As the world's largest network of mangrove forests, the Sundarbans is a delta with a framework of low-lying islands at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal and is shared by two nations-India and Bangladesh. A designated “Ramsar site,” it serves as a natural defense against storm surges and cyclones. The coastal communities of Sundarbans have endured decades of displacement due to climate change. This book chapter focuses on the emerging scenarios of the climate crisis and the diversity of challenges, ranging from an eroding coastline to problems encountered by the local communities in sustaining their livelihoods. It also focuses on the necessity of conservation at the grassroots level for a more empowered standard of living concerning the socio-economic divide, degrading coastlines, and preserving biodiversity.It also highlights the need for preparedness by the concerned authorities by implementing policies and programs that will safeguard the Sundarbans during any future environmental and social challenges and ensure the development of the coastal community to combat those crises.
Microplastics (MPs) are a class of contaminants that are emerging in our environment as a consequence of the increased manufacture and consumption of plastics. MPs (<5mm) may originate from both primary and secondary sources. Primary microplastics are produced within the MP size range, but secondary MPs originate when larger plastic particles fragment end up in aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. Due to their durability and potential harm to humans, they cause environmental and health concerns. Recent studies suggests that climate change, both directly and indirectly is linked to microplastics. While the growing concern of microplastic pollution continues to be explored globally, fewer studies from India asserts the urgency of conducting more studies. Existing MP studies in the Indian context cover different matrices of the environment, (terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems) on the east and west coasts of India, with more studies focusing on marine ecosystems. As studies on microplastics from coastal regions are subsequently increasing in India, the requirement of a comprehensive review paper will soon be the need of the hour. The goal of this review paper is to provide the current status of MP research studies conducted from different coastal regions of India by framing a panoramic literature review of the available scientific work conducted. This will further lay a foundation for categorizing the quantitative microplastic research from Indian coasts and help the scientific community to thoroughly have access to the information they require on conducting further studies. Besides, this review paper also focuses on identifying the lacunas in existing research and throws light on comprehending the intricate microplastic loop, which demands interdisciplinary investigation and intervention.
The objective of this study was to enumerate a checklist of birds of the Mudasarlova Reservoir, which is man-made reservoir situated in the district of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is used as a storage reservoir for drinking water and commercial purposes by the urban community. This area has always been blessed with diversity of flora, fauna (including avian fauna) since many years. The reservoir has also been a home and mating ground for various water birds, parakeets etc. It has also been a feeding and gliding ground for raptors. It is also accessed by the local community as a point of unsustainable fishing activities. But of late, this reservoir and the surrounding areas have been a witness to various developmental activities and simplification of natural landforms and the adjoining hills, due of urbanisation. As a result of this, the natural flow of the runoff water coming from various adjacent hills have been affected. This has not only triggered environmental and landform changes, but also has affected the avian fauna to certain extent.
Background: Heavy metals remain tenacious in the environment which further leads to emerging bioaccumulation, rising through the food chain. Birds are great environmental sentinels that can spot even the smallest changes. The aim of this study was to determine the quantity of heavy metals, specifically Ni, copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), and Se, in the feathers, liver, kidney, muscle, and bones of spotted owlets (Athene brama), which were opportunistically collected from a variety of contaminated ecosystems in the urbanized landscapes of Visakhapatnam on India’s East Coast. Methods: Opportunistic sample collection was done followed by necropsy. Following standard protocols, organic samples were digested by adding 10 mL HNO3 , 5 mL of HClO4 , and 2 mL of H2 O2 to eliminate the excess organic matter. Results: Based on the GIS data, raptors were shown to occur in production landscapes and mostly in urban spaces, and currently, are under several anthropogenic threats. The findings showed that the sequence of heavy metal concentrations was Ti>Al>Cu>Ni>Se, but the tissues of birds in which metals accumulated are in the following order: liver>kidney>bones>muscle. The tissues of A. brama showed the signs of significant concentrations of Ti and Al. The results obtained were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test. Conclusion: Heavy metal studies on various matrices of the environment have been performed over time with certain metals either neglected or not being documented properly. The main finding of this study is the first report of Ti and Al in bird species from India as there is a lacuna in this context.
Background: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is not a disease but needs to be treated.This case study discusses the successful treatment of Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) using techniques of Yoga Prana Vidya (YPV) as complementary medicine.This paper further explores the patient traits of selfmanagement and control needed to sustain the improvements through changes in habits and life style. Materials and Methods:Case study method is used with collection of data of a 22-year-old female patient diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome, monitoring and evaluation of their health conditions based on lab reports, changes in medicinal dosages and overall wellbeing before and after Yoga Prana Vidya system intervention.Results: Within two months of YPV intervention, the nephrotic syndrome was brought in control, as seen in the lab test reports that showed absence of Albumin in urine, elimination of bacteria and increase of haemoglobin level, and this enabled reduction in dosage of medication.Besides controlling nephrotic syndrome, the YPV intervention enabled positive changes in overall health. Conclusions:It follows from this case study that YPV can be used as an effective healing tool for complementary treatment of Nephrotic Syndrome and overall holistic health of the person.YPV produces best results, when integrated approaches such as physical and breathing exercises and meditation techniques are followed in practice with self-management.There is ample scope to conduct further research on the application of Yoga Prana Vidya as a cost-effective, safe and complementary/alternative medicine for treatment of nephrotic syndrome and various other medical conditions.
Oceans are the largest means of survival for millions of people and also the source of many life forms. Human activities have made the environmental conditions in marine habitats more dire for the last fifty years. The discharge of agricultural nutrients, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants (plastics, pesticides) threaten the coastal zones. Chemical compounds containing one or more radioisotope atoms are known as radiotracers, which are particularly useful for identifying and analysing pollutants as they can readily identify trace amounts of a particular radioisotope and short-lived isotope decays. It is thus important to identify such sources of contaminants by quantifying essential pollutants separately and gathering dependable information regarding their origin, movement, and ultimate destination. Nuclear and isotope techniques help in gathering such data. This book chapter gives an overview of the modern techniques available for probing the various contaminants across marine ecosystems and several drawbacks and controversies associated with the same.
In the contemporary world, the menace of plastic pollution dovetailed with the current pandemic scenario is a globally rising concern which is affecting every life form on Earth. Plastics hold several properties like ductility that permit the material to be casted and given numerous shapes and forms for various commercial uses. When summed up, it has benefited mankind by becoming an indispensable part of our lives. But the negative impacts associated with it lurks behind silently. Most of the plastic polymers manufactured today are highly resistant to degradation, and the accumulation of these complex and persistent materials are not only causing serious damage to the environment, but also to human health. Additives are added during the manufacturing process to improve the life of these synthetic polymers. The excessive usage of plastic products has resulted in accumulation of the hazardous chemicals, associated with plastic polymers in human body about which this chapter discusses further.
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