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Water pollution due to untreated discharge of wastewater from various industries is the amongst the most challenging problem related with environment. Of all the pollutants being discharged into surface water streams, dyes are of serious concern, because of the visible impact on the surface water quality. Various methods are being used for removal of dyes from wastewater streams. The efficiency of removal method is dependent upon various factors including chemical composition of dye, pH and temperature of water and presence of other pollutants. The present review focusses on various physico-chemical methods used for the removal of dyes from the wastewater. The efficiency of various methods has also been discussed.

Scarcity of water resources due to increased demand as a result of exponential increase in population leading to accelerated requirement of food and industrial goods has led to a situation where many countries are facing severe water crisis. About 70% of water is being used for irrigation. As a result of this, in many cases untreated wastewater is also used for irrigation which further poses various threats to human health. Various studies have proposed that applying information technology in the irrigation techniques can help in reducing the water consumption in the farms. The smart farming techniques developed through the use of information technology can help the farmer in managing the water resources, reducing the wastage of water and to even measure the quality of water. Smart farming techniques can aid in solving biggest crisis and can help in attaining sustainable development goals.

The Fabaceae or Leguminoseae is a family of flowering plants called legumes which are culturally and economically important plants due to their extraordinary diversity, abundance, medicinal uses, and varied variety of edible vegetables. These plants are also important because legumes help in nitrogen fixation and thus reduce the cost of fertilizers for farmers. However, it was observed in past decades that climate change and anthropogenic activities have created stress-like conditions for various plants. Different kinds of environmental stresses including high/low temperature, salinity, drought, nutrient deficiencies are known to cause considerable losses in crop yield. Because plants are sessile in nature, they have developed a series of complex phenomena to combat a variety of abiotic stresses. Plants deal with abiotic stresses by activation/deactivation of a number of genes involved in different pathways. The gene products which are produced as a result of stress-induced gene expression can provide direct protection against these stresses and others that are responsible for gene expression regulation and signal transduction. Understanding varied stress responses in plants can help in producing better cultivar and improvisation of species. Various techniques such as marker-assisted breeding, tissue culture, somaclonal variations and in vitro mutagenesis, double haploids, wide hybridization, and genetic transformation have been used to reduce some of these constraints. Transgenic techniques are helpful in producing improved germplasm exhibiting tolerance to abiotic stress as well as resistance to various diseases resulting in better crop quality with increased productivity. This chapter focuses on the use of transgenic techniques for abiotic stress tolerance in legumes.

Waste is not waste unless someone wastes it. Solid waste collection and its management is one of the burning issues of environment today in most nations worldwide. Although many methods have been proposed and implemented for proper solid waste disposal but some of these treatment and disposal strategies can cause severe environmental issues. The present manuscript intends to give an overview of studies on use of garden leaf litter waste around us as a substrate for vermicompost formation. Vermicomposting is aerobic process in which detritivorous earthworms play an important role in decomposition of organic waste converting it to nutrient rich medium for plant growth known as vermicompost. They do so by interacting with wide range of microorganisms and variety of other fauna acting as decomposers and this interaction results in stabilization of organic matter leading to alteration of its physical and biochemical properties. In recent years, vermicomposting technique has advanced considerably because it is eco-friendly, economically feasible and socially acceptable approach for waste management. In simple words, it is a way of converting waste to wealth. Furthermore, the end product of vermicomposting (Vermicast) - the nutrient rich compost is an efficient soil conditioner.

Sustainable development goals aim to attain food security by 2030. To attain food security, it becomes extremely important to target various aspects of food security where safety of food is a major factor. In order to meet the growing population demand, efforts are being made to increase production of food and thus the safety aspect is often ignored. Irrational anthropogenic activities have impacted and deteriorated the ambient environment. Degradation of soil and water has resulted in buildup of contaminants in these spheres and further transfer of contaminants into the food chain. Increase in heavy metals in our surroundings is reported in many parts of the world. Further, increase in concentration of metals in soil and water result in the transfer of these metals into food chain. Unlike other metals copper is although is an essential element for living organisms but excessive consumption of copper is known to cause toxic impacts to living organisms. Green leafy vegetables are considered as hyperaccumulators for copper. The excessive concentration of copper in vegetables is not limited to any one region of the world. The present review summarizes the reports of copper content in vegetables in various parts of the world and health effects associated with it.

Population explosion, urbanization, crunch of resources, changes in social outlook and improper distribution of food has elicited a situation where every one in nine people are deprived of sufficient food. To increase the production and attain food security, many malpractices like cultivation on contaminated land and irrigation with wastewater are being carried out. These practices lead to the transfer of heavy metals from soil to food crops and thus food chain. Translocation of heavy metals can be reduced by decreasing the mobility of heavy metals. Amending the soil with suitable substrates helps in immobilization of heavy metals and thus reducing the uptake by plants. There is need to identify suitable soil amendments which can reduce heavy metal uptake and enhance crop yield. The present review summarizes various inorganic and organic amendments which can immobilize heavy metals and thus can be used for soil remediation.

Food Security is a multifaceted aspect covering nutrition, availability, sufficiency, accessibility and safety. Millennium Development Goals as framed by United Nations focused to attain food security for all. The biggest hindrance in attaining food security was less productivity due to lack of enough resources. In order to increase the availability and produce sufficient food, malpractices like growing food on contaminated land or using untreated wastewater for irrigation came into play. Such practices have led to the transfer of heavy metals, pathogens and other harmful toxins to food crops. Various studies across the world have documented high concentration of heavy metals in vegetable crops. Root tubers and succulent stems are hyperaccumulators of heavy metals and thus tend to pose health hazard to the consuming population. In many instances the content of toxic metals in vegetables is much beyond permissible limits. Hazard quotient assessment in various studies has shown that consumption of these vegetables can be toxic to both adults and children. So, the question arises are we really attaining the global food security? There is a need to find a solution to produce sufficient, safe and nutritious food for the civilization so as to meet the goal of "zero hunger".

The sustainable development goals as proposed by United Nations give huge importance to ending hunger and attaining food security for all by 2030. According to World Health Organization (WHO), food security can be achieved if everyone has access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food throughout the year. Every one in nine persons is deprived of sufficient and safe food. To meet the growing population demand, United Nations aims to double the productivity in agriculture by 2030. Though, by 2015 there is around 10% reduction in critically hungry population of world, yet, the food security for all is a far-sighted dream. Crunch of land and water resources is posing the biggest threat in meeting this target. Per capita availability of land has been decreased with the increase in population, and the water resources are either unavailable or polluted. For sustainable agriculture, there is a need to identify and map locations having adequate water and land resources. GIS models help in analyzing ground profiles, soil water content, rainfall patterns, and geographical terrain and crop conditions. Thus, GIS technologies can help in developing models for water resource management. Continuous monitoring and assessment of natural water resources can help in capacity building, mapping and/or monitoring of cultivable land. Advances in GIS technologies could be an efficient tool to achieve the “zero hunger” goal. The present chapter covers various developments in GIS for water resource modeling across the globe.

Tomato is a wonder fruit fortified with health-promoting phytochemicals that are beneficial in preventing important chronic degenerative disorders. Tomato is a good source of phenolic compounds (phenolic acids and flavonoids), carotenoids (lycopene, α, and β carotene), vitamins (ascorbic acid and vitamin A) and glycoalkaloids (tomatine). Bioactive constituents present in tomato have antioxidant, anti-mutagenic, anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic activities. Health promoting bioactivities of tomatoes make them useful ingredient for the development of functional foods. Protective role of tomato (lycopene as a potent antioxidant) in humans against various degenerative diseases are known throughout the world. Intake of tomato is inversely related to the incidence of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, ageing and many other health problems. Bioavailability of phytoconstituents in tomato is generally not affected by routine cooking processes making it even more beneficial for human consumption. The present review provides collective information of phytochemicals in tomato along with discussing their bioactivities and possible health benefits.

The diverse pollutants emitted from automobiles can have adverse effects on the health and survival of plants, animals and human beings. Different plant species have been known to possess high potential of absorption, detoxification and tolerance of high levels of pollution. Considering this, the present study was carried out to assess the impact of automobile pollution on palynology of roadside plants. Three species, viz. Cannabis sativa, Cassia fistula and Thevetia peruviana growing along the roadsides of nine sites of Amritsar city under different levels of traffic stress were selected for the study. Pollen viability and pollen size were studied by staining pollen with 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride stain and observed under light microscope. Scanning electron microscope was used to study the changes in morphology of the pollen grains. It was observed that the percentage of pollen viability of three species was inversely proportional to the load of traffic at a particular site. Pollen viability was observed to be minimum (C. sativa—22.58 %; C. fistula—21.30 %; and T. peruviana—6.22 %) for the plants of the three species studied growing at traffic site I, site with heavy traffic load as compared to plants growing at sites with comparatively lesser traffic load. C. sativa growing at traffic site IV showed maximum pollen viability of 79.74 %, while C. fistula and T. peruviana growing at traffic site VIII exhibited maximum pollen viability of 83.32 and 68.78 %, respectively. Pollen size and morphology did not show any significant variation and remained unaffected with the increase in traffic stress.

Polyphenols are a group of water-soluble organic compounds, mainly of natural origin. The compounds having about 5-7 aromatic rings and more than 12 phenolic hydroxyl groups are classified as polyphenols. These are the antioxidants which protect the body from oxidative damage. In plants, they are the secondary metabolites produced as a defense mechanism against stress factors. Antioxidant property of polyphenols is suggested to provide protection against many diseases associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS), including cancer. Various studies carried out across the world have suggested that polyphenols can inhibit the tumor generation, induce apoptosis in cancer cells and interfere in progression of tumors. This group of wonder compounds is present in surplus in natural plants and food products. Intake of polyphenols through diet can scavenge ROS and thus can help in cancer prevention. The plant derived products can also be used along with conventional chemotherapy to enhance the chemopreventive effects. The present review focuses on various in vitro and in vivo studies carried out to assess the anti-carcinogenic potential of polyphenols present in our food. Also, the pathways involved in cancer chemopreventive effects of various subclasses (flavonoids, lignans, stilbenes and phenolic acids) of polyphenols are discussed.

Cancer is a deadliest disease which has been a challenging prorogue for human health and civilization. Legumes or plants of family Fabaceae have been part of our diet since times immemorial. Plants of this family are rich in phytoconstituents which make them effective therapeutic agents for various diseases. The synergistic effects of different phytoconstituents are far more than the effect of individual compounds. Studies have revealed that those parts of the world which consume legumes as a staple diet have less mortality due to cancer as compared to other parts of the world. Also, it has been reported that phytochemical components of plants of this family inhibit carcinogenesis at various stages. The use of phytoconstituents derived from these plants along with traditional chemotherapy can have synergistic effects which help in fighting cancer. This review focuses on various compounds present in plants of family Fabaceae and their anticarcinogenic potential.

Plant kingdom is rich in phytochemicals with high potential for medicinal and therapeutic uses. These can be particularly recruited to combat the environmental genotoxins that have increased tremendously in last few decades due to industrialization of human lifestyle. Screening of plants for this purpose involves a battery of bioassays; the mammalian or bacterial assays are used worldwide. Considering the ethical and economic reasons, the use of plant bioassays for the initial screening is advocated. Of all plant bioassays available, Allium cepa root chromosomal aberration assay is an efficient, most-easy and inexpensive tool that can be used for (i) assessment of genotoxicity of environmental mutagens and (ii) evaluation of anti-genotoxic potential of plant extracts. The present chapter discusses the history, application and technical aspects of this assay in assessing the geno-protective potential of various plants with special reference to Ashwagandha, the wonder herb.

Irrigation of agricultural land with wastewater leads to continuous buildup of metals at these sites which gets accumulated in the vegetables and crops growing on these sites. Not just the crops irrigated with wastewater are hazardous, in present study, we have found that vegetables growing in vicinity of wastewater drain are also not safe for human consumption. The risk associated with consumption of vegetables was assessed by calculating hazard quotient and results revealed that the hazard quotient for leafy and tuberous vegetables was higher than the safe limits in all the sites irrespective of mode of irrigation. Spinach was the most hazardous among all as the hazard quotient with respect to cobalt and copper was highest in spinach. Uptake trend of metals in all vegetables: Iron > Cobalt > Copper > Cadmium > Lead. Cadmium, a potential carcinogen was found in concentrations higher than permissible limits in many vegetables from all sites. Highest level of cadmium (1.20 mg/kg) and copper (81.33 mg/kg) was reported in site which was in vicinity of waste water drain but irrigated with ground water. Concentration of copper and lead in vegetable samples from different sites exhibited no statistically significant difference with respect to different sites.

The chapter covers various issues related to heavy metals. Here we attempt to document the possible definitions for heavy metals. Heavy metals, the elements having density higher than 3.5 g/cm2 are being added at high rate to our close vicinity. These metals lead to serious problems related to ecology and mankind. Toxic effects of heavy metals are dependent on the concentration of metals, reactivity of metal species and duration of exposure. There is a need to address the toxicological and remedial aspects of heavy metals.