2009
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PublicationArticle Distribution of vehicular pollutants in street canyons of Varanasi, India: A different case(2009) Santosh K. Prajapati; B.D. Tripathi; Vinita PathakIn present study horizontal and vertical distribution of traffic-related pollutants (CO and SO2) within the street canyons in (CO and SO2) Varanasi, India was monitored. The results showed that average horizontal profiles of traffic-related pollutant concentrations within street canyon at leeward side were approximately same as that of windward side. However, the vertical concentration of both the pollutants decreases with height above the ground and study indicated that CO and SO2 concentrations at different heights below the roof showed clear vertical self-gradient. CO and SO2 concentration decreased with height and the minimum value occurred at the roof. It was concluded from the observed results that pollutants from vehicular exhaust emissions in the street canyon of Varanasi were evenly distributed. This result may be due to the fact that wind vortices are not formed. Therefore, urban planners can use this type of streets so that there is proper ventilation and dispersal of pollutants. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.PublicationArticle Assessment of atmospheric PAHs profile through Calotropis gigantea R.Br. leaves in the vicinity of an Indian coal-fired power plant.(2009) Atul Prakash Sharma; B.D. TripathiBiomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the leaves of Calotropis gigantea R.Br. were performed at seven sites in the surrounding areas of a Thermal Power Plant (TPP), using the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry technique. The primary objective of the study was to monitor the degree of PAHs load in the nearby sites around TPP compared to distant sites. Total PAH (SigmaPAH) concentrations in the leaves ranged from 372.18 (at control site 7) to 4362.35 ng g(-1) d.w. (at highest polluted site 4). The concentration factors ranged from 2.65 to 11.72 for the sites located at 1 km to the point source and 1.0 to 7.08 for distant sites. The share of carcinogenic PAHs to the total PAHs differed with the site, ranging from 10.76% to 26.92%. The sites located closer to TPP have shown higher concentrations of medium and high molecular weight PAHs, which decreased gradually with the distance from the source. The total PAH burden at control site was dominated by the low and medium molecular weight PAHs compounds viz., naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, coronene., whilst at other sites medium and high PAHs viz., fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo (a) anthracene, chrysene, benzo (b) fluoranthene, benzo (e) pyrene and coronene showed the highest values. These results support the biomonitoring ability of Calotropis gigantea R.Br. leaves to monitor PAHs contamination.PublicationArticle Comparative assessment of Azolla pinnata and Vallisneria spiralis in Hg removal from G.B. Pant Sagar of Singrauli Industrial region, India(2009) Prabhat Kumar Rai; B.D. TripathiThe aim of the present work was to monitor the Hg pollution in water and sediments of G.B. Pant Sagar located in Singrauli Industrial Region, India and to suggest the efficient aquatic plants for its phytoremediation. The study assessed the comparative potential of a free floating water fern Azolla pinnata and submerged aquatic macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis to purify waters polluted by Hg. Six days laboratory experiments have been conducted to mark the percentage removal of Hg at initial concentration of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 mg L-1. The percentage removal of Hg was higher for A. pinnata (80-94%) than V. spiralis (70-84%). Likewise, the Hg accumulated in dry mass was much higher for A. pinnata and a high correlation (R2 = 0.91 for A. pinnata and 0.99 for V. spiralis) was obtained between applied Hg doses and accumulated amounts in biomass. A concentration dependent decrease in chlorophyll a, protein, RNA, DNA and nutrients (NO3- and PO43-) uptake was detected in A. pinnata and V. spiralis due to Hg toxicity. The decrease was more prominent in Azolla than Vallisneria. The results recommended the use of A. pinnata and V. spiralis to ameliorate the industrial effluents (thermal power, chlor-alkali and coal mine effluent) contaminated with Hg. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.PublicationArticle Bioaccumulation of heavy metals and two organochlorine pesticides (DDT and BHC) in crops irrigated with secondary treated waste water(2009) Virendra K. Mishra; Alka R. Upadhyay; B.D. TripathiFour crop plants Oryza sativa (rice), Solanum melongena (brinjal), Spinacea oleracea (spinach) and Raphanus sativus (radish) were grown to study the impact of secondary treated municipal waste water irrigation. These plants were grown in three plots each of 0.5 ha, and irrigated with secondary treated waste water from a sewage treatment plant. Sludge from the same sewage treatment plant was applied as manure. Cultivated plants were analyzed for accumulation of heavy metals and pesticides. Results revealed the accumulation of six heavy metals cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) as well as two pesticides [1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane; DDT] and benzene hexa chloride (BHC). Order of the plants for the extent of bioaccumulation was S. oleracea > R. sativus > S. melongena > O. sativa. The study has shown the secondary treated waste water can be a source of contamination to the soil and plants. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.PublicationArticle Biochemical responses in tree foliage exposed to coal-fired power plant emission in seasonally dry tropical environment(2009) Atul Prakash Sharma; B.D. TripathiA biomonitoring study was conducted to investigate the responses of plants exposed to power plant emission in a dry tropical environment. For this purpose, five sampling sites were selected in the prevailing wind direction (NE) at different distance to thermal power plant (TPP) within 8.0 km range and a reference site was selected in eastern direction at a distance of 22.0 km. The two most common tree species, Ficus benghalensis L. (Evergreen tree) and Dalbergia sisso Roxb. (deciduous tree) were selected as test plants. Ambient sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), suspended particulate matter (SPM), respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), dust-fall rate (DFR) and plant responses such as leaf pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids), ascorbic acid, sugar and sulphate-sulphur (SO 4 2- -S) contents were measured. Ambient SO2, NO2, SPM, RSPM and DFR showed significant spatial and temporal variation at different sites. Considerable reduction in pigment (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids) and sugar contents were observed at sites receiving higher pollution load. Ascorbic acid exhibited significant positive correlation with pollution load. Accumulation of SO 4 2- -S in leaf tissue showed significant positive correlation with ambient SO2 concentration at all the sites. At the same time, SO 4 2- -S showed significant negative correlation with pigment and sugar content. D. sisso Roxb. tree was found to be more sensitive as compared to F. benghalensis L. tree. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.PublicationArticle Assessment of total suspended particulate matter-bound polychlorinated biphenyls in ambient air of a seasonally dry tropical urban-industrial area(2009) Atid Prakash Sharma; B.D. Tripathi[No abstract available]PublicationArticle Accumulation of chromium and zinc from aqueous solutions using water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)(2009) Virendra Kumar Mishra; B.D. TripathiUnder present investigation Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) has been tested for removal of two important heavy metals chromium (Cr) and zinc (Zn) from metal solution. This species was grown at four concentrations of Cr and Zn, i.e. 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 mg l-1 in single metal solution. This plant has performed extremely well in removing the Cr and Zn from their solution and was capable of removing up to 95% of zinc and 84% of chromium during 11 days incubation period. Removal of Cr at lower concentrations (1.0 and 5.0 mg l-1) was found harmless, without any symptom of toxicity but at 10.0 and 20.0 mg l-1, plants have shown some morphological symptoms of toxicity. On the other hand E. crassipes removed Zn safely at all the four concentrations, i.e. 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 mg l-1. In this case morphological symptoms of toxicity were not evident in the test plant. Biochemical parameters viz. protein, sugar and chlorophyll in experimental plants have shown a decreasing trend due to accumulation of Zn and Cr. Overall this methodology is safe for the removal of Zn and Cr and can be utilized at large scale after few further investigation. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.PublicationArticle Removal and accumulation of mercury by aquatic macrophytes from an open cast coal mine effluent(2009) Virendra Kumar Mishra; B.D. Tripathi; Ki-Hyun KimIn this study, the mercury (Hg) removal capacities of two aquatic macrophytes, Pistia stratiotes and Azolla pinnata, were investigated against the coal mining effluent. These plants reduced mercury from the effluent via rhizofiltration and subsequent accumulation in plant. The removal rate of P. stratiotes and A. pinnata was 80% and 68%, respectively, after 21 days of exposure to the effluent containing 10 μg L-1 of Hg. As mercury from the effluent was accumulated in the root and shoot tissues of both aquatic macrophytes, they were proven to be a root accumulator with a translocation factor of less than one during the entire study. The decreasing Hg content in effluent (from 10 to 2.0 μg L-1) was reflected by its accumulation in roots (0.57 ± 0.02 mg g-1 in P. stratiotes) and leaves of the experimental plants (0.42 ± 0.01 mg g-1, P. stratiotes). As a result, Hg concentrations in the coal mining effluent were tightly associated with those observed from macrophytes. Considering the high removal efficiencies of Hg by these aquatic macrophytes, these plants can be recommended for the actual treatment of Hg-containing waste waters. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.PublicationArticle Seasonal and temporal variations in physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics of river ganga in varanasi(2009) A. Mishra; A. Mukherjee; B.D. TripathiVarious physico chemical characteristics of the river Ganga in Varanasi were studied in the Oct 2005 to Nov 2006. Ecological parameters like dissolved oxygen(DO), pH, nitrate(NO3-), PO43- and bacterial population were analyzed and compared with standard permissible limits to assess the best designated use of the river water for various purposes. Study revealed that the water quality at Varanasi was not safe for human use. Result shows that Fecal coliform (20.9×103/100mL), Fecal streptococci (93/100mL), Total bacterial density (1.43×103/L), Total coliform (25.4×103/100mL) Escherichia coli (6.9×103/100mL) and Clostridium perfringens (396/100mL) were substantially high and much beyond the permissible limit of ISI and WHO. There were a marked correlation observed between physico-chemical quality of water and bacterial density. Some pathogenic bacteria Actinomyces sp., Aerobacter aerogenes, A. Cloacae, Micrococcus sp., Salmonella sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp. and Shigella sp., that indicate the higher level of fecal contamination in water. These untreated water sources are used for drinking and domestic purposes and pose a serious threat to the health of the consumers and therefore calls for urgent intervention by government.