Browsing by Author "Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar"

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Arsenic Contamination in Groundwater and Its Removal Strategies with Special Emphasis on Nano Zerovalent Iron
(wiley, 2022-12-02T00:00:00) Thakur, Shivani; Singh, Harminder; Chaudhari, Umakant; Mittal, Sunil; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar
An occurrence of arsenic (As) in an aquatic ecosystem is a major concern because of its very toxic and carcinogenic nature. Groundwater arsenic pollution has been reported globally, notably along the large Indo-Gangetic flood plain and some major rivers of South Asia and South American nations. It comes in water both via natural and anthropogenic sources. Major processes that trigger the release of As in groundwater include reductive dissolution of Fe-oxyhydroxides, sulfide oxidation, and alkali desorption. Microbial metabolisms of arsenic also play a crucial role in its mobilization in aquifers. Ions such as HCO 3 ? and PO 4 3? also help in triggering arsenic mobility in water. Different methods are developed for As removal from water such as precipitation, coagulation, ion exchange, and membrane filtration, but none of the methods are as effective as nanomaterials. With the advancement in a study in nanotechnology during the past few years, an increase in usage of different nanomaterials as adsorbents for arsenic removal has also been observed. Among these, nano zerovalent iron (nZVI) has been proved quite effective for arsenic removal from the water by the adsorption technique. The nZVI has high reactivity, good efficiency, and fast action for As removal, and a low impact on the environment. Further, intensive research is going on to alter the properties of nZVI following specific applications as per the requirements. This chapter presents an overview of several geochemical processes aiding in As mobility from the aquifer sediments into groundwater, briefly describing its distribution pattern across global groundwater systems. It also aims to provide an overview of the effectiveness of different iron-based nanoparticles with particular reference to nZVI for the removal of different species of Arsenic from water. � 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Published 2023 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bioavailability of copper and nickel in naturally metal-enriched soils of Caraj�s Mining Province, Eastern Amazon, Brazil
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2021-04-09T00:00:00) Martins, Gabriel Caixeta; da Silva Junior, Ediu Carlos; Ramos, S�lvio Junio; Maurity, Cl�vis Wagner; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Dall�Agnol, Roberto; Guilherme, Luiz Roberto Guimar�es
Naturally elevated contents of copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) are found in soils worldwide, and their potential toxicity is better understood when geochemical reactive fractions are identified and monitored. Thus, this study aimed to assess the bioavailability of Cu and Ni and estimate environmental risks in naturally metal-enriched soils of Caraj�s Mining Province, Eastern Amazon, Brazil. For that, 58 surficial soil samples were analyzed for their extractable contents of Cu and Ni by Mehlich 1. Next, 13 soil samples were selected for additional single and sequential extractions, for the determination of metal content in the shoots of grasses naturally growing in these soils and for calculating the risk assessment code. Despite the naturally high total concentrations, the contents of easily available Cu and Ni are a minor fraction of total concentrations (up to 10.15%), and the reducible oxide and residual pools hold the major proportion of total content of metals. This contributed to low bioavailability, low environmental risk, and also to low concentrations of these metals on grasses collected in the field. Soil organic matter, Fe2O3, Al2O3 and clay content have a dominant role in metals retention on studied soils. Our findings on the bioavailability of Cu and Ni in a region of great economic relevance for Brazil are important not only for predicting the elements� behavior in the soil�plant system but also for refining risk assessments and to provide useful data for environmental quality monitoring. � 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Changes in the surface water quality of a tropical watershed in the southeastern amazon due to the environmental impacts of artisanal mining
(Elsevier Ltd, 2023-04-12T00:00:00) Salom�o, Gabriel Negreiros; Dall'Agnol, Roberto; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Almeida, Gabriel Soares de; Amarante, Rafael Tarantino; Zeferino, Leiliane Bozzi; Lopes, Jo�o Paulo Nobre; Souza Filho, Pedro Walfir Martins e; Costa, Normara Yane Mar da; Guimar�es, Jos� Tasso Felix; Silva, Marcio Sousa da; Martins, Gabriel Caixeta; Teixeira, Mayara Fraeda Barbosa; Marques, Eduardo Duarte; Ang�lica, R�mulo Sim�es; Ara�jo, Wilker Emmanoel Oliveira
The expansion of areas of human occupation and the increase in economic activity and deforestation are negatively impacting the Amazon ecosystem. Situated in the Caraj�s Mineral Province in the southeastern Amazon, the Itacai�nas River Watershed (IRW) encompasses several active mines and has a historical record of intense deforestation primarily linked with the expansion of pasturelands, but also of urban areas, and mining activities. Industrial mining projects are subjected to strict environmental control, but artisanal mining (ASM; �garimpos�) sites have not been controlled, despite their known environmental impacts. In recent years, the opening and expansion of ASM in the IRW for the exploitation of mineral resources (Au, Mn, and Cu) have been remarkable. This study presents evidence of anthropogenic impacts, mainly caused by ASM, on the quality and hydrogeochemical characteristics of the IRW surface water. The hydrogeochemical data sets of two projects carried out in the IRW, during 2017 and from 2020 until present, were used to evaluate these impacts within the region. Water quality indices were calculated for the surface water samples. For the whole IRW, water collected during the dry season tended to yield better quality indicators in comparison to those collected during the rainy season. Two sampling sites at Sereno Creek showed very poor water quality and extremely high concentrations of Fe, Al, and potentially toxic elements over time. From 2016 to 2022, ASM sites increased markedly. Moreover, there are indications that Mn exploitation via ASM in Sereno hill is the main source of contamination in the area. New trends of ASM expansion were observed along the main watercourses, related to the exploitation of Au from alluvial deposits. Similar anthropogenic impacts are registered in other regions of the Amazon and environmental monitoring should be encouraged to assess the chemical safety of strategic areas. � 2023 Elsevier Ltd
Co-occurrence of geogenic uranium and fluoride in a semiarid belt of the Punjab plains, India
(Elsevier B.V., 2023-10-05T00:00:00) Chaudhari, Umakant; Mehta, Madhu; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Mittal, Sunil; Tiwari, Raghavendra P.
The inordinate presence of uranium (U) and fluoride (F?) in shallow aquifers of arid/semi-arid regions in northern India has raised a serious health concern; the Muktsar district of Punjab is one such example. In the present study, a total of 38 groundwater samples (17 from <100 ft (very shallow; VSL), 21 from >100 to 180 ft (shallow; SL)) were collected from this district to understand the current health risk associated with U and F? and the major factors/processes influencing these contaminants. Groundwater in the study area is mostly alkaline and oxic in nature. The concentration of U ranged from 18.5 ?g/L to 456 ?g/L exceeding the WHO permissible limit (>30 ?g/L) in 93 and 100% samples from VSL and SL respectively, while F? concentration (ranged from 0.3 to 14.4 mg/L) above the limit (>1.5 mg/L) were found in 75 and 57% samples from VSL and SL respectively. As per the depth-wise distribution of U and F?, there is no significant difference between VSL and SL samples, with a few exceptions. Spearman rank correlation (?) shows a significant positive correlation (p-value < 0.05) between U and F? (? = 0.5), and U with total dissolved solid (TDS) (? = 0.5), salinity (? = 0.6), and bicarbonate (HCO3?) (? = 0.7) and a positive association of F? with TDS (? = 0.3), salinity (? = 0.3), and HCO3? (? = 0.3), indicating these parameters are responsible for the co-occurrence of U and F?. Moreover, this geochemical signature is attributed to their geogenic origin. Uranium speciation data show that UO2(CO3)22? and UO2(CO3)34? are dominant species, while F? predominantly occurs as F? species. The regions with high concentration of U and F? in groundwater primarily have mixed type species (Na�HCO3 and NaCl type). Geochemical modelling revealed that the precipitation of calcite, dolomite, and aragonite is favourable for mobility of F? in groundwater. The hazard quotient (HQ) of F? for adults and children exceeds 1 in 57.8% and 65.7% of samples, respectively, while in case of U, 94.7% and 100% samples exceed 1, respectively, indicating the latter is having greater health impact on local people. The current data indicated an urgent demand to develop low-cost and effective remedial techniques to manage groundwater contamination in this region. � 2023
Co-transport and deposition of fluoride using rice husk-derived biochar in saturated porous media: Effect of solution chemistry and surface properties
(Elsevier B.V., 2023-02-10T00:00:00) Kumar, Rakesh; Sharma, Prabhakar; Rose, Pawan Kumar; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Bhattacharya, Prosun; Pandey, Ashok; Kumar, Manish
Fluoride (F?) contamination in water is a global health concern, threatening the well-being of millions. This study investigated the role of ZnCl2/FeCl3-rice husk-modified biochar (Zn-BC and Zn/Fe-BC) in treating F?-contaminated surface and groundwater under the influence of varying solution chemistry, co-existing ions, and biochar-amended through column transport experiments. Modified biochar showed maximum F? adsorption, 99.01% and 91.90% using Zn/Fe-BC and Zn-BC, respectively, than 85.87% using raw biochar (R-BC). Raw/modified biochars were characterized with FESEM-EDAX, FTIR, XRD, particle size, surface area, electro-kinetic potential, and point of zero charge analyses. Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetic could explain that F?-biochar interactions are dominated by chemisorption at ambient temperature while physisorption at higher temperatures. The influence of salt concentrations and co-occurring ions reduced F? sorption using Zn/Fe-BC. Increased salt strengths led to reduced electrophoretic mobility of biochar particles, i.e., biochar�biochar particles attract each other and increase the hydrodynamic diameter, which ultimately reduces the active sites on biochar for F? adsorption. Co-transport and deposition of biochar and F? in saturated porous media revealed lower mobility of biochar, and maximum F? adsorption was observed at 10 mM salt strength. Biochar transport is governed by electrostatic interactions, whereas F? transport mainly occurs through chemisorption. In rural areas, hand pumps and tube wells are generally used as source of potable water for drinking and cooking purposes; thus, biochar-mediated sand columns can be utilized for defluoridation. Thus, Zn/Fe-BC can be utilized as a potential bio-adsorbent for F?-contaminated natural surface and groundwater with optimum preparation and treatment costs. � 2023 The Authors
COVID-19 pandemic: An outlook on its impact on air quality and its association with environmental variables in major cities of Punjab and Chandigarh, India
(Bellwether Publishing, Ltd., 2020-10-31T00:00:00) Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Chauhan, Amit Kumar; Mangla, Sherry; Pathak, Ashok Kumar; Garg, V.K.
The present study aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on air quality and to explore the association of daily COVID-19 confirmed cases with meteorological parameters and criteria pollutants in the major cities of Punjab and Chandigarh, India during the different phase of pre-lockdown (March 1 to March 24), lockdown (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0; March 25 to May 31), and unlock (1.0, 2.0; > June 1) in 2020. Our results show that the COVID-19 lockdown has drastically improved the quality of air in major cities of Punjab and Chandigarh. Compared to pre-lockdown, maximum reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 levels (up to ?52 and ?53.5%, respectively) was witnessed during lockdown 1.0, but their levels were rising again during the last phase of lockdown and unlock phases. This is due to more relaxation and traffic returned on the road. Among other pollutants, NO2 also reduced during lockdown 1.0, but remained variable between cities and different phases of lockdown and unlock periods. However, surface-level ozone resulted in an overall increase trend during the lockdown and unlock phases. Regarding the relationship between COVID-19 and meteorological parameters, Spearman correlation test shows that ambient temperature is positively correlated with COVID-19 daily confirmed cases (r < 0.77, p < 0.01). This result indicates that the study region�s hot tropical weather is less effective in controlling the spread of COVID-19. Relative humidity and wind speed are also weakly correlated with COVID-19. Furthermore, among criteria pollutants, PM2.5 and PM10 are positively correlated (r < 0.55, p < 0.01) with COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Jalandhar and Ludhiana, suggesting that these pollutants could lead to the spreading of the virus. However, further in-depth studies are required to validate this finding. The results of this study can contribute to the understanding of the role of environmental factors in the transmission of COVID-19 in tropical and sub-tropical countries like India, Brazil, etc. This study also indicates that the temporarylockdown like COVID-19 can be emerged as an effective way to control environmental imbalancein the study area, as well as in other areas. � 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
A decadal analysis to unravel the global status of emerging contaminants in wastewaters and comparison with the Indian context
(Elsevier B.V., 2022-07-07T00:00:00) Kerketta, Anjali; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar
The prevalence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in wastewaters is troublesome because of their widespread and persistent nature, posing a threat to living organisms when exposed for prolonged durations. We conducted an extensive literature assessment for this study to present the overall global status of the occurrence of ECs regardless of their class by compiling relevant publications from the previous decade. The most commonly investigated category were pharmaceuticals (particularly antibiotics and anti-inflammatories/analgesics), personal care products (PCPs), and industrial chemicals (IDC). The most concentrated compounds in the global influents and effluents were Acetaminophen (500 ?g/L), an analgesic, and Saccharine (379 ?g/L), an artificial sweetener, reported from Canada and India, respectively. Irrespective of its prevalence, the presence of artificial sweeteners (ASWs), surfactants, etc., in wastewaters have often been overlooked. Most of the sub-classes exhibited minor to moderate elimination efficiency, with anti-diabetic drugs showing the highest among all. However, insignificant changes (artificial sweeteners, phthalates, etc.) and negative removal (anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, etc.) were also observed. Furthermore, Caffeine, Ampicillin, and Trimethoprim were reported at extremely high concentrations in India than in the rest of the world. Irgasan, Benzothiazoles, Sparfloxacin, etc., were also quite predominant in India, which has yet to be recorded in any other country. Therefore, the universally implemented conventional approaches are incapable of total elimination for all ECs. Hence, the traditional methods should be paired with the advanced techniques that have shown positive removal for certain ECs, which can be a promising solution to this problem. These findings will aid in establishing which classes and compounds demand immediate attention for further investigation and monitoring, allowing water managers to take necessary measures to reduce pollutant levels at the source and develop water protection policies. � 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Efficacy of biotic components in constructed wetlands for mitigating pesticides
(Elsevier, 2023-03-17T00:00:00) Sachdeva, Saloni; Chowdari, Jabili; Patro, Ashmita; Mittal, Sunil; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar
Modern agricultural practices pose a significant danger to the aquatic ecosystem. Synthetic pesticides derived from agricultural activities are the most lethal and persistent substances that endanger the planet's ecology and human health; ineffective traditional waste-water treatment systems worsen the situation. On that account, these traditional technologies need to be upgraded and constructed wetlands have come to the fore as an environment and user-friendly technology. CWs consists of different type of biotic components, e.g., plants, microbes and abiotic components, e.g., gravels, sand, etc. which not only removes various types of organic pollutants but also help in their sustainable degradation into a simpler form. However, the factor circumscribing the effective implementation of constructed wetlands is the choice of aquatic macrophytes. The present chapter is an attempt to give a brief insight into using CWs for the treatment and removal of different types of pesticides present in wastewaters having different origins. Selected studies have been scrutinized for more than 60 aquatic macrophytes and 18 unconventional substrates that have shown promising results to mitigate pesticides from nonpoint water sources. Among various biological components, emergent macrophytes (P. australis, T. latiflolia, C. indica, and J. effuses) and associated microorganisms are the most suitable choice for constructed wetlands. Apart from pesticide reduction, macrophytes effectively stabilize the bed surface, reduces clogging, improve filtering, and promote microbial development. Following that, microorganisms can remove contaminants by accelerating chemical processes, biodegradation, and biosorption, as well as promoting plant development. Overall, the present chapter aims to highlight the importance of looking into the holistic interactions of macrophyte-microorganisms for a magnified outcome of removal efficacy. � 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Engineered biochar for the effective sorption and remediation of emerging pollutants in the environment
(Elsevier Ltd, 2023-02-27T00:00:00) Majumder, Sutripto; Sharma, Pooja; Singh, Surendra Pratap; Nadda, Ashok Kumar; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Xia, Changlei; Sharma, Swati; Ganguly, Rajiv; Lam, Su Shiung; Kim, Ki Hyeon
Various compounds that are emerging contaminants pose a significant risk to aquatic ecosystems and human health due to their potential to harm human health and the environment.Thus, there is an urgent requirement to use effective remediation methods and techniques to minimize the harmful impact of these contaminants on the environment. Biochar (BC) is a lightweight black residue that is made of carbon after the pyrolysis of biomass. BC is a product that is stable, rich in carbon, and exhibited improved properties. BC has come up with fascinating properties and results to remediate these pollutants from the soil effectively. Furthermore, it becomes possible to recover resources using BC because of the benefits such as (a) it offers in terms of cost, (b) the preservation of nutrients, and (c) the efficiency with which it absorbs pollutants. Consequently, it is necessary to have a knowledge of the interaction involving biochar and resource recovery to explore the applicability of BC in the cleaning up of the surroundings and the exploitation of wastewater. This review emphasize the physio-chemical and biological modification methods for the preparation of various types of engineered BC. Therefore, the present review aims: (i) provide an overview of emerging pollutants of human activities in soil (ii) synthesis and engineer BC for field application (iii) critically discuss and evaluate the factors affecting large-scale application techno-economic challenges. The review provided insight into the areas that need immediate attention in the upcoming investigation regarding the use of engineered biochar for wastewater treatment. � 2023 Elsevier Ltd
Geochemical assessment of groundwater contaminants and associated health risks in the Shivalik region of Punjab, India
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2020-08-07T00:00:00) Mittal, Sunil; Kumar, Ravishankar; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Sahoo, Sunil Kumar
The present study investigates the groundwater suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes in the Shivalik region of Punjab, India. The results revealed that the concentration of Se, U, and F? exceeded BIS acceptable drinking water standards in 18%, 9%, and 16% samples, respectively. Multivariate analyses indicate the geogenic origin for As, U, Fe, F? and SO42?, and anthropogenic for NO3?, Cu, and Cr. The carcinogenic risk of drinking water is in very low (10?6) to low (10?5) category, while cumulative non-carcinogenic risk (HI-1.2) is slightly higher than USEPA limits (HI-1). The groundwater quality was found suitable for irrigation purpose. � 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Geogenic enrichment of fluoride in groundwater of hard rock aquifer in fluorosis prevalent area of Balangir district, Odisha, India
(Elsevier B.V., 2022-08-28T00:00:00) Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Ray, Subhransu Bhusan; Kerketta, Anjali; Behera, Pintu; Neogi, Gautam; Sahoo, Himadri Bhusan
Hydrogeochemical characterization of groundwater has been carried out in a hard rock aquifer from Balangir district, a fluorosis-affected area of Odisha, India with the aim of understanding the sources and processes controlling fluoride (F?) enrichment. A total of 37 groundwater (tube wells) and 7 surface water (pond) samples were collected during the pre-monsoon period. Groundwaters are mostly categorized as moderate to very hard water types with alkaline nature. The enhanced Na+ and HCO3? concentration in groundwater is mostly a result of silicate weathering. The F? concentration in groundwater ranged from 0.4 to 4.29 mg/l, with 38% of samples exceeded the drinking water limit (1.5 mg/l; as prescribed by the World Health Organization, 2011), in contrast to very low F? (<0.9 mg/l) in surface water. High F? concentrations in underlying granitic bedrocks (up to 700 mg/kg), which spatially corresponds to F? rich groundwater, suggest that lithological composition is the main control of F?. Fluoride-rich waters are mostly Na�HCO3 type, followed by mixed Na�Ca�HCO3 (Cl) type with Na+/Ca2+ ratio >1. The significant positive correlations of F? with Na+, HCO3?, and pH indicate that the weathering of sodium-rich silicate minerals and increase of pH mobilizes F? ion. Geochemical modeling indicates that the activity of F? in groundwater increased by precipitation of calcite, dolomite, and aragonite. Fluoride risk assessment indicates that 38% of groundwater samples can cause a high prevalence of dental fluorosis with children being at greater risk than adults. Henceforth, it is advisable to treat this contaminated groundwater before consumption or provide alternative drinking water to avoid further fluorosis risks in the concerned area. � 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Ground/drinking water contaminants and cancer incidence: A case study of rural areas of South West Punjab, India
(Bellwether Publishing, Ltd., 2019-12-26T00:00:00) Kaur, Gursharan; Kumar, Ravishankar; Mittal, Sunil; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Vaid, Upma
This study was carried out in the rural areas of South West Punjab, India, to evaluate the groundwater quality and cancer incidence. The epidemiological study was carried using standardized questionnaire method, and the groundwater samples were analyzed for heavy metals by ICP-MS and AAS. The results showed that the cancer prevalence was highest in the age group of > 60, followed by >45�60 years old in both males and females. The average cancer rate in females (272 cases/lakh) was ?3 times higher than the India�s national cancer average of 80 cases/lakh. The mean concentration of As (27.59 �g/L), Pb (48.3 �g/L), U (96.56 �g/L), NO3� (67.32 mg/L), and F� (4.7 mg/L) exceeded the drinking water limits of WHO/BIS. Health risk analysis indicated that As, Pb, U, and F� with NO3� are the major groundwater contaminants, which may be one of the potential cause of cancer incidences. Multivariate analyses reveal that anthropogenic activities are source of NO3�, whereas U, As, and F� are mainly of geogenic origin. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk followed in the order of As > Pb and U > F�>NO3�>Cu > Zn, respectively. Further, correlations between cancer incidence and groundwater quality have been discussed. � 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
High resolution hydrogeochemical survey and estimation of baseline concentrations of trace elements in surface water of the Itacaiúnas River Basin, southeastern Amazonia: Implication for environmental studies
(Elsevier, 2019) Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Dall'Agnol, R; Salomão, G.N; da, SilvaFerreira Junior J; Silva, M.S; e Souza, Filho P.W.M; Powell, M.A; Angélica, R.S; Pontes P.R; da, Costa M.F; Siqueira, J.O.
A high resolution systematic geochemical mapping at regional-scale is considered to be the best available method to estimate geochemical baseline levels of trace elements in stream water, and is an essential part of environmental risk assessment. This methodology was applied in a project in the Itacaiúnas River Basin, southeastern Amazon, which includes several mines of the Carajás Mineral Province (as part of the Itacaiúnas Geochemical Mapping and Background Project, ItacGMBP). A total of 1429 samples (including 55 duplicates) were collected in 2017 at 900 sites at one sample per microbasin, during both dry and rainy periods. The analyses of 34 elements were carried out using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). In general, the waters are slightly alkaline and are classified as mixed Ca-Na-HCO3 type, indicating that they are mainly influenced by silicate rock weathering. Most metal concentrations in the water are low, except Fe and Mn. Seasonality explains differences in metal concentrations, with higher values being obtained in the rainy season. Baseline threshold values (BTVs) were calculated separately for both seasons by employing different statistical methods: iterative 2σ and DF preferentially delivered a more restrictive or conservative levels, which can be represenative of the natural BTVs (NBTVs), considering as the least degraded with low or no significant level of anthropogenic influence; and 98th percentile provides the ambient BTVs (ABTVs), which consists of natural plus diffuse anthropogenic input in the defined area. The ABTVs of Fe and Mn significantly exceed the WHO (1998) and CONAMA 357/05 limits. Spatial distribution indicates that Fe and Mn are not strictly related to geologic setting, rather they are highly influenced by specific local land use as well as deep weathering of the catchment and intense leaching and run-off during the rainy season. However, higher Mn occurrence in the dry period results from redox cycling of Fe and Mn via biogeochemical processes. The ABTVs of Ni, Cr, and V are controlled by bedrock lithology (geologic setting), mainly associated with mafic-ultramafic rocks; Cu is associated with two large hydrothermally mineralized copper belts. The estimation of baseline levels of As, Se, and Pb were highly limited due to of the large number of samples with results less than detection limits, in this case the 95th percentile was used for their BTVs. Geochemical data as well as anomalous values for most of the metals indicate that anthropogenic influence from point sources is highly negligible in the basin, except at a few points, where high NO3- has been observed, probably due to more intense human and livestock activity. This study demonstrates that site-specific geochemical baseline assessment is a crucial factor when evaluating surficial water conditions in a large basin. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Hydrochemical characteristics and human health risk assessment of groundwater in the Shivalik region of Sutlej basin, Punjab, India
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2021-05-10T00:00:00) Mittal, Sunil; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Sahoo, Sunil Kumar; Kumar, Ravishankar; Tiwari, Raghavendra Prasad
Shivalik region is one of the agri-intensive regions in Punjab, India, wherein groundwater quality is a major human health concern. In this study, a total of 57 groundwater samples were collected from the Rupnagar district of this region (one sample per 36 km2) to evaluate its quality, the role of hydrogeochemical processes in its contamination, and further their potential human health hazards. The results indicate that the major water chemistry is governed by carbonate weathering followed by silicate weathering. The Fe, Mg, Mn, Se, and HCO3- concentrations exceeded the BIS drinking water standards in 86, 51, 11, 9, and 79% of the samples, respectively. Piper and Durov plots indicated the dominance of Ca-HCO3- water types, followed by Ca-Mg-Cl- and Ca-Cl-. Furthermore, multivariate analyses indicated the geogenic origin for Fe, Mg, Mn, Se, SO42-, and anthropogenic sources (agrochemicals, cement factories, and fly ash) for NO3-, Cu, and Cr. The estimated carcinogenic risk of As and Cr falls under the very low (10-6) to low (10-5) risks category. Furthermore, the cumulative risk of non-carcinogenic contaminants (F-, U, NO3-) (HI-0.93) is at an alarming level and also close to the boundary line of USEPA limits (HI-1). There is an urgent need to undertake suitable policy measures for sustainability of groundwater quality. � 2021, Saudi Society for Geosciences.
Hydroclimate and vegetation changes in southeastern Amazonia over the past ?25,000 years
(Elsevier Ltd, 2022-04-07T00:00:00) Reis, Luiza Santos; Bouloubassi, Ioanna; Mendez-Millan, Mercedes; Guimar�es, Jos� Tasso Felix; de Ara�jo Romeiro, Luiza; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Pessenda, Luiz Carlos Ruiz
Stable isotope analysis of plant waxes (?13Cwax and ?Dwax) along with detailed pollen data provide a new perspective on vegetation and precipitation variability in Serra Sul de Caraj�s, southeastern (SE) Amazonia, over the past ?25 cal kyr BP. The ?Dwax record indicates drier conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and a transition to wetter conditions into the Holocene, while the ?13Cwax data reveal that vegetation did not experienced C3/C4 shifts and remained dominated by C3-plant communities. Under glacial conditions C3-savanna was prominent on the Serra Sul plateau with tropical forest areas limited to the lower slopes. Tropical forests expanded upslope and forest patches developed on the plateau as a response to more humid and warmer conditions during the Holocene. Pollen data indicate a shift towards more open landscape of savanna, woodlands, and open forests during the mid-Holocene. The ?Dwax record exhibits a distinct moisture variability during the Holocene, not always coherent with the vegetation data (pollen), especially during the mid-Holocene interval. Our study confirms the complexity and the overall lack of coherence among Holocene moisture proxy records throughout the monsoon domain in South America and suggest that Holocene local moisture conditions might not follow the regional monsoonal variability. Our data further stress the need for more multi-proxy reconstructions of hydroclimate patterns in SE Amazonia. � 2022 Elsevier Ltd
Impact of environmental indicators on the COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi, India
(MDPI, 2021-08-09T00:00:00) Mangla, Sherry; Pathak, Ashok Kumar; Arshad, Mohd.; Ghosh, Doyel; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Garg, Vinod Kumar; Haque, Ubydul
Currently, there is a massive debate on whether meteorological and air quality parameters play a crucial role in the transmission of COVID-19 across the globe. With this background, this study aims to evaluate the impact of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO, NO2, and O3) and meteorological parameters (temperature, humidity, wind speed, and rainfall) on the spread and mortality due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Delhi from 14 Mar 2020 to 3 May 2021. The Spearman�s rank correlation method employed on secondary data shows a significant correlation between the COVID-19 incidences and the PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO, NO2, and O3 concentrations. Amongst the four meteorological parameters, temperature is strongly correlated with COVID-19 infections and deaths during the three phases, i.e., pre-lockdown (14 March 2020 to 24 March 2020) (r = 0.79), lockdown (25 March 2020 to 31 May 2020) (r = 0.87), and unlock (1 June 2020 to 3 May 2021) (r = ?0.75), explaining the variability of about 20�30% in the lockdown period and 18�19% in the unlock period. NO2 explained the maximum variability of 10% and 7% in the total confirmed cases and deaths among the air pollutants, respectively. A generalized linear model could explain 80% and 71% of the variability in confirmed cases and deaths during the lockdown and 82% and 81% variability in the unlock phase, respectively. These findings suggest that these factors may contribute to the transmission of the COVID-19 and its associated deaths. The study results would enhance the ongoing research related to the influence of environmental factors. They would be helpful for policymakers in managing the outbreak of COVID-19 in Delhi, India. � 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Integrated geochemical assessment of soils and stream sediments to evaluate source-sink relationships and background variations in the parauapebas river basin, eastern amazon
(MDPI AG, 2021-03-22T00:00:00) Salom�o, Gabriel Negreiros; Farias, Danielle de Lima; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Dall�agnol, Roberto; Sarkar, Dibyendu
This study aims to handle an integrated evaluation of soil and stream sediment geochemical data to evaluate source apportionment and to establish geochemical threshold variations for Fe, Al, and 20 selected Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) in the Parauapebas River Basin (PB), Eastern Amazon. The data set used in this study is from the Itacai�nas Geochemical Mapping and Background Project (ItacGMBP), which collected 364 surface soil (0�10 cm) samples and 189 stream sediments samples in the entire PB. The <0.177 mm fraction of these samples were analyzed for 51 elements by ICP-MS and ICP-AES, following an aqua regia digestion. The geochemical maps of many elements revealed substantial differences between the north (NPB) and the south (SPB) of PB, mainly due to the geological setting. The new statistically derived threshold values of the NPB and SPB regions were compared to the threshold of the whole PB, reported in previous studies, and to quality guidelines proposed by Brazilian environmental agencies. The natural variation of geochemical background in soils and stream sediments of PB should be considered prior to defining new guideline values. At the regional scale, the local anomalies are mostly influenced by the predominant lithology rather than any anthropogenic impact. � 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Landscape and Climate Changes in Southeastern Amazonia from Quaternary Records of Upland Lakes
(MDPI, 2023-03-27T00:00:00) Guimar�es, Jos� Tasso Felix; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; e Souza-Filho, Pedro Walfir Martins; da Silva, Marcio Sousa; Rodrigues, Tarc�sio Magevski; da Silva, Edilson Freitas; Reis, Luiza Santos; de Figueiredo, Mariana Maha Jana Costa; Lopes, Karen da Silva; Moraes, Aline Mamede; Leite, Alessandro Sab�; da Silva J�nior, Renato Oliveira; Salom�o, Gabriel Negreiros; Dall�Agnol, Roberto
The upland lakes (ULs) in Caraj�s, southeastern Amazonia, have been extensively studied with respect to their high-resolution structural geology, geomorphology, stratigraphy, multielement and isotope geochemistry, palynology and limnology. These studies have generated large multiproxy datasets, which were integrated in this review to explain the formation and evolution of the ULs. These ULs evolved during the Pliocene�Pleistocene periods through several episodes of a subsidence of the lateritic crust (canga) promoted by fault reactivation. The resulting ULs were filled under wet/dry and warm/cool paleoclimatic conditions during the Pleistocene period. The multielement geochemical signature indicates that the detrital sediments of these ULs were predominantly derived from weathered canga and ferruginous soils, while the sedimentary organic matter came from autochthonous (siliceous sponge spicules, algae, macrophytes) and allochthonous (C3/C4 canga and forest plants and freshwater dissolved organic carbon) sources. Modern pollen rain suggests that even small ULs can record both the influence of canga vegetation and forest signals; thus, they can serve as reliable sites to provide a record of vegetation history. The integrated data from the sedimentary cores indicate that the active ULs have never dried up during the last 50 ka cal BP. However, subaerial exposure occurred in filled ULs, such as the Tarzan mountain range during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Boca�na and S11 mountain ranges in the mid-Holocene period, due to the drier conditions. Considering the organic proxies, the expansion of C4 plants has been observed in the S11 and Tarzan ULs during dry events. Extensive precipitation of siderite in UL deposits during the LGM indicated drier paleoenvironmental conditions, interrupting the predominantly wet conditions. However, there is no evidence of widespread forest replacement by savanna in the Caraj�s plateau of southeastern Amazonia during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. � 2023 by the authors.
Mercury in multimedia system of Itacai�nas Basin, Brazilian Amazon: An integrated approach to understand its distribution, origin, and ecological risk
(Academic Press Inc., 2023-01-23T00:00:00) Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Dall'Agnol, Roberto; Sim�es Rolo de Deus, Simonny do C.; Salom�o, Gabriel Negreiros; Felix Guimar�es, Jos� Tasso; Angelica, R�mulo Sim�es; Ramos, Silvio Junio; Furtado da Costa, Marlene; Oswaldo de Siqueira, Jose
This study presents the first integrated study on total Hg (THg) level in surface soil (SS), bottom soil (BS), stream sediments (SD), lake sediments (LS), stream water (SW), and lake water (LW) of Itacai�nas River Watershed (IRW), Brazil to investigate the source and distribution of Hg in different environmental media considering contrasts of geological domains and sub-basins and its potential ecological and human risk. Hg content in most of the soils and sediments were above the upper crustal average values (56 ?g/kg), however, when compared to the legal limits set by the Resolution CONAMA (Conselho Nacional de Meio Ambiente: soil 500 ?g/kg; sediment 486 ?g/kg), only 1 soil sample from Parauapebas sub-basin and 4 sediment samples from Viol�o Lake exceeded the limit. None of the SW and LW samples (<0.2 ?g/L; CONAMA limit for Class II freshwater) are markedly contaminated by Hg. The SS and BS show similar contents and spatial distribution of Hg with higher contents being registered mostly in the Itacai�nas and Parauapebas sub-basins, which are closely correlated with SD. This suggests that Hg levels are largely of geogenic origin and anthropogenic effect is highly limited. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results show that Hg is strongly associated with total organic carbon (TOC), loss on ignition (LOI), and SO3, indicating organic matter as the main factor controlling the distribution of Hg and this is the major cause of accentuated Hg enrichment in lake sediments. The ecological risk index revealed a low pollution risk for most of the solid samples, except 11% LS and <1.5% SS and SD samples, which registered moderate risk. Health risk assessment indicated no adverse non-carcinogenic health effect on either adults and children in terms of Hg contamination. This information will be useful for Hg risk assessment in the Caraj�s region and future environmental research in this direction in the Amazonia. � 2023 Elsevier Inc.
Meta-analysis of uranium contamination in groundwater of the alluvial plains of Punjab, northwest India: Status, health risk, and hydrogeochemical processes
(Elsevier B.V., 2021-11-23T00:00:00) Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Virk, Hardev Singh; Powell, Mike A.; Kumar, Ravishankar; Pattanaik, Jitendra Kumar; Salom�o, Gabriel Negreiros; Mittal, Sunil; Chouhan, Lokesh; Nandabalan, Yogalakshmi Kadapakkam; Tiwari, Raghavendra Prasad
Despite numerous studies, there are many knowledge gaps in our understanding of uranium (U) contamination in the alluvial aquifers of Punjab, India. In this study, a large hydrogeochemical dataset was compiled to better understand the major factors controlling the mobility and enrichment of uranium (U) in this groundwater system. The results showed that shallow groundwaters (<60 m) are more contaminated with U than from deeper depths (>60 m). This effect was predominant in the Southwest districts of the Malwa, facing significant risk due to chemical toxicity of U. Groundwaters are mostly oxidizing and alkaline (median pH: 7.25 to 7.33) in nature. Spearman correlation analysis showed that U concentrations are more closely related to total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, Na, K, HCO3?, NO3? Cl?, and F? in shallow water than deep water, but TDS and salinity remained highly correlated (U-TDS: ? = 0.5 to 0.6; U-salinity: ? = 0.5). This correlation suggests that the salt effect due to high competition between ions is the principal cause of U mobilization. This effect is evident when the U level increased with increasing mixed water species (Na-Cl, Mg-Cl, and Na-HCO3). Speciation data showed that the most dominant U species are Ca2UO2(CO3)2? and CaUO2(CO3)3?, which are responsible for the U mobility. Based on the field parameters, TDS along with pH and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) were better fitted to U concentration above the WHO guideline value (30 ?g.L?1), thus this combination could be used as a quick indicator of U contamination. The strong positive correlation of U with F? (? = 0.5) in shallow waters indicates that their primary source is geogenic, while anthropogenic factors such as canal irrigation, groundwater table decline, and use of agrochemicals (mainly nitrate fertilizers) as well as climate-related factors i.e., high evaporation under arid/semi-arid climatic conditions, which result in higher redox and TDS/salinity levels, may greatly affect enrichment of U. The geochemical rationale of this study will provide Science-based-policy implications for U health risk assessment in this region and further extrapolate these findings to other arid/semi-arid areas worldwide. � 2021 Elsevier B.V.