Co-pyrolysis of wheat straw, bentonite and NPK for developing slow-release fertilizer: Synergetic effect of blending ratio and pyrolysis temperature on nutrient release dynamics.

Biochar-based slow-release fertilizers (BSRFs) offer a promising alternative to conventional fertilizers by enhancing nutrient retention and reducing environmental loss. This study aimed to develop a sustainable and cost-effective BSRF through the co-pyrolysis of wheat straw (WS), bentonite and nutrient solution containing KHPO and KNO. WS and bentonite were blended in 50:50 and 70:30 ratios with fixed doses of nutrients, then co-pyrolyzed (at 350 °C and 500 °C) to produce BSRFs.

Cow dung biochar amendment affects the bioconversion of spent mushroom substrate and fruit waste by black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae.

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) tends to emerge as an extensive problem in mushroom-consuming areas, which needs an immediate solution under a bioresource generation circular economy model. Meanwhile, biochar addition has shown significant improvements in waste bioconversion rates, which is less explored with the utility of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) in such waste (SMS) valorization. Thus, in our study, bioconversion of SMS and fruit waste (FW) mixtures (30, 70, and 100%), spiked with cow dung biochar (BC) with different doses (2 and 5%), through BSFL was investigated.

Microplastic in upper Himalayan Ganga river: Occurrence, seasonal dynamics and ecological risk.

Ganga river supports about 500 million population in the Gangetic Plain. Still, the occurrence of toxic pollutants in the Ganga river is an emerging concern, questioning its ecological health. This study is the first to quantify the microplastic (MP) and its characteristics, seasonal dynamics (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon), and environmental risk in the 19 sites (sample size, n = 228) in the upper Himalayan stretch of Ganga (Devprayag, Zone-I; Rishikesh, Zone-II; Haridwar, Zone-III) with multiples sampling (6 months).

Potential of ionic liquids as emerging green solvent for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass.

Lignocellulosic biomass is available in abundance as a renewable resource, but the major portion of it is often discarded as waste without utilizing its immense potential as an alternative renewable energy resource. To overcome recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass, various pretreatment methods are applied to it, so that the complex and rigid polymeric structure can be broken down into fractions susceptible for enzymatic hydrolysis. Effective and efficient biomass processing is the goal of pretreatment methods, but none of the explored pretreatment methods are versatile enough to fulfil the requirement of biomass processing with greater flexibility in terms of operational cost and desired output efficiency.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aquatic ecosystem exposed to the 2020 Baghjan oil spill in upper Assam, India: Short-term toxicity and ecological risk assessment.

This study focuses on the short-term contamination and associated risks arising from the release of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to the 2020 Baghjan oil blowout in upper Assam, India. Shortly after the Baghjan oil blowout, samples were collected from water, sediment, and fish species and examined for PAHs contents. The results of the analysis revealed ΣPAHs concentrations ranged between 0.

Bioconversion of fruit waste and sewage sludge mixtures by black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae.

Bioconversion of fruit waste (FW) and sewage sludge (SS) sludge mixtures into valuable products was investigated using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) under a lab-scale trial. For that, five different setups of FW and SS mixtures (100FW; 100SS; 70SS+30FW; 50SS+50FW; 70FW+30SS) were prepared and changes in larval biomass, feed loss, and residual waste physicochemical properties were estimated until the emergence of fly in all waste mixtures. BSFL caused a significant decrease in total organic carbon (11.

Fate and toxicity of triclosan in tidal flow constructed wetlands amended with cow dung biochar.

Triclosan (TC) is one of the threats to the environment due to its bioaccumulative nature, persistency, combined toxicity in aquatic biota, and endocrine-disrupting nature. This study revealed the removal of TC via three distinct setups of vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW: B-VFCW (with biochar); PB-VFCW (with plant Colocasia and biochar); C-VFCW (without biochar but with plant)) operated with normal flow and tidal-flow (flooding/drying cycles of 72 h/24 h: B-TFCW; PB-TFCW; C-TFCW) mode for 216 h of the operation cycle. The effluent was analyzed for changes in TC load and wastewater parameters (COD, NO-N, NH-N, and DO).

Effect of biochar amendment on metal mobility, phytotoxicity, soil enzymes, and metal-uptakes by wheat (Triticum aestivum) in contaminated soils.

The use of low-cost substances such as biochar could be a sustainable approach to reduce the mobility, accumulation, and toxic impact of heavy metals in crop systems. This study investigates the effect of biochar amendment on heavy metal (Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, Mg and Fe) mobility, bioaccumulation factor (BAF), plant (wheat) metal-uptake, plant oxidative stress, and soil enzymatic profile in contaminated industrial soil. Biochar was obtained from slow pyrolysis of Lantana (LBC), and Parthenium (PBC) biomass, and applied at 3% rates in contaminated soils for wheat crop study under a greenhouse experimental setup.

Removal of pharmaceuticals by vertical flow constructed wetland with different configurations: Effect of inlet load and biochar addition in the substrate.

Pharmaceuticals (PCs) residues are considered an emerging threat to the environment due to their persistency, ecotoxicity and bioaccumulative nature. To study the PC (amoxicillin, AMX; caffeine, CF; ibuprofen, IBU) removal efficiency of vertical flow constructed wetland (VFCW), three setups of VFCWs were configured: SB (substrate matrix + biochar (BC)); SBP (substrate matrix + BC + plant); SP (substrate matrix + plant) and changes in effluent PC load was estimated at 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 and 168 h intervals. SBP with an influent load of 1,000 μg L showed the maximum removals of 75.

Phycoremediation of milk processing wastewater and lipid-rich biomass production using Chlorella vulgaris under continuous batch system.

This study compiles the results of phycoremediation of milk processing wastewater (MPWW) and production of lipid-rich Chlorella vulgaris biomass using a continuous batch system operated for 12-wks. After a 4-wks interval, a new MPWW was loaded photobioreactor to provide appropriate nutrient supply to algae. Results indicated that MPWW supported the algal growth efficiently and the maximum algal growth was recorded in the ranges of 400.

Occurrence, seasonal variations, and ecological risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in River Ganges at two holy cities of India.

Occurrence of 15 different pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) (ibuprofen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, acetaminophen, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, amoxicillin, ofloxacin, tetracycline, metoprolol, triclosan, salicylic acid, N, N diethyl-meta-toluamide, caffeine and β-Estradiol) belongs to eight different classes in an urban stretch of River Ganges were detected for three seasons in two holy cities Rishikesh and Haridwar (India). The overall concentration of PPCPs in the River Ganges ranged between Below Detectable Limit (BDL) to 1104.84 ng/L, with higher concentrations at anthropogenically influenced lower reaches of the River Ganges at Haridwar.

Production of compost with biopesticide property from toxic weed Lantana: Quantification of alkaloids in compost and bacterial pathogen suppression.

Toxic weed Lantana camara foliage was composted with cow dung in 2:1 and 1:1 ratio (v/v) and changes in physicochemical characteristics, and faecal coliform bacterial population (Escherichia coli and Salmonella) was estimated for 35 d. Results showed a significant increase in total N (1.48-1.

Ti-pillared montmorillonite clay for adsorptive removal of amoxicillin, imipramine, diclofenac-sodium, and paracetamol from water.

The adsorptive removal of natural montmorillonite (MMT) clay pillared with titanium oxide (Ti-PILC) was examined in this study to see the adsorptive remove of pharmaceutical compounds (PCs): amoxicillin (AMOX), imipramine (IMP), Diclofenac-Sodium (DIF-S), and paracetamol (PCM) from water under a batch-scale study. The post-intercalation changes in clay were investigated with various surface and structural analysis techniques. The results confirm an increase in the surface area, microporosity, and acidic sites (lewis acid) which improved and regulates Ti-PILC interactions with electron-rich PPCPs molecules.

Vermicomposting of duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) by employing Eisenia fetida: Changes in nutrient contents, microbial enzyme activities and earthworm biodynamics.

This study investigated the vermicomposting of duckweed (DW) mixed with cow dung in 25 (T), 50 (T), 75 (T), 100% (T) ratio using Eisenia fetida under a 35 d trail. Decrease in pH, organic carbon (33.54-38.

Composting of toxic weed Parthenium hysterophorus: Nutrient changes, the fate of faecal coliforms, and biopesticide property assessment.

This study aimed to investigate; composting of toxic weed Parthenium with cow dung in (2:1, and 1:1 ratio); and the changes in Escherichia coli and Salmonella population; as well as the antimicrobial property of ready compost. Organic carbon decreased by 45-52% while total nitrogen, total potassium, available phosphorus increased by 1.87- to 3.

Phytotoxicity and degradation of antibiotic ofloxacin in duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) system.

The phytotoxicity and degradation of ofloxacin (OFX) in duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza based system was estimated in this study. For that, OFX was added in an environmentally relevant range (0.01-1.