Search

Aim of this study was to optimize the production of Ligninolytic enzyme for the degradation of complex pollutants present in pulp paper industrial effluent (PPIE). Two ligninolytic enzyme-producing bacterial strains were isolated from PPIE and identified as Bacillus paramycoides strain BL2 (MZ676667) and Micrococcus luteus strains BL3 (MZ676668). The identified bacterial strain Bacillus paramycoides strain BL2 showed optimum production of LiP (4.30 U/ml), MnP (3.38 U/ml) at 72 h of incubation, while laccase (4.43 U/ml) at 96 h of incubation. While, Micrococcus luteus strains BL3 produced maximum LiP (3.98) and MnP (3.85 U/ml) at 96 h of incubation and maximum laccase (3.85 U/ml) at 72 h of incubation, pH 7-8, and temperatures of 30-35 °C. Furthermore, in the presence of glucose (1.0%) and peptone (0.5%) as nutrient sources, the enzyme activity of consortium leads to reduction of lignin (70%), colour (63%) along with COD (71%) and BOD (58%). The pollutants detected in control i.e. 3.6-Dioxa-2,7-disilaoctane, 2-Heptnoic acid,trimethylsilyl ester, 7-Methyldinaphtho [2,1-b,1',2'-d] silole, Hexadeconoic acid, trimethylysilyl ester, Methyl1(Z)-3,3-dipheny.1-4-hexenoale, 2,6,10,14,18,22-Tetracosahexane,2,2-dimethylpropyl(2Z,6E)-10,11epoxy5,6 Dihyrostigmasterol, acetate were completely diminished. The toxicity of PPIE was reduced up to 75%. Hence, knowledge of this study will be very useful for industrial sector for treatment of complex wastewater.

Anaerobically treated molasses-based distilleries spent wash is a major source of terrestrial and aquatic pollution due to the mixture of the various unknown organometallic compounds in discharged waste. The nature of pollutants present in effluent has to be characterized prior to the evaluation of their fate in the environment at various tropic levels. The absorption maxima (λmax) were obtained at 295 nm of pollutants present in spent wash which indicated that melanoidins are a major colorant along with other organic compounds. Abundantly identified compounds with GC–MS in effluent were found: 1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-2-methyl-3H-2-benzazepine-3-one, 6-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-imidazole [4,5-c] pyridine, 4,6-di-t-butyl-1H, 3H-thieno[3,4-c] thiophene, butanoic acid, trimethylsilyl ester, silane, (dodecyloxy)trimethylsilyl ester, 4-styryl [2,2] paracyclophane, 4-(p-cumylphenoxy) phthalonitrile, hexadecanoic acid, trimethylsilyl ester, butyl ester, and squalene. Some of these compounds are known with mutagenic and androgenic properties. The toxicity test of post-methanated distillery effluent (PMDE) showed direct toxic effects on catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis) even at 1% (v/v) concentration and caused degeneration of primary and secondary lamellae of the gill and the epithelial layer. Further, higher concentrations between 5 and 10% of PMDE showed loss of primary and secondary lamellae of gills, and liver catalase activity was also increased dramatically in H. fossilis, indicating the generation of oxidative free radicals. Similarly, inhibition of α-amylase activities in germinating Zea mays L. (Maize) seeds was also noted at 10% PMDE. This study confirmed the environmental toxicity of effluent with freshwater fish and Zea mays seeds.

Aim of this study was to optimize the production of Ligninolytic enzyme for degradation of complex pollutants present in pulp paper industrial effluent (PPIE). Two ligninolytic enzyme-producing bacterial strains were isolated from PPIE and identified as Bacillus paramycoides strain BL2 (MZ676667) and Micrococcus yunnanensis strains BL3 (MZ676668). The identified bacterial strain Bacillus paramycoides strain BL2 showed optimum production of LiP (4.30 U/ml), MnP (3.38 U/ml) at 72 hrs of incubation, while laccase (4.43 U/ml ) at 96 hrs of incubation. While, Micrococcus yunnanensis strains BL3 produced maximum LiP (3.98) and MnP (3.85 U/ml) at 96 hrs of incubation and maximum laccase (3.85 U/ml) at 72 hrs of incubation, pH 7-8, and temperatures of 30-35°C. Furthermore, in the presence of glucose (1.0%) and peptone (0.5%) as nutrient sources, the enzyme activity of consortium leads reduction of lignin (70%), colour (63% ) along with COD (71%) and BOD (58%). The pollutants detected in control i.e. 3.6-Dioxa-2,7-disilaoctane , 2-Heptnoic acid ,trimethylsilyl ester, 7-Methyldinaphtho [2,1-b,1’,2’-d] silole , Hexadeconoic acid, trimethylysilyl ester, Methyl1(Z)-3,3-dipheny.1-4-hexenoale, 2,6,10,14,18,22-Tetracosahexane,2,2-dimethylpropyl(2Z,6E)-10,11epoxy5,6 Dihyrostigmasterol, acetate were completely diminished. The toxicity of PPIE was reduced up to 75%. Hence, knowledge of this study will be very useful for industrial sector for treatment of complex wastewater.

The novel coronavirus (CoV), earlier named 2019-nCoV, and later as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has now created havoc and panic across the globe by its severe ongoing pandemic This virus has to date as of 23rd November 2020, killed nearly 1 4 million persons out of more than 59 million confirmed positive cases, while spreading rapidly in more than 215 countries and territories Taxonomically, SARS-CoV-2 has been characterized in genus Betacoronavirus, which contains non-segmented positive-sense, single-stranded (ss) RNA genome of ~30 kb The first two open reading frames (ORFs), ORF1a and ORF1b, of SARS-CoV-2, encode 16 non-structural proteins (nsp1-nsp16), whereas other ORFs encodes four main structural proteins (sp) [spike (s) by ORF2, envelope (E) by ORF4, membrane (M) by ORF5, nucleoprotein (N) by ORF9], and accessory proteins essential for the virus fitness, pathogenesis and host immunity evasion Sequence alignments of SARS-CoV-2 with genomes of various coronaviruses showed 58% identity in the non-structural protein (nsp)-coding region, 43% with the structural protein (sp)-coding region and 54% with the whole genome The full-length genome sequence of the 2019-nCoV sample showed only up to 79 60% similarity with SARS CoV, but up to 96% similarity with bat coronavirus (bat coronavirus RaTG13) This gives strong evidence that 2019-nCoV has originated from the bat The genomic and evolutionary evidence of another coronavirus species from pangolins also show higher similarity to SARS-CoV at the whole-genome level Apart from RaTG13, Pangolin-CoV is the most closely related CoV to SARS-CoV-2 During infection, the viral S protein interacts with the receptor protein of the human cell membrane, known as angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) Presently, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and drugs are not available, for which researchers are trying hard to develop to tackle rising tide of COVID-19-pandemic Early diagnosis, contact tracing, strict prevention and control measures, biosecurity, personal biosafety, disinfection and sanitization practices, social distancing are aiding in prevention with SARS-CoV-2 infection Boosting immunity by intaking the balanced and nutritious food, nutraceuticals, herbs, and following physical exercises along with avoiding stress conditions enhance the fighting power of the body against SARS-CoV-2 infection and limiting the severity of COVID-19 The present article describes salient knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 structure, genomic organization, pathogenesis, pathobiology, and advances and progress being made to treat COVID-19 patients © 2020, Editorial board of Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences All rights reserved

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), pandemic has caused huge panic, havoc and global threats worldwide. The origin of this virus has been linked to animals, intermediate host is still to be identified, and studies are being carried out that how it got transmitted to humans and acquired rapid human-to-human transmission. Within a short time period of only 05 months, SARS-CoV-2 has spread to 213 countries, and till 28th May, 2020, nearly 5.8 million confirmed cases have been reported while taking lives of 0.36 million persons. Seeing the current situation of rapid increase in COVID-19 cases daily in many countries, this seems to be the deadliest pandemic after the 1918 Spanish Flu. There is currently no specific effective treatment for COVID-19 and also in absence of vaccine the radical cure of the disease is far away. Researchers are pacing high to design and develop effective vaccines, drugs and therapeutics to counter COVID-19, however such efforts, clinical trials, necessary approvals and then to reach the level of bulk production of many millions of doses may still take much time. Prevention and control of COVID-19 outbreaks requires an evidence-based, multi-factorial and effective mitigation strategy to be adopted. The current review discusses on the research advancements, challenges and opportunities in COVID 19 management with a focus on its transmission, prevention, treatment and control.

In last few years, CZTSSe has shown promising characteristics, material properties and better efficiencies for the application in solar cell. In this paper, various structural and optical properties of CZTSSe have been studied. Cu2ZnSn(S0.8Se0.2)4 was synthesized using melt quench technique and deposition of thin films was done using thermal evaporation technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used for the characterization of the material to investigate the composition, morphological and structural properties. XRD and Raman studies suggest that CZTSSe samples have attained pure kesterite phase. The microstructural properties such as crystalline size, lattice constants and lattice strain have been analysed which confirm tetragonal unit cell structure. Moreover, the result of SEM shows good morphological properties of the material. Further analysis of optical properties suggests that prepared CZTSSe sample has high absorption coefficient of the order of 104 cm−1 and calculated value of the optical bandgap is 1.42 eV, which are in desirable range and make the material suitable for solar cell applications.

In this study, a bacterial carbonic anhydrase (CA) was purified from Corynebacterium flavescens for the CO

Quorum sensing (QS) is a system of bacteria in which cells communicate with each other; it is linked to cell density in the microbiome. The high-density colony population can provide enough small molecular signals to enable a range of cellular activities, gene expression, pathogenicity, and antibiotic resistance that cause damage to the hosts. QS is the basis of chronic illnesses in human due to microbial sporulation, expression of virulence factors, biofilm formation, secretion of enzymes, or production of membrane vesicles. The transfer of antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) among antibiotic resistance bacteria is a major public health concern. QS-mediated biofilm is a hub for ARG horizontal gene transfer. To develop innovative approach to prevent microbial pathogenesis, it is essential to understand the role of QS especially in response to environmental stressors such as exposure to antibiotics. This review provides the latest knowledge on the relationship of QS and pathogenicity and explore the novel approach to control QS via quorum quenching (QQ) using QS inhibitors (QSIs) and QQ enzymes. The state-of-the art knowledge on the role of QS and the potential of using QQ will help to overcome the threats of rapidly emerging bacterial pathogenesis.

Elevated levels of physico-chemical pollution including organic pollutants, metals and metalloids were detected in distillery sludges despite of the anaerobic digestion treatment prior to disposal. The concentrations of the metals were (in mg kg−1): Fe (400.98 ± 3.11), Zn (17.21 ± 0.54), Mn (8.32 ± 0.42), Ni (8.00 ± 0.98), Pb (5.09 ± 0.43), Cr (4.00 ± 0.98), and Cu (3.00 ± 0.10). An invasive grass species, Cynodon dactylon L., demonstrated its ability to remediate the distillery waste sludge (DWS) in the field study. All the physico-chemical parameters of the sludge significantly improved (up to 70–75%) in the presence of Cynodon dactylon L. (p < 0.001) than the control with no plant growth. The highest phytoremediation capacity was associated with the uptake of Fe in the root and shoot. Sludge samples collected near the rhizosphere also showed lower amount of organic compounds compared to control sludge samples. Metal resistant Bacillus cereus (RCS-4 MZ520573.1) was isolated from the rhizosphere of Cynodon dactylon L. and showed potential to enhance the process of phytoremediation via plant growth promoting activities such as production of high level of ligninolytic enzymes: manganese peroxidase (35.98 U), lignin peroxidase (23.98 U) and laccase (12.78 U), indole acetic acid (45.87(mgL−1), phosphatase activity (25.76 mg L−1) and siderophore production (23.09 mg L−1). This study presents information on the performance of Cynodon dactylon L., an abundant invasive perennial grass species and its associated plant growth promoting rhizobacteria demonstrated good capacity to remediate and restore contaminated soil contained complex organic and inorganic pollutants, they could be integrated into the disposal system of distillery sludge to improve the treatment efficiency.

The aim of this work was to study the metal removal efficiency of Rumex dentatus, Ranunculus sceleratus, and Cammelina benghalensis which thrive on wastewater containing complex co-pollutants. Physico-chemical characteristic of wastewater showed high levels of biological oxygen demand (7136 mg kg −1), chemical oxygen demand (26324 mg kg −1), electric conductivity (1531 μS cm −1), along with metals (mg kg −1) such as Fe (124.65 mg kg −1), Zn (56.33 mg kg −1), Cu (6.34 mg kg −1), Cd (9.02 mg kg −1), Mn (23.64 mg kg −1), Ni (6.04 mg kg −1), Pb (1.20 mg kg −1), Hg (1.08 mg kg −1), Cr (1.31 mg kg −1) and As (1.43 mg kg −1) along with complex co-pollutants. All three plants reduced more than

Distillery wastewater has high biological and chemical oxygen demand and requires additional treatment before it can be safely discharged into receiving water. It is usually processed through a biomethanation digester and the end product is the post-methanated distillery effluent (PMDE). Research have shown that PMDE released by molasses-based distilleries is a hazardous effluent that can cause harm to the biota and the environment; it contains elevated amount of total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS) and excess levels of persistent organic compounds (POPs), heavy metals, phenolic compounds, and salts. The practice of wastewater reuse for irrigation in many water scarce countries necessitates the proper treatment of PMDE before it is discharged into receiving water. Convention methods have been in practice for decades, but innovative technologies are needed to enhance the efficiency of PMDE treatment. Advance physical treatment such as membrane separation technology using graphene, ion-exchange and ultrafiltration membranes; chemical treatment such as advanced oxidation methods, electrocoagulation and photocatalytic technologies; biological treatment such as microbial and enzymatic treatment; and hybrid treatment such as microbial-fuel cell (MFC), genetically modified organisms (GMO) and constructed wetland technologies, are promising new methods to improve the quality of PMDE. This review provides insight into current accomplishments evaluates their suitability and discusses future developments in the detoxification of PMDE. The consolidated knowledge will help to develop a better management for the safe disposal and the reuse of PMDE wastewater.

Distillery sludge is a major source of aquatic pollution, but little is known about their microbial community and their association with the organic and metal pollutants. Sugarcane molasses-based distillery is an important industry in India, although the waste is usually treated prior to disposal, the treatment is often inadequate. The adverse effects of the organic and metal pollutants in sugarcane molasses-based distillery sludge on the microbial biodiversity and abundance in the disposal site have not been elucidated. This study aims to address this gap of knowledge. Samples were collected from the discharge point, 1 and 2 km downstream (D1, D2, and D3, respectively) of a sugarcane distillery in Uttar Pradesh, India, and their physico-chemical properties characterised. Using QIIME, taxonomic assignment for the V3 and V4 hypervariable regions of 16 S rRNA was performed. The phyla Proteobacteria (28–39%), Firmicutes (20–28%), Bacteriodetes (9–10%), Actinobacteria (5–10%), Tenericutes (1–9%) and Patescibacteria (2%) were the predominant bacteria in all three sites. Euryechaeota, were detected in sites D1 and D2 (1–2%) but absent in D3. Spirochaetes (5%), Sinergistetes (2%) and Cloacimonetes (1%) were only detected in samples from site D1. Shannon, Simpson, Chao1, and Observed-species indices indicated that site D1 (10.18, 0.0013, 36706.55 and 45653.84, respectively) has higher bacterial diversity and richness than D2 (6.66, 0.0001, 25987.71 and 49655.89, respectively) and D3 (8.31, 0.002, 30345.53 and 30654.88, respectively), suggesting the organic and metal pollutants provided the stressors to favour the survival of microbial community that can biodegrade and detoxify them in the distillery sludge. This study confirmed that the treatment of the distillery waste was not sufficiently effective and provided new metagenomic information on its impact on the surrounding microbial community. It also offered new insights into potential bioremediation candidates.

This study aimed to assess the heavy metals accumulation patterns by some native plants such as Achyranthus aspera L., Amaranthus viridis, Basella alba L., Sesbania bispinosa, Pedalium murex L., and Momordica doica, which have been traditionally employed for medicinal and food purposes. The plants were grown on complex distillery waste containing a mixture of organometallic compounds. Results revealed bioaccumulation of Mn, Cd, Fe, Cr, Cu, As, Se, Mo, and Co in their roots, shoots, and leaves in levels higher than the surrounding sludge. A. aspera was noted as root accumulator for Mn (16.95 mg kg−1), Zn (30.12 mg kg−1), Fe (240.40 mg kg−1), Co (3.19 mg kg−1), while Se (4.07 mg kg−1), Mo (4.36 mg kg−1), was accumulated selectively in the shoot of the plant. Similarly, S. bispinosa, P. murex, and M. doica were found as root accumulators for Mn, Fe, and Ni. A. viridis accumulated Cd, Zn, and Cu in the shoot and leaves of the plant. The high bioconcentration factors (BCF) and translocation factors (TF) observed in these native plants (>1) suggested their tendency to hyperaccumulate heavy metals. The findings highlighted that these plants as a potential metal accumulator may pose health hazards and deteriorate the medicinal property if grown on such wastes.

This study aimed to detoxify and degrade the organometallic pollutants from distillery wastewater by using an autochthonous microbial community via biostimulation and bioaugmentation process. Results revealed that the wastewater contained high concentrations of the metals i.e. Fe-2403; Zn-210.15; Cr- 22.825; Cu-73.62; Mg-27.30; Ni-14.425; and Pb-17.33 (mg L-1). The biostimulation and bioaugmentation process resulted from a substantial reduction (50–70%) in the pollution load. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed bacterial community and their relationship with complex organometallic pollutants during the chemical reactions. The major identified organic pollutants in the control (untreated) samples were acetic acid, Oxo-,trimethylsilyl ester [CAS], Hydrocinnamic acid, p-[Trimethylsiloxy]-trimethylsilyl ester and tetradecanoic acid, trimethylsilyl ester [CAS] while some new metabolic products were generated as a by-product in bioaugmentation process. Therefore, the study showed that biostimulation and bioaugmentation were successful bioremediation strategies for the detoxification of distillery wastewater and restoration of organometallic polluted sites.

Due to the presence of various organic contaminants, improper disposal of pulp-paper wastewater poses harm to the environment and human health. In this work, pulp-paper sludge (PPS) after secondary treatment were collected from M/s Century Pulp-paper Mills in India, the chemical nature of the organic pollutants was determined after solvent extraction. All the isolates were able to produce lipase (6.34–3.93 U ml− 1) which could account for the different fatty acids detected in the PPS. The dominant strains were in the classes of α and γ Proteobacteria followed by Firmicutes. The Shannon-Weiner diversity indexes for phylotype richness for the culturable and non-culturable bacterial community were 2.01 and 3.01, respectively, indicating the non- culturable bacterial strains has higher species richness and diversity compared to the culturable bacterial strains. However, the culturable strains had higher species evenness (0.94 vs 0.90). Results suggested only a few isolated strains were resistant to the POPs in the PPS, whereas non-cultural bacteria survived by entering viable but non-cultural state. The isolated strains (Brevundimonas diminuta, Aeromonas punctata, Enterobacter hormaechei, Citrobacter braakii, Bacillus pumilus and Brevundimonas terrae) are known for their multidrug resistance but their tolerance to POPs have not previously been reported and deserved further investigation. The findings of this research established the presence of POPs which influence the microbial population. Tertiary treatment is recommended prior to the safe disposal of pulp paper mill waste into the environment.

The adaptation of any microorganism is morphological or biochemical changes required to survive in their ecological niches. This indicates the evolutionary process of bacterial communities, where the individual organism becomes better suited to live in its habitat. The bacterial communities have a broad range of adaptations due to their unique cell membrane properties and versatile nutritional behavior. It may be thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles, halophiles, alkalophiles, and barophiles. To maintain the variable environmental conditions bacterial cell membrane protein modification plays a crucial role in controlling their function. The genome sequence of various psychrophiles revealed the function of the cell membrane with an increased proportion of polyunsaturated and branched fatty acids to increase the fluidity at low temperature and the presence of cold shock proteins are also believed to increase translational efficiency by destabilizing secondary structure of mRNA. The plant strategies for growth and phytoremediation at the polluted site involved various biochemical mechanisms for the amelioration of environmental pollutants. The mechanism of plant strategies is regulated through the production of glutathione, phytochelatins, metallothioneins, and various organic acids. Therefore the plant may adopt phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytovolatilization, or rhizofiltration strategies based on the nature of pollutants and plant species. The phytoextraction process is mediated by the combined action of bacteria and plants due to secretion of some organic acids from plant and bacteria facilitating plant growth and transpiration mechanism. Consequently, various heavy metals are accumulated in the plant from complex organometallic wastes. The siderophores production for nutrient availability to plant is also a unique strategy of stress environment as a result of plant and bacterial interaction.

This work aimed to study the profiling and efficiency of microbial communities and their abundance in the pulp and paper industry wastewater, which contained toxic metals, high biological oxygen demands, chemical oxygen demand, and ions contents. Sequence alignment of the 16S rRNA V3-V4 variable region zone with the Illumina MiSeq framework revealed 25356 operating taxonomical units (OTUs) derived from the wastewater sample. The major phyla identified in wastewater were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Spirochetes, Patesibacteria, Acidobacteria, and others including unknown microbes. The study showed the function of microbial communities essential for the oxidation and detoxifying of complex contaminants and design of effective remediation techniques for the re-use of polluted wastewater. Findings demonstrated that the ability of different classes of microbes to adapt and survive in metal-polluted wastewater irrespective of their relative distribution, as well as further attention can be provided to its use in the bioremediation process.

This work aimed to study Bacillus sp. PS-6 assisted phytoremediation of metals from pulp and paper industry wastewater as a novel green technique for the removal of metals of wastewater. Results revealed that heavy metal (mg L-1) contents in wastewater were reduced after in-situ phytoremediation for Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn, Ni, Pb, and As. Phragmites communis showed higher potential for the enrichment of Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn, Ni, Pb, and As in its rhizomes, roots, and shoots compared to leaves. The strain produced indole acetic acid, siderophores, and hydrolytic and ligninolytic enzymes, and resulted in nutrients solubilization. Results offer potential basis for the removal of metals from pulp and paper industry wastewater at large scale and prevention of pollution.

The present manuscript has focused on the heavy metal; accumulation potential by common native plants i.e. Chenopodium album L., Ricinus communis, Ranunculus sceleratus, and Rumex dentatus growing on the disposed of pulp and paper mill effluent sludge. The sludge showed the abundance of benzene propanoic acid tert- butyldimethylsilyl ester, Octadecanoic acid, TMS, Hexadecanoic acid, TMS, cinnamic acid-α-phenyl-TMS ester, β-sitosterol TMS, 4-mercaptobenzoic acid as residual complex organic compounds along with heavy metals Fe (98.30 mg/L−1), Zn (51.00 mg/L−1), Cu (3.21 mg/L−1), Cd (9.11 mg/L−1), Mn (18.27 mg/L−1), Ni (5.21 mg/L−1), (Hg 0.014 mg/L−1) which were above the prescribed limit of environmental standard. The complexation of organic compounds with heavy metal restricts the bioavailability of metals to plants. But the metal analysis in various parts of the plant showed a significant amount of metal accumulation. Further, histological observations of root tissue through TEM showed apparent deposition of metal granules near the cell wall and vacuole as adoption features of plants. But the variable concentration of metal accumulation in different parts by various plants indicated the variable potential of tested plants with various metals. This also indicated their metal bio-availability and movement to plant tissue. Further, their bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) > 1.0 indicated the hyperaccumulation tendency of plants Mn was accumulated maximum in leaves C. album (69.38 mg/kg−1) followed by Cu (25.75 mg/kg −1), As (23.20 mg/kg −1), Fe (20.90 mg/kg −1) and Pb was maximum accumulated (22.41 mg/kg −1) in R. cummunis leaves. The result revealed that arsenic has been accumulated in higher amount root, shoot and leaves of all tested plants. The metal accumulator plants showed phytoremediation potential also by reducing various pollution parameters after growth on sludge. These potential plants may be used as biotechnological tools for the eco-restoration of polluted sites., Residual pollutants; Octadecanoic acid; Root histology; SEM-EDAX; Bioconcentration factor, Environmental analysis; Environmental hazard; Environmental pollution; Environmental toxicology; Environmental science, Toxicology.

In this paper, a comparative analysis of Kesterite absorber layer based solar cell is discussed. Kesterites are considered as non-toxic, earth abundant, low cost material which can be used as p- type absorber layer for solar cell applications. They have direct band gap that can be tuned between 1.0 eV to 1.5 eV by altering Selenium to Sulphur ratio. The relation of S-Se ratio to the band gap and impact of it on the performance of solar cell is analyzed. The solar cell structures are discussed in this paper using ZnO/CdS/(CZTSe/CZTSSe/CZTS)/Mo structure, where CZTSe/CZTSSe/CZTS is used as absorber layer, Cadmium sulphide (CdS) as buffer layer, Zinc oxide (ZnO) as window layer and Molybdenum (Mo) as back contact. Besides this, comparison in terms of conversion efficiency and fill factor are also discussed to analyze the performance of solar cell with alteration in contents of the absorber layer. The outcome of above depth discussion of CZTS/CZTSe/CZTSSe material as absorber layer helps in selection of best material for high performance solar cell applications.

Sugarcane-molasses based distillery waste is a threat to environment for its safe disposal due to complexation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) containing mixture of organic pollutants. This study revealed that distillery sludge contains not only mixture of complex organic pollutants but also retains high quantity of Fe (5264.49), Zn (43.47), Cu (847.46), Mn (238.47), Ni (15.60), and Pb (31.22 mg kg−1) which enhances the toxicity of sludge to the environment. The major identified organic compounds were benzene, 1-ethyl-2-methyl, benzene, 1-ethyl-4-methyl benzoic acid, 3,4,5-tris(TMS oxy), TMS ester; hexanedioic acid, dioctyl ester; stigmasterol TMS ether; 5α-cholestane,4-methylene; campesterol TMS; β-sitosterol and lanosterol. These compounds are listed under the EDCs also as per U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, the phytoextraction potential of growing native weeds and grasses i.e. Argemone mexicana, Saccharum munja, Cynodon dactylon, Pennisetum purpureum, Chenopodium album, Rumex dentatus, Tinospora cordifolia, Calotropis procera and Basella alba revealed the high accumulation of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Pb in their root and leaves compared to shoot. This indicated high accumulation and translocation capabilities of these plants. Further, the bioaccumulation coefficient factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) was found >1 for majority of plants for various metals. Thus, this given strong evidence for hyperaccumulation tendency of these native weeds and grasses from complex polluted sites. Furthermore, the ultrastructural observations of root tissues also revealed the deposition of heavy metals at various cellular components without any apparent toxic effects. This indicated the variable adaptive characteristics of these plants growing at a hazardous waste polluted site. Thus, the study given a strong evidence for application of these weeds and grasses as tools for in-situ phytoremediation and eco-restoration of polluted sites.

Restoring an environment contaminated with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is highly challenging. Biodegradation by biofilm-forming bacteria through quorum sensing (QS) is a promising treatment process to remove these pollutants and promotes eco-restoration. QS plays an important role in biofilm formation, solubilization, and biotransformation of pollutants. QS is a density-based communication between microbial cells via signalling molecules, which coordinates specific characters and helps bacteria to acclimatize against stress conditions. Genetic diversification of a biofilm offers excellent opportunities for horizontal gene transfer, improves resistance against stress, and provides a suitable environment for the metabolism of POPs. To develop this technology in industrial scale, it is important to understand the fundamentals and ubiquitous nature of QS bacteria and appreciate the role of QS in the degradation of POPs. Currently, there are knowledge gaps regarding the environmental niche, abundance, and population of QS bacteria in wastewater treatment systems. This review aims to present up-to-date and state-of-the-art information on the roles of QS and QS-mediated strategies in industrial waste treatment including biological treatments (such as activated sludge), highlighting their potentials using examples from the pulp and paper mill industry, hydrocarbon remediation and phytoremediation. The information will help to provide a throughout understanding of the potential of QS to degrade POPs and advance the use of this technology. Current knowledge of QS strategies is limited to laboratory studies, full-scale applications remain challenging and more research is need to explore QS gene expression and test in full-scale reactors for wastewater treatment.

Melanoidins are the randomly polymerized condensed anionic, non-enzymatic product of maillard reaction between amino and carbonyl group at elevated temperature. It occurs particularly during the food processing and wastewater released from distilleries and various fermented industries. Their synthesis is influenced by several factors because they alter the reaction path and change the product composition. Moreover, melanoidins have been known to be beneficial at low concentrations in food products due to their several properties in a biological system. But, when they are released into the environment at a high concentration from fermentation industries they cause a serious threat to land and aquatic ecosystem. This review encompasses the detailed chemical reaction of melanoidin synthesis and its functional properties to various substances present in nature with implications to its impact on the environment and their role in maintaining the nutritional and flavoring properties in food products.

The objective of this work was to study the potential of a constructed bacterial consortium (comprised three strains: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus anthracis) to treat distillery wastewater via the bioaugmentation process. The discharged wastewater showed elevated total ammonium nitrogen (195.0 ± 1.24 mg L−1), total dissolved solids (25980.6 ± 8.09 mg L−1), chemical oxygen demand (20534.5 ± 3.12 mg L−1), and biological oxygen demand (20534.5 ± 3.12 mg L−1). High concentration of heavy metals, phenolic and organo-metallic compounds were also detected. Results showed that growing the bacterial consortium in the distillery wastewater at 37 °C supplemented with 1% glucose achieved the best color reduction (up to 90%) in 144 h. The physico-chemical quality of the treated wastewater also improved by 50%–70%. Furthermore, many of the major organic pollutants present in the distillery wastewater were degraded by the constructed consortium to below detection limit via active biotransformation and biodegradation. Heavy metals were biosorbed by the bacterial consortium, and the ligninolytic enzymes such as Lip and MnP played an important role in the degradation of the organo-metallic pollutants. The constructed bacterial consortium therefore offered a sustainable and effective solution to treat distillery wastewater.

This work aimed to study in-situ toxicity assessment of pulp and paper industry wastewater on Trigonella foenum-graecum L. Physico-chemical analysis of wastewater revealed high pH (8.1), total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand (89, 2160, 8670 and 25600 mg L−1 , respectively), electrical conductivity (2156 ms cm−1), and heavy metal (mg L−1) contents as Fe (79.61), Zn (49.06), Cu (6.07), Cd (6.07), Mg (19.66), and Ni (6.43), which were higher than compare to control The major pollutants detected via GC–MS analysis were hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, nonacosane, and β -sitosterol trimethylsilyl ether. UV–Vis spectrophotometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses of the wastewater confirmed the presence of residual organic and inorganic pollutants. The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the wastewater for plants were also assessed and revealed chromosomal and cytological aberrations in wastewater-treated T. foenum-graecum L. The accumulation of metals in and the effects of such accumulation on the physiology of T. foenum-graecum L. plants irrigated with wastewater were also studied, and it was concluded that antioxidant enzyme activity, chlorophyll, protein content, and dry weight were reduced in wastewater irrigated T. foenum-graecum L. plants compared to those in the control (fed with normal water). Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses of plant roots, root nodules, and stomata revealed the accumulation of heavy metals on the surfaces and in tissues. The present study highlights the urgent necessity of proper treatment of paper and pulp industry wastewater before their disposal into water bodies to control the damage to environment and aquatic life.

CZTS solar device is simulated using SCAPS-1D software to investigate In2S3 and SnS2 semiconductors as the potential buffer layer. Both Indium sulphide (In2S3) and tin sulphide (SnS2) exhibit good conductivity, optimum bandgap, and optical transparency towards shorter wavelength, which are quite suitable traits for buffer layer material. As these compounds are non-toxic, they seem to be the good replacement for conventional, efficient and yet highly toxic CdS material. The substrate cell structures n-ITO/i-ZnO/In2S3/CZTS/MoS2/Mo and n-ITO/i-ZnO/SnS2/CZTS/MoS2/Mo are used as the base model in this study. For both the buffer layers, results are optimized by following a valid procedural approach. The optimized efficiencies are 19.03 % and 18.94 % for In2S3 and SnS2 based buffer layers solar cell, respectively. The comparative analysis of this result with other reported works reflects promising prospects.

The aims of the study was the evaluation of phytoremediation potential by Eclipta alba (L) and Alternanthera philoxeroide (L) of pulp and paper mill waste after secondary treatment which a source of aquatic and soil pollution due to huge discharge of organometallic compounds per tone of paper production. The result revealed 50% reduction of pollution parameters after in-situ phytoremediation. The comparative analysis of metal and metalloids showed the highest accumulation of Fe (2251.24 ± 64.74) in both plants. The antioxidant activity, chlorophyll and carotenoid content were increased in E. alba (L.) and A. philoxeroide (L.) respectively. From the results, it was concluded that E. alba (L.) and A. philoxeroide (L.) could be effectively used for the removal of metals and metalloids from effluent and sludge of pulp and paper mill waste that may help to reduce adverse health effects of metal accumulation in humans and animals via their food chain.

Chalcogens are the elements belonging to group sixteenth of the periodic table. The past few decades have witnessed significant advancements of chalcogenide glasses. Chalcogenide glasses are the compound formed from one or more chalcogen elements like sulfur, selenium, and tellurium. The reversible property is the most important feature of chalcogenide thin films for memory applications. This paper reviews the deposition techniques of chalcogenide thin films, depth discussion of their structural properties and applications in electronics and optoelectronic devices. Subsequently, the advantages and limitations of chalcogenide glasses are also discussed. Besides this, future research scopes in this domain are included in this paper to provide the line of sight for beginners of this research field.

Effluent discharged from the pulp and paper industry contains various refractory and androgenic compounds, even after secondary treatment by activated processes. Detailed knowledge is not yet available regarding the properties of organic pollutants and methods for their bioremediation. This study focused on detecting residual organic pollutants of pulp and paper mill effluent after biological treatment and assessing their degradability by biostimulation. The major compounds identified in the effluent were 2,3,6-trimethylphenol, 2-methoxyphenol (guaiacol), 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (syringol), methoxycinnamic acid, pentadecane, octadecanoic acid, trimethylsilyl ester, cyclotetracosane, 5,8-dimethoxy-6-methyl-2,4-bis(phenylmethyl)napthalen-1-ol, and 1,2-benzendicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester. Most of these compounds are classified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and environmental toxicants. Some compounds are lignin monomers that are metabolic products from secondary treatment of the discharged effluent. This indicated that the existing industrial process could not further degrade the effluent. Supplementation by carbon (glucose 1.0%) and nitrogen (peptone 0.5%) bio-stimulated the degradation process. The degraded sample after biostimulation showed either disappearance or generation of metabolic products under optimized conditions, i.e., a stirring rate of 150 rpm and temperature of 37 ± 1°C after 3 and 6 days of bacterial incubation. Isolated potential autochthonous bacteria were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae IITRCP04 (KU715839), Enterobacter cloacae strain IITRCP11 (KU715840), Enterobacter cloacae IITRCP14 (KU715841), and Acinetobacter pittii strain IITRCP19 (KU715842). Lactic acid, benzoic acid, and vanillin, resulting from residual chlorolignin compounds, were generated as potential value-added products during the detoxification of effluent in the biostimulation process, supporting the commercial importance of this process.

The extracted sugarcane molasses-melanoidins showed the presence of Mn (8.20), Cr (2.97), Zn (16.61), Cu (2.55), Fe (373.95), Pb (2.59), and Ni (4.18 mg L(−1)) along with mixture of other organic compounds which have endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) properties. A consortium of aerobic bacteria comprising Klebsiella pneumoniae (KU321273), Salmonella enteric (KU726954), Enterobacter aerogenes (KU726955), and Enterobacter cloacae (KU726957) showed the optimum decolourisation of molasses-melanoidins up to 81% through co-metabolism in the presence of glucose (1.0%) and peptone (0.2%) as a carbon and nitrogen source, respectively. The absorption spectrum scanning by UV–visible spectrophotometer between 200 and 700 nm revealed reductions of absorption spectrum of organic compounds present in bacterial degraded sample of melanoidins in range of 200–450 nm compared to control. The degradation and decolourisation of melanoidins by bacterial consortium was noted by induction of manganese peroxidase and laccase activities in sample supernatant. Furthermore, the TLC and HPLC analysis of bacterial decolourised melanoidins also showed degradation and reduction of absorption peak at (295 nm), respectively. Furthermore, FT-IR and GC–MS analysis also showed the change of functional group and disappearance of ion peaks. This indicated the degradation and depolymerisation of melanoidins and cleavage of C=C, C=O and C≡N conjugated bonds which resulted in reduction of colour. The metabolic analysis also showed the disappearance of some organic compounds and generation of new metabolites. Furthermore, the seed germination test using Phaseolus mungo L. showed toxicity reduction in decolourized effluent. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13205-018-1205-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Unwarranted exposure due to liberal use of metals for maintaining the lavish life and to achieve the food demand for escalating population along with an incredible boost in the average human life span owing to orchestrated progress in rejuvenation therapy have gradually increased the occurrence of Parkinson's disease (PD). Etiology is albeit elusive; association of PD with metal accumulation has never been overlooked due to noteworthy similitude between metal-exposure symptoms and a few cardinal features of disease. Even though metals are entailed in the vital functions, a hysterical shift, primarily augmentation, escorts the stern nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration. An increase in the passage of metals through the blood brain barrier and impaired metabolic activity and elimination system could lead to metal accumulation in the brain, which eventually makes dopaminergic neurons quite susceptible. In the present article, an update on implication of metal accumulation in PD/Parkinsonism has been provided. Moreover, encouraging and paradoxical facts and fictions associated with metal accumulation in PD/Parkinsonism have also been compiled. Systematic literature survey of PD is performed to describe updated information if metal accumulation is an epicenter or merely an outcome. Finally, a perspective on the association of metal accumulation with pesticide-induced Parkinsonism has been explained to unveil the likely impact of the former in the latter.

The present paper reports a case of benign melanocytoma in an 8- years old non-descript cow, which are reported less commonly in India. The tumour was located on ventral aspect of neck and was surgically removed with successful recovery. Histopathological expression of the tumour suggests its benign nature which is also confirmed by its non-recurrence after 2 years of its surgical removal.

Thin film in today's world found to have documented record of more than 5000 years. Investigation on thin film have directly or indirectly influence many new areas of research in solid state physics and chemistry that are based on the thickness, geometry and structure of the thin film deposited. Processing of material into thin film provide us an easy way to incorporate it into devices. This review paper discusses different thin films material in-depth, their deposition methods, characterization techniques and applications. This summarized review on chalcogenide and metal oxide thin film characterization, shall help researcher in their area of optoelectronic, photovoltaic and magnetic device fabrication and their low cost applications.