Effect of Nickel and Cadmium on Ammonium Uptake Kinetics of Free and Immobilized Cells of Anacystis nidulans

The stress effect of Ni and Cd on the ammonium uptake varied significantly (ANOVA test) in free and immobilized state of the test organism. The effect due to the interaction between different variables (cell state type, metal type and metal dose) was studied to depict the significant or non‐significant variation in the ammonium uptake by free and immobilized cells in the presence of metal ions. Ammonium uptake exhibited a competitive mode of inhibition in the presence of Ni in both free and immobilized state of the organism. However, Cd exhibited non‐competitive and competitive inhibition in free and immobilized cells, respectively. The study demonstrates that there is a considerable influence of metal ions on the ammonium uptake. Cd was found to be more toxic compared to Ni in both free and immobilized state.     

Adsorption of Cadmium Ions from Aqueous Solution Using Granular Activated Carbon and Activated Clay

The present study was aimed at removing cadmium ions from aqueous solution through batch studies using adsorbents, such as, granular activated carbon (GAC) and activated clay (A‐clay). GAC was of commercial grade where as the A‐clay was prepared by acid treatment of clay with 1 mol/L of H₂SO₄. Bulk densities of A‐clay and GAC were 1132 and 599 kg/m³, respectively. The surface areas were 358 m²/g for GAC and 90 m²/g for A‐clay. The adsorption studies were carried out to optimize the process parameters, such as, pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time. The results obtained were analyzed for kinetics and adsorption isotherm studies. The pH value was optimized at pH 6 giving maximum Cd removal of 84 and 75.2% with GAC and A‐clay, respectively. The adsorbent dosage was optimized and was found to be 5 g/L for GAC and 10 g/L for A‐clay. Batch adsorption studies were carried out with initial adsorbate (Cd) concentration of 100 mg/L and adsorbent dosage of 10 g/L at pH 6. The optimum contact time was found to be 5 h for both the adsorbents. Kinetic studies showed Cd removal a pseudo second order process. The isotherm studies revealed Langmuir isotherm to better fit the data than Freundlich isotherm.     

Study of Ozone and NO2 over Gadanki – a rural site in South India

We have studied long-term changes in tropospheric NO₂ over South India using ground-based observations, and GOME and OMI satellite data. We have found that unlike urban regions, the region between Eastern and Western Ghat mountain ranges experiences statistically significant decreasing trend. There are few ground-based observatories to verify satellite based trends for rural regions. However, using a past study and recent measurements we show a statistically significant decrease in NO_X and O₃ mixing ratio over a rural location (Gadanki; 13.48° N, 79.18° E) in South India. In the ground-based records of surface NO_X, the concentration during 2010–11 is found to be lower by 0.9 ppbv which is nearly 60 % of the values observed during 1994–95. Small but statistically significant decrease in noon-time peak ozone concentration is also observed. Noon-time peak ozone concentration has decreased from 34?±?13 ppbv during 1993–96 to 30?±?15 ppbv during 2010–11. NO_X mixing ratios are very low over Gadanki. In spite of low NO_X values (0.5 to 2 ppbv during 2010–11), ozone mixing ratios are not significantly low compared to many cities with high NO_X. The monthly mean ozone mixing ratio varies from 9 ppbv to 37 ppbv with high values during Spring and low values during late Summer. Using a box-model, we show that presence of VOCs is also very important in addition to NO_X in determining ozone levels in rural environment and to explain its seasonal cycle.     

Modeling the effects of aerosols to increase rainfall in regions with shortage

It is well known that the emissions of hot gases from various power stations and other industrial sources in the regional atmosphere cause decrease in rainfall around these complexes. To overcome this shortage, one method is to introduce artificially conducive aerosol particles in the atmosphere using aeroplane to increase rainfall. To prove the feasibility of this idea, in this paper, a nonlinear mathematical model is proposed involving five dependent variables, namely, the volume density of water vapour, number densities of cloud droplets and raindrops, and the concentrations of small and large size conducive aerosol particles. It is assumed that two types of aerosol particles are introduced in the regional atmosphere, one of them is of small size CCN type which is conducive to increase cloud droplets from vapour phase, while the other is of large size and is conducive to transform the cloud droplets to raindrops. The model is analyzed using stability theory of differential equations and computer simulation. The model analysis shows that due to the introduction of conducive aerosol particles in the regional atmosphere, the rainfall increases as compared to the case when no aerosols are introduced in the atmosphere of the region under consideration. The computer simulation confirms the analytical results.     

Investigations on a Large Collection of Cosmic Dust From the Central Indian Ocean

We collected 1,245 spherules from the Central Indian Ocean basin by Magnetic cosmic dust collection (MACDUC) experiment raking the deep sea floor. This collection ranks among the large deep sea collections of cosmic dust. For this study, 168 particles are analyzed with SEM-EDS to characterise their cosmic nature and identify the processes that their morphological features, textures and chemical compositions reveal. All the three basic types of cosmic spherules have been identified: I-type, S-type and the G-type. The silicate or the S-type spherules are dominant in this collection. In all, 115 spherules were sectioned, polished and analyzed for major elements. I-type spherules are mainly composed of Fe and Ni oxides, some have metallic cores where appreciable amounts of Co is observed in addition to glassy phases with lithophile elements are also observed in these spherules. These evidences are supportive of the view that the I-type spherules could be metal grains from carbonaceous/unequilibrated chondritic bodies. The S-type spherules show elemental composition of Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Fe, and Ni approximately similar to chondritic compositions. In addition, some other rare particles such as an S-type sphere which contains a large zoned relict chromite crystal, other spheres with a semi-porphyritic/barred olivine texture are also observed. While most the S-type spherules appear to have carbonaceous chondrites as their parent bodies, the relict grain bearing spherule shows distinctly an ordinary chondritic parent body.     

The structure of the equatorial mesosphere at Thumba

The structure of the equatorial mesosphere is being investigated at Thumba by rocket borne ultraviolet absorption photometry as well as by the meteorological M-100 rocket launching programme. Whereas the meteorological M-100 rocket luanching programme has been regular, the UV absorption studies have been few in number and sporadic in nature. In this paper an attempt is made to consolidate the results so far obtained from both these investigations.     

Two layers of Australasian impact ejecta in the Indian Ocean?

Abstract— Only 2 Australasian tektites have been found in the Indian Ocean, and both are associated with surficial sediments. We collected cores from both locations where the tektites have been reported. The microtektites in these cores (and both the tektites, as reported earlier) have chemical compositions within the compositional range previously reported for Australasian tektites and microtektites. In both locations, while the tektites are occurring at the sediment/water interface, the microtektites are found buried in older horizons beneath the seafloor at stratigraphic levels, conforming to the radiometric age of the strewn field. Thus, at first glance, there appear to be 2 layers of Australasian impact ejecta in the Indian Ocean. However, the manganese nodules are associated with the tektites which, although millions of years old, are invariably resting on recent sediments. Therefore, the mechanism that retains nodules at the seafloor also seems to be operative on the tektites, thus leading to this apparent “age paradox” of tektite/microtektite distribution in the Indian Ocean, although they both belong to the same impact event.     

Geniculate coralline algae from the Neogene-Quaternary sediments in and around Porbandar,southwest coast of India

The present paper documents nine geniculate coralline algal species, namely Arthrocardia cretacica, Calliarthron antiquum, Corallina hayasaki, C. marshallensis, C. prisca, C. typica, Jania mengaudi, J. sripadaraoi and J. vetus from Neogene-Quaternary sediments of Porbandar area, Saurahtra, Gujarat. Out of nine species, six species namely Arthrocardia cretacica, Calliarthron antiquum, Corallina hayasaki, C. marshallensis, C. prisca and C. typica occur in the Dwarka Formation (lower-middle Miocene), one species Jania sripadaraoi occurs in the Adatiana Member of the Miliolite Formation (early middle-late Pleistocene) and two species namely, Jania mengaudi and J. vetus occur in the Porbandar Calcarenite Member of the Chaya Formation (late Pleistocene-late Holocene). These species indicate that the Dwarka Formation and the Adatiana Member of the Miliolite Formation were deposited in tropical marine environment with moderate to low energy conditions at depths ranging from intertidal to 60 m, and that the Porbandar Calcarenite Member of the Chaya Formation was deposited in a tropical marine environment under moderate to low energy conditions at depths ranging from 40 m to 60 m.