Vinod Garg | Guru Jambeshwar University (original) (raw)

Papers by Vinod Garg

Journal of environmental science & engineering, Mar 25, 2009

The potential of economically cheaper cellulose containing natural materials like rice husk was a... more The potential of economically cheaper cellulose containing natural materials like rice husk was assessed for nickel adsorption from aqueous solutions. The effects of pH, contact time, sorbent dose, initial metal ion concentration and temperature on the uptake of nickel were studied in batch process. The removal of nickel was dependent on the physico-chemical characteristics of the adsorbent, adsorbate concentration and other studied process parameters. The sorption data has been correlated with Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radush kevich (D-R) adsorption models. It was found that Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms fitted well to the data. Maximum nickel removal was observed at pH 6.0. The efficiency of rice husk for nickel removal was 51.8% for dilute solutions at 20 g L-1 adsorbent dose. FTIR, SEM and EDAX were recorded before and after adsorption to explore the number and position of the functional groups available for nickel binding on to the studied adsorbent and changes in surface morphology and elemental constitution of the adsorbent. Pseudo-second order model explains the nickel kinetics more effectively. Reusability of the adsorbent was examined by desorption in which HCl eluted 78.93% nickel. The results revealed that nickel is considerably adsorbed on rice husk and it could be and economic method for the removal of nickel from aqueous solutions.

CRC Press eBooks, Sep 30, 2022

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2021

Present research is an attempt to manage Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli), common rice wee... more Present research is an attempt to manage Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli), common rice weed, sustainably by vermicomposting technology. E. crus-galli (EC) feed stocks were blended with cow dung in combination: 20:80, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40 and 80:20 with two controls 100% CD and 100% EC for 63 days. Earthworms could not grow well in higher percentage of EC. Total kjeldhal nitrogen, total available phosphorus and total potassium in final vermicomposts were in range of 13.6-21.5g/kg, 11.8-15.9g/kg and 20.1-27.6g/kg, respectively, after 63 days vermicomposting. Respiration rate (42–98 mgCO2 kg− 1 VC 48h− 1) affirms vermicompost maturity and falls within the recommended limits (< 120 mgCO2 kg− 1 VC 48h− 1). Vermicomposting also reduced the weed mass by 2.2–3.03 folds depicting effective feed decomposition. It was inferred that rice weed can be converted into nutrient embedded manure employing vermicomposting and can prove to be instrumental in facilitating management of E .crus-g...

Bioresource Technology, 2021

The present investigation was carried out to determine the potential of two cruciferous vegetable... more The present investigation was carried out to determine the potential of two cruciferous vegetables residual biomass in vermicomposting. Cabbage and cauliflower residual biomass spiked with 60% cow dung were vermicomposted for 90 days. Decrease in pH (5.3-9.8%), Total Organic Carbon (36.7- 42.8%); increment in Electrical Conductivity (33-99.4%) and ash content (144.7- 187.8%) were noticed. Significant reduction in C:N ratio (49.5-76.4%) and C:P ratio (62.8-66.04%), increase in Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (49.3-85.3%), Total Available Phosphorus (68.2-98.1%), Total Potassium (91.8-120.3%) were observed. FT-IR analysis has shown reduction in band heights and peak intensities thus evidenced in organic compound decomposition and vermicompost stability. Germination Index values (98-138%) determined phytotoxicity level. Earthworm growth and prolificacy evaluated via biomass gain (646-809 mg), cocoon number (84-108) and growth rate (2.1-2.7 cocoon/worm). It was inferred that cruciferous vegetable biomass can be used for vermicomposting. Cauliflower residual biomass has shown better decomposition efficiency than cabbage residual biomass.

Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 2018

The orange peel waste (OPW) was chemically spiked with silica nanospheres, to develop a novel, na... more The orange peel waste (OPW) was chemically spiked with silica nanospheres, to develop a novel, nanocomposite (SiO 2 @OPW) with enhanced adsorption capacity for heavy metals. The dispersion of silica nanospheres into orange peel waste was confirmed by XRD, FTIR, TEM, SEM and EDX. Adsorption of Pb 2+ ions onto SiO 2 @OPW was studied in batch mode under varying process conditions such as pH, metal concentration, contact time and adsorbent dosage. The maximum adsorption capacity for OPW and SiO 2 @OPW was 166.7 mg/g and 200.0 mg/g, respectively calculated employing the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetic data followed pseudo second order and intraparticle diffusion models. The maximum removal of Pb 2+ ions was at pH = 6.0, adsorbent dosage = 0.02 g/L and contact time 60 min. Regeneration and reusability of SiO 2 @-OPW was studied for five cycles. Owing to reusability and high adsorption capacity, SiO 2 @OPW nanocomposites may be considered as a promising adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from water and wastewater.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Mar 29, 2023

This study, reports the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from surface soil collected from 60 ... more This study, reports the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from surface soil collected from 60 rural sites of district Hisar, Haryana, India. The exhalation rates of Rn 222 (Radon)& Rn 220 (Thoron) were measured by portable SMART RnDuo (AQTEK SYSTEMS) using a mass accumulation chamber which is equipped with a scintillation material coated cell. Dose rate due to Natural gamma radiations ranged 0.526 to 1.139 mSv y − 1. The Rn 222 mass exhalation rate in soil samples varied from 0.14 to 94.65 mBq kg − 1 h − 1. Thoron surface exhalation rates ranged 46.42 to 619.88 mBq m − 2 h − 1. This study give an idea about the differences in Rn 222 & Rn 220 exhalation at different locations which may be due to variations in geological structure of the locations and characteristics of the top soil.The ndings show that using soil of the study area as building material is safe. Ethical approval: No prior ethical approval was necessary for the study.

This study, reports the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from surface soil collected from 60 ... more This study, reports the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from surface soil collected from 60 rural sites of district Hisar, Haryana, India. The exhalation rates of Rn222 (Radon)& Rn220(Thoron) were measured by portable SMART RnDuo (AQTEK SYSTEMS) using a mass accumulation chamber which is equipped with a scintillation material coated cell. Dose rate due to Natural gamma radiations ranged 0.526 to 1.139 mSv y− 1. The Rn222mass exhalation rate in soil samples varied from 0.14 to 94.65 mBq kg− 1 h− 1. Thoron surface exhalation rates ranged 46.42 to 619.88 mBq m− 2 h− 1. This study give an idea about the differences in Rn222 & Rn220 exhalation at different locations which may be due to variations in geological structure of the locations and characteristics of the top soil.The findings show that using soil of the study area as building material is safe.

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2010

The effect of industrial waste sludge on growth and reproduction on earthworm Eisenia foetida was... more The effect of industrial waste sludge on growth and reproduction on earthworm Eisenia foetida was studied. Earthworms, cow-dung and soil were collected from local farm, and industrial waste sludge from industries-United Phosphorus Ltd. (UPL), Enviro Technology Ltd. (ETL), Deepak Dye Industry (DDI) and Doshi Ion Industry (DII). Chemical properties, biomass gain, natality and hatchling of E. foetida were recorded. UPL sludge was inhibitory and toxic, followed by ETL; whereas DDI and DII sludge were least toxic. Change in chemical contents of sludge in response to E. foetida and their impact on biomass, cocoon and hatchling production is discussed.

Sustainability

In the coming decades, the pressure to use saline water will increase as most of the natural reso... more In the coming decades, the pressure to use saline water will increase as most of the natural resources with good water quality are being depleted. In order to avoid more stress on the soil plant system, a better understanding of the type of amendments and their integration with the irrigational water quality of any location-specific region is essential. Utilizing salt-affected lands in the best way possible will facilitate food security for the growing human population. An experiment was conducted with the Abelmoschus esculentus L. plant, irrigated with saline water having different NaCl gradients (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM), to evaluate the biochemical and physiological responses under different salinity gradients. Additionally, the effect of compost and vermicompost amendments in soil on plant responses to the changing salinity of irrigated water was observed. The results suggested that the addition of compost and vermicompost in soil not only suppressed the adverse impact of salinity...

Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali

Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 2016

This paper reports the distribution of natural uranium in different underground water sources and... more This paper reports the distribution of natural uranium in different underground water sources and health risk evaluation around Narora Atomic Power Station, Narora, India. The uranium concentration at studied locations ranged from BDL (<0.2 µg/L) to 32.37 µg/L with geometric mean (GM) of 6.4 µg/L and geometric standard deviation of 7.85. The life time average daily dose of uranium in drinking water was 0.64 µg kg-1 day-1. The cancer morbidity and mortality risk were also calculated for U-238, U-235 and U-234. The average cancer mortality was 8.03×10-7 , 3.1×10-8 and 7.21×10-7 and cancer morbidity was 1.28×10-6 , 4.89×10-8 and 1.12 ×10-6 for U-238, U-235 and U-234. It is concluded that health risk is minimal due to low levels of uranium in drinking water in Narora environment. However the concentration of uranium in drinking water must be monitored regularly.

This paper reports the growth and fecundity of an epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida during the tra... more This paper reports the growth and fecundity of an epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida during the transformation of food industry sludge (FIS) spiked with biogas plant slurry (BPS) into vermicompost. The results showed that Eisenia fetida was unable to service in 100% FIS. Addition of some other organic waste to FIS was necessary during vermicomposting. Addition ofFIS with BPS in smaller quantities (20% to 30% on dry weight basis) had no adverse effect on the growth and fecundity of Eiseniafetida because biomass gains by earthworms in 20% FIS was higher than control (100% BPS). The maximum growth rate and cocoon production by Eiseniafetida was 16.21:1:0.64 mg worm-I day-' and 0.21 cocoons worm-I day-I respectively in a 80% BPS + 20% FIS feed mixture. Whereas, minimum growth rate and cocoon production by Eisenia fetid a was 8.14:1:0.32mg worm-I day-Iand 0.07 cocoons worm-I day-' respectively in feed mixture no. 7 (40% BPS + 60% FIS), a higher percentage of FIS in the feed mixture...

Pedosphere

Abstract Vermicomposting is a biotechnological process that enables the recycling of organic wast... more Abstract Vermicomposting is a biotechnological process that enables the recycling of organic waste materials into manure through the combined action of earthworms and mesophilic microorganisms. In this study, a 13-week experiment was carried to vermiprocess food industry sludge mixed with different bedding materials including two weeds, water hyacinth and parthenium, as well as cow dung, in different combinations employing earthworms of the species Eisenia fetida. Eight vermibins containing one kilogram of the waste mixtures (dry weight basis) were established for vermicomposting. Vermiprocessing significantly increased nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium contents of the mixtures. However, a decrease in pH, organic carbon, and C:N ratio was observed after vermiprocessing. The heavy metal contents in the vermicomposts were higher than the initial values but within permissible limits. These results indicated that the studied wastes can be converted into good quality manure by vermipr...

Biological Trace Element Research, 2014

The present study was undertaken to assess the non-carcinogenic human health risk of heavy metals... more The present study was undertaken to assess the non-carcinogenic human health risk of heavy metals through the ingestion of locally grown and commonly used vegetables viz. Raphanus sativus (root vegetable), Daucus carota (root vegetable), Benincasa hispida (fruit vegetable) and Brassica campestris leaves (leafy vegetable) in a semi-urbanized area of Haryana state, India. Heavy metal quantification of soil and vegetable samples was done using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Lead, cadmium and nickel concentration in vegetable samples varied in range of 0.12-6.54 mg kg −1 , 0.02-0.67 mg kg −1 and <0.05-0.41 mg kg −1 , respectively. Cadmium and lead concentration in some vegetable samples exceeded maximum permissible limit given by World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization and Indian standards. Much higher concentrations of Pb (40-190.5 mg kg −1), Cd (0.56-9.85 mg kg-1) and Ni (3.21-45.87 mg kg −1) were reported in corresponding vegetable fields' soils. Correlation analysis revealed the formation of three primary clusters, i.e. Cu-Cd, Cd-Pb and Ni-Zn in vegetable fields' soils further supported by cluster analysis and principal component analysis. Bioconcentration factor revealed that heavy metals' uptake was more by leafy vegetable than root and fruit vegetables. Hazard index of all the vegetables was less than unity; thus, the ingestion of these vegetables is unlikely to pose health risks to the target population.

Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2009

In the present work, potential of sunflower head (BSH) [an agricultural waste biomass] to remove ... more In the present work, potential of sunflower head (BSH) [an agricultural waste biomass] to remove Cr(VI) from simulated wastewater has been evaluated under different process conditions such as pH, metal concentration, adsorbent dose and contact time. A contact time of 120 min and pH 2.0 were found to be optimum. Chromium removal decreased from 90.0 to 45.2% as its concentration increased from 10 to 70 mg/L. The Cr(VI) removal increased from 31.4 to 52.4% as adsorbent dose increased from 4.0 to 20.0 g/L using a test solution having 100mg/L Cr(VI) concentration. Adsorption isotherms were employed to evaluate the maximum adsorption capacity. Adsorption data fitted well to Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order model as indicated by high values of correlation coefficient (0.9882 and 0.999) respectively. The adsorption capacity calculated from Langmuir isotherm was 8.177 mg/g.

Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2009

The objective of this study was to investigate the Cr(VI) removal efficiency of sunflower waste f... more The objective of this study was to investigate the Cr(VI) removal efficiency of sunflower waste from aqueous system under different process conditions. Two adsorbents were prepared by pre-treating the sunflower stem waste. One adsorbent was prepared by boiling it and second adsorbent was prepared by treating it with formaldehyde. Batch mode experiments were carried out as a function of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, Cr(VI) concentration and contact time. FT-IR spectra and SEMs of the adsorbents were recorded to explore the number and position of functional groups available for the binding of Cr(VI) ions and morphology of the studied adsorbents. The removal of chromium was dependent on the physico-chemical characteristics of the adsorbent, adsorbate concentration and other studied process parameters. Maximum metal removal was observed at pH 2.0. The efficiencies of boiled sunflower stem absorbent and formaldehyde-treated sunflower stem absorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) were 81.7 and 76.5%, respectively for dilute solutions at 4.0g/L adsorbent dose. The applicability of Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms was also tested. The results revealed that the hexavalent chromium is considerably adsorbed on sunflower stem and it could be an economical method for the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous systems.

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2011

Batch adsorption studies were conducted to investigate the potential of Acacia nilotica sawdust a... more Batch adsorption studies were conducted to investigate the potential of Acacia nilotica sawdust as biosorbent for removal of basic Swiss blue dye from wastewater. Sawdust was subjected to formaldehyde pretreatment (FSD) and boiling (BSD). Maximum dye removal was observed after 120 min for all conditions-FSD: 97.5% and BSD: 95.9% at pH 6, 50 mg L-1 dye concentration and 0.2 g/50 mL adsorbent dosage. Adsorption was endothermic and was accompanied by an increase in entropy and a decrease in Gibbs free energy for 288-333 K. Equilibrium data fitted excellently with the Langmuir isotherm (FSD: R 2 = 0.9955, BSD: R 2 = 0.9914). Adsorption kinetics was found to follow pseudo-second-order model (R 2 > 0.99, FSD and BSD). It can be concluded that formaldehyde-treated sawdust (FSD) can be used as a more efficient and low-cost alternative to the chemically untreated sawdust in aqueous solution for Swiss blue dye removal.

Environmental Geology, 2007

A method based on concept of fuzzy set theory has been used for decision-making for the assessmen... more A method based on concept of fuzzy set theory has been used for decision-making for the assessment of physico-chemical quality of groundwater for drinking purposes. Conventional methods for water quality assessment do not consider the uncertainties involved either in measurement of water quality parameters or in the limits provided by the regulatory bodies. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation model gives the certainty levels for the quality class of the water based on the prescribed limit of various regulatory bodies and opinion of the experts from the field of drinking water quality. In this paper, application of fuzzy rule based optimization model is illustrated with twenty groundwater samples from Sohna town of Gurgaon district of Southern Haryana, India. These samples were analysed for 15 different physico-chemical parameters, out of them nine important parameters were used for the quality assessment using fuzzy synthetic evaluation approach. From this study, it has been concluded that all the water samples are in acceptable category whose certainty level ranges from 44 to 100%. Water from these sources can be used for the drinking purposes if alternate water source is not available without any health concern on the basis of physico-chemical characteristics.

Journal of environmental science & engineering, Mar 25, 2009

The potential of economically cheaper cellulose containing natural materials like rice husk was a... more The potential of economically cheaper cellulose containing natural materials like rice husk was assessed for nickel adsorption from aqueous solutions. The effects of pH, contact time, sorbent dose, initial metal ion concentration and temperature on the uptake of nickel were studied in batch process. The removal of nickel was dependent on the physico-chemical characteristics of the adsorbent, adsorbate concentration and other studied process parameters. The sorption data has been correlated with Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radush kevich (D-R) adsorption models. It was found that Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms fitted well to the data. Maximum nickel removal was observed at pH 6.0. The efficiency of rice husk for nickel removal was 51.8% for dilute solutions at 20 g L-1 adsorbent dose. FTIR, SEM and EDAX were recorded before and after adsorption to explore the number and position of the functional groups available for nickel binding on to the studied adsorbent and changes in surface morphology and elemental constitution of the adsorbent. Pseudo-second order model explains the nickel kinetics more effectively. Reusability of the adsorbent was examined by desorption in which HCl eluted 78.93% nickel. The results revealed that nickel is considerably adsorbed on rice husk and it could be and economic method for the removal of nickel from aqueous solutions.

CRC Press eBooks, Sep 30, 2022

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2021

Present research is an attempt to manage Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli), common rice wee... more Present research is an attempt to manage Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli), common rice weed, sustainably by vermicomposting technology. E. crus-galli (EC) feed stocks were blended with cow dung in combination: 20:80, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40 and 80:20 with two controls 100% CD and 100% EC for 63 days. Earthworms could not grow well in higher percentage of EC. Total kjeldhal nitrogen, total available phosphorus and total potassium in final vermicomposts were in range of 13.6-21.5g/kg, 11.8-15.9g/kg and 20.1-27.6g/kg, respectively, after 63 days vermicomposting. Respiration rate (42–98 mgCO2 kg− 1 VC 48h− 1) affirms vermicompost maturity and falls within the recommended limits (< 120 mgCO2 kg− 1 VC 48h− 1). Vermicomposting also reduced the weed mass by 2.2–3.03 folds depicting effective feed decomposition. It was inferred that rice weed can be converted into nutrient embedded manure employing vermicomposting and can prove to be instrumental in facilitating management of E .crus-g...

Bioresource Technology, 2021

The present investigation was carried out to determine the potential of two cruciferous vegetable... more The present investigation was carried out to determine the potential of two cruciferous vegetables residual biomass in vermicomposting. Cabbage and cauliflower residual biomass spiked with 60% cow dung were vermicomposted for 90 days. Decrease in pH (5.3-9.8%), Total Organic Carbon (36.7- 42.8%); increment in Electrical Conductivity (33-99.4%) and ash content (144.7- 187.8%) were noticed. Significant reduction in C:N ratio (49.5-76.4%) and C:P ratio (62.8-66.04%), increase in Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (49.3-85.3%), Total Available Phosphorus (68.2-98.1%), Total Potassium (91.8-120.3%) were observed. FT-IR analysis has shown reduction in band heights and peak intensities thus evidenced in organic compound decomposition and vermicompost stability. Germination Index values (98-138%) determined phytotoxicity level. Earthworm growth and prolificacy evaluated via biomass gain (646-809 mg), cocoon number (84-108) and growth rate (2.1-2.7 cocoon/worm). It was inferred that cruciferous vegetable biomass can be used for vermicomposting. Cauliflower residual biomass has shown better decomposition efficiency than cabbage residual biomass.

Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 2018

The orange peel waste (OPW) was chemically spiked with silica nanospheres, to develop a novel, na... more The orange peel waste (OPW) was chemically spiked with silica nanospheres, to develop a novel, nanocomposite (SiO 2 @OPW) with enhanced adsorption capacity for heavy metals. The dispersion of silica nanospheres into orange peel waste was confirmed by XRD, FTIR, TEM, SEM and EDX. Adsorption of Pb 2+ ions onto SiO 2 @OPW was studied in batch mode under varying process conditions such as pH, metal concentration, contact time and adsorbent dosage. The maximum adsorption capacity for OPW and SiO 2 @OPW was 166.7 mg/g and 200.0 mg/g, respectively calculated employing the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetic data followed pseudo second order and intraparticle diffusion models. The maximum removal of Pb 2+ ions was at pH = 6.0, adsorbent dosage = 0.02 g/L and contact time 60 min. Regeneration and reusability of SiO 2 @-OPW was studied for five cycles. Owing to reusability and high adsorption capacity, SiO 2 @OPW nanocomposites may be considered as a promising adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from water and wastewater.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Mar 29, 2023

This study, reports the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from surface soil collected from 60 ... more This study, reports the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from surface soil collected from 60 rural sites of district Hisar, Haryana, India. The exhalation rates of Rn 222 (Radon)& Rn 220 (Thoron) were measured by portable SMART RnDuo (AQTEK SYSTEMS) using a mass accumulation chamber which is equipped with a scintillation material coated cell. Dose rate due to Natural gamma radiations ranged 0.526 to 1.139 mSv y − 1. The Rn 222 mass exhalation rate in soil samples varied from 0.14 to 94.65 mBq kg − 1 h − 1. Thoron surface exhalation rates ranged 46.42 to 619.88 mBq m − 2 h − 1. This study give an idea about the differences in Rn 222 & Rn 220 exhalation at different locations which may be due to variations in geological structure of the locations and characteristics of the top soil.The ndings show that using soil of the study area as building material is safe. Ethical approval: No prior ethical approval was necessary for the study.

This study, reports the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from surface soil collected from 60 ... more This study, reports the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from surface soil collected from 60 rural sites of district Hisar, Haryana, India. The exhalation rates of Rn222 (Radon)& Rn220(Thoron) were measured by portable SMART RnDuo (AQTEK SYSTEMS) using a mass accumulation chamber which is equipped with a scintillation material coated cell. Dose rate due to Natural gamma radiations ranged 0.526 to 1.139 mSv y− 1. The Rn222mass exhalation rate in soil samples varied from 0.14 to 94.65 mBq kg− 1 h− 1. Thoron surface exhalation rates ranged 46.42 to 619.88 mBq m− 2 h− 1. This study give an idea about the differences in Rn222 & Rn220 exhalation at different locations which may be due to variations in geological structure of the locations and characteristics of the top soil.The findings show that using soil of the study area as building material is safe.

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2010

The effect of industrial waste sludge on growth and reproduction on earthworm Eisenia foetida was... more The effect of industrial waste sludge on growth and reproduction on earthworm Eisenia foetida was studied. Earthworms, cow-dung and soil were collected from local farm, and industrial waste sludge from industries-United Phosphorus Ltd. (UPL), Enviro Technology Ltd. (ETL), Deepak Dye Industry (DDI) and Doshi Ion Industry (DII). Chemical properties, biomass gain, natality and hatchling of E. foetida were recorded. UPL sludge was inhibitory and toxic, followed by ETL; whereas DDI and DII sludge were least toxic. Change in chemical contents of sludge in response to E. foetida and their impact on biomass, cocoon and hatchling production is discussed.

Sustainability

In the coming decades, the pressure to use saline water will increase as most of the natural reso... more In the coming decades, the pressure to use saline water will increase as most of the natural resources with good water quality are being depleted. In order to avoid more stress on the soil plant system, a better understanding of the type of amendments and their integration with the irrigational water quality of any location-specific region is essential. Utilizing salt-affected lands in the best way possible will facilitate food security for the growing human population. An experiment was conducted with the Abelmoschus esculentus L. plant, irrigated with saline water having different NaCl gradients (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM), to evaluate the biochemical and physiological responses under different salinity gradients. Additionally, the effect of compost and vermicompost amendments in soil on plant responses to the changing salinity of irrigated water was observed. The results suggested that the addition of compost and vermicompost in soil not only suppressed the adverse impact of salinity...

Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali

Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 2016

This paper reports the distribution of natural uranium in different underground water sources and... more This paper reports the distribution of natural uranium in different underground water sources and health risk evaluation around Narora Atomic Power Station, Narora, India. The uranium concentration at studied locations ranged from BDL (<0.2 µg/L) to 32.37 µg/L with geometric mean (GM) of 6.4 µg/L and geometric standard deviation of 7.85. The life time average daily dose of uranium in drinking water was 0.64 µg kg-1 day-1. The cancer morbidity and mortality risk were also calculated for U-238, U-235 and U-234. The average cancer mortality was 8.03×10-7 , 3.1×10-8 and 7.21×10-7 and cancer morbidity was 1.28×10-6 , 4.89×10-8 and 1.12 ×10-6 for U-238, U-235 and U-234. It is concluded that health risk is minimal due to low levels of uranium in drinking water in Narora environment. However the concentration of uranium in drinking water must be monitored regularly.

This paper reports the growth and fecundity of an epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida during the tra... more This paper reports the growth and fecundity of an epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida during the transformation of food industry sludge (FIS) spiked with biogas plant slurry (BPS) into vermicompost. The results showed that Eisenia fetida was unable to service in 100% FIS. Addition of some other organic waste to FIS was necessary during vermicomposting. Addition ofFIS with BPS in smaller quantities (20% to 30% on dry weight basis) had no adverse effect on the growth and fecundity of Eiseniafetida because biomass gains by earthworms in 20% FIS was higher than control (100% BPS). The maximum growth rate and cocoon production by Eiseniafetida was 16.21:1:0.64 mg worm-I day-' and 0.21 cocoons worm-I day-I respectively in a 80% BPS + 20% FIS feed mixture. Whereas, minimum growth rate and cocoon production by Eisenia fetid a was 8.14:1:0.32mg worm-I day-Iand 0.07 cocoons worm-I day-' respectively in feed mixture no. 7 (40% BPS + 60% FIS), a higher percentage of FIS in the feed mixture...

Pedosphere

Abstract Vermicomposting is a biotechnological process that enables the recycling of organic wast... more Abstract Vermicomposting is a biotechnological process that enables the recycling of organic waste materials into manure through the combined action of earthworms and mesophilic microorganisms. In this study, a 13-week experiment was carried to vermiprocess food industry sludge mixed with different bedding materials including two weeds, water hyacinth and parthenium, as well as cow dung, in different combinations employing earthworms of the species Eisenia fetida. Eight vermibins containing one kilogram of the waste mixtures (dry weight basis) were established for vermicomposting. Vermiprocessing significantly increased nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium contents of the mixtures. However, a decrease in pH, organic carbon, and C:N ratio was observed after vermiprocessing. The heavy metal contents in the vermicomposts were higher than the initial values but within permissible limits. These results indicated that the studied wastes can be converted into good quality manure by vermipr...

Biological Trace Element Research, 2014

The present study was undertaken to assess the non-carcinogenic human health risk of heavy metals... more The present study was undertaken to assess the non-carcinogenic human health risk of heavy metals through the ingestion of locally grown and commonly used vegetables viz. Raphanus sativus (root vegetable), Daucus carota (root vegetable), Benincasa hispida (fruit vegetable) and Brassica campestris leaves (leafy vegetable) in a semi-urbanized area of Haryana state, India. Heavy metal quantification of soil and vegetable samples was done using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Lead, cadmium and nickel concentration in vegetable samples varied in range of 0.12-6.54 mg kg −1 , 0.02-0.67 mg kg −1 and <0.05-0.41 mg kg −1 , respectively. Cadmium and lead concentration in some vegetable samples exceeded maximum permissible limit given by World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization and Indian standards. Much higher concentrations of Pb (40-190.5 mg kg −1), Cd (0.56-9.85 mg kg-1) and Ni (3.21-45.87 mg kg −1) were reported in corresponding vegetable fields' soils. Correlation analysis revealed the formation of three primary clusters, i.e. Cu-Cd, Cd-Pb and Ni-Zn in vegetable fields' soils further supported by cluster analysis and principal component analysis. Bioconcentration factor revealed that heavy metals' uptake was more by leafy vegetable than root and fruit vegetables. Hazard index of all the vegetables was less than unity; thus, the ingestion of these vegetables is unlikely to pose health risks to the target population.

Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2009

In the present work, potential of sunflower head (BSH) [an agricultural waste biomass] to remove ... more In the present work, potential of sunflower head (BSH) [an agricultural waste biomass] to remove Cr(VI) from simulated wastewater has been evaluated under different process conditions such as pH, metal concentration, adsorbent dose and contact time. A contact time of 120 min and pH 2.0 were found to be optimum. Chromium removal decreased from 90.0 to 45.2% as its concentration increased from 10 to 70 mg/L. The Cr(VI) removal increased from 31.4 to 52.4% as adsorbent dose increased from 4.0 to 20.0 g/L using a test solution having 100mg/L Cr(VI) concentration. Adsorption isotherms were employed to evaluate the maximum adsorption capacity. Adsorption data fitted well to Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order model as indicated by high values of correlation coefficient (0.9882 and 0.999) respectively. The adsorption capacity calculated from Langmuir isotherm was 8.177 mg/g.

Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2009

The objective of this study was to investigate the Cr(VI) removal efficiency of sunflower waste f... more The objective of this study was to investigate the Cr(VI) removal efficiency of sunflower waste from aqueous system under different process conditions. Two adsorbents were prepared by pre-treating the sunflower stem waste. One adsorbent was prepared by boiling it and second adsorbent was prepared by treating it with formaldehyde. Batch mode experiments were carried out as a function of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, Cr(VI) concentration and contact time. FT-IR spectra and SEMs of the adsorbents were recorded to explore the number and position of functional groups available for the binding of Cr(VI) ions and morphology of the studied adsorbents. The removal of chromium was dependent on the physico-chemical characteristics of the adsorbent, adsorbate concentration and other studied process parameters. Maximum metal removal was observed at pH 2.0. The efficiencies of boiled sunflower stem absorbent and formaldehyde-treated sunflower stem absorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) were 81.7 and 76.5%, respectively for dilute solutions at 4.0g/L adsorbent dose. The applicability of Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms was also tested. The results revealed that the hexavalent chromium is considerably adsorbed on sunflower stem and it could be an economical method for the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous systems.

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2011

Batch adsorption studies were conducted to investigate the potential of Acacia nilotica sawdust a... more Batch adsorption studies were conducted to investigate the potential of Acacia nilotica sawdust as biosorbent for removal of basic Swiss blue dye from wastewater. Sawdust was subjected to formaldehyde pretreatment (FSD) and boiling (BSD). Maximum dye removal was observed after 120 min for all conditions-FSD: 97.5% and BSD: 95.9% at pH 6, 50 mg L-1 dye concentration and 0.2 g/50 mL adsorbent dosage. Adsorption was endothermic and was accompanied by an increase in entropy and a decrease in Gibbs free energy for 288-333 K. Equilibrium data fitted excellently with the Langmuir isotherm (FSD: R 2 = 0.9955, BSD: R 2 = 0.9914). Adsorption kinetics was found to follow pseudo-second-order model (R 2 > 0.99, FSD and BSD). It can be concluded that formaldehyde-treated sawdust (FSD) can be used as a more efficient and low-cost alternative to the chemically untreated sawdust in aqueous solution for Swiss blue dye removal.

Environmental Geology, 2007

A method based on concept of fuzzy set theory has been used for decision-making for the assessmen... more A method based on concept of fuzzy set theory has been used for decision-making for the assessment of physico-chemical quality of groundwater for drinking purposes. Conventional methods for water quality assessment do not consider the uncertainties involved either in measurement of water quality parameters or in the limits provided by the regulatory bodies. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation model gives the certainty levels for the quality class of the water based on the prescribed limit of various regulatory bodies and opinion of the experts from the field of drinking water quality. In this paper, application of fuzzy rule based optimization model is illustrated with twenty groundwater samples from Sohna town of Gurgaon district of Southern Haryana, India. These samples were analysed for 15 different physico-chemical parameters, out of them nine important parameters were used for the quality assessment using fuzzy synthetic evaluation approach. From this study, it has been concluded that all the water samples are in acceptable category whose certainty level ranges from 44 to 100%. Water from these sources can be used for the drinking purposes if alternate water source is not available without any health concern on the basis of physico-chemical characteristics.