Browsing by Author "Varad Nagar"

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Advancing Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soil through Nanoparticle-Based Approaches: Current Progress and Future Perspectives
(AMG Transcend Association, 2024) Vinay Aseri; Rushikesh L. Chopade; Vanisha Godara; Sneha Lohar; Poonam Kumari; Badal Mavry; Varad Nagar; Vaibhav Sharma; Garima Awasthi; Kumud Kant Awasthi; Mahipal Singh Sankhla
The quality of the land, water, and atmosphere are all impacted by environmental contamination. Considerable efforts have lately been made to reduce pollution-causing sources and repair or improve natural soil and water resources. Nano-phytoremediation is more efficient and less hazardous than chemical and physical approaches. They are becoming more and more significant in this field as well as in academia. Different plant species have demonstrated the ability of nanoparticles to remediate soil and water. It is also to be expected that new environmental clean-up methods will be significantly influenced by the most recent biotechnology research. The aim of this paper is to summarise the most significant advancements in phytoremediation immediately. Plants have considerable development potential from the perspective of their phytoremediation qualities. These plants take in contaminants from the soil, water, and other natural resources. New strategies that are targeted by pollutants include segmenting enzyme activity into plant structures. Most contaminants, including heavy metals, are covered by industrial effluents and have been the subject of epidemiological research. It is fascinating to research the risks of these pollutants to develop preventive action against them. This will help us understand the fate of nanomaterials in the environment and environmentally sustainable techniques to remove them from the atmosphere. © 2024 by the authors.
Assessment of Phytoremediation Potential of Algae for the Mitigation of Textile Effluents
(Springer Nature, 2025) Seema Nama; Vibha Jaiman; Anuj Sharma; Varad Nagar; Narain Bhoot; Harsh Pandey; Garima Awasthi
While the textile industry contributes significantly to the global economy, its environmental impact, which includes the discharge of pollutants such as dyes, heavy metals, and organic compounds, need long-term solutions. This study examines the phytoremediation capacities of three algal species, Chlorella, Euglena, and Oscillatoria, for which a macrophyte survey was conducted to reduce various water quality indicators in textile effluent in the drain region of Sanganeri printing companies from three different Bagru handblock print (S-1), Block print house (S-2), and Harion handblock printers. The study investigates how successful these algae are at extracting and detoxifying contaminants found in textile effluents. Pollutant absorption, algal growth features, and biochemical changes are monitored. The results show that Chlorella consistently lowered BOD and COD levels, but Euglena had inconsistent results. Oscillatoria exhibited significant variety. All three species showed decreases in overall hardness and alkalinity. All species lowered chloride, manganese, and iron concentrations, but Oscillatoria showed the greatest reduction. Nitrate reduction varied, but phosphate levels rose in all species. This work contributes to the promotion of phytoremediation as an effective tool for environmental restoration and aids in the development of low-cost, environmentally friendly alternatives to reduce the textile industry’s environmental impact. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
Biochar Enhancing Soil Resilience: A Dual Strategy for Mitigating Heavy Metal Contamination and Drought Stress
(AMG Transcend Association, 2024) Sneha Lohar; Poonam Kumari; Anuj Sharma; Vanisha Godara; Varad Nagar; Monika Kumari Prajapati; Ashrut Singhal; Vaibhav Sharma; Rohit Kumar Verma; Mahipal Singh Sankhla
Drought and heavy metals are abiotic stressors that affect soil fertility and plant growth excessively and have significant toxic consequences, threatening agricultural sustainability. Plants ' accumulation of heavy metals in soil uptake leads to disrupting physiochemical and biochemical metabolisms. Biochar has attracted major attention for potential and sustainable soil amendment. Biochar is a complex carbon-rich organic substance whose properties vary depending on the manufacturing process and feedstock. Application of biochar reduces drought stress by increasing the water holding capacity through modification of soil properties, helps in the retention of moisture, absorbs heavy metals, inhibits harmful bacteria, improves soil pH, and also significantly modifies the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) scavenging enzymes and provide an efficient electron transferring mechanism to reduce the toxic effects in plants. The review focuses on the effects of drought and heavy metals on soil fertility and plant growth, biochar counteracting the drought and as a soil improver, and the various direct and indirect interaction mechanisms of biochar with the soil. This article also focuses on the potential role of biochar in ameliorating drought and heavy metal stress. © 2024 by the authors.
Comparison of Organic Powder with Current Trends in Revival of Destroyed Fingerprints on Porous Surface
(Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2025) Snehalata U. Shenoy; Varad Nagar; Abhilash Kumar Das
Background: In the discipline of forensics, fingerprint research is crucial. A fingerprint serves as a person’s identify due to its distinction and individuality. Numerous techniques have been developed by experts to find latent fingerprints at crime scenes. Aims and Objectives: However, fingerprints are not always recoverable since they may be unintentionally or on purpose erased by a variety of causes, including the culprit. Materials and Methods: Organic peel and rose petal powder made using biochar technique were used for development of fingerprints on white paper after treatment with tap water, soapy water, and sanitizer. Results: The results obtained were then compared to current powders which have been employed in the same process. Rose petal gave good results with sanitizer (80%) and orange peel with soapy water (80%). The overall efficacy was compared and rose petal was found to be most effective in the current study. Conclusion: Therefore, latent prints can be created from these surfaces if any paper is retrieved in this manner from a crime scene. Future capabilities may include testing the same compounds that caused negative effects on the print on surfaces with varied textures, porous and nonporous materials, and the impact of the environment on these. © 2025 Journal of Forensic Science and Medicine.
Exploring the Adverse Effects of Arsenic-contaminated Water on Fish Health and Ecosystem: A Comprehensive Study
(AMG Transcend Association, 2024) Mahipal Singh Sankhla; Vaibhav Sharma; Divyansh Jain; Varad Nagar; Vinay Aseri; Abhishek R. Rai; Kumud Kant Awasthi; Garima Awasthi
Arsenic (As) is commonly encountered in diverse water sources, such as saltwater, hot springs, wells, rivers, and lakes, with arsenate species prevalent in aquatic settings. Regrettably, anthropogenic activities, such as using arsenic-containing pesticides, industrial practices, and mining operations, have given rise to soluble As concentrations surpassing the acceptable threshold of 0.010 mg/L globally. The recurrent exposure of freshwater species, particularly fish, to low As levels triggers bioaccumulation, especially in the liver and kidneys, leading to hyperglycemia, enzyme activity loss, acute and chronic toxicities, and immune system malfunction. Exposure to elevated As concentrations from water or air pollution can result in short-term or long-term repercussions, including immune system toxicity and cytotoxicity in fish. © 2024 by the authors.
Exploring the Adverse Impact of Pesticides in Honey Bees and Their Virulence
(AMG Transcend Association, 2024) Poonam Kumari; Sneha Lohar; Vanisha Godara; Monika Kumari Prajapati; Varad Nagar; Ashrut Singhal; Badal Mavry; Pritam P. Pandit; Anuj Sharma; Abhishek R. Rai; Rohith Krishna; Mahipal Singh Sankhla
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) significantly enhance seed production, fruit set, and yield through pollination. However, the world is facing a major challenge of honey bee loss due to the excessive use of pesticides facilitated by technological advancements. Pesticides are harmful to pollinators and can cause lethal and sublethal effects through dermal contact, ingestion, or inhalation of contaminated air. Pesticide exposure in agricultural fields has led to honey bee toxicity, which affects their neurophysiological and immune systems and, consequently, their life cycle. This toxicity also leads to contamination of bee products, which can negatively impact human health, affecting the nervous and digestive systems, among others. While there is limited knowledge about the impact of pesticides on wild honey bees, it is crucial to understand this to guide agricultural practices and legislation aimed at safeguarding these important pollinators. It is, therefore, essential to take major steps to control pesticide toxicity in honey bees and prevent further harm. © 2024, AMG Transcend Association. All rights reserved.
Fluorescent Nanoparticles: An Advanced Approach for Latent Fingerprint Development
(Apple Academic Press, 2025) Sneha Lohar; Poonam Kumari; Badal Mavry; Kapil Parihar; Varad Nagar; Pritam P. Pandit; Mahipal Singh Singh Sankhla; Raj Kumar
One of the most reliable characteristics for identifying someone is their fingerprint. In criminal investigations, recovering or gathering latent fingerprints from the crime scene is crucial. The contrast between the 54ridges and the substrate allows for the detection and description of fine features, which is essential for the successful use of created fingerprints for identification. A nanoparticle, often called an ultrafine particle, is a tiny material particle with a size range of 1–100 nm. Due to their small size, nanomaterials are exceptional in their ability to alter mechanical, electrical, and optical properties. At a crime scene, latent or invisible fingerprints are frequently left behind. Some of the nanoparticles used to obtain latent fingerprints include silica, carbon, aluminium, copper, barium, iron, and vanadium. Traditional methods have drawbacks such as low contrast, sensitivity, selectivity, and danger. These methods include powder dusting, chemical processes, and small particle reagent methods. The creation of latent fingerprints using fluorescent nanoparticles is the main subject of this review. Due to their distinctive optical and chemical properties, fluorescent nanoparticles were chosen because they offer greater contrast and sensitivity than conventional methods while also being less dangerous. © 2026 by Apple Academic Press, Inc.
Green Solution for Heavy Metal Removal: Utilizing Banana Peel Waste as a Sustainable and Effective Adsorbent
(AMG Transcend Association, 2024) Lokesh Kumar Jangir; Apoorva Singh; Abhishek R. Rai; Varad Nagar; Garima Awasthi; Poonam Kumari; Ragini Gupta; Kumud Kant Awasthi; Kamlendra Awasthi; Mahipal Singh Sankhla
In recent years, the discharge of wastewater containing heavy metal ions, such as mercury (Hg), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and iron (Fe), has posed a significant threat to the environment. Fortunately, research has found that banana peels contain elements, including sulfur, nitrogen, and carboxylic acid, which can effectively attract these heavy metals. The binding properties of banana peels can be retained for over ten cycles, making them a sustainable solution for water purification. This review summarizes recent studies on synthesizing porous carbons using banana peels and their application in water purification. Various synthesis methods and the adsorption mechanisms for removing heavy metals such as Hg, Cu, Pb, and Fe are discussed. Finally, this review concludes with a summary and highlights future prospects for research in this field. © 2024 by the authors.
Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles for Enhanced Latent Fingerprint Development: A Sustainable Approach
(Apple Academic Press, 2025) Snehalata U. Shenoy; Anuj Sharma; Vaibhav Sharma; Varad Nagar; Apoorva Singh; Kumud Kant Awasthi; Mahipal Singh Sanklhla; Garima Awasthi
The development of latent fingerprints plays a pivotal role in forensic investigations by providing critical evidence for identifying individuals involved in criminal activities. However, traditional fingerprint development methods often rely on chemical reagents that are environmentally harmful and pose potential health risks to forensic investigators. In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in eco-friendly and sustainable techniques for fingerprint enhancement. Green synthesis involves the utilization of natural compounds, such as plant extracts and microorganisms, to fabricate nanoparticles with enhanced properties. These nanoparticles offer numerous advantages, including biocompatibility, cost-effectiveness, and minimal environmental impact. Furthermore, the role of different types of green-synthesized nanoparticles, such as silver, gold, and magnetic nanoparticles, in enhancing the visibility and quality of latent fingerprints. It discusses their unique properties, synthesis methods, and interactions with fingerprint residue components. It also discusses future research directions and potential advancements in this emerging field, with the aim of promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly approaches for forensic fingerprint analysis. Overall, the incorporation of green-synthesized nanoparticles in latent fingerprint development holds tremendous promise for advancing forensic science while mitigating the negative impact on the environment and human health. By embracing these eco-friendly techniques, forensic investigators can enhance their capabilities in fingerprint analysis while upholding sustainable practices. © 2026 by Apple Academic Press, Inc.
Implications of Diatoms for Heavy Metal Bioremediation
(wiley, 2025) Varad Nagar; Vinay Aseri; Rushikesh L. Chopade; Pritam P. Pandit; Badal Mavry; Apoorva Singh; Garima Awasthi; Kumud Kant Awasthi; Mahipal Singh Singh Sankhla
Alarming levels of heavy metals are hazardous to the aquatic ecology, resulting in a significant loss of species variety. Pollutant biosorption employing naturally inspired sources such as microalgae provides a number of advantages. Diatoms, a varied species of phytoplankton that makes up approximately 45% of marine primary production, have a remarkable capacity for survival in contaminated aquatic environments. They are important for metal biogeochemistry in settings with fresh and salt water. Chemical pollutants and dangerous metals from contaminated locations are degraded, speciated, and detoxified in large parts. Diatoms have several advantages, including plentiful availability, low cost, high metal removal efficiency, and environmental friendliness. This chapter discusses new developments and methods in diatom-based bioremediation and biosorption of hazardous heavy metals, with the intention of providing relevant information to aid the development of efficient and economically viable heavy metal bioremediation technology by implication of diatoms. © 2025 Scrivener Publishing LLC.
Rice crop production from nursery to postharvesting treatment
(Elsevier, 2025) Anuj Sharma; Snehalata U. Shenoy; Varad Nagar; Vaibhav Sharma; Mahipal Singh Singh Sankhla; Kumud Kant Awasthi; Anjali Awasthi; Garima Awasthi
For more than half of the world's population, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food crop. The preparation of the nursery, transplanting, field management, harvesting, and postharvest processing are all steps in the cultivation process. Each stage is essential in deciding the ultimate product's quality and yield. Choosing high-quality seeds, setting up the seedbed correctly, and maintaining ideal environmental conditions for seedling growth are all part of nursery management. To guarantee equal crop establishment, planting, or moving seedlings to the main field, involves precise timing and spacing. Irrigation, fertilization, weeding, and pest and disease management are all included in field management. By using these techniques, you may increase plant growth, reduce production losses, and protect the environment. Harvesting entails cutting and gathering ripe rice panicles at the appropriate time. To avoid grain shattering and preserve grain quality, proper timing is crucial. Threshing, drying, cleaning, grading, storing, and milling are all parts of postharvest management. These procedures guarantee grain quality preservation, reduce postharvest losses, and get the rice ready for consumption. Rice crop production is a complicated and varied process that needs close attention to each stage to produce rice with the best yields and grain quality. To fulfill the rising demand for this main crop and ensure food security, it is crucial to comprehend and optimize these practices. This chapter explores the many facets of postharvest handling and clarifies their significance in the agricultural supply chain. © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Sustainable Amelioration of Heavy Metals in Soil Ecosystem: Existing Developments to Emerging Trends
(MDPI, 2022) Garima Awasthi; Varad Nagar; Saglara Mandzhieva; Tatiana Minkina; Mahipal Singh Sankhla; Pritam P. Pandit; Vinay Aseri; Kumud Kant Awasthi; Vishnu D. Rajput; Tatiana Bauer; Sudhakar Srivastava
The consequences of heavy metal contamination are progressively degrading soil quality in this modern period of industry. Due to this reason, improvement of the soil quality is necessary. Remediation is a method of removing pollutants from the root zone of plants in order to minimize stress and increase yield of plants grown in it. The use of plants to remove toxins from the soil, such as heavy metals, trace elements, organic chemicals, and radioactive substances, is referred to as bioremediation. Biochar and fly ash techniques are also studied for effectiveness in improving the quality of contaminated soil. This review compiles amelioration technologies and how they are used in the field. It also explains how nanoparticles are becoming a popular method of desalination, as well as how they can be employed in heavy metal phytoremediation. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Unveiling the Power of Nanoparticles: A Comprehensive Review on Revolutionary Techniques for Development of Latent Fingerprints
(AMG Transcend Association, 2024) Muskan Singhal; Anuj Sharma; Divyansh Jain; Varad Nagar; Swaroop S. Sonone; Swapnali V. Jadhav; Kumud Kant Awasthi; Mahipal Singh Sankhla
Nanoparticles range between 1 to 100 nm and are undetectable by the eyes. The size of nanoparticles makes them unique in adjustable mechanical, electrical, and optical properties. Due to these characteristics, nanoparticles have a high significance in forensic science development. Fingerprints are the most common and important physical evidence on the crime scene. A latent fingerprint develops when the finger comes in contact with any surface, leaving sweat deposition, but this sweat deposition remains unnoticeable because sweat composition remains colorless. The present study provides a concise review of different nanoparticles like gold nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles, silica nanoparticles, antibodies functionalized gold nanoparticles, aluminum oxide nanoparticles, Bi-functionalized gold nanoparticles, fluorescent starch-based carbon nanoparticles, electrodeposition of metal nanoparticles, iron oxide nanoparticles; carbon dot-based nanoparticles which can be used to develop fingerprints. This article discusses different types of print found on crime scenes and a comparative study of nanoparticles that are used to develop fingerprints. The various nanomaterials can be utilized for fingerprint development and to carry out future studies on fingerprint science following the growing demands of the modern scientific community. © 2024 by the authors.