Suitability For Human Consumption Research Articles

Comparative Studies on Phytochemicals and Physicochemical Compositions of Chrysophyllum albidum G: Don Seeds Oil and Edible Commercial Oil

Aims: This study was designed to compare the extractable yield of Chrysophyllum albidum seed oil, the phytoconstituents, and physicochemical parameters with the commercially available vegetable oil, to ascertain their suitability for human consumption and industrial uses.
 Place and Duration of Study: Biomedicinal Research Centre, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, between October, 2018 to July, 2019.
 Methodology: The seeds were collected from two locations (a parent tree in the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) and as well procured at Akesan market in Oyo town (Oyo) all in Oyo State, Nigeria. The experiments were executed adopting the standard procedures. The air-dried powdered C. albidum seed was cold macerated with analytical grade N-Hexane. The oils were purified using activated charcoal and qualitatively screened to ascertain the phytochemicals in them. Physico-chemical parameters were quantitatively determined following AOAC guidelines.
 Results: The results revealed that C. albidum is a low oil yielding seed especially when cold maceration was employed. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides in all the oils. Saponins were found only in the oil from the FRIN source. While tannins and flavonoids were absent in all the oils. The physico-chemical parameters revealed the ranges of 0.90 - 9.45 mgKOH/g (Acid value), 101.90 - 356.60 mgKOH/g (saponification value), 65.30 - 78.00 mg/g (iodine value), 101.00 - 348.50 (ester value), 2.93 - 6.21 (PH value), 0.787 - 0.900g/cm3 (Relative density) and 1.4590 - 1.6560 (Refractive index @280C).
 Conclusion: It can be deduced that there are disparities in the yield, phytoconstituents and the physico-chemicals of the oils used for this study. Further research is needed on the C. albidum oil to validate its edibility and affirm its medicinal uses.

Quality characteristics of extracted oil from the head and gills of Catfish and Titus fish

BackgroundThe research was carried out to assess the lipid characteristics of oil extracted from the head and gills of Claris macrocephalus and Scomber scombrus.ResultsThe results confirmed the presence of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, C22:6 as the major fatty acids. Titus fish head (TFHD) oil had a total saturated fatty acid (TSFA) of 40.804 ± 0.002% of which C16:0 and C18:0 were the most dominant fatty acids present while the total monounsaturated fatty (TMUFA) acids present in the oil was 33.853 ± 0.001%. The total polyunsaturated fatty acid (TPUFA) content of the TFHD oil sample was found to be 25.368 ± 0.002%. The results revealed that the total unsaturated fatty acid (TUFA) present in the TFHD was higher than the TSFA. The results obtained for Titus fish gills (TFGL) oil sample followed the same trend as observed in the head sample. The results showed that the four (4) oil samples contain high level of palmitic acid (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0) both of which are saturated fatty acids (SFA). The main MUFA identified was C18:1 (cis-6) and ranged from 14.120 ± 0.004 to 20.418 ± 0.002% for TFHD, TFGL, CFHD, CFGL and oleic acid (C18:1) ranged from 10.297 ± 0.001 to 11.570 ± 0.003% for TFHD, TFGL, CFHD and CFGL.ConclusionsOils of CFHD and TFHD showed higher peroxide values indicating suitability for human consumption.

Occurrence and hazard assessment of natural radioactivity in drinking water in South Lebanon.

This study is intended to assess the natural radioactivity in the drinking water in the southern region of Lebanon and to determine its suitability for human consumption. In this context, activity concentrations for gross alpha, gross beta, 238U, 234U, and radon from selected drinking water sources, wells, and springs and the corresponding tap water, in the area under investigation, were determined during both the wet and the dry seasons. The maximum recorded activities of gross alpha, gross beta, and radon measured using liquid scintillation counter were found to be 374.6 ± 11.5mBq L-1 for gross alpha, 418 ± 12mBq L-1 for gross beta, and 42,900 ± 370mBq L-1 for radon. Whereas, alpha spectroscopy analysis for uranium content showed maximum activities of 53.7 ± 2.1mBq L-1 for 238U and 55.9 ± 2.3mBq L-1 for 234U. Significant seasonal activity variation between wet and dry season was noticed only in gross alpha concentrations. In addition, significant variation between sources and tap water was recorded only in radon concentrations. Whereas, no significant variation was noted in radioactivity concentrations in waters from springs and those from wells. In contrast to all sampled locations, the annual effective dose of only one sampled well (Aitaroun) exceeded the WHO individual dose criterion (IDC) level of 100 µSv year-1 and recorded an annual effective dose of 170 µSv year-1, 103 µSv year-1, and 127 µSv year-1 for infants, children, and adults, respectively.

Heavy metals concentration in soils and crop plants within the vicinity of abandoned mine sites in Nigeria: an integrated indexical and chemometric approach

ABSTRACT In the Okurumutet-Iyamitet Mine area, mining is done by the open-cast method, without environmental impact assessment, thereby exposing the environment and its inhabitants to risks. This study aimed to assess the toxicological processes that control the plants’ heavy metal uptake into their tissues, the suitability for human consumption, and the possible sources of heavy metals using an integrated approach. The concentration of selected trace metals in plant samples was analysed by the microwave digestion method using 1 mL and 6 mL of concentrated perchloric acid and nitric acid respectively. The concentration of heavy metals in soil samples was analysed by extraction and centrifugation following standard procedures. The extracts collected were analysed by placing them into the flame of the PerkinElmer Analyst 200 atomic absorption spectrophotometer and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer for soil and plants respectively. The concentration of heavy metals decreased in the order: Fe > Zn > Mn > Ba > Pb > Cd and Fe > Zn > Ba > Mn > Pb > Cd for the soil and cassava plants respectively. When compared with the Food and Agricultural Organisation/World health organisation and soil quality guideline, Cd recorded values in soils above the required standards. Numerical models revealed a moderate to high extent of heavy metal pollution in soil with Cd and Fe posing the highest contamination level across all the samples. The translocation factor revealed that heavy metals are more accumulated in the leaves than tubers. Similarly, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) showed that the inhabitants are exposed to heavy metal contamination from the consumption of cassava tubers, as the BCF values were >1.00. Chemometric analyses identified anthropogenic activities as the major influence on the accumulation and bioavailability of heavy metals. Hence, emphasis should be placed on Cd and Fe to mitigate further heavy metal pollution in the area.

Development of cereal bar with baru almonds and pineaplle peels

Cereal bars have gained constantly growing interests because of their nutritional quality and practicality in consumption. To meet the increasing market needs, their formulation strategies are evolving with each passing day. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a new formulation of cereal bars with baru almonds and pineapple peels, an agricultural waste, added in different quantities, or be 5.5% F1, 8.5% F2, and 9.5% F3. The developed bars were characterised for microbiological quality, sensory acceptability, and physico-chemical properties. The microbiological analysis identifying <10 CFU/ g of molds and yeasts on the bars indicated their suitability for human consumption. Further, their sensory evaluation revealed good acceptability and purchase intentions. The three formulations - F1, F2, and F3 - evaluated here were not significantly different; however, the average percentage of the acceptability index attributes of each formulation identified F2 as the best formulation. Subsequent physico-chemical analysis of F2 revealed the nutritional potential of the prepared bars with 50.1% carbohydrates, 3.44% fibres, 12.24% proteins and 19.25% lipids. Overall, these findings demonstrated that the improved nutrient composition of the prepared cereal bars is attributed to baru almonds and pineapple peels. This study paved the way for utilising industrial wastes and escalating the use of native fruits of Brazil to develop nutrient-rich convenient foods.

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Lycopersicon Esculentum Grown with Tannery Sludge across Some Selected Farmlands in Dawakin Kudu LGA of Kano State, Nigeria

Today, human health has been adversely exposed to many inauspicious threats due to human activities. Evidently, ecotoxicological studies documented that industrial and agricultural wastes tremendously contribute to the contemporary environmental pollution. Meanwhile, the application of tannery sludge as fertilizer has been recently reported in Dawakin Kudu LGA of Kano State, Nigeria and this sludge was suspected to have contained a large quantity of toxic metals. This study was aimed to investigate the presence of toxic metals including Cd, Cr and Pb in the fruits of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) grown with tannery sludge in the selected farms in the study area in order to ascertain their suitability for human consumption. The toxic metals (Cr, Cd and Pb) were found to be incorporated into the tissue of tomato

Characterization of Sardinella fimbriata and Clarias gariepinus bones

Abstract. Rosidi WNATM, Arshad NM, Mohtar NF. 2021. Characterization of Sardinella fimbriata and Clarias gariepinus bones. Biodiversitas 22: 1621-1626. Calcium is one of the most important minerals required by the human body, which can be directly consumed from milk or any dietary supplement. This study was carried out to determine the calcium content in Fringescale sardinella (Sardinella fimbriata) and catfish (Clarias gariepinus) bones and compare their suitability for human consumption. Fish bones were cleaned, boiled, dried, and ground into powder. Bones from both species were white in color and odorless after drying. The protein content of S. fimbriata was measured to be 20.40 ± 1.61%, while for C. gariepinus it was 19.47 ± 0.61%. Ash content of S. fimbriata and C. gariepinus bones was 62.32 ± 0.08% and 67.9 ± 0.25%, respectively. S. fimbriata bone exhibited 16.4 ± 0.15% moisture, higher than C. gariepinus (7.71 ± 0.14%). The lipid content of S. fimbriata was 0.77 ± 0.17% and for C. gariepinus it was 3.56 ± 0.9%. The solubility of S. fimbriata bone was 23.67 ± 2.65%, higher than that of in C. gariepinus bone (9.02 ± 2.19%). The calcium content found in S. fimbriata and C. gariepinus bones were 4.96 ± 0.13 µg/g and 4.79 ± 0.06 µg/g, respectively. S. fimbriata bone exhibited higher solubility than that of C. gariepinus and was more suitable for human consumption. Overall findings have suggested the calcium from fish bones that may replace commercial calcium in the market, thus meeting the requirements of food safety standards.

Study of chemical pollution of well water in Doura area / south of Baghdad with some minor and heavy elements (Fe - Mn - Zn - Cu - Co - Pb - Cd and Ni)

The ingress of sewage and industrial waste into aquifers is a clear source of groundwater quality deterioration and pollution. This poses a great danger to public health and calls for an urgent need to follow up on the physical, chemical and biological analyzes of groundwater samples. In order to determine its suitability for human consumption.

Geochemical assessment of groundwater in the Kuiseb River basin in Namibia

Groundwater is one of the most valuable natural resources in the world, and, a limited resource, particularly for Namibia. For this reason, this resource should be protected and monitored on a regular basis for sustainability. One of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all with specific emphasis on data and good governance. Therefore, this study was conducted in the Kuiseb Basin, Namibia to assess the physical and chemical quality of groundwater, chemical water type and chemical characteristics of sediment to determine its suitability for human consumption. Water and sediments samples from 20 sampling sites (boreholes) were analysed for physical and chemical characteristics and the following mean values were obtained for temperature (26.66 °C), electrical conductivity (396.85 mS/m), pH (7.26), total dissolved solid (494.45 mg/L) and dissolved oxygen (7.46 mg/L). Physico-chemical results suggest that the Kuiseb Basin is predominantly a calcium bicarbonate water type (Ca (HCO3)2) and most of the physico-chemical parameters tested fell within the permissible limits for drinking water set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Analysis of the major ion chemistry (Mg2+ > + Ca2+ > + Na+ > + K+ and HCO3− > CO3− > SO4 2− > Cl−) indicated the dominance of rock-water interaction and the influence of anthropogenic activities as the main processes controlling groundwater chemistry in the area. It is recommended that the Basin, as a heavily used and sensitive environment, requires basin-wide river management.

Microbial infestation triggered quality depreciation in stored wheat: Assessment for animal consumption and bioethanol production

Five samples of microbially spoilt wheat (SW) grains were investigated for their suitability as food, feed or feed supplement using various biochemical analyses. Microbial infestation had visibly deteriorated grains' appearance that manifested the most in sample SW6 with diminished test weight (15.20g) and starch content (29.16%) against corresponding values of 38.86 g and 60.59%, in reference wheat (NW1). The other spoiled samples however contained reasonable levels of starch ranging from 51.20 to 57.26%. While the contents of nitrogen (1.90–2.24%) and protein (10.83–12.77%) were almost similar in various samples regardless of spoilage, the phosphorus content increased with spoilage from 4400 ppm in sample NW1 to 7200 ppm in SW6. Although the chemical composition testifies the suitability of wheat samples as food but the increased loads of bacteria (6.954–9.204 log cfu/g) and molds (5.477–7.477 log cfu/g), like Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Mucor and Penicillium restrict their suitability for human consumption. Further the presence of aflatoxins and ochratoxin ‘A’ in SW5 (26.7 ppb) and SW6 (213.7 ppb) and the higher concentrations of heavy metal viz. Lead, simply questions their use, even as feed or its supplement. Availability of starch and other essential nutrients in spoilt wheat pointed towards the possibility of its conversion into bioethanol. A hydrolyzed 30% slurry of flour samples SW2-SW5, produced 9.6–11.3% (v/v) ethanol in 24h against 8.3% by NW1, in the absence of any externally added yeast nutrients. This is the first report showing that the microbially deteriorated grains paradoxically resulted in added rate of ethanol production on wheat.

Bioethanol production from Brewer’s rice by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis: evaluation of process kinetics and performance

ABSTRACT Brewer’s rice, or known as temukut in Malaysia, is a by-product of rice processing typically sold cheaply as animal feed because of its low esthetic value and lack of suitability for human consumption. To date, few works have discussed its utilization in bioethanol production for fuel or industrial usage. Due to its low price, availability, and high carbohydrate content, brewer’s rice possesses high potential to be an alternative raw material for bioethanol production. This work was aimed at evaluating the viability of ethanol production from brewer’s rice by comparing the kinetics and performance of bioethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis respectively. Prior to batch fermentation with S. cerevisiae and Z. mobilis, the brewer’s rice was first gelatinized with diluted HCl and then hydrolyzed using amylolytic digestion to produce a sugar-rich hydrolyzate. Overall, superior ethanol productivity was obtained with the bacterium compared to the more commonly used yeast (70.71% yield vs 31.35% yield). Using the modified Gompertz model, maximum potential bioethanol concentration (Pm ) of 9.85 g/L, maximum bioethanol production rate (rpm ) of 0.89 g/L/h and lag time (tL ) of 1.88 h were observed for Z. mobilis, demonstrating superior fermentative capability compared to the yeast. The findings demonstrated the viability of brewer’s rice as a raw material for efficient ethanol production using Z. mobilis as an appropriate fermenting microorganism. Results also point to the sustainable use of waste in rice processing and diversification of end uses of brewer’s rice, among others.

Parametrization of groundwater quality of the Quaternary aquifer in N'Djamena (Chad), Lake Chad Basin: application of numerical and multivariate analyses.

The urban groundwater of the Quaternary aquifer of the Lake Chad basin in N'Djamena has been subject to many hydrochemical studies. However, the results are often not presented in a way that enables water quality managers to make an appropriate decisions, which restrict development and poverty reduction efforts. The objective of the present study was to contribute the improved management of the local groundwater resources. A total of 85 groundwater samples were interpreted using hydrochemical techniques associated with integrated numerical indices and multivariate statistical analysis. The hydrochemical results coupled with the relative residence time of water have shown that the chemical composition of these waters is linked to geogenic and anthropogenic factors and to their proximity to the Chari-Logone rivers. These investigations showed that the groundwater quality in N'Djamena is characterized by a high spatial variability. This study also assessed the suitability of groundwater for user needs and identified areas which are more/less favorable for a specific use. The evaluation of water quality and its suitability for human consumption is also a problem of optimizing data acquisition strategy, and this study used the correlation between water quality index (WQI) and electrical conductivity (EC) to orientate future data acquisition strategies. This parametrization can assist the decision makers and water management professionals in evaluating groundwater availability and setting up a robust water quality management plan in areas with similar hydrogeological and climatic conditions.

Heavy metal content and health risk assessment of a South-eastern Nigeria River

An enormous deficiency lag exists in the demand and supply of potable water in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. The people have to pay lots of money to get potable water from water vendors, and those who cannot afford to pay patronize other unwholesome sources. Ossah River, one of the local drinking water sources, was studied to assess the heavy metal content and health risk assessment vis-a-vis its suitability for human consumption. Eight (8) heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Pb, Fe, Zn, Cd, Cr and Ni) were assessed between January and June 2018 in 3 stations, using atomic absorption spectrometer, and compared with Nigerian drinking water standards. Some of the heavy metals evaluated exceeded standards and warranted health risk assessment. Health risk assessment for all the stations indicated that there is no particularly dangerous single heavy metal, but their cumulative effect, indicated by the hazard index (HI). HI for all the stations highly exceeded threshold value (1). This calls for concern for both adults and children exposed to the water through ingestion. The heavy metal contamination observed was geogenic, exacerbated by anthropogenic activities.

Residual Levels of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus, Linnaeus, 1758) Marketed within a Niger Delta Community

The residual levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Atlantic Mackerel, Scomber scrombrus (mean length 44.87 cm, mean weight 478.35 g) marketed in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, were determined by Gas Chromatographic (GC) technique in order to ascertain its suitability for human consumption. The summary statistics for the mean concentrations of detectable PCBs in S. scrombrus ranged from 0.04 mg/kg (PCB 153) to 0.65 mg/kg (PCB 126), with a total of 0.93 mg/kg while the mean concentrations of PCBs in S. scrombrus by market ranged from 0.02 mg/kg (PCB 153) at Cable market to 0.82 mg/kg (PCB 126) at Abraka market with no observed significant difference (p>0.05) in the mean concentrations of PCB 153 and PCB 169 in fish between markets. The toxicity quotient (TQ) values for PCBs in S. scrombrus ranged from 0.02 (PCB 153) to 0.33(PCB 126) while the estimated daily intake (EDI) values in mg/person/day for PCBs ranged from 0.00072 (PCB 138) to 0.026 (PCB 126). A toxic equivalency (TEQ) value of 0.0656 was recorded with PCB 126 having the highest Sub-TEQ value of 0.065 while the total PCB content in S. scrombrus according to market ranged from 0.67 mg/kg (Cable market) to 1.20 mg/kg (Abraka market). The observed PCB levels in fish fell below International threshold values indicating suitability for human consumption. However constant monitoring of this aquatic species for hazardous levels of PCBs was highly recommended.

Assessment of groundwater quality based on GIS and geochemical methods: coastal aquifer of Bouficha (North-Eastern Tunisia)

In Tunisia, Groundwater is an important water source for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses, but the deterioration of its quality, under the influence of anthropogenic activities and natural factors, limits its suitability for human consumption and irrigation. The present study was carried out to assess groundwater quality in Bouficha aquifer in north-eastern Tunisia using geochemical, geospatial and statistical techniques. The relationship between groundwater quality and Land Use Land Cover (LULC) patterns were also explored using remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS) and Landsat satellite images. Groundwater samples were collected from sixteen wells in April 2015 and analyzed for their physical and chemical characteristics. Concentrations of major cations and anions in the groundwater vary spatially. The dominant water types in the investigation area are Na-Cl and Ca–SO4. A basic statistical study, applying hierarchical classification analysis confirms the existence of two groundwater types. To evaluate the suitability of groundwater for irrigation, chemical data were assessed using methods such as Electrical Conductivity, Kelley’s ratio, Sodium Absorption Ratio, Magnesium Hazards, as well as Residual Sodium Carbonate. Regarding drinking groundwater assessment, the World Health Organization (WHO) standards were applied to define sites with drinking water permissible levels. Information was loaded in an ArcGIS software and analyzed with a Spatial Analyst extension using Inverse Spline interpolation methods. Fluoride content in most samples has values as high as 1.97 mg/L, with 53% of the samples showing fluoride concentration higher than the level suggested by the WHO for drinking water of 1.5 mg/L and ratified by the National Society of Exploitation and Drinking Potable Water of Tunisia. Additionally, reported nitrate concentrations are higher than the expected groundwater background level of 10 mg/L; indeed, values are up to 286 mg/L, being hazardous for domestic use and suggesting the presence of anthropogenic sources of water contamination. The Land Use and Land Cover (LULCC) of Bouficha aquifer were changed over seventeen years. The Landsat satellite images have shown that the built-up area increased from 2001 to 2018 to the detriment of water and crop vegetation. The overuse of fertilizers on a total agricultural area of Bouficha aquifer (60%) led to significant pollutants, including nitrate and a deterioration in its water quality. Regarding the WHO and the Tunisian drinking water guidelines, this work provides substantial evidence that groundwater quality is posing a significant health threat for residents. Similarly, results show groundwater’s chemical content is also unsuitable for economic activities in the Bouficha region, mainly hazardous for irrigation purposes.

Assessment of bacterial loads of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) obtained from cultured and natural habitats

BackgroundAfrican catfish (Clarias garipienus) is a major tropical aquaculture species in Africa and most cultivated by fish farmers in Nigeria. The dominance of African catfish for fish farming is attributed to several favourable characteristics such as its ability to tolerate a varying range of environmental conditions, high stocking densities under culture conditions, fast growth rate, acceptability of artificial feed, high fecundity rate, ease of artificial breeding and high market value. However, catfishes are known to harbour bacteria which limit its suitability for human consumption. Hence, this study was conducted to compare the bacterial loads of C. gariepinus from cultured and natural habitats.MethodologyA total number of twelve live adult (200–799 g) C. gariepinus comprising 3 each were randomly obtained from two cultured habitats (ponds) and two natural habitats (rivers). In the laboratory, the skin and the intestine of the fish were examined for the presence of bacteria using nutrient, mannitol salt and cetrimide agars.ResultsSeven bacteria isolates namely, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus spp. were identified from the catfishes using their colonial, morphological and biochemical characteristics. The results showed that the total bacterial loads in cultured habitat (skin, 25.77 × 104cfu/g; intestine, 22.50 × 104cfu/g) were significantly higher than the total bacterial load recorded in natural habitat (skin, 15.94 × 104cfu/g, intestine, 14.23 × 104cfu/g). Specifically, total Staphylococcal loads (skin, 10.40 × 104cfu/g; intestine, 10.77 × 104cfu/g) and Pseudomonad loads (skin, 6.80 × 104cfu/g; intestine, 8.00 × 104cfu/g) were significantly higher in cultured habitat than natural habitat where Staphylococcal loads (skin, 6.66 × 104cfu/g; intestine, 5.50 × 104cfu/g) and Pseudomonad loads (skin, 5.46 × 104cfu/g; intestine, 5.54 × 104cfu/g) were recorded. Generally, it was observed that bacterial loads were higher on the skin compare to intestines of C. gariepinus obtained from both habitats.ConclusionThe study showed that bacterial loads were more in C. gariepinus obtained from cultured habitat compared to those obtained from natural habitat. It is therefore recommended that sanitary conditions under which fish are reared in fish pond should be improved.

Seasonal changes in groundwater composition in an industrial center of south India and quality evaluation for consumption and health risk using geospatial methods

Effluents from leather tanneries and other small-scale industries have caused groundwater contamination in one of the biggest industrial centers (i.e. Vellore) of south India. This study evaluated quality of 70 different open and tube wells for consumption and health risks by collecting groundwater samples in four different seasons between 2017−2018. We compared physicochemical parameters of the groundwater samples with international drinking water standards (World Health Organization) to know their suitability for human consumption. Piper’s trilinear diagram classified most of them as Ca-Cl and mixed Ca-Mg-Cl types. Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) spatial interpolation showed the spatial distributions of different groundwater quality parameters. These parameters, including the Water Quality Index (WQI), indicated that most of the samples collected during the non-rainfall seasons (post-NE monsoon: 82.8 %; pre-SW monsoon: 78.6 %) were ‘poor’ for consumption. However, the qualities of 40–44.3 % of samples collected during both the rainfall seasons (NE and SW monsoon) were “good”. We evaluated non-carcinogenic health risks for children and adults from consumption of the nitrate-rich groundwater by estimating the Hazard Quotient (HQ). Our results did not suggest any health risk for children and adults during both the rainfall seasons. In the non-rainfall seasons, about 59–63 % of samples posed health risk to children and 37–39 % caused possible health risk to the adult population.

Impact assessment of coal mining on groundwater chemistry and its quality from Brajrajnagar coal mining area using indexing models

Groundwater chemistry and quality studies have been carried out in the Brajrajnagar coal mining area to find its suitability for human consumption, domestic use, agriculture use as well as industrial purposes. A total of fifty-four water samples were collected in Polyethelene containers from several surface and groundwater sources during the summer month of May, 2015. Physical parameters like pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and temperature were measured in situ. Major ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42− NO3−, Cl−, F− and HCO3−) and trace elements (B, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Ba and Pb) were analysed in the laboratory. Hydrogeochemical facies present in the groundwater have been identified. On the basis of water chemistry, water quality index (WQI), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), and heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) were determined to ascertain the overall quality of the water for drinking purposes. Suitability of the water for the agricultural purposes was also determined using sodium percentage (Na%), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), US salinity diagram, Wilcox's diagram, Kelly's ratio (KR) and permeability index (PI). The overall groundwater quality studies show that 15% samples are poor in quality for drinking purposes and 43% water samples require special treatment prior to irrigation. The present work will help the local government bodies and mining planners to understand the spatial variation of the quality of groundwater of the Brajrajnagar coal mining area. It will also help to know about the degradation in the water quality and its possible sources and to adopt appropriate monitoring programmes and strategies for protection of the water resources of the region.

Identification and stacking of crucial traits required for the domestication of pennycress

The oilseed species Thlaspi arvense (pennycress)—a weed that was only recently removed from the wild—has the potential to provide new sources of food and bioproducts when grown as a winter cover crop. Domestication of wild species has historically taken hundreds to thousands of years, but by making use of large-scale high-throughput comparative gene and phenotype analyses, along with recently developed technological tools, it has been possible to greatly accelerate this process. By taking advantage of extensive gene and phenotype knowledge in the related plant Arabidopsis, mutations for early maturity, reduced pod shatter, reduced seed glucosinolates and improved fatty acid composition were identified. Progress has been made to rapidly stack these traits in order to domesticate the plant, allowing it to fit within current crop cycles and to have improved seed harvestability and nutritional content. Pennycress, domesticated as a winter cover crop, may provide new sources of food, animal feed and bioproducts—and solutions to food security. Thlaspi arvense (pennycress) has the potential to provide new sources of food and bioproducts when grown as a winter cover crop. Here, Chopra et al. demonstrate that multiple desirable traits can be stacked to rapidly domesticate pennycress. The resulting crop integrates into current crop rotations and produces seeds with improved nutritional qualities, easier harvesting and suitability for human consumption.

Contamination Characteristics of Ground and Lake Waters of Thoothukudi City

Thoothukudi city has many heavy industries and a very busy port. It has a resident population of 410, 760. The supply of water to meet the needs of this population is a huge challenge. People are dependent on groundwater and surface water resources present in the city. In view of the industrial activities within the city, the contamination characteristics of these water resources and their suitability for human consumption needs to be evaluated. 13 groundwater samples from various localities of the city and 5 lake water samples were analysed to understand the physical, chemical and microbiological properties. Heavy metals such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Mo were analysed in the samples. None of the samples were found to be suitable for human consumption. The major contaminants were Cd, Hg, As, and coliform bacteria. The heavy metals were found to be from 1.2 to 211 times that of the acceptable limits.