Prashant Kumar

Bio: Prashant Kumar is an academic researcher from University of Surrey. The author has contributed to research in topics: Air quality index & Medicine. The author has an hindex of 54, co-authored 363 publications receiving 11561 citations. Previous affiliations of Prashant Kumar include Southeast University & Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar.

Occupational exposure to particulate matter in three Indian opencast mines

Abstract: Exposure of mine workers to particulate matter (PM) in opencast mines is of major concern because of associated adverse health impacts. Dispersion of PM in such mines depends on their design and local meteorological conditions. With an increase in depth of mines, efficient vertical movement and the dispersion of PM away from mine working area become difficult. Therefore, studies on dispersion behavior of PM in opencast mines are needed. Measurements of PM concentration have been carried out in three opencast mines in India: (i) Malanjkhand Copper Project (MCP), (ii) Kiriburu Iron Ore Mine (KIOM), and (iii) Meghahatuburu Iron Ore Mine (MIOM). A total of 20 days of monitoring of PM and local meteorology were carried out in these three mines. The aims were to investigate the following: (i) vertical PM concentration profiles at different depths during mining operation, (ii) particle travel time and its relationship with mine depth, (iii) particle mass balance in terms of the dispersion and settling proportion, and (iv) the relationship of particle concentration with depth as it moves downward. Results show that the inhalable PM (10–20 μm) were ~22 and 36 % higher than the thoracic (4–10 μm) and alveolic (<4 μm) fractions of PM, respectively. Travel times of PM from ~10 m mine depth to surface are measured up to 17and 13 min for the KIOM and MIOM, respectively. Travel time was as high as ~1 h at MCP for source (workplace where mining operations are taking place) at a depth of 168 m. An empirical equation (R = 0.746, p = 0.034) showing relationship between particle travel time and depth is developed. About 23–39 % inhalable, 19–37 % thoracic, and 9–30 % alveolic PM settled inside the mine within a vertical distance of 18–20 m from the source and 30–47 % inhalable, 31–51 % thoracic, and 34–54 % alveolic PM escaped from the mine. The empirical equations for downward movement of PM predicted particle concentrations between 88 and 91 % of the measured value at 10 m depth and 75 and 95 % at 40 m. The findings of this work are important in understanding dispersion of occupational PM at the worksite and the associated exposure of mine workers.

Groundwater: a regional resource and a regional governance

Abstract: Groundwater is a valuable renewable resource for human life. The two major threatening issues being faced by groundwater are its depletion and degradation which affect both the quantity and the quality of groundwater. Though scientific output has progressed well ahead in the domain of groundwater, very little has been done with respect to the establishment of the groundwater governance framework. Groundwater is perceived as a widely distributed resource, but it is fundamentally a local entity. The paper presents the groundwater governance framework from the regional perspective of Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, India—an over-exploited groundwater region.

Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.

Abstract: Cause, conseguenze e strategie di mitigazione Proponiamo il primo di una serie di articoli in cui affronteremo l’attuale problema dei mutamenti climatici. Presentiamo il documento redatto, votato e pubblicato dall’Ipcc - Comitato intergovernativo sui cambiamenti climatici - che illustra la sintesi delle ricerche svolte su questo tema rilevante.

2019 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic coronary syndromes.

Abstract: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a pathological process characterized by atherosclerotic plaque accumulation in the epicardial arteries, whether obstructive or non-obstructive. This process can be modified by lifestyle adjustments, pharmacological therapies, and invasive interventions designed to achieve disease stabilization or regression. The disease can have long, stable periods but can also become unstable at any time, typically due to an acute atherothrombotic event caused by plaque rupture or erosion. However, the disease is chronic, most often progressive, and hence serious, even in clinically apparently silent periods. The dynamic nature of the CAD process results in various clinical presentations, which can be conveniently categorized as either acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or chronic coronary syndromes (CCS). The Guidelines presented here refer to the management of patients with CCS. The natural history of CCS is illustrated in Figure 1.

Climate change 2014 - Mitigation of climate change

Abstract: The talk with present the key results of the IPCC Working Group III 5th assessment report. Concluding four years of intense scientific collaboration by hundreds of authors from around the world, the report responds to the request of the world's governments for a comprehensive, objective and policy neutral assessment of the current scientific knowledge on mitigating climate change. The report has been extensively reviewed by experts and governments to ensure quality and comprehensiveness.