Browsing by Author "Surajit Mondal"

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A Critical Review of Fabrication Strategies, Separation Techniques, Challenges, and Future Prospects for the Hydrogen Separation Membrane
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2024) Vamsi Krishna Kudapa; Paramjeet Singh Paliyal; Arnab Mondal; Surajit Mondal
Fossil fuels provide over 80% of the world’s current energy demand, which results in the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). In contrast to the emissions of GHGs caused by the combustion of fossil fuels, hydrogen combustion produces only water as a waste product. Hydrogen is a more environmentally friendly alternative fuel. The production of hydrogen energy has the potential to address energy security issues such as climate change and air pollution. There is an increasing global interest in hydrogen, particularly green hydrogen, which is produced by electrolyzing water using power derived from renewable resources. Because of falling hydrogen prices and the growing urgency of decarbonization, global demand for hydrogen, headed by the transportation and industrial sectors, might increase by about 400% by 2050. Furthermore, using environmentally friendly hydrogen will result in a reduction of 3.6 gigatonnes of total carbon dioxide emissions between 2020 and 2050. Hydrogen has the highest energy density of any known fuel, and it is widely available in enormous quantities all over the planet. It is possible that by 2050, India’s need for hydrogen will have increased by a factor of 4, accounting for more than 10% of global consumption. Steel and heavy-duty transportation are expected to account for more than 52% of overall demand growth between now and 2050. The overall market value for environmentally friendly hydrogen in India might reach $8 billion by 2030 and $340 billion by 2050. Because India’s capacity to create power from renewable sources is growing all the time, the country now can produce hydrogen from ecologically beneficial sources such as solar and wind when demand is low. Physical adsorption and polymer membranes can be employed to extract hydrogen from crude hydrogen polluted with hydrocarbons. This can be done to clean the crude hydrogen. The purity of hydrogen is an important aspect in determining whether it can be used in the energy production process. Unlike other types of separation technologies, membrane processes can be used in both mobile and small-scale applications. The membrane may function properly under a wide range of pressure and temperature extremes. The fundamental objective and goal of the separation membrane is to be used in membrane reactors for synchronous hydrogen production and purification. Other competing methods, such as pressure swing adsorption and cryogenic distillation, do not compare favorably to the membrane separation approach at lower operating temperatures. This is because membrane separation takes fewer resources than other competing technologies, particularly ones that have been around for a longer time. This article discusses the various membranes that can be used for substance separation, how hydrogen separation membranes can be made using a variety of technologies, the challenges that are inherent in doing so, and the prospects for the future, particularly in terms of increasing the efficiency of hydrogen separation. © 2024 American Nuclear Society.
Aggravation of CoVID-19 infections due to air pollutant concentrations in Indian cities
(Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2023) Asha Sunilkumar; Shishir Kumar Singh; Amit Kumar Mondal; Paulami Ghosh; Surajit Mondal
The CoVID-19 infections began rising worldwide during the initial weeks of March 2020, reacting to which the Government of India called for nationwide lockdown for ~ 3 weeks. The concentration of pollutants during the lockdown were compared with pollution levels recorded during the preceding year for the same time frame. A direct relationship was established between the high level of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and SO2) and CoVID-19 infections being reported in the Indian cities. The correlation indicates that the air pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and SO2 are aggravating the number of casualties due to the CoVID-19 infections. The transmission of the virus in the air is in the form of aerosols; and hence places which are highly polluted may see a proportionate rise in CoVID-19 cases The high-level exposure of PM2.5 over a long period is found to be significantly correlated with the mortality per unit confirmed CoVID-19 cases as compared to other air pollutant parameters like PM10, NO2 and SO2. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Korea Spatial Information Society.
Analyzing the interconnected dynamics of domestic biofuel burning in India: unravelling VOC emissions, surface-ozone formation, diagnostic ratios, and source identification
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024) Arnab Mondal; Surajit Mondal; Paulami Ghosh; Papita Das
Burning biomass fuels in Indian households is a common and cost-efficient way to generate energy for various domestic tasks. However, this practice is a significant source of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) released into the atmosphere, impacting local and global air quality. The substantial quantities of NMVOCs produced from burning biofuels at home can have adverse effects on climate and human health worldwide. This review focuses on exploring the processes involved in domestic biofuel combustion, detailing different stages of burning, and discussing the tools and techniques required to measure NMVOC emissions accurately. It also aims to identify potential emission sources through methods such as diagnostic ratios and PCA analysis. By striving to reduce NMVOC emissions from household biofuel burning, the goal is to provide a basis for informing policymakers in developing effective regulations and policies to address this environmental issue. © 2024 RSC.
Comparative assessment of energy flow, carbon auditing and eco-efficiency of diverse tillage systems for cleaner and sustainable crop production in eastern India
(Elsevier Ltd, 2021) Rakesh Kumar; Bikash Sarkar; Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt; Santosh Sambhaji Mali; Surajit Mondal; Janki Sharan Mishra; Raj Kumar Jat; Ram Swaroop Meena; Anukul Prakash Anurag; Rohan Kumar Raman
Identification of the appropriate tillage production system having lower energy use and carbon-emission, and better crop productivity is becoming increasingly important to maintain the environmental sustainability. In the present study, a comprehensive system analysis was performed for four consecutive years (2016–2019) in three major agroecosystems of eastern India: eastern Indo-Gangetic plain, coastal agroecosystem and hill & plateau region. Six rice-based production systems with different levels of farm mechanization viz., a) fully mechanized tillage, b) partly mechanized tillage and c) traditional tillage were considered in the analysis. The main aim was to assess the energy flow and carbon-balance of diverse tillage production systems. Among the different sources of total input energy, chemical fertilizer accounted for the highest energy used in partly mechanized tillage (44%) and mechanized tillage (38%) followed by diesel, irrigation water, plant protection chemical, seed and electricity. Seed, human, animal energy and farmyard manure accounted for 21, 20, 16 and 16%, respectively, of the total energy input in traditional tillage. Maximum energy input (52161 MJ ha−1) was noted in mechanized tillage and minimum with traditional tillage (16879 MJ ha−1). Cropping systems followed in eastern Indo-Gangetic plain were more energy-intensive (50908 MJ ha−1) compared to coastal-ecosystem (27459 MJ ha−1). On an average, the total energy output in mechanized tillage (395245 MJ ha−1) were 0.3 and 2.4 times higher over partly mechanized and traditional tillage, respectively. Overall, the present results indicated that partly mechanized tillage and coastal agroecosystem were the most energy-efficient with an energy ratio of 8.88 and 9.81, respectively. Mechanized tillage was 0.24 and 1.66 times more carbon-intensive in comparison to partly mechanized and traditional tillage system. Mechanized tillage had higher carbon efficiency (3.75), carbon-sustainability index (2.75), carbon-footprint in spatial scales (4342 kg CO2eq. ha−1), but had 34% less carbon-footprint in yield scales compared to traditional tillage. Mechanized tillage showed 22 and 73% higher system productivity compared to partly mechanized and traditional tillage, respectively. Partly mechanized tillage had a 23% lower cultivation cost than mechanized tillage. Thus, the present study suggests that partly mechanize tillage was the most appropriate energy and carbon-efficient production system in eastern India. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Comprehensive environmental impact assessment for designing carbon-cum-energy efficient, cleaner and eco-friendly production system for rice-fallow agro-ecosystems of South Asia
(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Rakesh Kumar; Janki Sharan Mishra; Santosh Sambhaji Mali; Surajit Mondal; Ram Swaroop Meena; Rattan Lal; Bal Krishna Jha; Sushanta Kumar Naik; Ashis Kumar Biswas; Hansraj Hans; Prem Kumar Sundaram; Arbind Kumar Choudhary; Mohammad Monobrullah; Sanjeev Kumar; Santosh Kumar; Rohan Kumar Raman; Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt; Ujjwal Kumar
High energy consumption and carbon emission are the major components of environmental pollution. Reducing carbon-footprints and improving energy use efficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.) - fallow production systems of South Asia is a great challenge. The present experiment was conducted for five consecutive years (2016–2020) with an aim to design the most carbon-cum-energy efficient, cleaner/safer and eco-friendly production systems for rice-fallows in eastern India. This split-plot experiment had crop establishment-cum-residue management (CERM) treatments in main-plots and post-rainy/winter season crops in sub-plots. The production systems selected for analysis included three crop establishment methods [(1) zero-till-direct-seeded rice (ZTDSR), (2) conventional-till direct-seeded rice (CTDSR), and (3) transplanted puddled rice (TPR)], and two residue management practices [(i) with residue, and (ii) without residue] in combination with five potential winter season crops i.e., chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris L.), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), and mustard (Brassica juncea L.). Results revealed an increase in overall system productivity from 3.5 to 5.13 Mg ha−1 due to the diversification of rice-fallow systems with oilseed and pulse crops. Irrespective of residue management practices, ZTDSR increased the yield by 15 and 31% in chickpea, 15 and 34% in lentil, 33 and 50% in safflower, 9 and 19% in linseed, and 7 and 15% in mustard as compared to CTDSR and PTR, respectively. Moreover, adoption of ZTDSR reduced energy uses by 23.3%, while increased energy ratio and net returns by 14.3 and 10.9%, respectively, over TPR. Pulse based crop rotations (rice-lentil and rice-chickpea) under ZTDSR with surface crop residue yielded 21.5% higher system net returns as compared to rice-oilseed production systems. ZTDSR treatment also reduced carbon-footprint (C-footprint) by 2.8% compared to TPR-based production systems. Similarly, rice-oilseed systems had a 16.1% lower C-footprint in comparison to rice-pulse sequences. Hence, rice-chickpea, rice-lentil and rice-safflower production systems in combined with ZTDSR along with residue retention can be viable production systems with higher system productivity, better economic returns, higher energy ratio and lower C-footprint. These systems will ensure an efficient utilization of natural resources leading to long-term sustainability of the rice-fallow production systems of South Asia. © 2021
Delineation of potential groundwater recharge zones in the coastal area of north-eastern India using geoinformatics
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2019) Tapas Acharya; Sujoy Kumbhakar; Rajesh Prasad; Surajit Mondal; Arkoprovo Biswas
Integration of satellite-based remote-sensing data and the geographical information system (GIS) for the exploration of groundwater resources has developed a revolution in the field of groundwater research, which assists in evaluating, observing, and preserving groundwater resources. In the present paper, various groundwater potential zones for the assessment of groundwater recharge zone availability have been delineated using remote-sensing and GIS techniques. Landsat 8 satellite imageries were used to prepare various thematic layers such as: lithology, altitude, slope, and groundwater table map from the inventoried tube well data. These layers were then transformed into raster data using the feature to raster converter tool in the ArcGIS 9.3 software. The raster maps of these factors are allocated a fixed score and weight computed from multi-influencing factor (MIF) technique. Subjective weights are assigned to the respective thematic layers and overlaid in GIS platform for the identification of potential groundwater recharge zones within the study area using weighted overlay index analysis (WOIA). The groundwater potential zones thus obtained were divided into five categories, viz., very poor, poor, good, moderate, and excellent zones. The results reveal that the areas of excellent groundwater potential are estimated to permit precipitated water percolates into subsurface and ultimately contributes to recharge the groundwater. These results suggest that the high potential zones will have a key role in future expansion of drinking water and irrigation development in the study area. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG.
Designing an ecofriendly and carbon-cum-energy efficient production system for the diverse agroecosystem of South Asia
(Elsevier Ltd, 2021) Rakesh Kumar; J.S. Mishra; Surajit Mondal; Ram Swaroop Meena; P.K. Sundaram; B.P. Bhatt; R.S. Pan; Rattan Lal; Kirti Saurabh; Naresh Chandra; S.K. Samal; Hansraj Hans; R.K. Raman
There is an urgent need for identification of the eco-friendly/cleaner production system that is more productive and profitable; efficient user of energy, water, and carbon-based inputs, and also environmentally safer. The four years study was conducted from 2016 to 2019, where the dominant rice-wheat cropping system is practiced extensively after ‘Green Revolution’. The objectives of the experiment were to evaluate: (1) energy budgeting, (2) carbon auditing, (3) production and economic efficiency of diverse cropping systems for upland rainfed as well as irrigated ecosystems of eastern India. Tillage and cropping system treatments were laid out according to a completely randomized block design and replicated thrice. Ten cropping sequences were comprised of: T1) a farmers’ practice of transplanted rice-wheat-mungbean, T2) conventional till-direct seeded rice (CTDSR)-wheat-mungbean, T3) soybean-maize, T4) CTDSR-mustard-urdbean, T5) foxtail millet-lentil-fallow, T6) pearl millet-chickpea-fallow, T7) finger millet-toria-fallow, T8) sorghum (grain)-chickpea-fallow, T9) maize cob–pigeon pea, and T10) sorghum (fodder)-mustard-urdbean. Energy contributions of different inputs were 42–55, 12–21, 8–18, and 4–12% for fertilizers, diesel, labour, and electricity, respectively. The amount of indirect (fertilizer, chemicals, and machinery) and direct (diesel and electricity) non-renewable energy inputs were 40–60 and 18–26%, respectively. Indirect renewable energy input (seed and crop residues) was 1–7% as compared to 15–24% of direct-renewable energy (human labour and irrigation water). The maximum energy input was recorded for T1 (53511 MJ ha−1). The maximum biomass production (40.2 Mg ha−1) was recorded with T9, while the maximum benefit: cost ratio (3.64) was noted for T10 and T8. The highest specific energy (33.5 MJ kg−1) and energy productivity (0.92 kg MJ−1) were recorded in T8 treatment. Irrespective of cropping systems, retention of crop residues accounted for 28.6–58.5% of total carbon input. The carbon sustainability index was 5–7 times higher for the millet-based production system [T6 (9.32) and T8 (10.27)] compared to cereal-based systems [T1 (1.66) and T2 (1.21)]. Diversification of the rice-wheat system through climate-resilient millets-based production system reduced 84% energy consumption and 87% carbon footprint. The millet-based production system also helps in reducing the carbon input by 172% and improves the energy use efficiency by 61% compared to the cereal-based cropping system. Therefore, the study has an innovative idea to support the crop modelling, policymakers, government planners, researchers, and producers to achieve the sustainable development goals in Indo-Gangetic Plains and similar agro-climatic conditions of South Asia. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Enabling Environment for Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Critical Review of Climate Smart Practices from South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa
(Technoscience Publications, 2025) Arpita Ghosh; Puneet Sharma; Arnab Mondal; Surajit Mondal
In South Asian and Sub-Saharan African nations, climate change offers numerous hurdles to growth and development. These regions are susceptible to climate change due to their vast population reliance on agriculture, high demand for natural resources, and comparatively limited strategies for coping. Reduced food grain yields, crop losses, feed scarcity, lack of potable water for livestock during the summer, forceful animal migrations, and severe losses in the poultry and fishery industries have all been documented, posing a threat to the lives of the rural poor. As global food security and agricultural productivity become increasingly vulnerable, the focus has shifted towards adopting climate-smart agricultural practices and techniques. The present study discussed the need to identify and prioritize regionally evolving climate-smart farming practices and the enabling environment required for CSA uptake. The popular CSA practices in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are crop rotation, cultivation of drought/flood-tolerant crops, legume intercropping, changing planting dates, rainwater harvesting, agroforestry, micro-irrigation technologies, minimum tillage, and integrated crop-livestock farming. A solid institutional structure, policy environment, infrastructure, agricultural insurance, climate information services, and gender and social inclusion provide the required enabling environment to alleviate farmer issues, lower CSA adoption obstacles, and improve operational sustainability. Highlights of the study are: This study examines how climate-smart farming practices are evolving in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. We used a systematic approach to categorize and characterize agricultural adaptation alternatives to climate change. Our specific goals are to gain knowledge of the CSA adoption-enabling environments and the climate-smart agriculture practices employed in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. © 2025 by the authors.
Harnessing the Bio Electrochemical Potential of Sediments: An Update on Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell Technologies
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Debajyoti Bose; Riya Bhattacharya; Manjusha Pillai; Aritra Ray; Tanveen Kaur; Surajit Mondal; Arnab Mondal
As research continues to elucidate the complex interactions between microorganisms, electrodes, and sediments, sediment microbial fuel cells (MFCs) or SMFCs are poised to play a critical role in environmental remediation and bioelectricity production. SMFCs offer a novel approach to harnessing the bio-electrochemical potential of microorganisms in a unique ecosystem. This review highlights the importance of electroactive bacteria (EAB) and their role in providing a sustainable and renewable energy from sediments. These independent units can offer significant opportunities in environmental remediation and bioelectricity production. Different configurations of SMFCs such as plant-MFCs and constructed wetland (CW)-MFCs are also discussed with their performance parameters and indicators. Recent advances in material design and operation have improved their efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, paving the way for their deployment in a range of applications, from monitoring water quality to powering remote sensors and devices. Additionally, the mathematical models used in bioremediation and bioelectricity production from electroactive microbes are also discussed. These models act as a roadmap to improve working potential of SMFCs with emphasis on electrode materials for both anode and the cathode. SMFCs enhance biogeochemical cycling, stimulate denitrification, and promote the degradation of pollutants, acting as a potent tool for ecosystem restoration. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Impact and potential of carbon sequestration and utilization: fundamentals and recent developments
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2024) Arnab Mondal; Soumitra K Gupta; Shaurya Yaduvanshi; Muhammad Khan; Samar Layek; Vamsi Krishna Kudapa; Surajit Mondal
Carbon dioxide is a primary greenhouse gas that plays a vital role in shaping life on Earth. However, the continuous anthropogenic emissions of CO2 at prominent levels have caused severe damage to the earth as they increase the global average temperature of the earth, causing global warming. To restrict the further rise in global temperature, it is necessary to capture anthropogenic CO2 emissions efficiently by various means. Technological carbon sequestration would benefit the manufacturing industry by minimizing carbon emissions and saving on carbon taxes. This review article would explore various methods to capture carbon efficiently by improving carbon storage technology, using captured carbon economically in industries, and making fuel from captured carbon. Cooling towers can be used to capture carbon through the direct air capture (DAC) method and can be integrated with Natural Draft Dry Cooling Tower systems (NDDCTs) to lower the power consumption requirements and thus the operational costs. The captured carbon is used to make fuel by employing solid carbon directly as both an anode and fuel, with 80% higher efficiency than solid oxide fuel cells. It also emits fewer pollutants than typical coal-burning power plants. © 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Impact of crop establishment and residue management on soil properties and productivity in rice-fallow ecosystems in India
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2022) Rakesh Kumar; Janki Sharan Mishra; Sushanta Kumar Naik; Surajit Mondal; Ram Swaroop Meena; Saurabh Kumar; Abhishek Kumar Dubey; Govind Makarana; Bal Krishna Jha; Santosh Sambhaji Mali; Ashis Kumar Biswas; Arbind Kumar Choudhary; Hansraj Hans; Rachana Dubey; Santosh Kumar; Prem Kumar Sundaram; Rohan Kumar Raman; Mohammad Monobrullah; Sanjeev Kumar; Ujjwal Kumar; Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt
The degradation of agricultural land, both chemical and biological, is a big concern all over the world. Crop cultivation practices that are distinctive to each location have negative consequences for agricultural production. Therefore, there is an urgent need for better crop and soil management techniques. This experiment was conducted for 5 years (2016–2020) to identify the best crop establishment-cum-residue management (CERM) practices and suitable crops for succession after the rice harvest in rice-fallow ecosystems of India. Experimentation was conducted in the split-plot design and each treatment was replicated thrice, having CERM in main-plot and post-rainy season/winter crops in sub-plot. All the CERM treatments had two variants, with crop residue (R+) and without crop residue (R−). Rice yields were markedly higher (19.1%–32.2%) in transplanted puddled rice with residue (TPR-R+) over conventional-till direct seeded rice (CTDSR) and zero-till DSR (ZTDSR) treatments. However, TPR adversely impacted the performance of all the post-rainy pulses/oilseed crops. Post-rainy season crop yields under ZTDSR/CTDSR were 14.9%–45.8% higher leading to higher system productivity as compared to TPR. ZTDSR with residue retention showed higher soil aggregation. The practice of ZTDSR increased the soil dehydrogenase activity (46.2%), urease activity (29.8%), soil microbial biomass carbon (65.4), and fluorescein diacetate activity (9.0%) in the crop root zone with 3.3- and 4.47-times higher earthworm population and earthworm biomass, respectively. The rice-pulse system showed 1.74-times more earthworm population over rice-oilseed sequences. Total soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in ZTDSR was 21.8% higher over TPR in 0–45 cm soil profile. Thus, the adoption of ZTDSR practices and diversification of rice-fallows with pulses crops is recommended for enhancing the crop productivity, increasing SOC stock, and improving soil biological properties in the rice-fallow ecosystems of India. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
India's shift toward sustainable energy: A comprehensive approach to renewable energy integration and environmental sustainability
(American Institute of Physics, 2024) Surajit Mondal; Arnab Mondal; Jaswant Rathore; Kota Krishna Koundinya; Amit Kumar Sharma
India's reliance on coal for energy has led to pollution, carbon emissions, and environmental hazards. To combat these issues, the Indian government is promoting renewable energy to enhance energy efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. By investing in solar, hydro, and wind power, India aims to minimize pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while meeting energy demands sustainably. The shift to renewable energy not only benefits the environment but also reduces energy import dependency and lowers costs. Renewable energy technologies like solar, hydro, and wind play a crucial role in power generation, offering clean alternatives derived from natural resources. The government's focus on providing 24/7 affordable electricity for all has spurred innovations in off-grid electricity generation, particularly in sun-rich regions. These advancements have attracted private sector investments, improved energy efficiency, and addressing energy shortages. India's target to install 337 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2027, with significant contributions from foreign and private sectors, underscores the country's vast renewable energy potential. Initiatives like the Electricity Act 2001 and rural electrification have enhanced energy conservation and distribution efficiency. The transition to electric vehicles and advancements in renewable energy technologies signal a promising future for India's energy sector, with opportunities for innovation, employment growth, and sustainable development. This article discusses the government's initiatives to promote renewable energy, the role of solar, hydro, and wind power in power generation, and the potential benefits of this transition for the Indian economy and environment. © 2024 Author(s).
Innovative approaches for carbon capture and storage as crucial measures for emission reduction within industrial sectors
(Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Debajyoti Bose; Riya Bhattacharya; Tanveen Kaur; Ravindra Pandya; Abhijeeta Sarkar; Aritra Ray; Surajit Mondal; Arnab Mondal; Paulami Ghosh; Rhea Ishani Chemudupati
Carbon capture and storage represented as CCS, is a technique that can be used to cut down on emissions of CO2 from industrial sources. These mechanisms can balance the excess fossil fuel usage and lead to effective carbon capture from the atmosphere and storing it in safe spaces. This can negate global warming and send the carbon back to geological spaces inside the earth. This review covers the operational mechanism of such technologies from its inception to the material innovation along with the transport of CO2 and its storage options. Breakthroughs in recent years have made it possible to design effective carbon capture and safe spaces for its storage. A comprehensive worldwide case studies are presented for both successful CCS project implementation and their environmental impact assessment. Lessons learned from these case examples are reflected through the challenges and policy hurdles with its impact on the global economy. An outlook is provided for the role of CCS in net zero emissions, renewables integration and advancing CCS research. By leveraging innovation across capture, utilization, and storage stages, CCS holds immense potential to play a transformative role in combating climate change and achieving global sustainability goals. © 2024 The Author(s)
Microplastics in the Terrestrial Environment: Pathways and Remediation Strategies
(CRC Press, 2024) Surajit Mondal; Papita Das; Arnab Mondal; Poushali Chakraborty
This book aims to address details and research gaps in the impacts of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems. It addresses the impact of microplastics on the soil environment, and highlights and discusses their transport behavior, pollution level, and the combined effects of the microplastics with other pollutants on the soil ecology. Furthermore, it also highlights the effects of UV irradiations and mechanical abrasions from soil fauna and various agricultural practices. Features: Covers advances in plastic/micro-/nano-plastic pollution and possible pathways of pollution. Demonstrates the mitigation measures to minimize such pollution loads, with a special focus on the application of nanotechnology. Explores recycle and value-added products from waste plastic. Promotes development of alternate clean energy sources. Introduces appropriate alternatives and/or finding strategies to mitigate the existing microplastic crisis using suitable approaches. This book is aimed at researchers and graduate students in environmental and chemical engineering, as well as remediation. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Surajit Mondal, Papita Das, Arnab Mondal and Poushali Chakraborty; individual chapters, the contributors.
Overcoming water, sanitation, and hygiene challenges in critical regions of the global community
(KeAi Communications Co., 2024) Debajyoti Bose; Riya Bhattacharya; Tanveen Kaur; Ritesh Banerjee; Tanya Bhatia; Aritra Ray; Bhavika Batra; Arnab Mondal; Paulami Ghosh; Surajit Mondal
This review provides a critical analysis of the global water and sanitation crisis, as well as how community-based approaches have led to innovative water management solutions. Regions of sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, the Middle East, and island countries have been taken as models to understand mitigating crises related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Selected WASH cases based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria that highlighted finance, sustainability, and community engagement. The review analyses methods through which communities below the poverty line, living in densely populated areas, war zones, and island countries can foster innovation, and collaborations. © 2024
Redox imbalance disrupts spikelet fertility in rice: A study under stage-specific and multi-stage drought in eastern Indo-Gangetic plain
(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Santosh Kumar; Sahana Basu; A.K. Choudhary; J.S. Mishra; Surajit Mondal; Shashi Shekhar; S.K. Dwivedi; Rakesh Kumar; Surbhi Kumari; Narayan Bhakta; Sanjeev Kumar; Ujjwal Kumar; Arvind Kumar; Gautam Kumar
To support the increasing food demand of the drought-prone eastern Indo-Gangetic plain (EIGP), we assessed the effects of natural drought stress on the individual (seedling stage drought; SSD, vegetative stage drought; VSD, reproductive stage drought; RSD) as well as the multiple growth stages (multi-stage drought; MSD) of twenty-four rice genotypes (n = 24) under field conditions for two consecutive rice growing seasons (2019–2020). High temperature and low rainfall during both the trial years exerted moderate to severe drought stress to the rice genotypes leading to average grain yield reduction of 43.5%, 28.9%, 59.3%, and 69.9% under SSD, VSD, RSD, and MSD conditions, respectively. The present study also revealed that drought stress caused enhanced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the spikelets of rice genotypes thereby, impeding the spikelet fertility. The promising rice genotypes showed an average decrease of 3.18%, 4.83%, 13.9%, and 13.06% in spikelet fertility under SSD, VSD, RSD, and MSD conditions, respectively. Identified promising rice genotypes, IR83929-B-B-291–2–1–1–2, IR93827–29–1–1–2 and IR84899-B-183–20–1–1–1 showed extreme drought tolerance and better maintained photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, relative water content, membrane stability index, and total chlorophyll content under drought conditions irrespective of growth stages. Following the study, drought tolerance in the tolerant rice genotypes was associated with increased antioxidant enzyme mediated efficacious ROS detoxification, which contributed in maintaining pollen viability and spikelet fertility. Overall, the study identified drought tolerant rice genotypes for EIGP and established a comprehensive understanding of the complexity and plasticity of the rice genotypes under stage-specific and cumulative drought stress. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Sequential submergence and drought induce yield loss in rice by affecting redox homeostasis and source-to-sink sugar transport
(Elsevier B.V., 2024) Santosh Kumar; Sahana Basu; A.K. Choudhary; Shashi Shekhar; J.S. Mishra; Sanjeev Kumar; Kumari Shubha; Rachana Dubey; Surajit Mondal; S.K. Dwivedi; N. Bhakta; Rakesh Kumar; Sujoy Sarkar; Srustidhar Dhamudia; Sunny Kumari; Anup Das; Arvind Kumar; Gautam Kumar
Rice cultivation in the rainfed ecosystems of the eastern Indo-Gangetic plain (EIGP) frequently comes across abrupt alternation of submergence and drought during the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively, within one growing season, and this may be exaggerated with climate change. Therefore, development of combined submergence and drought tolerant rice genotypes might be a timely effort to meet the growing food demand. However, till date no study has been executed on the combination of submergence and drought stress in the field conditions of the EIGP. The present study elucidated the performance of near isogenic lines (NILs) of rice developed for the EIGP through marker assisted pyramiding of quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with submergence (Sub1) and drought (qDTY1.1 + qDTY2.1 + qDTY3.1) in the background of the popular, high yielding Indo-Gangetic rice variety Swarna. This study included the screening of sixteen rice NILs along with the check varieties Swarna and Swarna Sub1 under cumulative submergence and drought for four consecutive rice growing years (2019–2022). Individual submergence or drought or cumulative stress caused 76, 47, and 85% respective loss in average productivity compared to that of the control conditions. However, rice NILs IR96321–558–563-B-2–1–1, IR96321–315–323-B-3–1–3, IR96321–315–294-B-1–1–1–1, and IR96321–558–209-B-6–1–1 showed outstanding cumulative stress tolerance with sustainable photosynthetic performance and membrane stability. Furthermore, these rice NILs exhibited effective reactive oxygen species scavenging mediated by enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities in source (flag-leaf) and sink (anther) tissues that contributed to conserving the source-to-sink mobilization, leading to improved pollen viability and spikelet fertility under sequential stress conditions. The study identified combined submergence-drought tolerant rice NILs along with an optimum yield level to support global food security and also represented a model crop system to establish mechanisms of multi-stress tolerance in plants. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Socio-economic-environmental challenges at himachal villages: findings from five unnat bharat abhiyan adopted villages
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024) Arpita Ghosh; Puneet Sharma; Devika Vashisht; Parul Malik; Arnab Mondal; Surajit Mondal
This research pinpoints the primary socio-economic issues and inherent circumstances of rural development in Himachal Pradesh, India. It provides a critical analysis of 289 households based on the surveys conducted in 5 villages of Sirmaur district, adopted under the UBA (‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’, transl. ‘Developed India initiative’). This study highlights and evaluates the significant socio-economic concerns and rural development challenges based on key factors such as population, education, employment, rural development schemes, livestock assets, property distribution, essential services and transport connectivity. The findings from this study are crucial for identifying priority areas for community capacity building and sustainable rural development including literacy rates, healthcare, and agricultural products. The study emphasizes the prudent use of existing resources and the maximisation of benefits from centrally and state-sponsored schemes for the comprehensive development of the adopted villages under UBA. Although the current initiative is based on the UBA-adopted villages, it may be applied to other rural villages of Himalayan states. This article highlights inter-variations in socio-economic issues such as healthcare, sanitation, waste management, unsustainable agriculture methods, drug misuse, unemployment, and sanitation in the UBA adopted villages in the Sirmaur District, Himachal Pradesh, India. © 2024, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.
Sustainable Intensification of Rice Fallows with Oilseeds and Pulses: Effects on Soil Aggregation, Organic Carbon Dynamics, and Crop Productivity in Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains
(MDPI, 2022) Kirti Saurabh; Rakesh Kumar; Janki Sharan Mishra; Anil Kumar Singh; Surajit Mondal; Ram Swaroop Meena; Jaipal Singh Choudhary; Ashis Kumar Biswas; Manoj Kumar; Himadri Shekhar Roy; Nongmaithem Raju Singh; Sushil Kumar Yadav; Ashutosh Upadhyaya; Hansraj Hans; Pawan Jeet; Prem Kumar Sundaram; Rohan Kumar Raman
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices are becoming increasingly important due to their better adaptability to harsh climatic conditions (in general) and the unpredictability of monsoons in India (in particular). Conventional rice cultivation (e.g., PTR) involves intensive tilling followed by intensive puddling in standing water that destroys the soil aggregation and depletes carbon pools. Therefore, alternative crop establishment methods need to be devised for the sustainability of system productivity, and the suitabilities of potential oilseeds and pulses need to be tested for cropping intensification in rice-fallow regions. Hence, an ongoing experiment (implemented in 2016) was evaluated to identify the appropriate CSA management practices in restoring soil C and physical health under diversified cropping systems in the rice-fallow system of eastern India. Six tillage and crop establishment methods along with residue management were kept as the main plots [zero-till-direct-seeded rice (ZTDSR), conventional-till-DSR (CT-DSR), puddled transplanted rice (PTR), ZTDSR with rice residue retentions (ZTDSRR+), CTDSR with rice residue retention (CTDSRR+), PTR with rice residue retention (PTRR+)] while five winter/post-rainy crops (oilseeds and pulses) were raised in a subplot. In the ZTDSRR+ production system, soil macro-aggregate (%), macro-aggregate-associated C, MWD, and GMD of aggregates increased by 60.1, 71.3, 42.1, and 17.1%, respectively, in comparison to conventional tillage practices (PTR). The carbon management index (CMI) was 58% more in the ZTDSRR+ production system compared to PTR. Among the winter crops, chickpeas recorded higher values of soil structural indices and C content. In the PTR production system, system productivity, in terms of rice equivalent yield, was comparable to ZTDSRR+. ZT with residue retention in rice followed by post-rainy/winter pulses led to higher C content and structural stability of the soil. Thus, CSA management practices can improve the crop productivity as well as soil health of rice-fallow production systems of eastern India and comparable agroecotypes of South Asia. © 2022 by the authors.
Water switched aggregation/disaggregation strategies of a coumarin-naphthalene conjugated sensor and its selectivity towards Cu2+ and Ag+ ions along with cell imaging studies on human osteosarcoma cells (U-2 OS)
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2018) Ashish Kumar; Surajit Mondal; Kumari Somlata Kayshap; Sumit Kumar Hira; Partha Pratim Manna; Wim Dehaen; Swapan Dey
A simple coumarin-naphthalene conjugated chemosensor (R1) exhibited an excellent AIE effect in methanol/water (50/50, v/v) with a perfect rectangular shape of aggregation, which was confirmed by SEM analysis. R1 could recognise Cu2+ ions functioning as a selective chemosensor and identify Ag+ in a chemodosimeter approach. The biocompatibility of R1 and bio-sensing of Cu2+/Ag+ ions were also evaluated in human osteosarcoma cells (U-2 OS). A single crystal X-ray analysis confirmed the structure as well as the hydrogen bonding interaction for the dimerization of the compound. © 2018 The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.