Assessment of drinking water quality using Water Quality Index and synthetic pollution index in urban areas of mega city Lahore: a GIS-based approach.

The aim of the present study was to assess the drinking water quality in the selected urban areas of Lahore and to comprehend the public health status by addressing the basic drinking water quality parameters. Total 50 tap water samples were collected from groundwater in the two selected areas of district Lahore i.e., Gulshan-e-Ravi (site 1) and Samanabad (site 2). Water samples were analyzed in the laboratory to elucidate physico-chemical parameters including pH, turbidity, temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), total hardness, magnesium hardness, and calcium hardness. These physico-chemical parameters were used to examine the Water Quality Index (WQI) and Synthetic Pollution Index (SPI) in order to characterize the water quality. Results of th selected physico-chemical parameters were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to determine the quality of drinking water. A GIS-based approach was used for mapping water quality, WQI, and SPI. Results of the present study revealed that the average value of temperature, pH, and DO of both study sites were within the WHO guidelines of 23.5 °C, 7.7, and 6.9 mg/L, respectively. The TDS level of site 1 was 192.56 mg/L (within WHO guidelines) and whereas, in site 2 it was found 612.84 mg/L (higher than WHO guidelines), respectively. Calcium hardness of site 1 and site 2 was observed within the range from 25.04 to 65.732 mg/L but, magnesium hardness values were higher than WHO guidelines. The major reason for poor water quality is old, worn-out water supply pipelines and improper waste disposal in the selected areas. The average WQI was found as 59.66 for site 1 and 77.30 for site 2. Results showed that the quality of the water was classified as "poor" for site 1 and "very poor " for site 2. There is a need to address the problem of poor water quality and also raise the public awareness about the quality of drinking water and its associated health impacts.

Combined passivators regulate physiological, antioxidant potential and metals accumulation in potato grown in metals contaminated soil.

To solve the problem of excessive heavy metals in farmland soil, there is a dire need for research effort to screen for the soil passivator materials. This study aimed to develop a practical novel approach for improving the potato growth and remedial effectiveness of the metals by optimal combination and dosage of various passivators. Experimental treatments were comprised of various levels of passivating agents (sepiolite, quicklime and calcium magnesium phosphate) in individual and combined form. Results showed that application of passivating agents significantly enhanced growth by optimizing photosynthetic attributes, enzymatic antioxidants, and soil health. Balanced application of passivators effectively reduce the bioavailability of metals, curbing their uptake by potato plants. Sole application of all the agents results statistically similar outcomes as compared with combined form. Additionally, passivators indirectly enhance the activity of essential antioxidant enzymes. Synergistic effect of all the agents significantly improved the tuber quality by decreasing the accumulation of proline, malondialdehyde content, and bioaccumulation of Cu, Pb, Cd, and As in potato parts. In crux, combined usage of passivating agents proved to be of better growth, improvement in antioxidative defense system, and better quality of potato. By mitigating heavy metal contamination, passivators not only enhance crop quality and yield but also ensure heavy metal-free potatoes that meet stringent food safety standards.

Efficient treatment of tannery wastewater through aeration, coagulation, and algal pond.

BACKGROUND: Tannery wastewater effluents contain many toxic and carcinogenic heavy metals and physiochemical parameters that need to be removed before these effluents enter in the main water bodies or rivers. In this study, the effluents from the tannery industry are treated through aeration, coagulation, and Chlorella vulgaris pond treatment processes for the removal of physiochemical: parameters only. METHODS: The effect of removal efficiencies (%) was studied on the physicochemical parameters, including salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). RESULTS: The key results showed that the removal of EC, TDS, turbidity, TSS, BOD, and COD was 80.2%, 67%, 81%, 80.8%, 68.6%, and 100%, respectively, in raw wastewater treatment having 25, 50, and 70 g of algae C. vulgaris doses. The removal efficiencies (%) of salinity, EC, TDS, turbidity, TSS, BOD, and COD were 83%, 87.1%, 77.1%, 80%, 40%, 97%, and 98%, respectively, during coagulated wastewater treatment with three doses of algae. The observed improvement in treated wastewater indicated that the removal efficiencies (%) of salinity, EC, TDS, turbidity, TSS, BOD, and COD were 85.7%, 39.3%, 81.3%, 67.8%, 50.3%, 97%, and 98%, with C. vulgaris. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that the treatment of tannery wastewater by these processes increased the pollutant removal efficiencies as all the physiochemical parameters were exceeding the permissible limits. RESULTS CONTRIBUTION IN FUTURE: This research will be helpful to treat the industrial wastewaters or effluents before it further mixes up in the main water streams. In this way, water quality will be better, aquatic life will be saved, and further researchers can analyze more ways for efficient treatments as they have a baseline data through this study findings. PRACTITIONER POINTS: One of the most pollutant sources in terms of both physical and chemical parameters is the produced wastewater from tannery industries. The effluents from tannery industry are treated through aeration, coagulation, and algae ponds treatment processes. These treatment made the tannery wastewater as environmental friendly.

Effect of ethyl methanesulfonate mediated mutation for enhancing morpho-physio-biochemical and yield contributing traits of fragrant rice.

Background: Chemical mutagenesis has been successfully used for increasing genetic diversity in crop plants. More than 800 novel mutant types of rice (Oryza sativa L.) have been developed through the successful application of numerous mutagenic agents. Among a wide variety of chemical mutagens, ethyl-methane-sulfonate (EMS) is the alkylating agent that is most commonly employed in crop plants because it frequently induces nucleotide substitutions as detected in numerous genomes. Methods: In this study, seeds of the widely consumed Basmati rice variety (Super Basmati, Oryza sativa L.) were treated with EMS at concentrations of 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.0%, and 1.25% to broaden its narrow genetic base. Results: Sensitivity to a chemical mutagen such as ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) was determined in the M1 generation. Results in M1 generation revealed that as the levels of applied EMS increased, there was a significant reduction in the germination percent, root length, shoot length, plant height, productive tillers, panicle length, sterile spikelet, total spikelet, and fertility percent as compared to the control under field conditions. All the aforementioned parameters decreased but there was an increase in EMS mutagens in an approximately linear fashion. Furthermore, there was no germination at 1.25% of EMS treatment for seed germination. A 50% germination was recorded between 0.50% and 0.75% EMS treatments. After germination, the subsequent parameters, viz. root length and shoot length had LD50 between 05.0% and 0.75% EMS dose levels. Significant variation was noticed in the photosynthetic and water related attributes of fragrant rice. The linear increase in the enzymatic attributes was noticed by the EMS mediated treatments. After the establishment of the plants in the M1 generation in the field, it was observed that LD50 for fertility percentage was at EMS 1.0% level, for the rice variety. Conclusion: Hence, it is concluded that for creating genetic variability in the rice variety (Super Basmati), EMS doses from 0.5% to 0.75% are the most efficient, and effective.

Assessment of renal function and prevalence of acute kidney injury following coronary artery bypass graft surgery and associated risk factors: A retrospective cohort study at a tertiary care hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden decline in renal function after cardiac surgery. It is characterized by a significant reduction in glomerular filtration rate, alterations in serum creatinine (S.Cr) levels, and urine output. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze a cohort of 704 patients selected using stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria. AKI was defined by an increase of 0.3 mg/dL in S.Cr levels compared to baseline. Data were collected from the hospital and analyzed using SPSS 16.0. Data analysis revealed that 22% (n = 155) of the patients developed AKI on the second post-operative day, accompanied by a substantial increase in S.Cr levels (from 1.064 ±â€…0.2504 to 1.255 ±â€…0.2673, P < .000). Age and cardiopulmonary bypass duration were identified as risk factors along with ejection fraction and days of hospital stay, contributing to the development of AKI. Early renal replacement therapy can be planned when the diagnosis of AKI is established early after surgery.

Alleviation of Cadmium Stress by Silicon Supplementation in Peas by the Modulation of Morpho-Physio-Biochemical Variables and Health Risk Assessment.

Agricultural soil quality degradation by potentially toxic elements, specifically cadmium (Cd), poses a significant threat to plant growth and the health of humans. However, the supplementation of various salts of silicon (Si) to mitigate the adverse effect of Cd on the productivity of peas (Pisum sativum L.) is less known. Therefore, the present investigation was designed to evaluate the exogenous application at various levels (0, 0.50, 1.00 and 1.50 mM) of silicate compounds (sodium and potassium silicates) on pea growth, gaseous exchange, antioxidant enzyme activities and the potential health risk of Cd stress (20 mg kg-1 of soil) using CdCl2. The findings of the study showed that Cd stress significantly reduced growth, the fresh and dry biomass of roots and shoots and chlorophyll content. In addition, electrolyte leakage, antioxidant enzymes and the content of Cd in plant tissues were enhanced in Cd-induced stressed plants. An application of Si enhanced the development of stressed plants by modulating the growth of fresh and dry biomass, improving the chlorophyll contents and decreasing leakage from the plasma membrane. Furthermore, Si addition performed a vital function in relieving the effects of Cd stress by stimulating antioxidant potential. Hence, a significant level of metal protection was achieved by 1.00 mM of potassium silicate application under the Cd levels related to stress conditions, pointing to the fact that the Si concentration required for plant growth under Cd stress surpassed that which was required for general growth, enzymatic antioxidants regulation and limiting toxic metal uptake in plant tissues under normal conditions. The findings of this research work provide a feasible approach to reduce Cd toxicity in peas and to manage the entry and accumulation of Cd in food crops.

Sorghum Allelopathy: Alternative Weed Management Strategy and Its Impact on Mung Bean Productivity and Soil Rhizosphere Properties.

The reduction of herbicide use and herbicide-resistant weeds through allelopathy can be a sustainable strategy to combat the concerns of environmental degradation. Allelopathic crop residues carry great potential both as weed suppressers and soil quality enhancers. The influence of sorghum crop residues and water extracts on the weed population, soil enzyme activities, the microbial community, and mung bean crop productivity was investigated in a two-year experiment at the Student Research Farm, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The experimental treatments comprised two levels of sorghum water extract (10 and 20 L ha-1) and two residue application rates (4 and 6 t ha-1), and no sorghum water extract and residues were used as the control. The results indicated that the incorporation of sorghum water extract and residue resulted in significant changes in weed dynamics and the soil quality indices. Significant reduction in weed density (62%) and in the dry weight of weeds (65%) was observed in T5. After the harvest, better soil quality indices in terms of the microbial population (72-90%) and microbial activity (32-50%) were observed in the rhizosphere (0-15 cm) by the same treatment. After cropping, improved soil properties in terms of available potassium, available phosphorus soil organic matter, and total nitrogen were higher after the treatment of residue was incorporated, i.e., 52-65%, 29-45%, 62-84%, and 59-91%, respectively. In the case of soil enzymes, alkaline phosphatase and dehydrogenase levels in the soil were 35-41% and 52-77% higher, respectively. However, residue incorporation at 6 t ha-1 had the greatest effect in improving the soil quality indices, mung bean productivity, and reduction of weed density. In conclusion, the incorporation of 6 t ha-1 sorghum residues may be opted to improve soil quality indices, suppress weeds, harvest a better seed yield (37%), and achieve higher profitability (306 $ ha-1) by weed suppression, yield, and rhizospheric properties of spring-planted mung beans. This strategy can provide a probable substitute for instigating sustainable weed control and significant improvement of soil properties in the mung bean crop, which can be a part of eco-friendly and sustainable agriculture.

Silicon fertilization counteracts salinity-induced damages associated with changes in physio-biochemical modulations in spinach.

Plant growth and productivity are limited by the severe impact of salt stress on the fundamental physiological processes. Silicon (Si) supplementation is one of the promising techniques to improve the resilience of plants under salt stress. This study deals with the response of exogenous Si applications (0, 2, 4, and 6 mM) on growth, gaseous exchange, ion homeostasis and antioxidant enzyme activities in spinach grown under saline conditions (150 mM NaCl). Salinity stress markedly reduced the growth, physiological, biochemical, water availability, photosynthesis, enzymatic antioxidants, and ionic status in spinach leaves. Salt stress significantly enhanced leaf Na+ contents in spinach plants. Supplementary foliar application of Si (4 mM) alleviated salt toxicity, by modulating the physiological and photosynthetic attributes and decreasing electrolyte leakage, and activities of SOD, POD and CAT. Moreover, Si-induced mitigation of salt stress was due to the depreciation in Na+/K+ ratio, Na+ ion uptake at the surface of spinach roots, and translocation in plant tissues, thereby reducing the Na+ ion accumulation. Foliar applied Si (4 mM) ameliorates ionic toxicity by decreasing Na+ uptake. Overall, the results illustrate that foliar applied Si induced resistance against salinity stress in spinach by regulating the physiology, antioxidant metabolism, and ionic homeostasis. We advocate that exogenous Si supplementation is a practical approach that will allow spinach plants to recover from salt toxicity.

Arsenic and major cation hydrogeochemistry of the Central Victorian (Australia) surface waters.

This paper reports on the major cations (Ca, Mg, Na and K) and arsenic (As) compositions of surface waters collected from major creeks, rivers and lakes in Central Victoria (Australia). The surface waters were found to be neutral to alkaline (pH 6.7-9.4), oxidised (average redox potential (Eh) about 130 mV) and showed variable concentrations of dissolved ions (EC, about 51-4386 microS/cm). The concentrations of dissolved major cations in surface waters were found to be in the order of Na>>Mg>Ca>K and in soils the contents of metals followed an order of abundance as: Ca>Mg>>K>Na. While Na was the least abundant in soils, it registered the highest dissolved cation in surface waters. Of the four major cations, the average concentration of Na (98.7 mg/L) was attributed to the weathering of feldspars and atmospheric input. Relatively highly dissolved concentrations of Na and Mg compared with the world average values of rivers reflected the weathering of rock and soil minerals within the catchments. The As soil level is naturally high (linked to lithology) as reflected by high background soil values and mining operations are also considered to be a contributory factor. Under relatively alkaline-oxidative conditions low mobility of dissolved As (average about 7.9 microg/L) was observed in most of the surface waters with a few higher values (> 15 microg/L) around a sewage disposal site and mine tailings. Arsenic in soils is slowly released into water under alkaline and/or lower Eh conditions. The efficient sink of Fe, Al and Mn oxides acts as a barrier against the As release under near neutral-oxidising conditions. High As content (average about 28.3 mg/kg) in soils was found to be associated with Fe-hydroxides as revealed by XRD and SEM analysis. The dissolved As concentration was found to be below the recommended maximum levels for recreational water in all surface waters (lakes and rivers) in the study area. Catchment lithology exerted the fundamental control on surface water chemistry. Sites impacted by mining waste dumps showed a decline in water quality.