环境安全与可持续发展

本文已经提出了如果将环境安全作为人类安全被实现。那就需要较好的环境治理。环境安全可以被理解为一系列的价值观、原则、政策、技术、体制和程序,由此,社区与社会管理环境和自然资源以透明、负责任的参与和公平的方式克服可持续发展的障碍。可持续发展与环境安全是否相互依存、相互促进还需要进一步论证。环境安全和可持续发展之间的关系也常常解释为实际的产出。社会性学习对于应对有关的不安全环境,并导致不可持续发展的挑战至关重要。社会必须利用信息共享、传播和共同的理解改进决策而发展适应改变的能力。这只有通过发展学习型社会才能成为可能。环境安全和可持续发展是社会性学习的产出,而且所有相关方利用创新方法的环境友好政策,是基于环境安全和环境治理的原则为基础的,大大地推动了生态系统的管理、性别公平、尊重人权、解决冲突、建立社区信任为应对未来的意外或潜在风险和新的挑战需要适应性管理,建立社会和生态系统恢复。应集中努力改进人们的生活质量,不要使用超过环境所能承受的自然资源能力。     

Detecting diclofenac in livestock carcasses in India with an ELISA: a tool to prevent widespread vulture poisoning

Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has caused catastrophic vulture declines across the Indian sub-continent. Here, an indirect ELISA is used to detect and quantify diclofenac in 1251 liver samples from livestock carcasses collected across India between August 2007 and June 2008, one to two years after a ban on diclofenac manufacture and distribution for veterinary use was implemented. The ELISAs applicability was authenticated with independent data obtained using LC-ESI/MS. Of 1251 samples, 1150 (91.9%) were negative for diclofenac using both methods, and 60 (4.8%) were positive at 10-4348 and 10-4441 μg kg(-1) when analysed by ELISA and LC-ESI/MS, respectively. The residue level relationship in the 60 positive samples was highly significant (p < 0.001, r(2) = 0.644). Data suggest that this immunological assay could be used not only for cost effective sample screening, but also for residue level semi-quantification.     

Performance of a naturally growing Parmelioid lichen Remototrachyna awasthii against organic and inorganic pollutants

The present study aims to assess the level and possible sources of organic and inorganic pollutants in Mahableshwar city in Western part of India and their effect on naturally growing foliose lichen Remototrachyana awasthii (Hale & Patw.) Divakar & A. Crespo. This lichen species growing abundantly in the area was collected from eight different sites on the basis of anthropogenic activities detected in the area. The concentration of inorganic heavy metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Pb, Mn, and Zn) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed and correlated with photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, Chl b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid) together with chlorophyll degradation and protein contents. The concentration of most of the metals at different sites was significantly greater than at the control site (P?<?0.001). The highest metal content was found at Bus Stand and Panchgani, a tourist place that experiences heavy traffic activities. The concentration of PAHs, particularly of two-and three-ringed PAHs, was also found to be the highest in samples collected at Bus Stand area. The chlorophyll degradation and protein content were found to be the most sensitive parameters to assess the vitality of lichen thallus against wide range of air pollutants. The effectiveness of R. awasthii as a biomonitor will be investigated in the near future by comparing this species with other biomonitors.     

Chemical and biological extraction of metals present in E waste: A hybrid technology

Management of metal pollution associated with E-waste is widespread across the globe. Currently used techniques for the extraction of metals from E-waste by using either chemical or biological leaching have their own limitations. Chemical leaching is much rapid and efficient but has its own environmental consequences, even the future prospects of associated nanoremediation are also uncertain. Biological leaching on the other hand is comparatively a cost effective technique but at the same moment it is time consuming and the complete recovery of the metal, alone by biological leaching is not possible in most of the cases. The current review addresses the individual issues related to chemical and biological extraction techniques and proposes a hybrid-methodology which incorporates both, along with safer chemicals and compatible microbes for better and efficient extraction of metals from the E-waste.     

The ecological dynamics of low external input agriculture: A case study of hill farming in a developing country

This paper on Low External Input Agriculture (LEIA) has explored how indigenous hill farming systems in a developing country setting of rural Nepal are functioning and which ecological properties of such systems could contribute to the development of Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA). Three cases were studied using direct field observation, group discussion and interviews, and the important practices of LEIA were ranked into eight classes to analyse the ecological sustainability of the hill farming systems. The study shows that the hill farming system is complex, diverse, heavily reliant on local resources and focuses on the renewability of production resources within the farm. All this can greatly contribute to make the system ecologically sustainable. However, demands for increased production put considerable pressure on farmers to apply external inputs which, if in excess, may jeopardise the whole system. A prerequisite for guidance in careful soil management is the strengthening of supportive research aimed at teaching farmers how to use external inputs. This must agree with the principles of sustainable agriculture and take into account the site-specific variations which are characteristic of Nepalese hill farming systems. We defined the term Ecological Dynamics as 'the pattern of changes in structure and/or forces in processes which govern the development of natural and artificial ecosystems'. This definition assists in identification of trends in ecological sustainability. Understanding indigenous farming systems reveals important ecological clues essential for the development of sustainable agriculture.     

Arsenic accumulation in lichens of Mandav monuments, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, India

Total arsenic in four different growth forms of lichens growing on old monuments in the city of Mandav, Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, India was analyzed. Among the different growth forms, foliose lichens were found to accumulate higher amounts of arsenic followed by leprose form. The squamulose and crustose form accumulates the lower concentration of arsenic and ranged between 0.46 ± 0.03 and 20.99 ± 0.58 μg g^???1 dry weight, while the foliose and leprose lichens have ranges from 10.98–51.95 and 28.63–51.20 μg g^???1 dry weight, respectively. The substrate having high arsenic ranges also exhibit higher ranges of arsenic on lichens growing on them. The cyanolichens exhibit higher concentration of arsenic than the green photobiont-containing squamulose form. The higher concentration of arsenic was found at site having past mining activities. LSD (1%) shows significant difference for As concentration in lichens thallus between the selected sites and species both.     

Changing lichen diversity in and around urban settlements of Garhwal Himalayas due to increasing anthropogenic activities

Decrease in lichen diversity is an important biometric tool to assess the prevailing environmental condition in an area. An attempt has been made to explore the utility of lichen diversity in the monitoring of air pollution in the city of Pauri and Srinagar, Garhwal Himalayas, Uttaranchal. Eighty five lichen species were recorded from Pauri and Srinagar (Garhwal) in June 2005. It was observed that polluted sites had very low lichen diversity, mostly dominated by members of lichen family Physciaceae. Kiyonkaleshwar area is the site with maximum lichen diversity (46 lichen taxa) located in a more or less pollution-free area of Pauri city. Two-dimensional principal components analysis plot revealed significant positive contribution of natural (unaltered) sites towards lichen biodiversity, thus affirming the utility of lichen diversity in biomonitoring studies in a wide geographical area.     

Pollution monitoring with the help of lichen transplant technique at some residential sites of Lucknow City, Uttar Pradesh

Samples of foliose lichen, Dirinaria consimillis (Fr.) Awasthi were transplanted at six residential sites of Lucknow city for monitoring the concentration of Cr, Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd metals at two vertical positions. The concentration of chromium and copper were more at the higher vertical position than the lower one. The maximum zinc was at lower vertical position than the upper one. Lead and cadmium were not detected in the present study.     

Heavy Metal Accumulation in Lichens from the Hetauda Industrial Area Narayani Zone Makwanpur District, Nepal

Lichen samples collected in and around Hetauda Industrial area,(HIA) Narayani zone, Makwanpur district, Nepal, were analyzedfor Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Ca, Mn, Fe, Si, and Al. The samples fromthe location inside the industrial area have higher levels ofmetal than the outside areas. Pyxine meissnerina growinginside the industrial area accumulated higher levels of all themetals analyzed.