Predicting phosphorus and nitrate loads by using SWAT model in Vamanapuram River Basin, Kerala, India.

Evaluations of probable environmental impacts of point and diffuse source pollution at regional sizes are essential to achieve sustainable development of natural resources such as land and water. This research focused on how nitrate and phosphorus load varied over time and space in the Vamanapuram River Basin (VRB). Phosphorus and nitrate loads have been evaluated in the VRB using the semi-distributed Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model. SWAT Calibration and Uncertainty Programs (SWAT-CUP) have simulated the developed model using the Sequential Uncertainty Fitting, version 2(SUFI-2). The developed model was simulated for 2001 to 2008, and it was split into two-phase calibration and validation phases. Model performance was evaluated by the percentage of bias (PBAIS) and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE). The simulated performance of nitrate was indicated as NSE = 0.22-0.59 and PBIAS = 51.86-65.88. The simulated performance of phosphorus showed NSE = 0.06-0.33 and PBIAS = 15.14-33.97. Total Phosphorus load was most sensitive to the organic Phosphorus enrichment ratio (ERORGP) and CH_N2 for streamflow simulation. This study concluded that the South-western region was a high potential for nutrient loads. This study will explain the nutrient load and guidelines for land management practice in the study area.

Comparative assessment of groundwater quality indices of Kannur District, Kerala, India using multivariate statistical approaches and GIS.

The aim of the study was to determine the groundwater characteristics of rural and industrial zones in the Kannur region. In 2011, 25 groundwater data were collected from the centre for water resource development management (CWRDM), and in 2019, 25 groundwater samples from rural and near-industrial areas were collected and analysed for major anions (HCO3-, CO32-, Cl-, NO3- and SO42-), and cations (TH, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+ and Fe2+) using APHA standards. To better understand the link between water quality parameters, multivariate statistical analysis approaches such as principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), correlation matrix analysis (CMA), and Pearson correlation bivariate one-tailed analysis (PCBOTA) were used to analyse the inter-relationship of data. The Inverse Distance Weighed (IDW) method was used to generate the spatial distribution of the groundwater quality index (GWQI). In 2011, the water quality index (WQI) value of groundwater samples was excellent at 24.42% and good at 54.14%, which were used for drinking purposes and moderate at 17.22% and poor at 4.22% for irrigation purposes in this study area. In 2019, excellent 21.62%, good 51.56% were used for drinking purpose, and moderate at 18.14%, and poor at 8.68% for irrigation purposes. By comparing the data with BIS and WHO standards, it is clear that groundwater in Kannur district is of good quality. In groundwater samples, the PCA eigen values were reported in 2011 (84.7%) and 2019 (73.4%) for statistical approaches. This study uses HCA and PCBOTA to analyse the elements, resulting in a better understanding of groundwater quality development. GIS based WQI maps were obtained and utilised to gain a better knowledge of the study area's past and present water quality status. We observed that the quality of groundwater in the study region's north-western portion is insufficient for drinking water.

Comparative assessment of groundwater vulnerability using GIS-based DRASTIC and DRASTIC-AHP for Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu India.

The groundwater is very precious in the world. Rapid urbanization and industrialization create tremendous stress on groundwater quality and quantity. Unscientific groundwater extraction and waste disposal methods impact the groundwater aquifer's susceptibility in the coastal area. This research examines how industrial waste, seawater intrusion, and solid waste dumping affect the Thoothukudi District, located on the southwest coast of Tamil Nadu, India. The groundwater vulnerability potential is determined using the DRASTIC and analytical hierarchy process (AHP)-based DRASTIC model. DRASTIC-AHP method's weights and ranks are determined using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)-based pairwise comparison method. Remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) are implemented to prepare the input layers for DRASTIC and DRASTIC-AHP. The findings reveal a very high category of vulnerability along the coastline that is covered in sand and loose sediments from an aquifer. Similar conditions exist on the southeast side, which is covered with gravel, sand, and sandstone with shale and has relatively low-slope topography. This enables higher contaminant percolation into the groundwater and raises the possibility for pollution. The DRASTIC-AHP method's results reveal that the southeast side has a significant possibility of contamination. The water table, net recharge, vadose zone, and conductivity greatly impacted the DRASTIC vulnerability assessment due to their stronger weight than theoretical weight. It may be stated that the DRASTIC technique is more cost-effective and time-efficient in analyzing a wide range of regional groundwater risks while avoiding sloppy, uncontrolled land development and other unwanted activities.

An integrated approach for an impact assessment of the tank water and groundwater quality in Coimbatore region of South India: implication from anthropogenic activities.

Groundwater in the Coimbatore region is very much essential for irrigation and human beings' day-to-day life activities. This research focuses on the impact of anthropogenic activities on the surface water quality of four tanks in Coimbatore city and its influences on disturbing the groundwater quality as well. Water quality is degrading as a result of encroachment and other anthropogenic activities. The disposal of municipal garbage and waste from other enterprises into the nearby tank degrades the quality of the water in the tanks. This pollutant-concentrated surface water, together with the leech organism, may percolate via the pore spaces between soil particles, where it will interact with groundwater. The quality of groundwater will be impacted as a result of this interaction. As a result, water quality metrics for both surface and groundwater have been assessed in this study, and spatial interpolation was performed using ArcGIS. The map of the spatial distribution of water quality was produced using ArcGIS. This spatially interpolated water quality map helped researchers understand how the quality of surface and groundwater changed over time. Visual MODFLOW and MT3D were used to simulate the groundwater flow. The MODFLOW program is used to simulate the direction of groundwater flow based on groundwater level and rainfall data. The output of MT3D allowed for accurate calculation of the pollutant movement's amount and direction. In this study, chloride was used as the pollutant transport parameter. A semi-structured interview has been done in the study region to find out more about the availability of drinking water, how waste is disposed of, and how diseases are spread among residents who live close to the tanks.

Exploring Oral Health Beliefs and Behaviour Among Tibetan Immigrants of Bylakkupe.

PURPOSE: To explore the oral health beliefs and behaviour among Tibetan immigrants of Bylakkupe village. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A stratified random sampling technique involving 366 Tibetan monks in Bylakkupe monasteries was used in this study. The oral health beliefs were measured using a pre-tested questionnaire. RESULTS: The results showed that seriousness was higher compared to other domains in the health belief model. Further, as the duration of the stay increased, the perceived importance was also higher among the population studied. CONCLUSION: The results show that in general, although the seriousness of oral health was high among the participants, the perceived benefit of dental treatment was relatively low.

Oral Health Status of Tibetan and Local School Children: A Comparative Study.

INTRODUCTION: India has seen a large influx of refugee populations throughout history and the Tibetan immigration is one among them. Understanding the health status and needs of immigrants is imperative because of their growing numbers and their input to the health of the nation. The oral health professionals face many challenges while confronting refugees and immigrants from cultures different from their own. Earlier studies have shown that children, especially refugees and immigrants have had a higher prevalence of unmet oral health needs. AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the oral health status of 11-13 year old Tibetan and non-Tibetan school children in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A stratified cluster sampling of 11-13 year old Tibetan and non-Tibetan school children (431 and 434 respectively) formed the study participants for this study. Assessment of dental caries, periodontal disease and malocclusion was done in accordance with criteria laid down by WHO in oral health assessment survey basic methods, 1997. Data was collected by a single trained examiner. The results obtained were analyzed by SPSS version 18. The data was statistically analyzed by using chi-square test and independent t test. The level of significance was set at 5%. RESULTS: The prevalence of caries was found to be higher among the Tibetan school children when compared to the non-Tibetan school children (71% and 53.9% respectively). The mean number of sextants with healthy gingiva (2.49±2.40) and calculus (1.63±2.28) was higher among the non-Tibetan school children. The mean Dental Aesthetic Index score was found to be higher for Tibetan school children than the non-Tibetan school children (26.57±4.62 and 23.52±4.36 respectively). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of caries, periodontal disease and malocclusion were found to be higher among immigrant Tibetan school children as when compared to non-Tibetan school children. The high level of unmet needs in the study population highlights the need for a comprehensive dental care programme in Bylakuppe.

Effect of aqueous and alcoholic licorice (glycyrrhiza glabra) root extract against streptococcus mutans and lactobacillus acidophilus in comparison to chlorhexidine: an in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Glycyrrhiza (licorice) an herb, which has medicinal value and was used in ancient times as a remedy for a great diversity of ailments and sweetener. Roots of Glycyrrhiza contain a high concentration of saponin and glycyrrhizin, which are supposed to be sweetening agents. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of aqueous and alcoholic licorice root extract against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus in comparison to chlorhexidine (CHX). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the first part of the study, various concentrations of aqueous and ethanolic licorice extract were prepared in the laboratory of Pharmacy College. It was then subjected to microbiological assay to determine its zone of inhibition using agar disk diffusion test and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using serial broth dilution method against S. mutans and L. acidophilus. CHX was used as a positive control. RESULTS: MIC of aqueous and ethnolic licorice root extract against S. mutans and L. acidophilus were 25% and 12.5%, respectively. Mean zone of inhibition of the aqueous and alcoholic licorice extracts against S. mutans at 48 h were 22.8 mm and 26.7 mm, respectively. Mean zone of inhibition of the aqueous and alcoholic licorice extracts against L. acidophilus at 48 h were 14.4 mm and 15.1 mm, respectively. Mean zone of inhibition of the CHX against S. mutans and L. acidophilus at 48 h was 20.5 and 13.2, respectively. CONCLUSION: The inhibitory effect shown by alcoholic licorice root extract against S. mutans and L. acidophilus was superior when compared with that of aqueous form and CHX.