literature, and their possible solutions were also highlighted. It was found that transdisciplinary approach with coproduction of research activities is the essential requirement for the Urban Ecology at present time. © 2020 Elsevier Inc.
Current and emerging trends in bioremediation of petrochemical waste: A review
(Taylor and Francis Inc., 2017) Pardeep Singh; Rajat Jain; Neha Srivastava; Anwesha Borthakur; D.B. Pal; Rishikesh Singh; Sughosh Madhav; Pratap Srivastava; Dhanesh Tiwary; Pradeep Kumar Mishra
Various industries release harmful petrochemical contaminants into the environment. To treat these petrochemical contaminants at source, different physical, chemical, and biological methods have been proposed and applied worldwide. However, physical and chemical methods have their own advantages and limitations; in this review, we majorly focused on the biodegradation of petrochemical wastes. First, a background study on the literature available in this field is presented. Second is a review of the toxic effects of petrochemical waste and various physical and chemical processes, followed by elaborate biological processes available for petrochemical waste degradation. Further, different aspects of bioremediation, such as modes, factors, limitations, and future perspectives are critically reviewed and presented. It was found that most of the studies performed on bioremediation of petrochemical waste employed bacteria for the degradation purpose. Some studies also made use of algae, fungi, yeast, genetically modified organisms, biosurfactants, or a consortium of these microbes. Moreover, use of bioremediation is still limited at field scale due to certain limitations, which have been elaborated in this article. Overall, we strongly believe that with bioremediation capturing the attention of environmentalists worldwide, there is still a prevailing need to scale up from lab to land level applications and adaptations. © 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Different techniques for the removal of endocrine-disrupting compounds in aquatic systems
(Elsevier, 2023) Gurudatta Singh; Monika Yadav; Virendra Kumar Mishra; Ravindra Pratap Singh; Pardeep Singh
Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) can harm human health and the environment by interfering with the endocrine system’s normal function. Their persistence in aquatic environments is mostly attributed to insufficient removal by traditional water and wastewater treatment. Due to the fact that these compounds are not entirely eliminated during treatment, their existence is frequently brought about by municipal wastewater discharge. Different routes, such as wastewater discharge and the release of pesticide residues from agricultural activities, might allow EDCs to enter the aquatic environment. Humans could be exposed through contaminated water or seafood intake, while fish and other species could be directly exposed. Researchers have developed alternative treatment techniques because it appears that the traditional treatment approaches have failed to eliminate the persistent EDC contaminants. There is still a dearth of thorough information on the recent developments in the revolutionary treatment techniques that are currently in use and their unique limitations. In this context, various EDC elimination treatments are examined critically and presented in this work. EDCs can be eliminated via a variety of approaches, including physical, chemical, and biological ones. Adsorption and catalytic degradation are two of the treatment approaches’ most obvious advancements. This work discusses the environmental occurrence of EDCs and their potential consequences on human health with a major focus on the removal of these hazardous compounds. Each technique’s benefits and drawbacks are discussed, and its potency in eliminating various kinds of EDCs is assessed. According to the study’s findings, it is crucial to get rid of EDCs in order to safeguard both human health and the environment, and a variety of removal techniques should be used to do so. © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Effect of nanoscale TiO 2 -activated carbon composite on Solanum lycopersicum (L.) and Vigna radiata (L.) seeds germination
(Joint Center on Global Change and Earth System Science of the University of Maryland and Beijing Normal University, 2016) Pardeep Singh; Rishikesh Singh; Anwesha Borthakur; Pratap Srivastava; Neha Srivastava; Dhanesh Tiwary; Pradeep Kumar Mishra
The extensive use of nanoparticles under different industrial processes and their release into the environment are of major concerns in the present global scenario. In the present study, the effects of activated carbon-based TiO 2 (AC-TiO 2 ) nano-composite on the seed germination of Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and Vigna radiata (mungbean) were investigated. The size of nanoparticles used in the study ranged from 30 to 50 nm, and their concentrations were from 0 to 500 mg L −1 . The composites were synthesized by sol–gel method and further characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Energy-dispersive X-rays spectroscopy (EDX), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction to investigate all the surface structural and chemical properties of AC-TiO 2 nano-composite. The results showed that increase in nano-composite concentration improves the germination rate and reduces germination time up to a certain concentration. Therefore, employing AC-TiO 2 nano-composites in suitable concentration may promote the seed germination and also reduce the germination time in Solanum lycopersicum and Vigna radiata. Further, it may help to understand the interface of TiO 2 nanoparticles with the environment and agriculture before its application to the field. © 2016, Joint Center on Global Change and Earth System Science of the University of Maryland and Beijing Normal University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Emerging trends in photodegradation of petrochemical wastes: a review
(Springer Verlag, 2016) Pardeep Singh; Ankita Ojha; Anwesha Borthakur; Rishikesh Singh; D. Lahiry; Dhanesh Tiwary; Pradeep Kumar Mishra
Various human activities like mining and extraction of mineral oils have been used for the modernization of society and well-beings. However, the by-products such as petrochemical wastes generated from such industries are carcinogenic and toxic, which had increased environmental pollution and risks to human health several folds. Various methods such as physical, chemical and biological methods have been used to degrade these pollutants from wastewater. Advance oxidation processes (AOPs) are evolving techniques for efficient sequestration of chemically stable and less biodegradable organic pollutants. In the present review, photocatalytic degradation of petrochemical wastes containing monoaromatic and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons has been studied using various heterogeneous photocatalysts (such as TiO2, ZnO and CdS. The present article seeks to offer a scientific and technical overview of the current trend in the use of the photocatalyst for remediation and degradation of petrochemical waste depending upon the recent advances in photodegradation of petrochemical research using bibliometric analysis. We further outlined the effect of various heterogeneous catalysts and their ecotoxicity, various degradation pathways of petrochemical wastes, the key regulatory parameters and the reactors used. A critical analysis of the available literature revealed that TiO2 is widely reported in the degradation processes along with other semiconductors/nanomaterials in visible and UV light irradiation. Further, various degradation studies have been carried out at laboratory scale in the presence of UV light. However, further elaborative research is needed for successful application of the laboratory scale techniques to pilot-scale operation and to develop environmental friendly catalysts which support the sustainable treatment technology with the “zero concept” of industrial wastewater. Nevertheless, there is a need to develop more effective methods which consume less energy and are more efficient in pilot scale for the demineralization of pollutant. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Engineered Nanoparticles in Smart Agricultural Revolution: An Enticing Domain to Move Carefully
(Springer Nature, 2021) Pratap Srivastava; Rishikesh Singh; Rahul Bhadouria; Dan Bahadur Pal; Pardeep Singh; Sachchidanand Tripathi
Nanotechnology may potentially benefit our agro-ecosystems in multiple ways, primarily via reduction in agricultural inputs without yield penalty and enhanced absorption of nutrients by the plants. In this regard, nano-fertilizers (such as engineered metal oxide or carbon-based nano-materials, nano-coated fertilizers, and nano-sized nutrients), and nano-pesticides (inorganic nano-materials or nano-formulations of active ingredients), might bring targeted as well as controlled release of agrochemicals in order to tap the fullest biological efficacy in already stressed agro-ecosystems, without over-dosages and leach-outs. Therefore, such nano-tools may multiply the agricultural yield, providing protection against various pests and diseases, without polluting our soil and water ecosystems at the same time. Though nanotechnology may provide potential solutions on such critical and persistent issues in agricultural management and activities; however, new environmental and human health hazards from their applications itself may pose unforeseen challenges to the humankind. For example, the biosafety, adversity, unknown fate, and acquired biological reactivity/toxicity of these nano-materials once dispersed in environment after application are still an unknown and threatening area, which needs to be investigated carefully and scientifically, before its open field use in our agro-ecosystems. Among other potential benefits, nano-tools may also be utilized for the rapid disease diagnostic in field crops and monitoring of the packaged food quality and contaminations. Similarly, the quality and health of soils and plants can be regularly monitored in real-time manner with the help of sensors based on highly sensitive nano-materials. However, a responsible regulatory consensus on nanotechnology application in agriculture needs to be developed, based upon profound scientific foundations. This chapter explores the area of nanotechnology in revolutionizing agriculture in a smart way via its known interactions with plants and soil microorganisms so far in the literature. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Environmental and health impacts of contaminants of emerging concerns: Recent treatment challenges and approaches
(Elsevier Ltd, 2021) Deepak Yadav; S. Rangabhashiyam; Pramit Verma; Pardeep Singh; Pooja Devi; Pradeep Kumar; Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain; Gajendra Kumar Gaurav; Kuppusamy Sathish Kumar
In the past few decades, new contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in the air, water, and soil have gained significant attention due to their adverse impact on human health and the environment. The sources of CECs have been identified in different forms from domestic and industrial activities such as personal care products and pharmaceuticals. It has been established that aqueous medium plays a major role in the dissemination of various contaminants, like drinking water, reservoirs, lakes, rivers and waste with water medium. There remains inadequate technology for the treatment of CECs in the wastewater systems. Though different techniques have advanced for the treatment of CECs, they still pose a severe threat to human health and disturb the ecological balance. In this review, the characteristics, recent technologies, risk assessment and management of CECs have been discussed. The primary aim is to highlight the new innovative and cost-effective technologies for the remediations of CECs in all forms. Biochar is readily and economically available in abundance and an economical adsorbent with 100% adsorptive removal for H2PO4−. The bibliometric analysis also performed to understand the emerging research trends on the treatment techniques, which can help in developing a guiding pathway to modern research in academia and industry. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Environmental Sustainability and Economy
(Elsevier, 2021) Pardeep Singh; Pramit Verma; Daniela Perrotti; K.K. Srivastava
Environmental Sustainability and Economy contains the latest practical and theoretical concepts of sustainability science and economic growth. It includes the latest research on sustainable development, the impact of pollution due to economic activities, energy policies and consumption influencing growth and environment, waste management and recycling, circular economy, and climate change impacts on both the environment and the economy. The 21st century has seen the rise of complex and multi-dimensional pathways between different aspects of sustainability. Due to globalization, these relationships now work at varying spatiotemporal scales resulting in global and regional dynamics. This book explores the complex relationship between sustainable development and economic growth, linking the environmental and social aspects with the economic pillar of sustainable development. Utilizing global case studies and interdisciplinary perspectives, Environmental Sustainability and Economy provides a comprehensive account of sustainable development and the economics of environmental protection studies with a focus on the environmental, geographical, economic, anthropogenic and social-ecological environment. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Exploring soil responses to various organic amendments under dry tropical agroecosystems
(Elsevier, 2020) Rishikesh Singh; Pratap Srivastava; Pramit Verma; Pardeep Singh; Rahul Bhadouria; Vipin Kumar Singh; Hema Singh; A.S. Raghubanshi
External input-based intensive agriculture practices have resulted in increasing food supply at the cost of considerable deterioration in soil quality and health. In addition, the release of various greenhouse gas emissions has also increased in recent years. For restoring soil health and productivity, and climate change mitigation, various organic amendments have been recommended for application in the soil. Depending upon the climatic variability, the soil responds differently to different amendments. Tropical agroecosystems are one of the extensively cultivated areas, and therefore, several studies dealing with agroecosystem responses have been performed under the present climate change scenario. In this chapter, we have explored the responses of the soil ameliorated with various organic amendments such as organic manure/compost, microbial fertilizers, vermicompost and biochar; and the impact of various amendments on soil physicochemical and biological properties. Moreover, soil respiration and microbial biomass under soils receiving these amendments have also been explored as the key indicators of soil viability. Overall, the chapter would provide a thorough understanding of the soil responses under different organic amendments in the present climate change scenario. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Exploring temple floral refuse for biochar production as a closed loop perspective for environmental management
(Elsevier Ltd, 2018) Pardeep Singh; Rishikesh Singh; Anwesha Borthakur; Sughosh Madhav; Vipin Kumar Singh; Dhanesh Tiwary; Vimal Chandra Srivastava; P.K. Mishra
Religious faith and ritual activities lead to significant floral offerings production and its disposal as waste to the nearby open lands and water bodies. These activities result into various social and environmental nuisances because of their high organic content. Alternatively, it can be used as valuable resources for various biochemical and thermo-chemical processes. Floral refuse has been utilized in natural dye extraction, however, the residual solid refuse is of significant environmental concern due to its nutrient rich nature. This study explores the potential utilization of solid residue of temple floral refuse after natural dye extraction by thermo-chemical decomposition of it. The slow pyrolysis of solid residue was performed at 350 °C and 500 °C, and the biochar yield of 42 and 36% was obtained, respectively. TGA-DTG analysis was performed to observe the thermo-chemical behaviour of floral refuse. The biochar products were further characterized by FTIR, SEM, EDX, BET, XRD, and RAMAN spectroscopy to observe the impact of pyrolysis temperature (PT) on the resulting material, i.e. biochar and its possible application measures. EDX results revealed the presence of various macro-nutrients such as C, N, P, K Ca and Mg in different proportions which showed its soil amelioration potential. Moreover, based on the SEM and BET results, biochar prepared at 500 °C was further explored for adsorption of methylene blue dye at various dose and pH conditions. Based on Langmuir (R2 = 0.98) and Freundlich (R2 = 0.97) isotherms, it is found as a potential adsorbent material for removal of methylene blue dye. The results revealed that biochar conversion of colour extracted floral refuse can be a vital option for quick and efficient management of it in a closed loop approach. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd