GOLAM KIBRIA - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by GOLAM KIBRIA

ABSTRACT Discharge of chemical and biological pollutants (from agriculture, industry and domestic... more ABSTRACT Discharge of chemical and biological pollutants (from agriculture, industry and domestic) into rivers and development of engineering infrastructure such as dams and weirs over rivers have modified rivers ecosystems threatening the worlds water security, water quality, and water dependent biodiversity. Rivers in the USA, most of Europe, large portions of Central Asia, the middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and eastern China are currently under severe threat due to pollution and river habitat modification. Climate change (intense rainfall, floods) will increase run-off of contaminants into waterways impacting the river water quality. Currently about three quarters of China’s major lakes are highly polluted and water pollution is responsible for a high rates of cancer at some locations in China. The Citarum River of Indonesia is heavily polluted and is known as the world&#39;s most polluted river. The trace metals in Buriganga River water, Bangladesh is reported to be 5 to 500 times higher than the recommended guidelines trigger value for the protection of aquatic ecosystems. The faecal coliform (Escherichia coli) in the Ganges River in India have reached to an alarming level. The 80-90% (fish biomass) of the Murray-Darling River in Australia is occupied by alien fish. Awareness and education would be vital to protect our river health.

Discharge of chemical and biological pollutants (from agriculture, industry and domestic) into ri... more Discharge of chemical and biological pollutants (from agriculture, industry and domestic) into rivers and development of engineering infrastructure such as dams and weirs over rivers have modified rivers ecosystems threatening the worlds water security, water quality, and water dependent biodiversity. Rivers in the USA, most of Europe, large portions of Central Asia, the middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and eastern China are currently under severe threat due to pollution and river habitat modification. Climate change (intense rainfall, floods) will increase run-off of contaminants into waterways impacting the river water quality. Currently about three quarters of China's major lakes are highly polluted and water pollution is responsible for a high rates of cancer at some locations in China. The Citarum River of Indonesia is heavily polluted and is known as the world's most polluted river. The trace metals in Buriganga River water, Bangladesh is reported to be 5 to 500 times higher than the recommended guidelines trigger value for the protection of aquatic ecosystems. The faecal coliform ( Escherichia coli) in the Ganges River in India have reached to an alarming level. The 80-90% (fish biomass) of the Murray-Darling River in Australia is occupied by alien fish. Awareness and education would be vital to protect our river health.

Mining is a key sector that leads to economic development, employment, supply of essential raw ma... more Mining is a key sector that leads to economic development, employment, supply of essential raw materials for society, and for production systems. Mining has historically served as a viable route to national development in resource-rich countries like Australia, Canada, and the United States where mining was the main driver of growth and industrialisation. Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) (subsistence miners) in Africa have been identified as an important economic opportunity for people in rural areas. Mining and mineral exploration can impact on the environment via generation of hazardous wastes (wastes that threats to public health or the environment). Some of the negative environmental impacts are contamination of air, soil, water, plants and food with sulfate, metalloids (arsenic), metals (cadmium, copper, lead, mercury), radioactive substances (uranium, radon), fly ash (residues generated in combustion of coal), acids (sulfate), mining processed chemicals (cyanides). Acid ...

A series of ecotoxicological experiments were carried out to assess the lethal and sub-lethal eff... more A series of ecotoxicological experiments were carried out to assess the lethal and sub-lethal effects of six agricultural chemicals including four aquatic herbicides and two other pesticides (used in the G-MW region) on two species of selected Australian native fish. These herbicides were glyphosate, amitrole, 2,4-D amine and acrolein which are commonly used by Goulburn -Murray Rural Water Authority to control aquatic plants in channels and drains. Two other pesticides that were regularly detected in G-MW irrigation channels (2004-2006) i.e. endosulfan and copper were also tested. There were no previous data on the toxicity of herbicides used by G-MW on native fish. Early life stage (< 2 days old larvae) of two native fish including the iconic Australian species Murray Cod (Maccullochella peellii peelii) and the sensitive native fish Murray River Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis) were selected for a series of ecotoxicological experiments. Larval fish were exposed to a variet...

Contaminants are biological, chemical, physical, or radiological substances which, in sufficient ... more Contaminants are biological, chemical, physical, or radiological substances which, in sufficient concentrations, can adversely affect living organisms (via air, water, soil, and/or food contamination). Where intense rainfall is expected to increase due to climate change, as a result run-off of pollutants such as pesticides and herbicides, metalloids and trace metals, nutrients, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals, and dioxins into water bodies will increase. Alternate floods and droughts have been found to be associated with the release of arsenic and contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh. Ocean warming facilitates methylation of mercury and subsequent uptake of methyl mercury in fish and mammals has been found to increase by 3–5% for each 1 C rise in water temperature. Extreme events, such as floods can lead to increased wash-off of pesticides, and herbicides from soils to water bodies, and an increase erosion of pesticide-rich soil particles from fields ...

The Environmental/Ecological Risk assessment (ERA) model was developed in collaboration with fede... more The Environmental/Ecological Risk assessment (ERA) model was developed in collaboration with federal, state and the regional government departments (CSIRO, Australia; The Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Ecotoxicology, Department of Environment, and Climate Change and Water (DECCW), NSW; North Central catchment management Authority, Victoria, Australia; and Universities (the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia; RMIT University, Australia; University of Hong Kong and City University of Hong Kong) and Rho Environmetrics (Adelaide, Australia))). The model helped G-MW to analyze and evaluate the possibility of adverse effects that can be caused by toxicants such as pesticides, herbicides and trace metals on various ecological receptors including humans. Though the model developed principally for pesticides, herbicides and metals but can also be used for assessing risks to other harmful chemicals group such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)...

This is an open publication review request by RG (Rachele Reichel, Scientist responsible for cura... more This is an open publication review request by RG (Rachele Reichel, Scientist responsible for curating content on ResearchGate) to Dr Golam Kibria, Australia on the paper entitled ‘Global warming and hepatotoxin production by cyanobacteria: what can we learn from experiments? Rehab El-Shehawy, Elena Gorokhova, Francisca Fernández-Piñas, Francisca F del Campo I found the publication helpful and well written. The paper is a review showing the possible relationships between global warming and cyanobacterial toxins/blue-green algal toxins- hepatotoxins (microcystin, nodularin and cylindrospermopsin) The paper reported that cyanobacterial blooms frequency may increase in a warming world since there is a competitive advantage for cyanobacteria to grow better in warmer temperatures. This may increase potential exposure of cyanotoxins to aquatic organisms (fish) and humans via the food chain pathways The inclusion of a table (currently missing) showing the level (concentration) of accumulati...

Arsenic (As) poisoning via groundwater has become a worldwide problem, with 21 countries experien... more Arsenic (As) poisoning via groundwater has become a worldwide problem, with 21 countries experiencing groundwater arsenic contamination. Most documented As contaminated groundwater in Asia are as follows: (a) Bangladesh: most districts including Chandpur, Munshiganj, Noakhali, Satkhira; (b) India: West Bengal, Bihar; (c) China: Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Shanxi Province; (d) Nepal: Terai region. Arsenic sulfides, arsenic-rich pyrite, and arsenic-rich iron oxyhydroxides are the most commonly found natural sources of arsenic contamination in groundwater worldwide and most researchers agree that arsenic contamination comes from the reductive dissolution of arsenic-rich iron oxyhydroxide. Over the past 14 years, research scientists collected and analysed 52,202 hand tubewell water samples from 64 districts in Bangladesh. These investigations found that, out of 64 districts, the arsenic level in 60 districts have exceeded WHO recommended guidelines of 10 µg/L and in 51 districts it exc...

Pesticides are chemicals that are broadly used to protect crops, livestock and other animals and ... more Pesticides are chemicals that are broadly used to protect crops, livestock and other animals and plants from insect-pests and diseases. Pesticides use has greatly helped to increase and improve world food production; however pesticide residue may cause an adverse impact on non-target organisms including water, biota and humans. Pesticide residues may enter into the environment as a result of spray drift, vaporisation, surface run-off, unlawful acts, spills and drainage discharges, and through leaching or soil dusts. The harmful or unwanted effects that may happen from application or use of pesticides on non-target organisms are: fish kills, contamination of surface and groundwater. Humans can be exposed to pesticides residues via contaminated water and contaminated food or non-target drift or application. Pesticides can persist in the environment for a long period, are bio-accumulative and toxic and a number of pesticides are also known as endocrine disruptors. The long term health ...

Sea-level-rise (SLR) is the average increase in the level of world’s oceans. Rising sea levels is... more Sea-level-rise (SLR) is the average increase in the level of world’s oceans. Rising sea levels is one of the most catastrophic consequences of global warming/climate change and is a major threat to coastal habitats and coastal communities worldwide. SLR will cause a number of ecological and socioeconomics impact in particular on water resources, agriculture, fisheries, human health, ecosystems and biodiversity, coastal assets and infrastructure, tourism and displacement of people in coastal areas. Saline intrusion caused by rising sea-level would cause chloride contamination of coastal freshwater aquifers. It would further cause loss of agricultural land (e.g. inundation of rice land in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Asia). Wetlands in Vietnam, Jamaica and Belize, Qatar, The Bahamas, Uruguay, Mexico, Benin and Taiwan would be inundated or affected. A 1 metre SLR may cause complete losses of the Sundarbans mangroves (UNESCO World heritage site) in Bangladesh resulting loss of h...

Blue-green algae have the characteristics of both algae and bacteria and are now classified as Cy... more Blue-green algae have the characteristics of both algae and bacteria and are now classified as Cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria occur worldwide especially in calm, nutrient-rich waters.. Cyanobacterial blooms of toxic blue-green algae can affect the water quality by causing peculiar tastes and odours, discolouration and unsightly scums. Irrigation with cyanobacteria contaminated water may cause accumulation of toxins on the external surfaces of edible plant material. Cyanobacteria are regular components of the diet of the cichlid, cyprinid and other fishes. Several studies reported accumulation of cynaotoxins such as microcystins in freshwater seafoods that are eaten by humans including fish, mussels and shrimps and therefore, the transfer of the microcystins to human through the food web is easily possible. Microcystins were responsible for repeated poisoning in wild and domesticated animals, death of cattle, geese, sheep, pigs, horses, dogs, cats, squirrels, poultry, waterfowl and bir...

Human activities such as mining, industry and sewage treatment discharges as well as electronic w... more Human activities such as mining, industry and sewage treatment discharges as well as electronic wastes (computers, printers, photocopy machines, TV sets, mobile phones and toys) and agriculture (agriculture fertlisers) are some of examples of anthropogenic sources contributing to the elevated levels of trace metals. Metal pollution can harm aquatic organisms through lethal and sub-lethal effects and can reduce or eliminate species from an ecosystem through increased susceptibility to fish disease, mortality and decreased fecundity. Aquatic flora and fauna such as algae, invertebrates (oysters, mussels) and fish can accumulate trace metals to several orders of magnitude (thousands to million times) above background levels in the aquatic environment. Cultivation of crops for human or animal consumption on contaminated soil can potentially lead to uptake and accumulation of trace metals in edible plant parts with a possible risk to human and animal health. Irrigation water may transpor...

Women in least developed countries (LDCs) and developing countries in Africa and Asia are respons... more Women in least developed countries (LDCs) and developing countries in Africa and Asia are responsible for food production (agriculture, livestock and fisheries), collection of water and bio-fuel (wood) and management of natural resources and taking care of children and elderly. Women farmer accounts for 45-80% percent of all food production in poor countries. Climate change is projected to cause severe impact on rural women via crop failure, shortages of bio-fuel and clean water, natural disasters, and diseases etc. The environmental degradation due to climate change will force women to move further to obtain natural resources such as clean water and fuel-wood. Flooding will increase deaths, injuries, and exposure to infectious diseases and toxic contaminants to women. Women as water collectors would face increasing exposure to malaria as global warming would amplify mosquitoes. Various Research conducted reveals that women in poor countries are fourteen times more likely to die tha...

Fish kills event is an indicator that ecosystems health and water quality have been deteriorated.... more Fish kills event is an indicator that ecosystems health and water quality have been deteriorated. It may indicate that water may have been contaminated with biotoxins (algal blooms) or chemicals (pesticides/herbicides) or microbial pathogens. As a consequence environmental water may be unsafe for beneficial water usage for a period of time. Global fish kills is most frequently linked to natural causes such as hypoxia, or anoxia, harmful algal blooms, diseases, changes of temperature, black water events etc. Climate change is projected to increase water temperatures in a number of world rivers; therefore, aquatic organisms such as fish could be stressed in rivers with high water temperature.

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2013

A passive sampler device suitable for monitoring of residues of the hydrophilic ionic herbicide a... more A passive sampler device suitable for monitoring of residues of the hydrophilic ionic herbicide amitrole in irrigation waterways was developed. Uptake of amitrole on styrenedivinylbenzene-reverse phase sulfonated Empore TM disks was linear and proportional to its water concentration over the range of 1-10 lg/L with a sampling rate of 23.1 mL/day under laboratory flowthrough conditions. Performance of the sampler was evaluated by deployment in an agricultural irrigation drain for 10 days. The amount of amitrole adsorbed by the passive samplers compared well with the cumulative mean water concentrations calculated from daily spot samplings of the drain water.

During 2004-05 and 2005-06 irrigation seasons, a pesticide and heavy metals monitoring study was ... more During 2004-05 and 2005-06 irrigation seasons, a pesticide and heavy metals monitoring study was conducted at 15 potential risk sites located within the six Goulburn-Murray Water irrigation areas in northern Victoria. The risk sites included intensive orchards (pome & stone fruit), vineyards, vegetables (intensive tomatoes), channel offtakes, channel outfall, stock & domestic and town supplies, and aquaculture. The study includes deployment and retrieval of passive samplers, spot water sampling and analysis and interpretation of results of targeted pesticides and related heavy metals. The monitoring found three agriculture chemicals on a regular basis across the six irrigation areas. These were: endosulfan (an organochlorine insecticide), atrazine (herbicide) and copper (fungicide). The two other chemicals that were found on an irregular basis were chlorpyrifos and parathion methyl (organophosphates). By comparison with Australian, New Zealand and USA drinking water and human health...

During aquaculture operations waste are generated in the form of solids and soluble waste that ma... more During aquaculture operations waste are generated in the form of solids and soluble waste that may cause water pollution to the receiving waters. These wastes are uneaten food, faces, scales, and mucus (sold waste) and dissolved nutrients (soluble waste). The two most important nutrients incorporated in fish food are the nitrogen and phosphorus essential for biological growth of fish but an abundance of these nutrients could cause algal blooms or eutrophication in natural waters. It is imperative that the digestive and metabolic wastes are reduced to a minimum so that aquaculture can be an environmentally sustainable development programme. Our research shows that growing of fish at optimum temperature may reduce the solid and nutrient load to the environment.

During 2004-05 and 2005-06 irrigation seasons, a pesticide monitoring study was conducted at 15 p... more During 2004-05 and 2005-06 irrigation seasons, a pesticide monitoring study was conducted at 15 potential risk sites located within the six Goulburn-Murray Water irrigation areas in northern Victoria, Australia. The risk sites included intensive orchards (pome & stone fruit), vineyards, vegetables (intensive tomatoes), channel offtakes, channel outfall, stock & domestic and town supplies, and aquaculture. The study includes deployment and retrieval of passive samplers, spot water sampling and analysis and interpretation of results of targeted pesticides and related heavy metals. The monitoring found three agriculture chemicals on a regular basis across the six irrigation areas. These were: endosulfan (an organochlorine insecticide), atrazine (herbicide) and copper (fungicide). The two other chemicals that were found on an irregular basis were chlorpyrifos and parathion methyl (organophosphates). The three agriculture chemicals that were frequently detected were associated with inten...

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2013