Showing papers by "Punarbasu Chaudhuri published in 2015"
TL;DR: In this article, it has been proposed that reduction in levels of air pollution may result in lessening of the global burden of disease, which is a major environmental risk as far as public health is concerned.
Abstract: Air pollution has become a major environmental risk as far as public health is concerned. It has been proposed that reduction in levels of air pollution may result in lessening of the global burden of disease. Monitoring and management of air pollution has been carried out for a long time. However, the causes of air pollution and effects of air pollution on humans, animals, and plants are yet to be fully unraveled. Moreover, management of air pollution is facing challenges due to lack of availability of suitable tools and techniques. The latter half of the 19th century was dominated by research on the recognition and description of different pollutants and to some extent toward the search for tools and techniques to control and reduce air pollution. One of the major air pollutants is atmospheric particulate matter. Resuspended roadside dust is one of the sources of these particulate matters. Resuspended dust is composed of several elements from different sources. The elemental composition of these dust pa...
66 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a combination of remote sensing and GIS-based approach will have significant ecologic and economic benefits by gaining real-time data from inaccessible areas, which has valuable implications to other remote/threatened mangrove wetlands worldwide.
Abstract: Mangroves are one of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide located within the intertidal zones of tropics and subtropics. They provide both ecologic and economic benefits to coastal communities. They safeguard community lives and properties in coastal areas during storm surges, hurricanes, cyclones and tsunamis. Global estimate shows decline in mangrove vegetal covers to ~150,000 sq. km. Degradation of mangrove ecosystems in India are mainly due to continuous increase in anthropogenic activities such as conversion of mangrove wetlands for aquaculture and destruction of mangrove forest for timber. In the coastal areas inhabitants are at risks of losing their livelihood and ecological communities are in the verge of extinction. The effective conservation and management of mangrove habitats should be considered in association with local community participation and application of remote sensing technique and Geographic Information System (GIS)-based comprehensive database approach. We reviewed threats and vulnerabilities to mangrove habitats around the world with a special emphasis in east coast of India. We also reviewed current mangrove management practices. We discussed the importance of acquisition/assessment of remote sensing data for GIS-based effective mangrove management approach in remote Indian coasts. A combination of remote sensing and GIS-based approach will have significant ecologic and economic benefits by gaining real-time data from inaccessible areas. This strategy has valuable implications to other remote/threatened mangrove wetlands worldwide.
54 citations
TL;DR: Results of this study demonstrate the problems facing management in attempting to reduce contamination in small parts of a large impacted area to concentrations below local base level.
Abstract: Industrial activities and urbanization have had a major consequence for estuarine ecosystem health and water quality globally. Likewise, Sydney estuary has been significantly impacted by widespread, poor industrial practices in the past, and remediation of legacy contaminants have been undertaken in limited parts of this waterway. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the effectiveness of remediation of a former Pb-contaminated industrial site in Homebush Bay on Sydney estuary (Australia) through sampling of inter-tidal sediments and mangrove (Avicennia marina) tissue (fine nutritive roots, pneumatophores, and leaves). Results indicate that since remediation 6 years previously, Pb and other metals (Cu, Ni and Zn) in surficial sediment have increased to concentrations that approach pre-remediation levels and that they were considerably higher than pre-settlement levels (3-30 times), as well as at the reference site. Most metals were compartmentalized in fine nutritive roots with bio-concentration factors greater than unity, while tissues of pneumatophores and leaves contained low metal concentrations. Lead concentrations in fine nutritive root, pneumatophore, and leaf tissue of mangroves from the remediated site were similar to trees in un-remediated sites of the estuary and were substantially higher than plants at the reference site. The situation for Zn in fine nutritive root tissue was similar. The source of the metals was either surface/subsurface water from the catchment or more likely remobilized contaminated sediment from un-remediated parts of Homebush Bay. Results of this study demonstrate the problems facing management in attempting to reduce contamination in small parts of a large impacted area to concentrations below local base level.
26 citations
TL;DR: This study reports the first ever use of three mangrove plants from Indian Sundarban for bioreduction, namely Avicennia alba, Sonnersatia caseolaris, and Sonneratia apetela for green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using mangroves, a salt-tolerant tidal vegetation with very unique morphology and unusual physiological processes.
Abstract: Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is an alternative to the conventional synthesis procedures which includes physical and chemical methods mostly requiring toxic chemicals, energy, high temperature, and pressure. This study involves biosynthesis of AgNPs using mangroves, a salt-tolerant tidal vegetation with very unique morphology and unusual physiological processes. Our study reports the first ever use of three mangrove plants from Indian Sundarban for bioreduction, namely Avicennia alba, Sonneratia caseolaris, and Sonneratia apetela. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV–vis spectroscope, particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, and atomic force microscope. Antimicrobial activities of these AgNPs were assessed against Escherichia coli, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Tricophyton rubrum, and Aspergillus flavus. Biosynthesized AgNPs showed absorption maxima between 419 and 448 nm which corresponds to their respective surface plasmon resonance. Previous biosynthesis of AgNPs using mangrove plants have reported 60–110 nm average particle size, whereas in our study, S. caseolaris was the most potent bioreductant which synthesized AgNPs with average diameter (D90%) of 18.3 nm. The particles exhibited considerable antimicrobial activities against all six microorganisms. AgNPs synthesized by S. caseolaris using 5 ppm AgNO3 showed the most significant activity with maximum zone of inhibition (13.5 ± 0.8 mm) against E. coli.
23 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the presence of airborne fungi at an old building in Kolkata India where lots of tourists are exposed every day was assessed by using exposure plate technique, and the indoor fungi from different room of the museum were assessed.
Abstract: Indoor environment is significant with respect to human health especially if it is concerned when the building is v. Aim of very old. In the present study was to assess the presence of airborne fungi at an old building in Kolkata India where lots of tourists are exposed every day. Residence of famous Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore (built in the 18th century and presently used as a famous museum) in Kolkata, West Bengal was selected for this study and the indoor fungi from different room of the museum were assessed by using exposure plate technique. Humidity, temperature, wind speed and illuminance were also measured by hygrometer, thermometer anemometer and lux-meter respectively. The fungal species isolated from the air samples of different rooms were Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Paecilomyces sp., Trichoderma sp, Alternaria sp Verticillium sp, Fusarium sp, Cladosporium sp, Yeast, Curvularia sp. and Helminthosporium sp. among them, Aspergillus sp. (71.4% at monsoon at library), Penicillium sp (57% at summer at library), Paecilomyces sp.(91% at monsoon at manuscript room) are mostly dominated pathogens, which may harm the workers and visitors of the museum. No significant correlation among colony forming unit of fungi with illuminance, wind speed and temperature in the tested indoor environment was noted whereas, the humidity in indoor environment played a crucial (P<0.05) role. Round the year humidity control may be required for maintaining healthy environment.
1 citations
01 Jan 2015
TL;DR: In this paper, a multi-parametric approach was used to measure ascorbic acid, catalase, lipid peroxidation and non protein thiol content in vegetables exposed to the mercury contaminated environment.
Abstract: A b s t r a c t K e y w o r d s The aims of the present study were to estimate mercury accumulation in the vegetables like Ipomea aquatica (Water Spinach), Hygrophila spinosa (locally known as Kulekhara), Brassica oleracea capitata (Cabbage), Brassica oleracea botrytis (Cauliflower), Spinacea oleracea (Spinach) and Raphanus sativus (Raddish) collected from East Calcutta Garbage farming area (88 o 20' 88 o 35' E; 22 o 25' - 22 o 40' N) and also to find out the biochemical changes that has been taken place in those vegetables. In this multi-parametric approaches ascorbic acid, catalase, lipid peroxidation and non protein thiol content were measured. All oxidative stress parameters were positively correlated to mercury concentrations except non protein thiol content which exhibits negative correlation with the mercury accumulation in all collected samples. Since the results suggest that the non protein thiol content are sensitive parameters, could be useful as oxidative stress biomarkers in vegetables exposed to the mercury contaminated environment.