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Ticks are blood-sucking parasites and occur all over the world, especially in humid and subhumid nations such as India. They are very important vectors of many economically important livestock diseases, such as Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., and Theileria spp. Ticks were collected from organized and unorganized cattle farms situated in and around Mhow. The initially collected samples of ticks (≤200) were washed in tap water and identified as Rhipicephalus microplus. The study was carried out from June 2021 to May 2022. Ticks were treated with 0.625, 1.25, 2.50, 5, and 10% oil of Azadirachta indica in both the adult immersion test and larval immersion test. All the concentrations were prepared with absolute ethanol. In the present study, fipronil was used as a positive control using various concentrations (x/8, x/4, x/2, x, and 2x) and was prepared in distilled water. The LC50 values against fipronil were observed as 1.03 and 1.12 ppm for adults and larvae, respectively. Results of the study showed that the oil of Azadirachta indica was responsible for the mortality of adults (LC50 = 2.70%) and larval stages (LC50 = 1.27%) at all the concentrations used. Furthermore, it was observed that this oil was also responsible for the inhibition of oviposition and had excellent repellent activity at 10% concentration. Based on the study, we can conclude that the oil of A. indica can be used in an integrated tick management system to reduce the tick burden on animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study describes the application of artificial intelligence-based modeling approach to predict trihalomethanes in drinking water supplies. The samples were collected from five major water utilities located in five different states across India for two seasons to establish the baseline. Trihalomethane formation was correlated with various operation parameters and exceeded the prescribed guideline value of the World Health Organization and the Bureau of Indian Standard. Chloroform was found to be the most predominant compound > 90% contribution to total trihalomethanes. The seasonal variation assessment revealed that the trihalomethanes level was relatively 1.12 ± 0.074 times higher in pre-monsoon than post-monsoon. The correlation analysis confirmed, total organic carbon followed by dissolved organic carbon is a major organic precursor responsible for trihalomethane formation. Monitoring these compounds is essential to ensure public safety but cannot be regularly determined due to the involvement of sophisticated instruments and the procedure. The artificial intelligence-based modeling approach could prove to be a good tool for instant prediction of trihalomethanes with better accuracies. An artificial neural network and support vector machine was employed using Python® and MATLAB® respectively, whereas, for multivariate linear regression, SPSS® was used. The value of coefficient and comparison of performance data indicated that artificial neural networks gave the most promising results, followed by support vector machine and multivariate linear regression. The study could prove to be very useful for regulatory agencies to manage and control trihalomethanes' levels in drinking water supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in water treatment industries can simultaneously offer disinfection and eradicate organic contaminants. The present work examined the direct exposure impact of various oxidative (UV, O3, and H2O2) and their eclectic combinations (UV/O3, H2O2/O3, and UV/H2O2) for the abolition of Trihalomethane (THMs) precursors. The application of the Fenton process proved to be the most effective technique for reducing TOC (85.23%) and UV254 (91.11%) than other used AOPs. Higher removal of THMs precursors found in the Fenton process may be attributed to the higher degradation potential of hydroxyl radical generated from this process than other AOPs. The deformed ferrous iron salts (Fe2+) in the Fenton reagent catalyzed the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and produced highly reactive radicals. Seasonal probabilistic lifetime cancer and non-cancer risks of THMs in males and females were also investigated in the drinking water supplies of five major cities in India. Comparative risk analysis through different pathways revealed significant risk from oral ingestion (99%), followed by inhalation exposure (0.77%) and dermal absorption (0.002%), where females were found at higher risk of cancer. Sensitivity analysis using a radar plot was also performed to identify the most influential parameter affecting the total risk of cancer. The Risk value of chloroform (CF) was highest among the THMs compound in all the WTPs for both seasons. Seasonal risk assessment revealed a higher risk of cancer in the pre-monsoon season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drinking water supply wells were constructed in the Sabarmati river bed aquifer of Ahmedabad city using radial pipes and are known as French Collector wells. Contamination of groundwater from one of the French wells near Sabarmati railway bridge was noticed in 1992. The suspected pollution sources are Duff-nala of Shahibaug and two other sources from slum dwellings on either side of Sabarmati river. A combined groundwater flow, pathlines and a mass transport model was constructed covering an area of 9 km2 to analyse the capture zone of the French well under two different scenarios. Aquifer parameters of the river bed aquifer were available. Dry river bed condition was simulated under scenario I and controlled flow in the river bed was simulated under scenario II. The groundwater velocity and migration of contaminant particles from sources was analysed in the pathline model. Total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration contours originating from sources in the mass transport model (MT3D) were computed by solving an advection-dispersion equation. The computed pathlines and TDS concentration contours indicate likely migration of contaminant plume from pollutant sources to the French well during 365 days under two scenarios. The model results confirm the tracer injection studies carried out to know the likely migration of contaminants towards the French well. The modelling study emphasised the necessity of controlled release of surface water in Sabarmati river bed from Dharoi reservoir throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]