Management of acid and alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase activities by sugarcane industry waste under lead contamination- A case study of Indian Vertisol.

Soil fertility management and crop productivity both are inter-related need extensive attention for sustainability. Industries are being built, which over time produces a lot of effluents containing heavy metal(s), which is then dumped on healthy soils and water bodies. Long-term discharge of lead (Pb)-containing wastewater resulted in significant Pb buildup as well as a decrease in soil biological activity. In this experiment, graded dose of Pb, i.e. 0, 100, 150 and 300 mg/kg and pressmud (PM) (0, 2.5, 5, 10 g/kg) were applied to monitor the Pb toxic effect on soil acid and alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase activity. Different treatment combinations were formulated and the experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. In this experiment, spinach crop was used as a test crop. According to the findings, increased Pb levels in the soil lowered dehydrogenase activity (DHA), acid and alkaline phosphatase. The addition of PM enhanced enzymatic activities by decreasing the labile fraction of Pb in the soil. Incorporation of PM improved the soil enzymatic activities as alkaline phosphatase activity > DHA > acid phosphatase activity in the study. This study suggested that the addition of 10 g/kg PM reduced Pb toxicity (contamination level 300 mg/kg) and improved the soil microbial properties in black soil. These findings are very useful for the remediation of Pb contaminated soil with the help of PM, particularly in peri-urban Pb effluent irrigated areas.

Can Application of Pressmud Mediated Plant Nutrient Dynamics Under Lead Contaminated Soils of Indian Vertisol?

Long- term application of marginal quality water accumulated significant amount of pollutant into the soil. It reduces soil health parameters, and crop yield and their quality. In this regards, graded application of pressmud (PM), i.e. 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 g/kg was applied on lead (Pb) contamination level (0, 100, 150, 300 mg/kg) and evaluated interaction effect on plant nutrients uptake by spinach. Analytical data showed that increasing the PM levels enhanced the macro (phosphorus, potassium, sulphur) and micro-nutrient (zinc, copper, manganese, iron) concentration into the soil. Whereas, increasing the level of Pb significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced the P, K and S nutrient concentration and uptake pattern by spinach crop. Increasing PM levels (control to 10 g/kg soil) improved P, K and S by 46.99, 98.96 and 76.79%, respectively in soil. This study is useful to formulate management strategies for minimizing Pb contamination in the food chain by the application of PM mostly in peri-urban areas.

Pressmud overcome lead toxicity by improving spinach biomass in lead-contaminated soils.

Lead (Pb) pollution is a severe problem that primarily affects food chain in developing countries. Continuous use of Pb containing effluent for growing food crops builds up measurable concentration of Pb in soils; and adversely affects the soil properties and crop produce quality. To reduce the Pb metal toxicity in contaminated soil, a pot experiment was conducted with graded doses of pressmud (PM) (0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 g/kg) and Pb (0, 100, 150, and 300 mg/kg soil). Various metal dynamics parameters were computed after spinach crop was harvested. Result showed that higher doses of Pb (300 mg/kg) diminished the spinach root and shoot biomass during the study; whereas, application of PM improved the spinach biomass. However, increasing the pressmud reduced the Pb concentration in shoot from 6.16, 5.99, 4.94, and 3.39 µg/g. Maximum reduction was measured in highest PM applied treatment in shoot (44.92%) and root (57.33%). In this experiment, increasing level of Pb significantly uptake was recorded with higher application rate of Pb (150 and 300 mg/kg). However, elevated doses of PM from control initially enhanced the small chunk of Pb and drastically reduced the shoot Pb uptake (0.060 to 0.049 mg/pot) in maximum level of PM applied treatment. This study is very useful to improve the soil health by immobilizing the labile fraction of Pb by addition of PM in Pb-contaminated soils.

Immobilization of chromium bioavailability through application of organic waste to Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) under chromium-contaminated Indian soils.

Industrialization results in production of large volume of wastewaters, and disposing of them become a serious problem. The wastewaters may have range of heavy metals, which have an impact on soil and plant health. The objective was to evaluate the influence of farm yard manure (FYM) and pressmud (PM) applications on Indian mustard growth and chromium (Cr) uptake in tannery effluent irrigated Cr-contaminated soil. Soil was collected from the tannery effluent irrigated fields (chromium contaminated) of Shekhpura village of Kanpur, India. A pot culture experiment was carried out by growing Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) var. RH 749 on the Cr-contaminated soil with application of different levels and combinations of FYM and PM (at 0, 2.5, and 5 g kg-1 each). Biomass yield, Cr uptake, bioconcentration factor (BCF), transfer factor (TF), transfer efficiency (TE), and Cr removal indices were examined. Higher doses of FYM and PM resulted in reduction of Cr concentrations in shoot (6.60 to 2.50 µg g-1) and root (27.27 to 9.43 µg g-1); and absorption in plant tissues and had improved total dry matter yield (14.56 to 30.94 g pot-1). The use of FYM and PM had a substantial (p ≤ 0.05) impact on phytoremediation parameters like BCF (0.128 to 0.045), TE (59.61 to 64.51%), and Cr removal (0.65 to 0.51%). Combined application of FYM (5 g kg-1) and PM (5 g kg-1) had enhanced the dry matter yield of shoot (12.51 to 26.40 g pot-1) and root (2.05 to 4.54 g pot-1) and reduced the Cr uptake (138.54 to 108.79 mg pot-1) than the individual amendment addition of FYM (138.52 to 135.89 mg pot-1) and PM (126.02 to 130.52 mg pot-1). Combined application of FYM (5 g kg-1) and PM (5 g kg-1) could be beneficial for remediation of Cr-contaminated areas for cultivation of crops.

Reuse of poor-quality water for sustainable crop production in the changing scenario of climate.

The availability of freshwater is limited for agriculture systems across the globe. A fast-growing population demands need to enhance the food grain production from a limited natural resources. Therefore, researchers and policymakers have been emphasized on the production potential of agricultural crops in a sustainable manner. On the challenging side, freshwater bodies are shrinking with the pace of time further limiting crop production. Poor-quality water may be a good alternative for fresh water in water scarce areas. It should not contain toxic pollutants beyond certain critical levels. Unfortunately, such critical limits for different pollutants as well as permissible quality parameters for different wastewater types are lacking or poorly addressed. Marginal quality water and industrial effluent used in crop production should be treated prior to application in crop field. Hence, safe reuse of wastewater for cultivation of food material is necessary to fulfil the demands of growing population across the globe in the changing scenario of climate.

Reducing chromium uptake through application of calcium and sodium in spinach.

In peri-urban areas, the use of wastewater for crop production is a common practice due to water scarcity. Moreover, in the recent years, large quantity of wastewater generation and discharge as industrial effluent in water resources is another issue for reduction of water quality. The leather industries are significantly contributing chromium (Cr) in effluent, whereas, other industries may have salt and cationic load in their discharges are mixed up. Therefore, it is mandatory to study the interactive effect of different effluent constituents on crop plants. In this connection, a pot culture experiment was conducted at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal to compute the effect of application of calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na) ions on Cr uptake by spinach crop in Vertisol of central India. Three levels of Cr (0, 50, 100 mg kg-1), calcium (0, 2, 4 mM), and sodium (0, 40, 80 mM) were applied in combinations. The spinach variety All Green was used as a test crop and harvested at full maturity. Results showed that application of Ca and Na reduced the Cr uptake in spinach crop. The reduction of Cr uptake was more in the root than shoot. Applied calcium acted as an essential plant nutrient and enhanced the crop biomass. Sole applications of Na adversely affected the crop biomass and Cr uptake in both root and shoot of spinach. In conclusion, application of Ca fertilizers reduced the Cr toxicity in spinach and could be used as a strategy for the safe utilization of tannery industrial effluents for crop production.

Chromium toxicity mediated by application of chloride and sulfate ions in Vertisol of Central India.

Chromium (Cr) is one of the toxic metals adversely affecting organisms including humans in the ecosystems, and it is present in considerable concentration in the tannery industrial effluent. Toxicity expression of Cr is suspected to be influenced considerably by other accompanying ions present in the effluent used for irrigation. In a screen house experiment, interactive effects of chloride and sulfate ions in a Vertisol on uptake of Cr by spinach crop were investigated and treatments imposed were three levels each of Cr (0, 50, 100 mg kg-1), chloride (Cl-) (0, 25, 50 mM kg-1), and sulfur (S) (0, 4, 8 mM kg-1) in possible combinations. Plant growth parameters and leaf Cr concentrations were recorded to find out the effect of anions on Cr dynamics in the plant. Increasing the concentration of Cl- ions in soil reduced the Cr concentration in both root and shoot. Similarly, increasing the concentration of S from 4 to 8 mM kg-1 also reduced the concentration and uptake of Cr. Application of sulfate ions augmented the plant growth and counters the negative effect of Cl- ions and Cr. Thus, the study revealed that the addition of S fertilizers could minimize the Cr toxicity in high Cr contaminated soils.

Impact of Long-Term Application of Sewage on Soil and Crop Quality in Vertisols of Central India.

Shortfall of rain and the decreased groundwater level force farmers to use poor quality water for crop production in developing countries. In this study, the quality of agricultural produce and soil health affected by sewage water (Patranala) irrigation was evaluated. Sewage sediment, soil and crop samples were analyzed for physico-chemical properties. Sewage water found to contain trace concentration of heavy metals. However, long-term application of this water for crop production could build up a significant amount of trace metals in both soil and sediments. The DTPA extractable heavy metals ranged Cu 2.7-7.59, Cd 0.04-0.06, Pb 1.29-2.05, Cr 0.01-0.04, Ni 0.24-1.03 and Zn 0.63-2.59 mg kg-1 soil. The heavy metal risk assessment (hazard quotient, HQ) was calculated and found that HQ for these metals in the crops under study was in safe limits. From the study, it is concluded that growing vegetables using sewage water of Patranala is safe, but periodic monitoring to be carried out to avoid food chain contamination.

Geo-Accumulation Indices of Heavy Metals in Soil and Groundwater of Kanpur, India Under Long Term Irrigation of Tannery Effluent.

Soil and groundwater from long-term (>50 years) tannery effluent irrigated areas of Kanpur were analyzed and significant buildup of heavy metals such as Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb, Zn, and As in the range of 252-972, 23-30, 2.3-14.1, 23.7-58.8, 138-338 and 6.8-11 mg kg-1, respectively in soil was found. Few groundwater samples in the effluent irrigated areas also exhibited high Cr concentration above the permissible limit of United States Environmental Protection Agency. The tannery effluents contained 1.53-57.3 ppm Cr, 0-0.12 ppm Ni, 0-0.02 ppm Cd, 0-0.07 ppm Pb, 0-0.48 ppm Zn and 0-0.03 ppm As. The Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) revealed that soil samples were unpolluted to moderately polluted with Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb and As; moderately polluted in case of Cd; and heavily to extremely polluted by Cr.

Impact of pigeon pea biochar on cadmium mobility in soil and transfer rate to leafy vegetable spinach.

Introduction of heavy metals in the environment by various anthropogenic activities has become a potential treat to life. Among the heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) shows relatively high soil mobility and has high phyto-mammalian toxicity. Integration of soil remediation and ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration in soils through organic amendments, may provide an attractive land management option for contaminated sites. The application of biochar in agriculture has recently received much attention globally due to its associated multiple benefits, particularly, long-term carbon storage in soil. However, the application of biochar from softwood crop residue for heavy metal immobilization, as an alternative to direct field application, has not received much attention. Hence, a pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of pigeon pea biochar on cadmium mobility in a soil-plant system in cadmium-spiked sandy loam soil. The biochar was prepared from pigeon pea stalk through a slow pyrolysis method at 300 °C. The experiment was designed with three levels of Cd (0, 5, and 10 mg Cd kg(-1) soil) and three levels of biochar (0, 2.5, and 5 g kg(-1) soil) using spinach as a test crop. The results indicate that with increasing levels of applied cadmium at 5 and 10 mg kg(-1) soil, the dry matter yield (DMY) of spinach leaf decreased by 9.84 and 18.29 %, respectively. However, application of biochar (at 2.5 and 5 g kg(-1) soil) significantly increased the dry matter yield of spinach leaf by 5.07 and 15.02 %, respectively, and root by 14.0 and 24.0 %, respectively, over the control. Organic carbon content in the post-harvest soil increased to 34.9 and 60.5 % due to the application of biochar 2.5 and 5 g kg(-1) soil, respectively. Further, there was a reduction in the diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable cadmium in the soil and in transfer coefficient values (soil to plant), as well as its concentrations in spinach leaf and root, indicating that cadmium mobility was decreased due to biochar application. This study shows that pigeon pea biochar has the potential to increase spinach yield and reduce cadmium mobility in contaminated sandy soil.

Impact of different types of polluted irrigation water on soil fertility and wheat grain yield in clayey black soils of central India.

This study was carried out in three different cities of western Madhya Pradesh (India) to investigate the effects of long-term irrigation with industrial waste water (IWW), contaminated groundwater (CGW), and untreated municipal sewage water (USW) on soil fertility as well as on wheat crop yield. Irrigation with these three types of polluted water increased organic matter content as well as contents of available P (with IWW and USW only), available K, available S, available Zn, available Cu (IWW only), and available Mn (IWW and CGW only). The magnitude of improvement in soil fertility status was the highest in the case of USW, followed by IWW and finally, by CGW. Concentrations of Na in wheat leaf tissue increased by 198 and 58% whereas concentrations of Ca decreased significantly by 16 and 13% due to the use of IWW and CGW, respectively, resulting in poor Ca nutrition to the crop. Although wheat grain yield increased considerably due to USW, the same recorded significant decreases with IWW and CGW. In spite of the enhancement in the available nutrient status, decrease in wheat grain yield with the use of IWW and CGW could be due to the build-up of salts in the soil and an imbalance in the Na/Ca ratio in wheat crops irrigated with IWW and CGW. The adverse effect on wheat productivity was more pronounced with IWW as compared to CGW.

Effect of methods of preparation on distribution of heavy metals in different size fractions of municipal solid waste composts.

The present study compares the distribution and nature of heavy metals in composts from 12 cities of India, prepared from different types of processed urban solid wastes, namely mixed wastes (MWC), partially segregated wastes (PSWC), and segregated bio-wastes (BWC). Compost samples were physically fractionated by wet sieving, followed by extraction of heavy metals by dilute HCl and NaOH. Bigger particles (>0.5 mm) constituted the major fraction in all three types of composts and had a relatively lower concentration of organic matter and heavy metals, the effect being more pronounced in MWC and PSWC in which a significant portion of the heavy metals was distributed in finer size fractions. Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn were extracted to a greater extent by acid than by alkali, the difference being greater in MWC, which contained a higher amount of mineral matter. In contrast, Cu and Cr were extracted to a greater extent by dilute alkali, particularly from BWC containing a higher amount of organic matter. Water-soluble heavy metals were generally related to the water-soluble C or total C content as well as to pH, rather than to their total contents. This study concludes that wet sieving with dilute acid can effectively reduce heavy metal load in MWC and PSWC.

Observation of 2p3d(1Po)→1s3d(1De) radiative transition in He-like Si, S, and Cl ions.

We present an experimental determination of the 2p3d(1Po)→1s3d(1De) x-ray line emitted from He-like Si, S, and Cl projectile ions, excited in collisions with thin carbon foils, using a high-resolution bent-crystal spectrometer. A good agreement between the observation and state-of-the-art relativistic calculations using the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock formalism including the Breit interaction and QED effects implies the dominance of fluorescent decay over the autoionization process for the 2p3d(^{1}P^{o}) state of He-like heavy ions. This is the first observation of the fluorescence-active doubly excited states in He-like Si, S, and Cl ions.

Anterior tibial artery perforator plus flaps for reconstruction of post-burn flexion contractures of the knee joint.

UNLABELLED: Background. Post-burn flexion contractures of the knee may arise even with adequate treatment of the burn injury. After release of the contracture, most of these defects require flap coverage. Here we describe the application of the perforator plus flap concept in the management of these contractures. Method. Between December 2010 and December 2011 five female and two male patients with knee contractures were operated on using a perforator plus flap from the anterior tibia artery perforator. In one patient both sides were operated on and the rest had unilateral surgeries. All patients had mature scars and the aetiology was thermal burn injury. All these contractures were categorized as Category 4 and Level 3 by the ICIDH guidelines with an average contracture angle of 87.5 degrees. The flap was raised after release of the defect and a Doppler study located the perforator below the fibular head. The base of the flap was kept intact at all times. The flap was then transposed towards the defect and inset in a tensionless manner. Results. All flaps survived well with marginal necrosis in only one flap, providing stable coverage to the knee joint. The average residual contracture was around 10 degrees and the average range of flexion was 10-120 degrees. Conclusion. The perforator plus flap can be an excellent choice in defects over the posterior aspect of the knee where important neurovascular structures and tendons are exposed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Role of oral amino acid supplementation in intra-uterine growth restriction and its outcome.

To compare the perinatal outcome in intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) with or without oral amino acid supplementation, a randomised control trial was conducted. Out of 50 mothers having IUGR, 25 received amino acid supplementation, treated as cases (group I) and rest 25 mothers with IUGR who had not received amino acid supplementation treated as controls (group II). The outcome of this study is compared in respect of (a) period of gestation at the time of delivery, (b) birth weight, (c) Apgar score, (d) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. In group I 88% continued pregnancy beyond 36 weeks and in comparison 48% delivered in between 34 and 36 weeks in group II. In group I 80% babies had birth weight between 2.5 and < 3kg, in comparison 84% babies weighing between 2 and < 2.5kg in group II. Eighty per cent of babies having Apgar score in between 7 and 10 in group I and 92% of group I cases not required any NICU admission. Oral amino acid supplementation commencing from second trimester of pregnancy significantly improves the perinatal outcome in IUGR cases.

An assessment of municipal solid waste compost quality produced in different cities of India in the perspective of developing quality control indices.

A study was conducted to investigate physico-chemical properties, fertilizing potential and heavy metal polluting potentials of municipal solid waste composts produced in 29 cities of the country. Results indicated that except a very few samples, all other samples have normal pH and EC. Organic matter as well as major nutrients N and P contents in MSW composts are generally low as compared to the composts prepared from rural wastes. Heavy metal contents in composts from bigger cities (>1 million population) were higher by about 86% for Zn, 155% for Cu, 194% for Cd, 105% for Pb, 43% for Ni and 132% for Cr as compared to those from smaller cities (<1 million population). Composts prepared from source separated biogenos wastes contained, on average, higher organic matter (by 57%), total N (by 77%) and total P (by 78%), but lower concentrations of heavy metals Zn (by 63%), Cu (by 78%), Cd (by 64%), Pb (by 84%), Ni (by 50%), and Cr (by 63%) as compared to those prepared from mixed wastes. Partial segregation at the site of composting did not improve quality of compost significantly in terms of fertilizing parameters and heavy metal contents. Majority of MSW composts did not conform to the quality control guideline of 'The Fertilizer (Control) Order 1985' in respect of total organic C, total P, total K as well as heavy metals Cu, Pb and Cr. In order to enable the relevant stakeholders to judge overall quality, a scheme has been proposed for the categorization of composts into different marketable classes (A, B, C, and D) and restricted use classes (RU-1, RU-2, and RU-3) on the basis their fertilizing potential and as well as potential for contaminating soil and food chain. Under the scheme, 'Fertilizing index' was calculated from the values of total organic C, N, P, K, C/N ratio and stability parameter, and 'Clean index' was calculated from the contents of heavy metals, taking the relative importance of each of the parameters into consideration. As per the scheme, majority of the compost samples did not belong to any classes and hence, have been found unsuitable for any kind of use. As per the regulatory limits of different countries, very few compost samples (prepared from source separated biogenos wastes) were found in marketable classes (A, B, C and D) and some samples (11-14) were found suitable only for some restricted use.

Chemical, biochemical, and biological impact of untreated domestic sewage water use on Vertisol and its consequences on wheat (Triticum aestivum) productivity.

In the peri-urban areas of central India, sewage water is a valuable resource for agricultural production. In this study, impact of domestic sewage water irrigation for 5 years on Vertisol with no previous history of sewage irrigation was investigated in an ongoing field experiment at Bhopal (India) under subtropical monsoon type climate. The wheat (Triticum aestivum) crop was grown during post-rainy winter season with 30 cm of irrigation (groundwater or sewage water) and four nutrient treatments (T(1), 0; T(2), 100%; T(3), 50%; and T(4), 50% of general recommended doses of NPK + FYM at 10 Mg/ha). Results showed that sewage irrigation of about 150 cm over a period of 5 years resulted significant increases in salinity as well as available fractions of N, P, K, and micronutrients, viz., Zn, Fe, and Mn in soils. Carbon and phosphorus applied through sewage water were accumulated more in subsoil layer compared to topmost plough layer. Soil microbiological activity, as indicated by soil respiration, microbial biomass C, as well as dehydrogenase enzyme activity was higher in sewage water-irrigated soils. There was also significant increase in fungal and actinomycetes as well as total coliform population in such soils. Nutrients supplied through sewage water were not able to raise the productivity of wheat to the level that obtained through fertilizers at the recommended level which indicated that additional nutrients through fertilizers are required to obtain higher productivity of wheat under sewage farming. Protein and Zn content in wheat grains were more when the crop was grown with sewage irrigation. Overall results show that except for increase in coliform population, short duration (5 years) of municipal sewage water irrigation did not have any appreciable harmful effect on soil quality as well as crop productivity; rather, it proved beneficial in improving soil fertility, wheat productivity, and produce quality.

A rare H-type of tracheo-oesophageal fistula in a young boy.

A 9-year-old male child presented with features of recurrent episodes of pneumonia. Following administration of different types of antibiotics, resolution of pneumonia was not complete. Antituberculous drugs were given on two occasions for sufficient period of time without any improvement. Following admission, history of a choking sensation during taking food pointed to perform barium swallow examination of oesophagus which revealed the diagnosis of tracheo-oesophageal fistula.

Effect of distillery effluent on seed germination in some vegetable crops.

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of different concentrations (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) of distillery effluent (raw spent wash) on seed germination (%), speed of germination, peak value and germination value in some vegetable crops: tomato, chilli, bottle gourd, cucumber and onion. The distillery effluent did not show any inhibitory effect on seed germination at low concentration except in tomato, but in onion the germination was significantly higher (84%) at 10% concentration as against 63% in the control. Irrespective of the crop species, at highest concentrations (75% and 100%), complete failure of germination was observed. The speed of germination, peak value and germination value also followed a similar trend. We found that a concentration of 5% was critical for seed germination in tomato and bottle gourd, and 25% in the rest of the crops. Based on the tolerance to distillery effluent, the crops studied have been arranged in the following order: cucumber > chilli > onion > bottle gourd > tomato. We conclude that the effect of the distillery effluent is crop-specific and due care should be taken before using the distillery effluent for pre-sowing irrigation purposes.