Department Of Environmental Science And Technology
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Item 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. � 2023Item Uranium and Fluoride Accumulation in Vegetable and Cereal Crops: A Review on Current Status and Crop-Wise Differences(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023-09-19T00:00:00) Sachdeva, Saloni; Powell, Mike A.; Nandini, Girish; Kumar, Hemant; Kumar, Rakesh; Sahoo, Prafulla KumarUranium (U) and fluoride (F?) contamination in agricultural products, especially vegetable and cereal crops, has raised serious concerns about food safety and human health on a global scale. To date, numerous studies have reported U and F? contamination in vegetable and cereal crops at local scales, but the available information is dispersed, and crop-wise differences are lacking. This paper reviews the current status of knowledge on this subject by compiling relevant published literatures between 1983 and 2023 using databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Based on the median values, F? levels ranged from 0.5 to 177 mg/kg, with higher concentrations in non-leafy vegetables, such as Indian squash �Praecitrullus fistulosus� (177 mg/kg) and cucumber �Cucumis sativus� (96.25 mg/kg). For leafy vegetables, the maximum levels were recorded in bathua �Chenopodium album� (72.01 mg/kg) and mint �Mentha arvensis� (44.34 mg/kg), where more than 50% of the vegetable varieties had concentrations of >4 mg/kg. The concentration of U ranged from 0.01 to 17.28 mg/kg; tubers and peels of non-leafy vegetables, particularly radishes �Raphanus sativus� (1.15 mg/kg) and cucumber �Cucumis sativus� (0.42 mg/kg), contained higher levels. These crops have the potential to form organometallic complexes with U, resulting in more severe threats to human health. For cereal crops (based on median values), the maximum F? level was found in bajra �Pennisetum glaucum� (15.18 mg/kg), followed by chana �Cicer arietinum� (7.8 mg/kg) and split green gram �Vigna mungo� (4.14 mg/kg), while the maximum accumulation of U was recorded for barley �Hordeum vulgare� (2.89 mg/kg), followed by split green gram �Vigna mungo� (0.45 mg/kg). There are significant differences in U and F? concentrations in either crop type based on individual studies or countries. These differences can be explained mainly due to changes in geogenic and anthropogenic factors, thereby making policy decisions related to health and intake difficult at even small spatial scales. Methodologies for comprehensive regional�or larger�policy scales will require further research and should include strategies to restrict crop intake in specified �hot spots�. � 2023 by the authors.Item Rice husk biochar - A novel engineered bio-based material for transforming groundwater-mediated fluoride cycling in natural environments(Academic Press, 2023-05-24T00:00:00) Kumar, Rakesh; Sharma, Prabhakar; Sharma, Pushpa Kumari; Rose, Pawan Kumar; Singh, Rakesh Kumar; Kumar, Nishant; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Maity, Jyoti Prakash; Ghosh, Ashok; Kumar, Manish; Bhattacharya, Prosun; Pandey, AshokBiochar, a promising carbon-rich and carbon-negative material, can control water pollution, harness the synergy of sustainable development goals, and achieve circular economy. This study examined the performance feasibility of treating fluoride-contaminated surface and groundwater using raw and modified biochar synthesized from agricultural waste rice husk as problem-fixing renewable carbon-neutral material. Physicochemical characterizations of raw/modified biochars were investigated using FESEM-EDAX, FTIR, XRD, BET, CHSN, VSM, pHpzc, Zeta potential, and particle size analysis were analyzed to identify the surface morphology, functional groups, structural, and electrokinetic behavior. In fluoride (F?) cycling, performance feasibility was tested at various governing factors, contact time (0�120 min), initial F? levels (10�50 mg L?1), biochar dose (0.1�0.5 g L?1), pH (2�9), salt strengths (0�50 mM), temperatures (301�328 K), and various co-occurring ions. Results revealed that activated magnetic biochar (AMB) possessed higher adsorption capacity than raw biochar (RB) and activated biochar (AB) at pH 7. The results indicated that maximum F? removal (98.13%) was achieved using AMB at pH 7 for 10 mg L?1. Electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, pore fillings, and surface complexation govern F? removal mechanisms. Pseudo-second-order and Freundlich were the best fit kinetic and isotherm for F? sorption, respectively. Increased biochar dose drives an increase in active sites due to F? level gradient and mass transfer between biochar-fluoride interactions, which reported maximum mass transfer for AMB than RB and AB. Fluoride adsorption using AMB could be described through chemisorption processes at room temperature (301 K), though endothermic sorption follows the physisorption process. Fluoride removal efficiency reduced, from 67.70% to 53.23%, with increased salt concentrations from 0 to 50 mM NaCl solutions, respectively, due to increased hydrodynamic diameter. Biochar was used to treat natural fluoride-contaminated surface and groundwater in real-world problem-solving measures, showed removal efficiency of 91.20% and 95.61%, respectively, for 10 mg L?1 F? contamination, and has been performed multiple times after systematic adsorption-desorption experiments. Lastly, techno-economic analysis was analyzed for biochar synthesis and F? treatment performance costs. Overall, our results revealed worth output and concluded with recommendations for future research on F? adsorption using biochar. � 2023 Elsevier LtdItem 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 OliveiraThe 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 LtdItem 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, RobertoThe 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.Item 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 KumarModern 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.Item Trace Element Occurrence in Vegetable and Cereal Crops from Parts of Asia: A Meta-data Analysis of Crop-Wise Differences(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023-02-13T00:00:00) Kerketta, Anjali; Kumar, Hemant; Powell, Mike A.; Sahoo, Prafulla Kumar; Kapoor, Harmanpreet Singh; Mittal, SunilIn the present study, a systematic review along with a meta-analysis was conducted based on relevant studies from 11 Asian countries (1999�2022, Scopus, PubMed, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar) to evaluate the crop-wise differences in the accumulation of trace element (TE) in the edible part of different crops (vegetables: leafy (LV), root (RV), fruit (FV); cereal crops: rice (RIC), wheat (WHE), maize (MAZ)). Based on the median concentration�of the compiled data, the TE accumulation in different vegetable crops was ranked in the decreasing order of Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Ni > Cr > Pb > Co > Se > Cd > As, and in cereal crops, this is followed as Fe > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cr > Co > Pb > As > Se > Cd > Hg. A clear difference was found between vegetable categories, with a higher accumulation of most of the elements in LV, especially spinach, coriander, radish leaves, mustard, amaranthus, and pakchoi than other vegetable types. Root vegetables displayed higher bioconcentration factors (BCF) than the other two vegetable types. For cereal crops, higher metal contents were found in WHE followed by RIC and MAZ, but RIC had relatively higher BCF for certain metals (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni) and WHE dominated for the remaining metals. When compared with the prescribed safe limits of the non-essential metals (As, Cd, and Pb), this study revealed that the majority of the vegetable and cereal crop contaminations were from Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, and Pakistan. � 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.Item 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 HyeonVarious 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 LtdItem 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, ManishFluoride (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 AuthorsItem 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, JoseThis 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.