Browsing by Author "Sinha Sahab"

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COVID-19 and waste management in Indian scenario: challenges and possible solutions
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2021) Richa Kothari; Sinha Sahab; Har Mohan Singh; Rajeev Pratap Singh; Bhaskar Singh; Deepak Pathania; Anita Singh; Shweta Yadav; Tanu Allen; Sohini Singh; Vineet Veer Tyagi
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc all across the globe causing exponential casualties and tremendous health and economic loss. With increasing COVID-19 cases, the amount of biomedical waste has increased manifolds making more people vulnerable to the pandemic. The developing and underdeveloped countries are already facing the challenges of waste management, and the waste generated during the pandemic scenario has added to the already existing challenges. The improper waste management practices need to be corrected; otherwise, the world will be facing a new disaster that could be termed as ‘waste disaster’. The increase in COVID-19-associated waste (CAW) quantity and their availability in the environment will result in their easy approach to other organisms, which will possibly increase the potential risk of food chain contamination. Some of the countries have already started to make backup plans and are struggling to overcome the ‘waste disaster’. In light of the limited knowledge available on the mutational properties and possible hosts of this newly emerged COVID-19, there is a great demand to have an efficient strategy to prevent the environment from further contamination in India. The necessity of the prevailing time is to create a more efficient, automatic, mechanized, and well-modified waste management system for handling the present situation and delaying the projected waste disaster in the near future in the era of COVID-19. The article aims to address the issues that originated from waste discharges, their potential sources along with possible sustainable solutions. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Delineating the ecotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos and dimethoate on Eisenia fetida
(Springer, 2025) Vaibhav Srivastava; Sinha Sahab; Rajeev Pratap Singh
Acute (14 DOE) and chronic toxicity (56 DOE) studies were carried out to compare the lethal and sub-lethal effects of two organophosphorus pesticides on earthworm (Eisenia fetida). The earthworms were cultured in test soil (agricultural soils and cow dung) spiked with varying dosesof chlorpyrifos and dimethoate to determine avoidance response, biomass change, growth inhibition, mortality, net biomass gain per unit feed, cocoon, and hatchling production. Results showed that the avoidance response in earthworms was 36.66% at 50 mg kg− 1 dry test soil (TS) of chlorpyrifos, but it was above 90% at the same concentration of dimethoate. The median lethal concentrations (LC50) for dimethoate and chlorpyrifos were 17.45 and 228.06 mg kg− 1 dry TS, respectively. Likewise, dimethoate and chlorpyrifos both displayed positive growth inhibition (GIt) at 10 and 50 mg kg− 1 dry TS, respectively, with dimethoate having a higher impact. Also, Net Biomass Gain per Gram Feed (NBGPGFT) at 56 DOE was higher than 28 DOE for doses up to 10 mg kg− 1 dry TS for dimethoate and 50 mg kg− 1 dry TS for chlorpyrifos. Rather than reduced growth inhibition in chlorpyrifos, larger doses significantly (p < 0.05) affected cocoon and hatchling production. Conversely, dimethoate deleteriously affected cocoon and hatchling production even at lower concentrations. The reproductive performance (cocoon production) of E. fetida was significantly (p < 0.05) affected in concentrations higher than 5 mg kg− 1 dry TS dimethoate and 25 mg kg− 1 dry TS chlorpyrifos. Results suggest that dimethoate is more harmful to earthworms than chlorpyrifos, as shown in acute and chronic toxicity trials. In comparison, chlorpyrifos was found to be safer at sub-lethal doses than dimethoate for the growth of E. fetida. Therefore, the prudent use of pesticides is advised to ensure ecosystem health and sustainability. The study will be helpful in assessing the ecotoxicological risk of chlorpyrifos and dimethoate. © International Society for Tropical Ecology 2025.
How earthworm and fungi can save us from global food crisis and land degradation: A review
(Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 2023) Janvi Sharma; Sadashiv Chaturvedi; Kirpa Ram; Sinha Sahab
The human population is expected to be more than 9 billion by 2050. In order to feed this huge population, we would require about additional 60-70% food which is one of the major challenges ahead of humankind as well as to researchers. Although biotic stresses in soil such as microorganisms, insects, parasites, weeds are major reasons for reduced food production, abiotic stresses such as extreme temperature, soil salinity, natural disasters, pH imbalance are significantly affect the soil quality. There is not only degradation in soil quality but also a significant reduction in arable agricultural land in India affecting the productivity and nutrition values of the grains. Therefore, there is an urgent need to not only increase food production but also to maintain its nutritional quality. In addition, excess use of chemical fertilizers, increasing soil pollution and metal toxicity is becoming a serious threat and are responsible for reduced crop yield, crop failures and loss in agricultural economy worldwide. Moreover, the arable lands are not only shrinking due to industrialization, modernization and urbanization, ~50% of all arable land will be impacted by salinity by 2050. Indian continent is primarily agricultural driven and per capita land cover is decreasing day by day. On top of it, unregulated uses of chemical fertilizers are adding even more stress on the soil as well as produces greenhouse gases like N2O. Therefore, management of resources for future needs is ought to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which are related to zero hunger, no poverty, good health and well being. This review describes agronomical transformation through organic manure, biofertilizer, vermicomposting and mycoremediation. These techniques are essential for maintaining the soil quality as well as can act to approach sustainability in agriculture. The ecological engineering using earthworms for enhancing and restoring soil fertility is discussed in detail along with Mycoremediation of toxins and salt by utilizing macro and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi. © 2023 The Authors.
Impact of cadmium pollution on food safety and human health
(Elsevier B.V., 2021) Ibha Suhani; Sinha Sahab; Vaibhav Srivastava; Rajeev Pratap Singh
Owing to modern-day urbanization and industrial activities, heavy metal pollution and its environmental impact have drawn the attention of the scientific community towards itself. Among all the heavy metals, cadmium is known to have no biological function, and its presence harms almost all life forms. Cadmium (Cd) has natural and anthropogenic sources of entry into the ecosystem. It is nonbiodegradable and is present in different trophic levels in the food chain, raising concern over food safety. The bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and accumulation of Cd in soil-plant systems are the main drivers of its transfer to different trophic levels via diverse routes. In the human system, bioaccumulation of Cd disrupts the antioxidant defense system due to induced oxidative stress as a result of reactive oxygen species generation, which further causes different ailments. This review provides an update on the effects of Cd exposure on the soil-plant system, food safety, and human health, focusing on the various mechanisms involved in cellular or molecular alterations. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
Potential risk assessment of soil salinity to agroecosystem sustainability: Current status and management strategies
(Elsevier B.V., 2021) Sinha Sahab; Ibha Suhani; Vaibhav Srivastava; Puneet Singh Chauhan; Rajeev Pratap Singh; Vishal Prasad
Soil salinization has become a major global agricultural issue that threatens sustainable development goals related to food security, agriculture, resource conservation, and nutrition. The higher levels of salinity have detrimental effects on soil physico-chemical and biological characteristics and plant metabolism. Also, salinity poses a negative impact on the abundance and distribution of soil microbes and soil-dwelling organisms. Research has always been trying to overcome the salinity issue, but it does not fit well in conventional approaches. This review unravels traditional and modern salinity management techniques. Out of the available salinity management techniques, some are focused on enhancing soil properties (chemical amendments, biochar, earthworms, and their vermicompost, compost, microbial inoculants, electro remediation), some focus on improving plant properties (seed priming, afforestation, crop selection, genetic improvements, agroforestry) and some techniques augment both soil as well as plant properties in a synergic manner. Therefore, it is imperative to find a conclusive solution by integrating traditional and modern methods to find the most effective response to regionally-specific salinity related problems. This review aimed at critical analysis of the salinity problems, its impact on agroecosystem, and different management approaches available to date with a balanced viewpoint that would help to draw a possible roadmap towards the future investigation in this domain for sustainable management of salinity issues around the globe. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
Trends in Waste Water Treatment using Phycoremediation for Biofuel Production
(CRC Press, 2022) Anuchaya Devi; Anita Singh; Monika Mahajan; Sinha Sahab; Vaibhav Srivastava; Pooja Singh; Rajeev Pratap Singh
Treating waste water (WW) is a tedious phenomenon that involves the removal of heavy metals, organic C, N, P, and other contaminants using physical, chemical, and biological processes. In the current time, the crisis of appropriate water supply for household, drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes is a major problem around the world. Therefore, to find the remedies for these problems, it is necessary to construct a suitable method of waste water cleaning. In this context, algae are known for their versatility to grow naturally on various water systems. Along a similar theme, presently, the cultivation of microalgae for biofuel generation is considered a sustainable technology due to their greater rate of photosynthetic fixation of CO2. This decreases the overall net deposit of greenhouse gases. Algae culture for biofuel production and waste water treatment (WWT) can be done in an integrated approach because it can grow in waste water, removing the contaminants, a process called phycoremediation. Diverse algal species are applied for different purposes, from the production of biofuels and nutraceuticals to treating waste water. Possibilities in applications of phycoremediation have set the trend in laboratories to reinforce algal-based technologies. Algae can be better utilized for their bioremediation ability and value-added by-product generation potential. This role gives a plausible dual purpose for algae cultivation, water treatment as well as producing biomass for generating biofuels and fertilizers. On this roadmap, in order to overcome the limitations of algal-based treatment for industrial usage, several scientific downsides need to be pointed out. The aim of this chapter is to help in the advancement of WWT using algae by providing a systematic and critical review of recent research into algal cultivation using waste water. Numerous difficulties associated with algal technology are also evaluated and addressed, for instance, contamination, declining the harvesting time, and increasing the biomass yield of the algal production. The plausible remedies of these obstructions have been advocated in this chapter to enhance the application of the phycoremediation process for treating industrial waste water by keeping in mind environmental sustainability. © 2023 Anju Malik, Mohd. Kashif Kidwai and Vinod Kumar Garg.
Utilizing microbe-based solutions for sustainable restoration of drylands
(Springer, 2025) Rajeev Pratap Singh; Sinha Sahab; Ibha Suhani; Udai B. Singh
Drylands constitute more than 40% of earth’s terrestrial surface area which are mainly arid in nature. Dryland systems are commonly known for harsh environmental conditions, where soil moisture and nutrients availability are main limiting factors. It represents the largest terrestrial biome globally and projected to expand by alarming rate of more than 20% by the end of twenty-first century. Besides the presence of natural environmental stresses or conditions in these areas, anthropogenic activities putting magnitude to it. Soil harbours a vast array of microbial communities, including bacteria, fungi, archaea, protozoans, and nematodes, which play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture. These microorganisms facilitate key processes that enhance soil fertility, support plant health, and maintain ecosystem stability. They contribute to plant growth through various mechanisms, such as nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, secretion of growth-promoting compounds, improved nutrient absorption, soil structure enhancement, and degradation of toxic substances. Many earlier and recent researches prove the efficacy of such microorganisms mainly bacteria and fungi for improving plant or crop growth in stressful environmental conditions. In recent years, there has been growing interest in leveraging microbial communities to enhance soil health and optimize plant productivity, even though their diversity, interactions with plants, and practical applications in field settings remain poorly understood. This review will provide a holistic knowledge about the available sustainable microbial solutions for mitigation of various environmental stresses present in dryland systems. Additionally, we explore the factors shaping soil microbial communities and identify research gaps that must be addressed to fully harness their agricultural potential. In order to cope up the future overpopulation and food demand projections, the need of the hour is to use the dryland systems in a strategic manner, utilizing microbial aided sustainable solutions which can contribute to a better future. © International Society for Tropical Ecology 2025.
Valuing each patch of land: Utilizing plant-microbe interactions for the betterment of agriculture
(Elsevier, 2021) Sinha Sahab; Ibha Suhani; Rajeev Pratap Singh
The extent of land degradation has reached a level of concern. The land use changes due to burgeoning population have added magnitude to it. The unavailability of agricultural lands and the existence of degraded lands have led science to focus on utilizing the marginal lands and existing arable land resources in the best way possible, to meet the agricultural demand as well as to reduce land degradation. Due to existing plethora of environmental problems (biotic and abiotic stresses) there is reduction in agricultural productivity. The need of the hour is a strategy of integrated approaches which involve methods to reduce the degrading concepts and replacing it with feasible, sustainable, and economically viable approaches. Some of the microbial diversity are boon from the nature’s desk which acts as a root level worker. Some of the investigated microbes have the ability to uplift nutritional profile of soil as well as provide growth promoting traits and tolerance to plants. Plant microbe relation works symbiotically or asymbiotically for the betterment of productivity and overall soil health. This chapter provides an insight of the helpful microbes and their interactions with plants for the mitigation and management of different environmental problems in the agricultural fields. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.