The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impact of socio-cultural practices on the water quality of River Ganga at the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand State, India. The physico-chemical parameters that contributed to the temporal variation and pollution in the river were identified in this study. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Cluster analysis (CA) were us...

In this study the origin, behaviour and fate of anthropogenic Pb in sandy roadside soils were assessed by measuring soil characteristics, Pb isotope composition and content. In 1991 and 2003 samples were taken at different depth intervals at approximately 8 and 75 m from two highways in The Netherlands. The Pb isotope composition of the litter layer ((206)Pb/(207)Pb=1.12-1.14) differs from the ...

Rockström et al. (2009a, 2009b) have warned that humanity must reduce anthropogenic impacts defined by nine planetary boundaries if "unacceptable global change" is to be avoided. Chemical pollution was identified as one of those boundaries for which continued impacts could erode the resilience of ecosystems and humanity. The central concept of the planetary boundary (or boundaries) for chemical...

Background & Aims of the Study: The present research aims to use sediment quality indices in the assessment of toxicity and ecological risk factors of heavy metals Pb, Cu and Zn in Anzali, Meighan, Shadegan and Hashilan wetlands. Material & Methods: Given the environmental conditions, surface sediments in 71 diverse stations were sampled in three replications. Having preparation and subject...

The Dutch cities Utrecht and Wijk bij Duurstede were founded by the Romans around 50 B.C. and the village Fijnaart and Graft-De Rijp around 1600 A.D. The soils of these villages are polluted with Pb (up to ~5000 mg/kg). Lead isotope ratios were used to trace the sources of Pb pollution in the urban soils. In ~75% of the urban soils the source of the Pb pollution was a mixture of glazed potsherd...

One of the most readily apparent contemporary factors linking climate to human health is air pollution. Important progress has been made in reducing U.S. air pollution since the first Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, but summer haze and its constituent particulate matter and photochemical air pollutants remain substantial ongoing problems across the U.S. Short-term meteorological effects on ai...

Air quality is a major environmental concern in China, where premature deaths due to air pollution have exceeded 1 million people per year in recent years. Here, using a novel coupling of economic, physical and epidemiological models, we estimate the premature mortality related to anthropogenic outdoor PM2.5 air pollution in seven regions of China in 2010 and show for the first time how the dis...

Study of changes in macrobenthic community structure is an intrinsic part of many environmental monitoring programmes. Hence it is pivotal to distinguish the effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on these sensitive organisms for accurate assessment and management of coastal environment. Polychaete species diversity of five stations in the Ratnagiri bay was investigated during premonsoon ...