Environmental (soil and water) pollution prevention and monitoring.

Plants and Soil Contamination with Heavy Metals in Agricultural Areas of Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico

by Osiel González Dávila

The article "Plants and Soil Contamination with Heavy Metals in Agricultural Areas of Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico" has been published as book chapter:

Osiel González Dávila, Juan Miguel Gómez-Bernal and Esther Aurora Ruíz-Huerta (2012). Plants and Soil Contamination with Heavy Metals in Agricultural Areas of Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico, Environmental Contamination, Jatin Kumar Srivastava (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0120-8, InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/plants-and-soil-contamination-with-heavy-metals-in-agricultural-areas-of-guadalupe-zacatecas-mexico

A geochemical comparative study was conducted in the municipality of Guadalupe in Zacatecas, Mexico. The objectives... more A geochemical comparative study was conducted in the municipality of Guadalupe in Zacatecas, Mexico. The objectives were to measure the bioconcentration factor in maize plants in function of their heavy metal absorption, to identify the toxicity order of heavy metals in plants of agronomic interest, to assess potential environmental impacts taking into account the particularities of the selected crop and to evaluate the potential consequences on the region’s food security. High levels of arsenic, lead and mercury contamination in agricultural soil were found in two irrigation zones. High levels of Zn and Cu were found both in soils and plants in all the areas.
Heavy metal absorption in maize plants aimed for human consumption was calculated using the bioconcentration and the translocation factors. The accumulation of Pb and As
in plants was very high. Those metals are highly toxic and could be bioaccumulated and transferred to the food chain. Further, high levels of Zn and Cu were found both in soils and plants. Although they are not considered toxic for humans, they are toxic for plants. These elements hinder the development of plants and could reduce land productivity.

Lichens as an indicator of pollution gradient in central India: physiological and distributional variables

by Himanshu Rai

POSTER: Komal K. Ingle, Himanshu Rai, DK Upreti, Satish Mohabe, Suman Trivedi, Lichens as an indicator of pollution gradient in central India: physiological and distributional variables, National Seminar on Changing Environment: Present Scenario and its Conservation, BDS College, Kanpur (Dec. 01-02, 2011)

Lichens are a unique group of plants which comprises of an alga (phycobiont) and a fungus (mycobiont) living together... more Lichens are a unique group of plants which comprises of an alga (phycobiont) and a fungus (mycobiont) living together in a symbiotic association. The morpho-anatomic peculiarities (i.e. absence of waxy cuticle, absence of root and absorption of water and nutrients passively from the environment) of lichens along with their ability to grow nearly in any type of the terrestrial biome make them an efficient bio-resource which can be calibrated for bio-monitoring.
A lichen based monitoring study was conducted in central India- Bhopal (230 15’N 770 25’E), Madhya Pradesh in order to assess the indicator capabilities of lichen communities along pollution gradient. The city centre was devoid of lichens indicating higher level of pollution, while the outskirts of the city exhibit dominance of lichen species belonging to the family Physiaceae, which are well known group of toxi-tolerant lichens. Among the different growth form of lichens the crustose form dominates the area followed by foliose lichens. Total chlorophyll of Pyxine species was found significantly correlated with distance from centre to the outskirt of the city (r 2 = 0.53, p< 0.05) which can be attributed to pollution gradient along the centre to the outskirt of the city.

Multi-Criteria Assessment of Different Temporal Water Quality Changes Causing Impact on Public Health and Environmental Degradation

by Ravindra Gavali

River Indrayani, Pune River Indrayani, Pune