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Industrial, municipal and agricultural runoff linked water- soil contamination are well known pollution sources. Remediation technologies for ‘cleaning’ environment is evolving rapidly. Montmorillonite (MT- clay mineral) is widely used for removal of pollutants such as dyes, pesticides and heavy metals. To collate recent advances in MT applied remediation system, rapid review meta-analysis methodology is used in this article. Review question and keyword search revealed 154 related articles in standard academic search engine on MT between 2013 and 2022. Out of which 65 is consulted for this study. Three types of MT based polymer are extensively used- conventional, intercalated and exfoliated. The demand of conventional polymer composites is high as it is less complex and inexpensive, whereas intercalated and exfoliated composites are significantly complex and expensive. This rapid review delivers a comprehensive information on the types, synthesis and uses of MT for variety of organic and inorganic pollutants contaminating water and soil.

The major issue faced by the modern world is its waste management strategies. Coal fired thermal power plant produces fine particular respirable fly ash that cause severe health implications. Landfills are favored by urban planners to manage solid waste generated by the rapidly urbanizing world. This results in leachate production which contaminates ground water. Heavy metal pollutants (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Fe and Pb) is identified to be leaching into the ground water in landfill sites across the globe. Fly ash based geopolymer are suitable as landfill geoliner because of it possess higher splitting tensile strength, flexural stress, and compressive strength parameters while having a low permeability. Fly ash can adsorb inorganic pollutants, hence making it a suitable candidate for application as landfill geoliner. This article focuses on use, properties of Fly ash as a candidate for landfill geoliner and also compares the fly ash production/ utilisation in major countries across the globe.

BACKGROUND The procedure of reinfibulation is the resuturing (usually after vaginal childbirth) of the incised scar tissue in women with previous female genital mutilation. Many authorities do not recommend the practice of reinfibulation. OBJECTIVE We sought to assess physicians' approach to the practice of reinfibulation. STUDY DESIGN A structured online, anonymous questionnaire was sent to 130 practicing obstetricians and gynecologists through Survey Monkey. RESULTS The questionnaire was completed by 98 respondents (75.4%).This survey showed that 76% of obstetricians (74 of 98) agree with a standard policy of not performing reinfibulation. However, 37% of those who refused to perform reinfibulation (27 of 74) would agree to undertake it if the woman insisted because she feared marital problems or divorce, and 73% of them (54 of 74) would offer treatment from an obstetrician with a different view. CONCLUSION The complex nature of reinfibulation is discussed and an alternative approach is suggested.

Objectives To examine the impact of early term caesarean section (CS) on respiratory morbidity and early neonatal outcomes when elective caesarean section was carried out before 39 completed weeks gestation in our population. Methods A one-year population-based retrospective cohort analysis using routinely collected hospital data. Livebirths from women who had elective lower segment cesarean section (ELSCS) for uncomplicated singleton pregnancies at early term (ET) 37+0 to 38+6 weeks were compared to full term (FT)≥39+0 weeks gestation. Exclusion criteria included diabetes, antenatal corticosteroid use, stillbirths, immediate neonatal deaths, normal vaginal deliveries and emergency caesareans sections. The outcomes were combined respiratory morbidity (tachypnea [TTN] and respiratory distress syndrome [RDS]), Apgar Results Out of a total of 1,466 elective CS with term livebirths, the timing of CS was early term (ET) n=758 (52%) and full term (FT) n=708 (48%). There was a higher incidence of respiratory morbidities and neonatal outcomes in the ET in comparison to FT newborns. In the univariable analysis, significant risks for outcomes were: the need for oxygen support OR 2.42 (95% C.I. 1.38–4.22), respiratory distress syndrome and/or transient tachypnea of newborn (RDSF/TTN) OR 2.44 (95% C.I. 1.33–4.47) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission OR 1.91 (95% C.I. 1.22–2.98). Only the need for oxygen support remained (OR 1.81, 95% C.I. 1.0–3.26) in the multivariable analysis. These results were observed within the context of a significantly higher proportion of older, multiparous, and higher number of previous caesarean sections in the early term CS group. Conclusions There is a significant risk of respiratory morbidities in infants born by elective cesarean section prior to full term gestation. Obstetricians should aim towards reducing the high rate of women with previous multiple cesarean sections including balancing the obstetric indication of early delivery among such women with the evident risk of neonatal respiratory morbidity.

The aim of this study was to assess probabilistic human health risk due to ethnobotanical usage of Avicennia officinalis, Porteresia coarctata and Acanthus ilicifolius. The study was conducted at the tannery outfall near Sundarban (Ramsar wetland, India) mangrove ecosystem affected by potentially toxic elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn). Total metal concentrations (mg kg-1) were considerably higher in the polluted rhizosphere namely, Cd (1.05–1.97), Cu (36.3–38.6), Cr (144–184), Hg (0.04–0.19), Mn (163–184), Ni (37.7–46.4), Pb (20–36.6), and Zn (97–104). Ecological risk index indicated low to moderate ecological risk in this site, whereas the ecological risk factor showed high potential ecological risk due to Cd pollution. BCR Sequential extraction of metals showed more exchangeable fraction of Cd (47–55%), Cr (9–13%), Hg (11–13%), and Pb (11–15%), at the polluted site. Mercury, though present in trace amount in sediment, showed the highest bioaccumulation in all the three plants. Among the toxic trio, Hg showed the highest bioaccumulation in A. officinalis, Cd in P. coarctata but Pb has the lowest bioaccumulation potential in all the three species. Occasional fruit consumption of A. officinalis and dermal application of leaf, bark of A. officinalis (antimicrobial), A. ilicifolius (anti-inflammatory, pain reliever when applied on wounds) indicated negligible human health risk. However, long-term consumption of P. coarctata (wild rice variety) seeds posed health risk (THQ>1) both in adults and children age groups. This study concludes that nature of ethnobotanical use and metal contamination levels of the mangrove rhizosphere can impact human health. The transfer process of potentially toxic elements from rhizosphere to plants to human body should be considered while planing pollution mitigation measures.

Usage of native plant species for traditional medicine or nutritional supplement is a popular practice among various cultures. But consumption of plants growing on polluted soil can cause serious human health hazard due to bioaccumulation of toxic heavy metals. Present study deals with the ecological and human health impact of heavy metals, in six native plant species with ethnobotanical significance growing at the largest chromite mine of India. Exchangeable, oxidizable, reducible and residual fractions of the metals in plant rhizosphere were analyzed. Only 2-6% of total Cr (270-330 mg/kg) and Ni (150-190 mg/kg) at the mining site is bioavailable. Cd showed highest bioavailability (~ 60%) in mining site posing very high ecological risk (1055-5291) followed by Ni (1297-2124) and Cr (309-1105). The heavy metals in the shoot of the targeted plants were about 0.7 to 80 times higher than the standard limit as per Indian statutory body. The total hazard quotient (THQ) by the consumption of plants growing in mining region was very high ( 1) and varied from 2.6 to 5.9 in adult and 0.6-1.3 in children, while in non-mining region the THQ of same plants indicates low risk ( 1). This study indicates THQ (adult) in the order of, Euphorbia hirta (5.9) Calotropis procera (4.9) Argemone mexicana (3.6) Vernonia cinerea (3.5) Pteridium latiusculum (3.4) Tridax procumbens (2.6) through consumption pathway growing in mine soil. This study concludes that consumption of plants growing in heavy metal polluted soil should be avoided due to their potential health hazard.

Indian Sundarban is the part of world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest, delta and home to around 4.6 million people. Climate change induced natural disasters are rampant along its coasts destabilizing lives and livelihood in the region. Green alternative livelihood schemes addresses the Sustainability Development Goals (SDG), namely SDG-1 (No poverty), SDG-2 (Zero hunger), SDG- 8 (Descent work and economic growth), SDG-10 (Reduced inequalities) and it indirectly impart conservation of mangrove ecosystems (world’s largest blue carbon sink) by reducing nature exploitive livelihood options (SDG- 13, Climate action). A project implemented at Indian Sundarbans, since 2017 introduced alternative livelihood options (Cycle Van transport, Van Repairing Shop, Grocery Shop, Tea Stall) to total 471 marginalized families who has been making 1,629.00 INR per month by 2021. External evaluation report indicated an average of 40472.50 INR annual income. As per this study, Tea stall is most profitable small business followed by Cycle Van transport, Grocery Shop and Grocery Shop.

Chromium, a transition metal found in earth crust, is a major pollutant impacting air, surface water, groundwater, soil and plants. It is naturally found in high concentration only in serpentine soils originating from weathering of mafic and ultra-mafic rock structures rich in iron loving siderophile. Anthropogenic sources of chromium apart from chromite mining activities are industries like iron and steel, ferrochrome ore processing units, electroplating and tannery. Amongst the two stable species of chromium, hexavalent chromium is classified as group ‘A’ carcinogen, due to its mutagenic properties while trivalent species is relatively safe in terms of ecotoxicity as well as human health hazards and considered as a micronutrient. The range of hexavalent chromium in the groundwater is reported upto 115 mgL−1 worldwide.

The aim of this study was to assess probabilistic human health risk due to ethnobotanical usage of Avicennia officinalis, Porteresia coarctata and Acanthus ilicifolius. The study was conducted at the tannery outfall near Sundarban (Ramsar wetland, India) mangrove ecosystem affected by potentially toxic elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn). Total metal concentrations (mg kg

Chromium (Cr) is used by different industries like ferrochrome, electroplating, and tanning industries, because of its hardness, coloration, and anti-corrosive properties. Chromium exists in various oxidation states in the environment, out of which trivalent (Cr3+) and hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) are generally found in aqueous medium. Hexavalent chromium is mutagenic and carcinogenic and causes various health implications. Thus, the removal of Cr6+ from the contaminated environmental matrix especially water is of fundamental importance for environmental technologists and policy makers alike. Various remediation technologies are proposed by the researchers and microbial remediation techniques are recognized as an effective and economic solution for Cr6+ removal from effluents. Bacteria and Archean species growing in Cr-contaminated soil or water can evolve various biochemical mechanisms to combat the Cr6+ toxicity, and these acclimatized microbes can be effectively used for efficient bioremediation of Cr6+-contaminated wastewater. Hexavalent chromium tolerance and reduction have been observed in various microbial species like Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Nesterenkonia, Staphylococcus, and Arthrobacter. This chapter gives a critical insight into the utility of these microbes for the reduction and subsequent removal of Cr6+ from contaminated water. This chapter also shed light on the utility of microbes for Cr6+ removal and to understand the mechanism of their Cr-tolerance, remediation. The focus is to identify an economic, easy, and eco-friendly technique that can be applied on both the pilot and larger scale to cater Cr6+ free water to the populace. This work concludes that, mixed culture-based bioreactors constructed with Cr6+-tolerant, acclimatized microbial stains can be effectively used in treating Cr6+ contaminated wastewater.

The present study, deals with the estimation of degrees of contamination, ecological and human health risk of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in sediments, surface water and fishes, which were collected from middle stretch of Damodar river and ponds at Asansol, which receives outfall of various coal-based industries. Metal content in the premonsoon season was higher than the postmonsoon, due to influx of rainwater. The heavy metal pollution indices (HPI) at some locations was observed up to 1.45 times than recommended value and the cadmium (Cd) was found dominating metal for high HPI value. The Cd concentration in surface water and pore water varied from 2.8 to 14.9 µg/L and 15.3–57.0 µg/L, respectively, which was up to 6 times higher than the permissible limit. Ecological risk assessment for sediments illustrates ‘moderate to considerable ecological risk’, especially because of Cd. Hazard index (HI) calculated to identify potential human health risk by dermal exposure of surface water was

This study accessed the levels of Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn concentration in soils of different locations (mine, roadside, agricultural and control sites) of Sukinda chromite mine (the India’s largest Chromite mine and listed among the world’s ten most polluted regions). Geo-accumulation (Igeo) index indicates that the mine, agricultural and roadside soils are ‘heavily to extremely contaminated’ due to Cr, Ni, Pb and Cd, hence human residing/working in this region can have health hazards due to contaminated soil via different exposure pathways. The concentration of heavy metals (mg/kg) in mine site vary between 52.35 and 244.8 (Cr6+), 12,030.2 and 31,818.6 (Cr3+), 5460.4 and 8866.0 (Ni), 70.02 and 208.6 (Pb), 0.95 and 5.3 (Cd), 209.1 and 360.4 (Mn), 21,531.8 and 28,847 (Fe) and 221 and 349.3 (Zn). Fe, Cr6+, Cr3+ and Ni concentration in soil follows an order of mine site > road sites > agricultural lands > control forest sites. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis indicate Cd, Cr, Fe, Ni and Pb as major pollutants in the region. Cancer Risk is ‘high’ in both adult (5.38E−04) and children (4.45E−04) in mining sites and ‘low’ to ‘very low’ in agricultural and road side soils. The hazard index for all the heavy metals in a mining areas is varied from 2.9 to 5.2 in adult and 2.8–5.1 in children, indicating ‘high’ to ‘very high’ non-cancer risk due to significant contribution of Ni, Pb and Cr6+ concentration (73, 11 and 10%, respectively).

Water pollution is the major concern of this era. Industrial developments, agriculture patterns, construction processes and unsustainable mining have contributed to increased level of pollutants in most of the fresh water bodies across the globe. This review categorizes different sources of water pollution and focuses on remediation of wastewater through microbial applications. The point source pollutants can be remediated using ‘at source’ microbial bioreactor installations. This work concludes that hybrid biofilm reactors and membrane bioreactors can be utilize for the removal of micro-pollutants. However, anaerobic bioreactors are more efficient in treating wastewater having high concentration of organic matter.

Ecosystem based Disaster Risk reduction is the sustainable, green method to minimize cyclone damages at tropical coasts. As a part of a climate change resilience project initiated in 2012, 102 hectare of multispecies mangrove plantation was established at eastern corner of Indian Sundarbans. The AMPHAN supercyclone, have caused immeasurable destruction in the region, between 16-21st May, 2020. This research brings forward the field observations on effectiveness of community managed mangrove plantation in ameliorating disaster impacts. Study revealed that mangrove bio-shield minimized property damage during the cyclone by reducing flooding through earthen embankment stabilization and managing the wind speed, direction.

Heavy metals contamination from anthropogenic sources in waterways of conserved mangrove ecosystem (Indian Sundarbans) poses serious health hazard to the economically marginalized ‘tiger prawn seed’ (TPS) collectors. Principal component analysis identifies Pb, Ni and Cd as anthropogenic pollutant in Indian Sundarbans. It is observed that Cu, Fe and Zn concentration increases in monsoon, whereas concentration of Cd and Pb decreases in comparison to pre-monsoon levels at all seven fishing villages. Economic status has been assessed using Wealth Rank Tool, which indicates 16–71% of population is in acute economic stress conditions and 5–70% of populations engaged in unsustainable TPS collection for their livelihood. Focus group discussion shows that collectors are exposed (exposure time (ET)) to contaminated water for 3–7 h/d, and lifetime exposure (exposure duration (ED)) varies from 5 to 20 yr. Using site-specific ET and ED results, cumulative hazard quotient (HQ) dermal is estimated to be higher i...

Sukinda is one of the most polluted regions of the globe due to chromium pollution. The study sheds light into the heavy metal pollution around the mining area and its effect on the health of the resident populace. The Cr(VI) was in the range of 0.027–2.48 mg/L in surface water and BDL–1.35 mg/L in the groundwater. Multivariate analysis revealed that mining activity was the main source of TCr, Cr(VI), and Zn in the surface water that warrants attention. Heavy metal evaluation index showed high levels of Fe, Mn, and Cr in groundwater that can pose serious threat to the exposed population. Cancer and non-cancer risk of Cr(VI) was higher than other metals in groundwater. The results revealed that the total cancer risk was 1.21E-03 and 1.05E-03 in adults and children, respectively, which exceeded the USEPA acceptable cancer health risk. High health risk was observed through oral intake of water, while both cancer and non-cancer risks were negligible through dermal contact. This study strongly advocate...

The present study aims to evaluate human health risk of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) via oral and dermal exposure of drinking water in groundwater samples of nearby Sukinda chromite mine. The risk assessment of each location was carried out using mathematical models as per IRIS guidelines and the input parameters were taken according to the Indian context. The concentrations of TCr and Cr(VI) were found in the range of 48.7–250.2 and 21.4–115.2 μg/l, respectively. In the maximum locations, TCr and Cr(VI) concentrations were found 2.3–6 times and 2.1–11.5 times higher, respectively, than the permissible limit as per standard statutory bodies. The total cumulative average cancer risk and non-cancer risk (Hazard Quotient) was found 2.04E−03 and 1.37 in male and 1.73E−03 and 1.16 in the female population, respectively, which indicated ‘very high’ cancer risk and ‘medium’ non-cancer risk as per USEPA guideline. Male population was found 1.2 times higher cancer and non-cancer risk than females, because of the higher water ingestion rate in male. The obtained health risk via dermal route was found 6 times lesser than the oral ingestion due to very less dermal exposure time (0.58 h/days). As a consequence, ‘high’ cancer risk also recorded in one of the locations where TCr concentration was within permissible limit which is because of the higher proportion of bioavailable Cr(VI). Sensitivity analysis of input parameters towards cancer and non-cancer risk revealed that Cr(VI) and Cr(III) concentrations were the main predominant parameters followed by exposure duration, body weight, average time, and dermal slope factor.