Mujahid Farid

• BS MPhil & PhD in Environmental Sciences
• Professor (Assistant) at University of Gujrat

Agricultural soils frequently suffer from human-induced activities, accumulating hazardous contaminants such as lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). Given the environmental and human health threats posed by these heavy metals, the need for effective purification methods has intensified. Utilizing plants for pollutant uptake, a process known as phytoextracti...

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview and comparative analysis of recent advancements in cereal fortification techniques. Cereal fortification adds vital nutrients to staple meals, thereby mitigating the world’s malnutrition crisis and improving public health. A thorough analysis is conducted on three primary methods of fortification: enca...

Increasing Wastewater (WW) contamination, especially with heavy metals like nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), poses serious environmental challenges. Phytoremediation offers a sustainable and cost-effective method to address these issues. This study aimed to enhance the phytoremediation capacity of Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) by us...

Textiles in all forms act as carriers in transmitting pathogens and provide a medium of microbial growth, especially in those fabrics which are used in sports, medical and innerwear clothing. More attention towards hygiene and personal healthcare made it a necessity to develop pathogen-free textiles. Synthetic and natural antimicrobial compositions...

Contamination of agricultural soils with heavy metals (HMs) poses a significant environmental threat, especially because industrial discharges often irrigate agricultural lands. A prominent source of HM(s) pollution occurs from tannery effluents containing high concentrations of chromium (Cr) in both Cr3+ and Cr6+ forms along with other toxic mater...

The prevalence of inorganic pollutants in the environment, including heavy metals (HMs), necessitates a sustainable and cost-effective solution to mitigate their impacts on the environment and living organisms. The present research aimed to assess the phytoextraction capability of spinach (Spinach oleracea L.), under the combined effects of ascorbi...

Assessing heavy metal contamination from leachate at the Lohsar dumpsite, Rawalpindi, this study found high levels of Cd, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Fe in soil samples. These exceed WHO and Pakistan NEQS standards, highlighting significant environmental impacts. Proper waste disposal, leachate treatment, and adherence to pollution control standards ar...

This study evaluates the effectiveness of leachate, sludge, and manure treatments on waste decomposition in Pakistani landfills. Findings indicate that leachate significantly enhanced biogas production, generating 63.25% more gas compared to other treatments. Aerobic decomposition outperformed anaerobic methods, with leachate achieving the highest...

Assessing heavy metal contamination from leachate at the Lohsar dumpsite, Rawalpindi, this study found high levels of Cd, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Fe in soil samples, exceeding WHO and Pakistan NEQS standards. Presented at the Rhodes 2024 Conference on Sustainable Waste Management, it highlights the need for proper waste disposal, leachate treatment...

Water contamination with metals poses significant environmental challenges. The occurrence of heavy metals (HMs) prompts modifications in plant structures, emphasizing the necessity of employing focused safeguarding measures. Cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and chromium (Cr) emerge as particularly menacing toxins due to their high accumulation potential....

In the present study, Brassica napus, a food plant, was grown for phytoextraction of selected heavy metals (HMs) from marble industry wastewater (WW) under oxalic acid (OA) amendment. The hydroponic experiment was performed under different combination of WW with OA in complete randomized design. Photosynthetic pigments and growth reduction were obs...

Phytochemicals extracted from leaves, fruits, roots, and seeds of plants exhibit high nutraceutical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial potential. Such valuable components can be obtained from natural materials via extraction, an important parameter in analytical chemistry. Since conventional extractions methods pose severe environmental threats and ha...

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of energy consumption patterns, Carbon Dioxide emissions, and their relationship with economic factors in Pakistan over the past five decades, from 1971 to 2021, and provides forecasts for the years 2022 to 2055. Notable trends have emerged during this period, with a particular focus on coal, natural gas...

The purpose of this study was the assessment of noise pollution levels in different zones of Mandi Bhauddin and associated responses in terms of noise-induced impacts and health disorders in the targeted population. This study also involved the comparison of noise levels with National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS). Moreover, the study desi...

Occupational stress is considered critical both for work performance and the social well-being of workers. The main focus of this research is to examine the relationship between occupational stress, and biological and organizational factors along with other mediating variables such as age, gender, education, marital status, monthly income, job expe...

Industrial pollutants when release into the water reservoirs plays a significant role in the environmental contamination, even very small quantities of these pollutants causes severe health hazards.by keeping in view the toxicity of these pollutants the nanotechnology keeping in view the toxicity of these pollutants the nanotechnology is currently...

Heavy metals Contamination poses significant global concerns due to its detrimental impact on both the environment and human health. Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Nickel (Ni) are among the most toxic and hazardous heavy metals, and they are introduced into the environment through various human activities. The primary source of heavy metal contaminat...

Heavy metals contamination causes major environmental and health related issues worldwide. Among other heavy metals cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) and Nickel (Ni) are one of the most toxic and harmful heavy metals that enter in to the environment through different activities. Industrial waste water is the major cause of heavy metals contamination. The pre...

This chapter provides a brief discussion about the aerosol particles with their atmospheric composition, their different emission sources either natural (biogenic, volcanos, sea salt, desert dust) or anthropogenic (biomass burning, fossil fuel burning). Further, it included the different pathways through which aerosol components entered the atmosph...

Open dumping sites and landfills globally are significant contributors to greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, specifically methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), intensifying global warming and climate change. Unfortunately, these sites lack energy recovery mechanisms. We utilized the static chamber method at Lohsar (Rawalpindi), I-12 (Islamabad),...

The environment is considered the most significant component for man and other biotic units for their survival. The level of environmental sustainability reflects the fundamental value of both biotic and abiotic components. To achieve the goal of sustainability, the best comprehensive technique is recycling the waste and other by-products to make t...

Bioremediation of polluted sites is the main consideration in environmental biotechnology. Many different environmental issues have confronted the world in the past few decades, and microorganisms have played a significant role in providing an innovative method to control environmental threats. Microorganisms can survive in all parts of the biosphe...

Because of numerous applications of nanoparticles, nanotechnology is a rapidly emerging subject for biotechnology field. Environment friendly techniques for developing nanoparticles (NPs) offer various benefits, including more surface area, potent catalytic activity, and the ability to put the metal salt and enzyme into optimal contact. Among many...

This chapter reviews the state of art and potential of environmental biotechnology, as well as the challenges and considerations that go along with it. Given the wide range of issues that the industry and country face in the discipline of environmental biotechnology, the functions of some biological processes as well as biosystems to control enviro...

Contamination in the environment is caused by a variety of inorganic elements and heavy metals (HMs) which are some of the major causes of environmental pollution. Due to their non-biodegradability, HMs are difficult to remove from the environment. Heavy metals naturally come from volcanic eruptions and rock weathering, whereas anthropogenic causes...

Waste management (WM) is the world’s most serious environmental challenge. A significant portion of waste is biodegradable material (organic). Composting is a viable and cost-effective method of converting waste into a valuable product. Composting is the regulated transformation of wastes and biodegradable organic materials into stable products wit...

Managing solid waste has been challenging for decades. Multiple sources contribute to the production of metric tons of solid waste. Wastes generated by civilization, urbanization, and industrialization are disposed of annually into the environment. It also lacks proper disposal strategies. The disposal and management of industrial and municipal was...

The use of biochar in phytoremediation of heavy metals-contaminated soils is considered a very beneficial approach. The biochar application in phytoremediation method results in the removal, degradation, or stabilization of heavy metals from soil media. Various other chemical, biological and physical techniques are used for the treatment of heavy m...

Plant ecology has long been concerned with determining the factors that influence distribution of plant species. A fundamental premise of plant ecophysiology is that the relationship between plants and their environmental elements is considerably influenced by plant distribution. Ecophysiology and plant distributions are therefore inextricably link...

Due to the higher consumption, increased demand of animal based hydrocolloids and problems associated with animal based hydrocolloids are religious beliefs and mad cow disease, researchers are looking for alternative sources of hydrocolloids like marine and plant based hydrocolloids. Objective: To evaluate the gelling properties of red kidney beans...

Contamination of land and aquatic ecosystems with heavy metals (HMs) is a global issue having the persistent potential to damage the quality of food and water. In the present study, Tagetes erecta L. plants were used to assess their potential to uptake HMs from wastewater. Plants were grown in soil for 20 days and then transplanted in hydroponic sy...

Unrestricted disposal of tannery solid waste (TSW) into agricultural soils has resulted in the contamination of heavy metals (HMs) such as chromium (Cr) cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), and Zinc (Zn) along with the severe potential to degrade the environmental quality around the world. In the present study, a combined phyto- and myco-remediation strategy...

Unlabelled: Tannery industries discharge a high concentration of chromium (Cr) along with other heavy metals, which are hazardous for all life forms. With increasing shortage of freshwater, tannery effluent is frequently used for crop an irrigation, causing damage to plants' health. In order to address this challenge, amino acid chelate fertilizer...

Arsenic in water bodies has been a major concern around the world due to its carcinogenic properties. Among various methods of arsenic removal, biosorption using modified biosorbents is considered as one of the potential strategy to deal with arsenic pollution in water. Modified biosorbents proved to be cost-effective, stable and highly porous biol...

The commercialization of scientific innovation, which is a key to entrepreneurial success, represents a combination of several commercial activities. Technology is usually the outcome of research and development activities to bring inventions to practical use. Framework of commercialization develops new horizons for future research along with guida...

Arsenic enrichment in aquatic ecosystems is a life‐threatening and environmental issue all over the world. The toxic arsenic occurs in organic and inorganic forms in the environment, with the prevalence of inorganic arsenic forms. Various arsenic treatment technologies have been applied in drinking water, but membrane filtration and ion‐exchange me...

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of storage time and temperature on the nutritional and antioxidant values of different varieties of brown rice. PARB approved indigenous Basmati varieties (Basmati 86, Basmati 515, Basmati super, Basmati super fine and Basmati kainat) were procured and initially tested for physicochemical p...

We investigated how different doses of microwave irradiation (MR) affect seed germination in Sorghum, including the level of remediation against textile and surgical wastewater (WW) by modulating biochemical and morpho-physiological mechanisms under glutamic acid (GA) application. The experiment was conducted to determine the impact of foliar-appli...

Extensive usage of heavy metals (HMs) in chemical reactions and processes eventually contaminate the environmental segments and is currently a major environmental concern. HMs such as cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) are considered the most harmful pollutants as they have adequate potential of bioaccumulation. The...

Fenugreek (Trigonella-foenum graecum) is one of the most promising traditional medicinal plant member of the legume family. Fenugreek oleoresin and seeds are extensively studied for their oil content and health constructive properties like, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer and anti-diabetic functions. These seeds are also a good provider of carotene,...

Rangeland plays an important role for the agroecosystem. They preserve the biodiversity and some of the plant species that are used for the medicines. Worldwide rangelands absorb 30% of the globally carbon. But due to increase in the population and change in the climate is causing the destruction of the rangelands. When population increases it requ...

This chapter provides a brief discussion about the aerosol particles with their atmospheric composition, their different emission sources either natural (biogenic, volcanos, sea salt, desert dust) or anthropogenic (biomass burning, fossil fuel burning). Further, it included the different pathways through which aerosol components entered the atmosph...

Advances in technologies have contributed to more food production, but it is not sufficient for the current growing population. An increase in the production of growth that ultimately leads to an increase in economic growth puts a huge cost into the natural environment. Half of the forests of the earth are now depleted, and we have only 1% of the f...

The worldwide environmental changes and increasing levels of carbon dioxide are some of the key natural concerns of the date. In the present article, the evaluation of urban woods organization was utilized to measure the capability of urban biological system as carbon sink and moderating environmental changes through carbon digestion, and the capab...

Mining activities, industrial processing, domestic and agricultural use of metal and metal-containing compounds have resulted in the release of toxic metals into the atmosphere, which has become a widespread environmental problem as a result of global industrialization. Metal contamination has grave consequences for human health and the environment...

Soil has the ability to persist contaminants for a longer duration which lowers the quality of soil for agricultural use. Soils augmented with a load of heavy and toxic metals and organic pollutants of industrial sources show the severe effect on the crops. This effort will gather information about the effect of environmental pollution on the crops...

This study was performed to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of Ricinus communis for lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) from the soil. The harvested plant samples were analyzed to determine the concentration of Pb and Cd in roots and shoots. Both of these metals had a negative impact on growth of R. communis (root and shoot length, root and shoot dr...

Plastics are high molecular mass organic polymers obtained mostly from various hydrocarbons of petrochemicals. Over the past 50 years, plastic materials have been used as a substitution of metal, wood, and paper for many applications because of their excellent features in terms of stability, lightness, low cost, and durability. These polymers are b...

Pesticides are the leading defence against pests, but their unsafe use reciprocates the pesticide residues in highly susceptible food and is becoming a serious risk for human health. In this study, mint extract and riboflavin were tested as photosensitisers in combination with light irradiation of different frequencies, employed for various time in...

Cities and towns are affected by the multi-dimensional industrial activities with semi-arid and arid environments which cause a substantial rise in environmental pollution specifically in aquatic areas. The current study estimated the water quality and related health impacts by the consumption of heavy metal contamination. Surface water samples (n...

Present study was planned on the basis of prior field survey with main objective to determine concentrations of selected metals temporally (winter, spring, summer) in the industrial waste sediments, accumulate and enrich in the soils of Gujranwala city. Initially, physiochemical properties of samples pH (>8) colour (grey to black), odour (phenolic)...

Lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr) are one of the most harmful heavy metals (HMs), entering into the food chain through the irrigation of crops with an industrial effluent. The present study was performed to evaluate the toxic effects of textile effluents and performance of citric acid (CA) on phytoextraction potential of Lemna minor L. and T...

The human dependence on plastic has been recognized for decades and is considered as handy and useful material for many aspects of the essential requirements. A wide range of benefits of the plastic determines its lasting stability, resistant to reactions, anticorrosive and waterproofing applications. Among the worst, the plastic bags have most det...

The review presents the response of Trigonella foenum-graceum L. (Fenugreek) under stress induced by heavy metals on physiological and biological attributes with particular emphasis on plant growth and metal accumulation by plants. Pollution due to heavy metals is a global problem and a plenty of diseases are associated with metal pollution. These...

Numerous anthropogenic activities had caused adulteration to normal soil, water, and air composition that directly and indirectly damaging the human environment. Environmental contamination from heavy metals is a major concern for the world community dealing in environmental management. High concentration of heavy metal concentrations in soil can d...

Phytoremediation is considered as an advanced approach to uptake heavy metals from polluted water and to remediate the contaminated water and soil mediums using plants. Heavy metals including chromium, nickel, cadmium and lead are highly toxic metals, and their concentration is increasing via anthropogenic activities. The study exhibits the respons...

Nanomaterials are classified on the basis of their structure, shape, origin, and size. The small size of nanoparticles facilitates the active chemical species to translocate from organismal barriers and may create nanostructure-associated toxicity. Lack of appropriate characterization and detection techniques and poor validation and reproducible me...

Chelate-assisted phytoextraction by high biomass producing macrophyte plant Typha latifolia L. commonly known as cattail, is gaining much attention worldwide. The present study investigated the effects of Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg) on physiology and biochemistry of plant, Pb and Hg uptake in T. latifolia with and without citric acid (CA) amendment....

Copper (Cu)-induced stress caused adverse effects to plant growth and productivity thus considered as a severe threat for sustainable crop production. This article presents an overview of copper stress in plants. Copper participates in many physiological processes as a co-factor for catalysis of many metalloproteins; however, problem occurs when ex...

Chelator-assisted phytoremediation is an economical, sustainable, and ecologically friendly method of extracting heavy metals and metalloids from the soil. Organic chelators are thought to enhance metal availability and mobility in contaminated media, thereby improving phytoextraction. The aim of the present study was to examine whether exogenous a...

Heavy metals (HMs) stress causes severe damage to physiology and biochemistry of plant species leading to stunted growth and low yield. Phytoremediation via phytoextraction, a viable low-cost and environment-friendly alternative to other techniques that are often too expensive, impractical and hazardous. However, phytoextraction potential, physiolo...

Phytoremediation via phyto-extraction is well recognized and sustainable principle for the economical removal of heavy metals from contaminated water and soil. The twofold objective of the present research work was to investigate the remediation potential of fenugreek for Cu under the influence of ascorbic acid (AA). The effect of copper-ascorbic a...

Phytoremediation is considered one of the well-established and sustainable techniques for the removal of heavy metals and metalloids from contaminated sites. The metal extraction ability of the plants can be enhanced by using suitable organic materials in combination with metal-tolerant plants. This experiment was carried out to investigate the phy...

This study is being done to integrate global scientific research on phytoremediation and to assess current trends of pollutant removal by wetlands. It focuses on phytoremediation of excessive organic and inorganic pollutants from contaminated sites. The concecpt of natural and constructed wetlands based on phytoremediation is a cost-effective and g...

The population of the world is growing day by day, and according to the estimation by the year 2050 the population will exceed nine billion. The food demand will increase and agricultural activities need modification to satisfy the hunger and nutrition requirements of this up-surging population. The demand for productive agricultural land will be i...

Combustion of biological residue under less condition of oxygen resulting in less density carbon material is biochar. As thermal decomposition of biomass under limited oxygen condition is responsible for producing biochar, this method is getting attention in soil remediation and waste disposal in recent years. On the advantages of biochar, interest...

Production of crops has been facing many environmental stresses from the past few decades, hence reducing the productivity and nutrient enrichment of crops worldwide. Climatic changes and environmental stress have led to interpret the stress on plants and the purpose of its low productivity. Today the most important type of crops are the oilseed cr...

Increasing world population triggers intensive agricultural practices responsible for higher heavy metal contamination of soil and water. The present study was conducted to evaluate the morpho-physiological and biochemical response along with phytoextraction potential of Alternanthera bettzickiana for cobalt (Co) and copper (Cu) contaminated soil....

Prevailing conditions of the climate have had a drastic effect on global food security. Various types of stresses have been producing havoc by reducing crop production. One of the primary causes has been observed in the form of drought. Drought generally has various kinds of impacts on human life, but its main victim is food crops. A plant has spec...

Rice (Oryza Sativa) is a grass and highly stipulated cereal crop. Water stress is an existing and future trauma to rice production. It severely manipulates plant growth and production that ultimately results in yield loss. Cell size, molecular activities, tissue formation, organ establishment, flower formation, reproduction mechanism, grain fabrica...

The adverse industrial activities discharged contaminated wastewater directly into the water bodies that contain toxic substances such as heavy metals. The contours use of marble industrial effluents may affect the fertility of soil and crop growth. The present study was conducted to investigate the toxic effects of marble industrial effluents (M.E...

The present study evaluated the physiological and biochemical mechanisms by which exogenous sodium hydrosulfide (H2S donor) mitigates chromium (Cr) stress in cauliflower. Different levels of the Cr were (0, 10, 100, 200 μM). Results reported that Cr exposure reduced the growth and the biomass, chlorophylls content, the gas exchange parameters, and...

This study was planned to identify factors which affect workers health and their safe working in unregistered and partially registered small iron units preparing 90-95 % iron furniture under sheds. Focused group discussions (FGD) were conducted among workers of iron furniture manufacturing units (IFMU) employing a cross sectional, descriptive, anal...

Phytoremediation is an important technique to remove heavy metals from contaminated soils due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The present study was conducted to assess the synergistic role of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and citric acid (CA) in improving the phyto-extraction of chromium (Cr) by sunflower. Sunflower plants were grown in soi...

Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and eco-friendly technique for the removal of heavy metal-contaminated soils and water. The less availability and mobility of heavy metals in medium decreased the efficiency of this technique. The mobility and availability of these metals in the medium can be enhanced by the addition of organic chelators. The pr...

Soil contamination with heavy metals is threatening the food security around the globe. Chromium (Cr) contamination results in poor quality and reduction in yield of crops. The present research was performed to figure out the Cr toxicity in sunflower and the ameliorative role of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) as a plant growth regulator. The sunflower...

The present work reports the gaseous emissions of the following industries, Interloop Textile (IP Tex), Crescent Textile (CT Tex), Kalash Textile (KH Tex), Noor Fatima Textile (NF Tex), Bashir Textile (BP Tex) and Hina Sana Texile (HS Tex) which are located in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Industries were tested for the mixture of gases containing carbon m...

Due to rapid urbanization and industrialization in many countries of the world, heavy metals are continuously emitted into the terrestrial environment and posing great threat to human health. The present study was conducted to measure the concentration of six heavy metals, chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (P...

The complex bio-geochemistry of soil allows pollutant to persist for a longer period of time which further decreased the fertility and natural composition of land. Nickel, an inorganic pollutant, coming from a wide range of industrial and manufacturing units possesses serious threat to soil degradation and crop productivity around the world. The pr...

Cadmium (Cd) is among the most widespread toxic trace elements found in agricultural soils due to various anthropogenic activities. The role of micronutrient-amino chelates on reducing Cd toxicity in crop plants is recently introduced. The current study was conducted to highlight the role of foliar application of zinc-lysine (Zn-lys) complex on bio...

Soil and water contamination from heavy metals and metalloids is one of the most discussed and burning global issues due to its potential to cause the scarcity of healthy food and safe water. The scientific community is proposing a range of lab and field based physical, chemical and biological solutions to remedy metals and metalloids contaminated...

Chromium (Cr) is a biologically non-essential, carcinogenic and toxic heavy metal. The cultivation of Cr-tolerant genotypes seems the most favorable and environment friendly strategy for rehabilitation and remediation of Cr-contaminated soils. To prove this hypothesis and identify the Cr tolerance, the present study was performed to assess the phys...

Benthic cyanobacterial mats occurring in the St. Lawrence River fluvial lakes Saint-Louis and Saint-Pierre are dominated by Microseira (Lyngbya) wollei which produce several cyanotoxins including LWTX-1 that is characteristic of Microseira wollei. This cyanotoxin is not only present in the filaments forming benthic mats, but was also measured in th...

Oilseed crops are grown worldwide and considered as one of the most important crops due to their economic importance.These crops mainly include rapeseed, mustard, sesame, groundnut, sunflower, safflower, soybean and cotton. Heavy metal pollution is one of the main concern in many industrialized community around the globe, particularly in those area...

The concentrations of engineered metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have increased in the environment due to increasing demand of NPs based products. This is causing a major concern for sustainable agriculture. This review presents the effects of NPs on agricultural crops at biochemical, physiological and molecular levels. Numerous studies s...