Polycyclic Hydrocarbons Vol. 1. Pp. xxvi + 487. 126S. (With a chapter on carcinogenesis by Regina Schoental.) Vol. 2. Pp. lvii + 487. 140s. By E. Clar. (London and New York: Academic Press; Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1964.)

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

A chimeric gene was constructed consisting of the promoter of the nopaline synthase gene of Agrobacterium and the structural gene of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase of Tn5. This chimeric gene was recombined into the T-DNA of Agrobacterium. When this strain was used in a cocultivation experiment, transformed calli could be selected out of a pool of non-transformed calli when kanamycin was added into the growing medium

Chimeric genes as dominant selectable markers in plant cells

Nanotechnology is a promising field of interdisciplinary research. It opens up a wide array of opportunities in various fields like medicine, pharmaceuticals, electronics and agriculture. The potential uses and benefits of nanotechnology are enormous. The current global population is nearly 7 */billion with 50% living in Asia. A large proportion of those living in developing countries face daily food shortages as a result of environmental impacts or political instability, while in the developed world there is surplus of food. For developing countries, the drive is to develop drought and pest resistant crops, which also maximize yield. The potential of nanotechnology to revolutionise the health care, textile, materials, information and communication technology, and energy sectors has been well publicized. The application of nanotechnology to agriculture and food industries is also getting attention nowadays. Investments in agriculture and food nanotechnologies carry increasing weight because their potential benefits range from improved food quality and safety to reduced agricultural inputs and improved processing and nutrition. While most investment is made primarily in developed countries, research advancements provide glimpses of potential applications in agricultural, food, and water safety that could have significant impacts on rural populations in developing countries. This review is concentrated on modern strategies used for the management of water, pesticides, limitations in the use of chemical pesticides and potential of nano-materials in sustainable agriculture management as modern approaches of nanotechnology. 
 
   
 
 Key words: Agriculture, nanotechnology, nanofertilizer, nanoencapsulation, nanoherbicides.

Nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture: Present concerns and future aspects

Nanotechnology in agriculture: Current status, challenges and future opportunities

In recent years, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have gained tremendous attention attributed to their unique properties. Notably, evidence has shown that zinc is an important nutrient in living organisms. As such, both prokaryotes and eukaryotes including bacteria, fungi and yeast are exploited for the synthesis of ZnO NPs by using microbial cells or enzyme, protein and other biomolecules compounds in either an intracellular or extracellular route. ZnO NPs exhibit antimicrobial properties, however, the properties of nanoparticles (NPs) are depended upon on their size and shape, which make them specific for various applications. Nevertheless, the desired size and shape of NPs can be obtained through the optimization process of microbes mediated synthesis by manipulating their reaction conditions. It should be noted that ZnO NPs are synthesized by various chemical and physical methods. Nonetheless, these methods are expensive and not environmentally friendly. On that account, the microbes mediated synthesis of ZnO NPs have rapidly evolved recently where the microbes are cleaner, eco-friendly, non-toxic and biocompatible as the alternatives to chemical and physical practices. Moreover, zinc in the form of NPs is more effective than their bulk counterparts and thus, they have been explored for many potential applications including in animals industry. Notably, with the advent of multi-drug resistant strains, ZnO NPs have emerged as the potential antimicrobial agents. This is mainly due to their superior properties in combating a broad spectrum of pathogens. Moreover, zinc is known as an essential trace element for most of the biological function in the animal’s body. As such, the applications of ZnO NPs have been reported to significantly enhance the health and production of the farm animals. Thus, this paper reviews the biological synthesis of ZnO NPs by the microbes, the mechanisms of the biological synthesis, parameters for the optimization process and their potential application as an antimicrobial agent and feed supplement in the animal industry as well as their toxicological hazards on animals.

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Microbial synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and their potential application as an antimicrobial agent and a feed supplement in animal industry: a review

Ensuring the sustainability of modern cities is based on creating comfortable living conditions, including reducing negative environmental impacts. The effects of various types of anthropogenic activity are manifested in a particular decrease in the quality of soils. This study aimed to assess the co-contamination of urban topsoils in Tyumen, Russia, with potentially toxic elements (PTEs), priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the associated ecological and health risks. A set of 241 soil samples were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence and high-performance liquid chromatography to identify PTEs and PAHs, respectively. The most hazardous substances were Ni, As, Pb, naphthalene (NAP), fluoranthene, and high-molecular-weight PAHs causing low-to-very-high individual pollution. In general, the contribution of PAHs to soil pollution was higher than that of PTEs. It was found that 96% of the samples could be classified as clean according to the total pollution index (Zc), widely used in Russia. At the same time, one-third of the samples were characterized by low-to-high contamination according to the Nemerov pollution index (NPI). Thus, the NPI was more informative for estimating total soil pollution than the Zc. The As, Pb, NAP, and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) contents exceeded the maximum permissible concentrations in soils by an order of magnitude, reaching an extremely dangerous level. However, the average ecological risk was assessed as minimal. Non-carcinogenic risks were predominantly due to PTE exposure and were moderate for children and low for adults. Throughout the city, carcinogenic risks exceeded the threshold but generally corresponded to a low level. The main source of carcinogenic risk was exposure to Co, As, and Pb. In general, the quality of Tyumen soils in terms of the content of PTEs and PAHs can be described as satisfactory. A spatial analysis of soil pollution and associated risks identified hot spots requiring further monitoring.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/11/1996/pdf?version=1684934587

Assessing the Combined Pollution and Risks of Potentially Toxic Elements and PAHs in the Urban Soils of the Oldest City in Western Siberia: A Case Study of Tyumen, Russia

The emergence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a variety of natural and anthropogenic sources, such as coal gasification and liquefaction plants, coke and aluminum production, catalytic cracking towers, and motor vehicle exhaust, among others, results in significant soil pollution, and a threat to human health, igniting a surge of interest in advanced research. Even though the cleanup of PAHs-contaminated areas received a great consideration. In the last decade, nanotechnology has exploded in popularity as a result of several unique properties of nanomaterials, and remediation is no exception. Thus, nano-enhanced bioremediation reported to act as a viable and effective strategy for PAHs remediation. Further, the integration of nano-enabled materials with microorganisms emerged as a promising biodegradation approach for PAHs remediation. As a result, the focus of this mini review is on depicting the possible roles of various nanomaterials in decontaminating PAHs as a green strategy by boosting the efficacy of microbial functionality, and mechanism of nanoparticles-microbes interaction in PAHs degradation. The future perspective of nano-enhanced microbial remediation of PAHs in realistic environments are also discussed.

Nano-Enhanced Microbial Remediation of PAHs Contaminated Soil

Bioactive compounds from high altitude lake Arthrospira platensis HANL01: Antioxidant property, thermal stability and antibacterial assessment against multiple antibiotics resistant bacteria

/pdf/correction-to-differential-morphometric-and-micro-morpho-fzsz6f7w.pdf

Correction to: Differential morphometric and micro-morpho-anatomical responses toward types of culture vessels used in micropropagation of Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br.

Land degradation especially as a result of the rapid increase in demand and pressure in the population, have emerged as one of the most important problems. Degradation leads to the loss of biological and economic productivity due to the fact that the soil loses its functional properties, which are one of the most important elements of the terrestrial ecosystem. Combined with excessive biophysical and socio-economic damage in arid areas, land degradation causes irreversible consequences leading to desertification. Thus, land degradation is an environmental threat not only on a local or regional scale, but also on a continental or even global scale. The change in the state of soils as a result of anthropogenic impact and climatic changes determines the relevance of conducting a study of the soils of the Republic of Kalmykia. Endosalic Calcisols of sandy loam and sandy granulometric composition predominate in the structure of the soil cover of the southern part of the Caspian lowland, significant areas are occupied by sands. More than 70% of agricultural land is subject to wind erosion. Salt marshes are widely distributed.

https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2813102

Vishnu D. Rajput

Papers

Assessing the Combined Pollution and Risks of Potentially Toxic Elements and PAHs in the Urban Soils of the Oldest City in Western Siberia: A Case Study of Tyumen, Russia

Nano-Enhanced Microbial Remediation of PAHs Contaminated Soil

Bioactive compounds from high altitude lake Arthrospira platensis HANL01: Antioxidant property, thermal stability and antibacterial assessment against multiple antibiotics resistant bacteria

Correction to: Differential morphometric and micro-morpho-anatomical responses toward types of culture vessels used in micropropagation of Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br.

Characterization of arid soil quality: Physical and chemical parameters