Sandeep Kumar

Indian Agricultural Research Institute | IARI · Division of Environment Science

A total of six vegetables (S. tuberosum, D. carota, S. lycopersicum, A. esculentus, S. oleracea and B. juncea) were analysed for five heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb) to evaluate the contamination load in vegetables collected from five cultivated and two market sites (n=504) at Delhi, India. The irrigation water samples and soil samples (n=180...

Air pollutants adversely affect the physiological, biochemical parameters, and productivity of the crops, but scarce and meager reports are available to know the certain impact of air pollution on crops. The aim of the present study was to assess environmental impact of air pollutants on biochemical parameters of the crops by monitoring two importa...

Heavy metals contamination of soil and edible parts of vegetables is presently a challenging environmental issue worldwide. The present study determined the accumulated amount of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) in soil, coriander, onion, and tomato collected from agricultural fields of J...

Over the past few decades, increasing concentrations of different greenhouse gases including methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide is the main cause of global climate changes such as weakening of thermohaline circulation, rising sea levels and coral reef eradication (O’Neill and Oppenheimer 2002; Stocker 2014). In the past 400,000 years, CO2 co...

The study aimed to identify the tolerance level of rice and wheat due to air pollutants around the gas-based power plant. Ten sites were selected around 10km radius of gas based power plant. Major air pollutants like NOx, SOx, ozone, and PM10 were monitored in ten sites during the growth of rice and wheat. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of villages fa...

The accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in soil is presently a significant threat to the environment. The Cu, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Co concentrations were assessed in the agricultural soil samples. The results of various contamination indices including contamination factor, geo-accumulation indices, and ecological risk indices revealed that Cd is...

Chromium (Cr) is a trace element critical to human health and well-being. In the last few decades, its contamination, especially hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] form in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, has amplified as a result of various anthropogenic activities. Chromium pollution is a significant environmental threat, severely impacting our...

Plastics are one of the most indispensable item in our daily life and since it's invention in the 1900s, the global production and their usage have increased manifolds. Global production of plastic was 1.7 million tons in 1950 but have risen to 348 million tons in 2017. Plastics have many advantages and are widely accepted because of it's low cost,...

This study determined the heavy metals (HMs) accumulation in different vegetables in different seasons and attributed a serious health hazard to human adults due to the consumption of such vegetables in Jhansi. The total amounts of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), and cadmium (Cd) were analysed in 28 comp...

In the present study, a comprehensive survey was conducted at five selected locations (Alipur, Shahdara, Kanjhawala, Mehrauli, and Najafgarh) in Delhi. Six vegetables selected of different categories such as root, leafy and fruit vegetables (potato, carrot, tomato, spinach, mustard, and okra) from cultivated areas. A questionnaire survey was conduc...

Nutrient cycling is a vital process in the ecosystem by which movement and exchange of nutrients in available forms from the environment into living organisms and then subsequently are recycled back into the atmosphere. Chemical elements such as C, O, H, S, N, and P are necessary to live. These elements must be recycled for organisms to live and to...

In the present study, an investigation was carried out to analyze vegetable consumption rates by the comprehensive survey at five selected sites (Alipur, Shahdara, Kanjhawala, Mehrauli, and Najafgarh) in Delhi NCR region. Six vegetables, i.e., potato, carrot, tomato, spinach, mustard, and okra mostly cultivated in the peri-urban areas, data were co...

Phycoremediation is a cost effective, environmentally sustainable, safe and alternative technology for remediation of wastewater. The present work was aimed to evaluate the role of inoculated microalgae (Chlorella minutissima) in phycoremediation of sewage wastewater. The selected microalgae removed 94.4% TDS, 88.9% of NO 3-N, 66.3% potassium, 67.4...

The biofertilizers are formulations containing live or latent cells of effective microbial strains cultured in the lab and packed in appropriate carriers. When applied to seeds, soil, or plant surfaces, they enhance the availability of plant nutrients and growth stimulus to target crops. Biofertilizers are known to deliver many benefits, including...

Waste generation is steadily growing in developing countries such as India due to the continuous growth of industrialization, urbanization, and population. Mismanagement of municipal solid waste (MSW) not only has negative environmental effects but also causes the risk to public health and raises some other socio-economic issues that are worth disc...

Interest in hydrogen energy has gained momentum in recent years as a sustainable and renewable alternative to the fast‐depleting fossil fuels. It also provides an additional benefit of not emitting any greenhouse gases (GHG) which provides an incentive to adopt this clean fuel to all countries struggling to meet the GHG limitations as per the Paris...

In the past few decades, unparalleled efforts have been made to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, aiming to reduce air pollution and lessen the climate change effect. Fossil fuel burning in the energy sector is the significant contributor to GHG, global warming and climate change. These scenarios have motivated scientists and policy makers to...

In this study, microwave-assisted alkali and acid pretreated rice straw were used to improve fermentable sugar yield by enzymatic saccharification (ES) employing cellulolytic fungal strains and subsequent bioethanol production by using fermenting yeast. The cellulolytic fungal strains Trichoderma reesei NCIM 1052, 1186, 992, T. reesei ITCC 4025, 64...

The study is aimed to enhance the productivity of microalgal culture by varying the organic and inorganic components during wastewater treatment. A model organism Chlorella pyrenoidosa (C. pyrenoidosa) was grown in four different sources of wastewater namely piggery, palm oil mill effluent (POME), mixed-kitchen, and domestic wastes. The growth effi...

This review emphasizes the role of toxic metal remediation approaches due to their broad sustainability and applicability. The rapid developmental processes can incorporate a large quantity of hazardous and unseen heavy metals in all the segments of the environment, including soil, water, air and plants. The released hazardous heavy metals (HHMs) e...

Trace elements (TEs) usually occur in concentrations lower than 100 mg kg-1 and lie in metals, metalloid and non-metal groups. Some of the TEs are micro nutrients (Cl, Mn, Fe, Zn, B, Cu, Mo and Ni) and essential for plant growth. Elements Si, Na, V and Co are considered beneficial for plants, whereas Cr, I, Se and F are required by animals in trace...

This review emphasizes the role of toxic metal remediation approaches due to their broad sustainability and applicability. The rapid developmental processes can incorporate a large quantity of hazardous and unseen heavy metals in all the segments of the environment, including soil, water, air and plants. The released hazardous heavy metals (HHMs) e...

The experiment was conducted to know the effect of Fly ash, Phospho-gypsum and chemical fertilizers on Growth parameters, Yield attributes, Yield and Nutrient Uptake of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Inceptisol of Varanasi district (U.P.) during the year 2014-15 and 2015-16 at the Agriculture Research Farm, Institute of Agriculture Science, Banara...

The deconstruction of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin has varying effects on lignocellulosic biomass. To understand and evaluate these effects it is important to conduct compositional and structural analyses. In this study, the effect of different pretreatments on the composition and structure of water hyacinth (WH) was investigated. The pretr...

देश की 40% आबादी को खिलाने के लिए कुल खाद्यान का लगभग 50% उत्पादन "इंडो गैंगेटिक प्लेन” से होता है, धान की कटाई के बाद गेहूं की फसल की बुवाई मे समय अंतराल कम होने एवं अन्य खर्च बचाने के लिए किसान फसलों की कटाई कम्बाइन हारवेस्टर से करते है इस कारण पराली खेत मे ही रह जाती है, खर्च और समय की बचत तथा खेतों को अगली फसल के लिए तैयार करने के मकसद से इन अव...

This paper assesses the potential human health risks posed by five heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, and Cr) found in seven most consumable fish species (Cirrhinus mrigala, Cirrhinus reba, Catla catla, Lebio rohita, Crossocheilus latius, Clupisoma garua, and Mystus tengara) collected from local markets of Varanasi, Allahabad, Mirzapur, and Kanpur of Ut...

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop is one of the most valuable crops, and further boost in wheat yields is essential to meet the food demand of the emerging world population. It is therefore necessary to know the influence of future climate change on wheat yields. Present investigation was conducted in temperature gradient tunnel (TGTs) to evaluate...

Sorghum is a multipurpose crop that can be grown on low fertility soils with less water requirement. Sweet sorghum with wide adaptability has frequently been suggested as the potential crop to provide a broad range of clean fuels. The production of renewable liquid or gaseous fuel from the molasses or cane juice is a well-understood process. Syrup...

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a tryptophan derived indolic compound. Because of its widespread presences, conserved structure and diverse action it is been considered as new master regulator in living beings. In plants melatonin is establishing itself as new signaling molecule and plant growth regulator. It controls diverse function a...

Air pollution is a complex mixture of gases and particles at an abnormal concentration in the air, which is harmful to humans, plants, and ecosystems. The pollutants composition includes oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and sulfur (SOx), volatile organic carbons (VOCs), and several essential and toxic metals with particulate matter (organic carbon, element...

The present study investigated the potential changes in hematologic parameters and histology of fish Heteropneustes fossilis when exposed to industrial waste water of different concentrations. The toxicant enter into the fish body from different rout, inhalation, dermal oral, and other several rout for entering in the fish body. The blood parameter...

Currently, energy security, sustainable development and wellbeing are the energy policy drivers throughout the world. India has made significant progress, far more rapidly in the past 2 years, increasing the installed capacity of sustainable energy, and potentially this upward drift is anticipated to persist. The innovation in new and advanced tech...

Air quality (AQ) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission management are the key drivers related to sustainability goal around the world today because most of the aforementioned issues are attributable to fossil fuels burning. Biofuels are the clean, alternative fuels that are derived from biomass-based resources. It addresses efficient management of air...

खेजड़ी का पेड़ भारत व विश्व के अन्य अर्ध शुष्क या सूखे क्षेत्रों में पाया जाता है । भारतमें “खेजड़ी” का पेड़ मुख्य रूप से राजस्थान प्रदेश में पाया जाता है और इसे “कल्पतरु “ या “सूखे का राजा” के नाम से भी जाना जाता हैं, इसका प्रत्येक भाग बहुत उपयोगी होता है। इसका पेड़ छोटे से मध्यम आकार का होता हे और यह बहुत अधिक तापमान (480° सेन्टीग्रेड से अधिक और...

The term hotspot is very common and used for mostly in relation to biodiversity (bio-diversity hotspots), but recently several parallel terms also originated, i.e., toxic hotspots, marine pollution hotspots, soil contamination hotspots and air pollution hotspots. Toxic hotspots are an area where emissions of pollutants from specific sources like wa...

Presently, air pollution becomes apocalypse for living beings (human, animals and crops). Air pollutants have the potential to reduce both nutritional quality and yield of crops. Ten different locations were selected in the vicinity of Thermal Power Plant (TPP) (NTPC Dadri, Uttar Pradesh) to assess the impacts of particulate matter deposition on ri...

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon With changing environment and climatic conditions people are forcing to migrate their homelands and to other countries. This is the serious issue all over the world to manage this migratory population that forced by environmental calamities. I n d i a i s ex p e c t e d t o ex p e r i e n c e unprecedented intrusion...

Climate change will influence crop distribution and production and increase risks associated with agriculture. Crop productivity has already experienced detrimental impacts, underlining the necessity of taking adaptive measures. Although, in few regions (mainly in temperate latitudes) may experience improved conditions for production. Globally, cli...

The objective of this study to find out the effect of ketamine in combination of opioids on haemodianamics and electrocardiograph in dogs.The ketamine hydrochloride @3mg/kg bwt was administered epidurally at lumbosacrcal space in group I, whereas buprenorphine @0.005 mg/kgbwt, pentazocine @0.3 mg/kg bwt and meperidine hydrochloride (@1 mg/kgbwt wer...

The objective of this study to find out the effect of ketamine in combination of opioids on haemodianamics and electrocardiograph in dogs.The ketamine hydrochloride @3mg/kg bwt was administered epidurally at lumbosacrcal space in group I, whereas buprenorphine @0.005 mg/kgbwt, pentazocine @0.3 mg/kg bwt and meperidine hydrochloride (@1 mg/kgbwt wer...

Advance information about the anticipated weather and agromet advisories in-line with the weather forecast, when disseminated on time can have a greater impact on farmers' livelihood. Agrometeorological advisory services (AAS) assumes greater importance in the present climate change scenario. The article briefly explains the history and present sta...

Conservation agriculture (CA) is the integrated management of the available natural resources such as soil, water, flora, and fauna with partial outside inputs which increases the efficiency of natural resource use. It provides sustainability in farming production through maintaining the quality of natural resources by stable or semi-stable organic...

To enhance soil productivity in rice-wheat system of the IGP, conservation agriculture based management practices might be better option for sustainability in crop production. Therefore, a study was conducted at the field of Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to evaluate the long-term effect of rice cultivation met...

Adverse climatic variabilities draw attention of people towards a sustainable approach to mitigate against climate change to fulfil the increasing demand of this exploding population. But due to increasing population, food security requires a sustainable strategy and to combat these effects of climate, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) came into exis...

Among the agricultural crop residues, wheat straw is the second largest biomass feedstock in the world after rice straw. The recent study was done to evaluate fermentable sugars production potential of wheat varieties, mostly grown in northern and central a part of India, which has not been studied before with respect to hydrogen production. Charac...

Article Summary: "Methanotrophic bacteria are inimitable and ubiquitous bacteria that utilize methane as a sole source of carbon and energy from the atmosphere. They are highly specialized group of aerobic bacteria and have a unique capacity for oxidation of certain types of organic pollutants like alkanes, aromatics, halogenated alkenes, etc. Ox.....

Article Summary: "Information on methods of DNA shuffling and their applications in different areas. Tools to generate recombined genes. Applications and advantages of DNA shuffling. .." Nature uses both mutation and recombination to increase the number of combinations of gene. To recreate evolution in the laboratory, the mechanisms of natural evol...

Article Summary: "India qualifies to be a host country for the CDM projects only. India is considered as one of the most potential countries in the world for CDM projects. This is due to its large power sector that depends on fossil fuels, and to the proactive policies of the Indian government towards CDM. The power sector alone is estimated to e.....

Article Summary: "The use of plastics has shown a negative impact on the environment from the aspects of human health and there is need to overcome these effects. This can be achieved with the help of bioplastics which are produced from renewable biomass sources..." The use of plastics has shown a negative effect on the environment from the aspects...

Xenobiotic compounds are man­ made chemicals that are present in the environment at higher concentration. These are either not produced naturally or are produced at much lower amount than that by man. The compounds that resist biodegradation and persist in the environment for long period of time are called recalcitrant. They may be recalcitrant due...

Climate change is a one of the major challenge that is already affecting people and the environment worldwide. Average global temperatures of earth have been rising day by day over the last century. The problem is not just changing temperatures; it is a changing climate—or a change in the weather patterns that people and ecosystems have become accu...

In current scenario, people are suffering from vitamins and minerals deficiencies which cause very serious constraint to human health and economic development. Malnutrition is widespread in the many developing nations and causes adverse effect on human health. Malnutrition is the cause of zinc, iron, provitamin A and iodine deficiency and one third...

Civilization is totally dependent on plants for their livelihood. Plant materials are also being utilized for developing improved crop varieties for high yield, superior quality and better adaptation to various stress environments. Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) are valuable for present and future crop improvement programmes. Valuable gene pool is b...

Biogas plant (BGP) with anaerobic digestion providing a facility to generate manure (Biogas spent slurry) and energy generation. The digested biogas slurry (DBGS) is rich in macro and micro nutrients that provide essential plant nutrients for longer period. Biogas slurry may be considered as a good quality organic fertilizer for sustainable agricul...

At present, a large amount of biogas slurry is produced in India and their disposal is a major concern for the environment. So resource utilization of biogas slurry appears to be prospective and obligatory for now days. Therefore, this study investigates the potential use of by-products of biogas production, i.e. biogas slurry (BGS) from agricultur...

Biological hydrogen production (H2), especially microbial biohydrogen production provides a feasible means for the sustainable supply of H2 with low pollution and high efficiency, thereby being considered as a promising way of producing hydrogen, and it had got special attention in the last decade. Wheat straw is an abundant agricultural residue, a...