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pollution
India delivers on commitment to ban identified single-use plastics
New Delhi, June 30th : In today’s time, one of the foremost challenges faced by humanity is plastic pollution, which, if not dealt with, can jeopardize the actions toward a sustainable future. The major brunt of plastic pollution is borne by the environment thereby, threatening the sustenance of natural ecosystems, both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and, affecting human health. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Annual Report (2019-20) on Implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, in India, the per capita plastic waste generation has almost doubled over the last five years. GOI notified Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 The Government of India notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, in place of the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. The new addition of Plastic Waste Management Rules focussed on reinforcing and restoring the Waste Management Rules and also played a crucial role in fulfilling the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Considering the urgent need to curb the menace of plastic use, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, made an impassioned call in his address to the nation on 15th August 2019 to eliminate the use of single-use plastic. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules 2021 on 12th August 2021. In accordance with the amendment, India will ban the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single-use plastic items across the country from 1st July 2022. What is single-use plastic? What are the components of single-use plastic? Single-use plastic comprises plastic items used once and discarded. It includes- shampoo, detergents and oil sachets, bottles, plastic cutleries, dustbin bags, and food packs, to name a few. The single-use plastic items that face Government’s ban include earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice- cream sticks, polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration, plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, and plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers. Which polythene bags are banned? Previously,…
Special postage stamp released to commemorate Platinum Jubilee of CSIR-NPL
New Delhi, Jan 11: The Department of Post has come out with a special postage stamp and a special cover commemorating the Platinum Jubilee of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi. Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; Minister of State PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, released the stamp and the cover. Know about CSIR-NPL CSIR-NPL is the custodian of national measurement standards through an act of Parliament. It is one of the oldest and premier institutions of CSIR. The foundation stone of the laboratory was laid on the 4th January 1947, shortly before India became independent. The Minister also dedicated to the nation a ‘LED Photometry Laboratory’ set up at the institute, fulfilling Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi’s vision to develop energy-efficient illumination technology. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh noted that CSIR-NPL is a monumental illustration of India’s incredible scientific journey in the last 75 years and said that the platinum Jubilee celebration was an occasion to plan for the next 25 years with a conscious realisation that science and technology are going to be the main currency for the inclusive growth of India. The Minister said that PM Modi has a special aptitude for science-driven developments, which has enabled all the scientific programmes to concentrate on applications that are relevant to bring ‘ease of living’ to the common man. He pointed out that all the six science & technology departments including space and atomic energy and the autonomous institutes have contributed hugely to the fight against COVID-19 through the research for the development of vaccines, genome sequencing and other protocols. He recalled that the first DNA vaccine trial was done by the Department of Biotechnology, ISRO provided liquid Oxygen continuously on a large scale to several State governments from their manufacturing facilities or from the existing stock, and the Department of Atomic Energy developed reusable PPE kits and N-99 masks using HEPA filter technology. Referring to the LED Photometry Laboratory inaugurated on the…
Scientists develop technology to make non-toxic activated carbon from waste
Tea and banana waste will make non-toxic activated carbon From waste to wealth New Delhi, Oct 14, 2021: A team of scientists has developed a technique to use tea and banana waste to make non-toxic activated carbon that can be used for several purposes such as industrial pollution control, water purification, food and beverage processing, and odour removal. The processing of tea generates a lot of waste, generally in the form of tea dust. They could be converted to useful substances. The structure of tea is particularly favourable for conversion to high-quality activated carbon. However, it normally involved the use of strong acid and bases, making the product toxic and hence unsuitable for most uses. A non-toxic method of conversion was needed to overcome this challenge. Dr N. C. Talukdar, former Director, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India and Dr Devasish Chowdhury, Associate Professor at the Insitute, used banana plant extract as an alternative activating agent for the preparation of activated carbon from tea wastes. Oxygenated potassium compounds contained in the banana plant extract help in activating the carbon obtained from tea waste. An Indian patent has recently been granted for the new process. The process began with the drying of the banana peel. It was then burnt to make an ash out of it. The ash was further crushed and made into a fine powder. Subsequently, water was filtered through the ash powder using a clean cotton cloth and the final solution was used as the activating agent. The main advantage of this process is that the starting materials, as well as activating agents, are waste materials. Also, no toxic material was used at all in the entire process. The most preferred banana was found to be Bheem Kol, which is an indigenous variety found only in Assam and parts of North East India. (India Science Wire) Topics: tea, banana, toxic, activated carbon, pollution control, water purification, beverage, odour, acid, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, IASST, Department of Science…
24% of deaths are due to environmental pollution and other environmental risks
WHO and UN partners’ compendium of 500 actions aims to reduce diseases from environmental factors and save lives Almost 25% of deaths worldwide could be prevented if the actions in the compendium were fully implemented New Delhi/Geneva 06th September 2021: WHO, UNDP, UNEP and UNICEF have partnered to create a new compendium of 500 actions aimed at reducing death and diseases driven by environmental risk factors, the first such resource to unite this expertise from across the UN system. 24% of deaths are due to environmental pollution and other environmental risks Environmental pollution and other environmental risks cause 24 per cent of deaths through, for example, heart disease, stroke, poisonings, traffic accidents, and others. This toll could be substantially reduced – even eliminated – through bold preventive action at national, regional, local and sector-specific levels. Compendium of WHO provides easy access to practical actions The Compendium of WHO and other UN guidance on health & environment provides easy access to practical actions for practitioners to scale up efforts to create healthy environments that prevent disease. It is designed for policymakers, staff in government ministries, local government, in-country UN personnel and other decision-makers. The repository presents actions and recommendations to address a comprehensive range of environmental risk factors to health, such as air pollution, unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene, climate and ecosystem change, chemicals, radiation and occupational risks, among others. Air pollution alone leads to 7 million deaths each year. Air pollution alone leads to 7 million deaths each year, while climate change is expected to contribute increasingly to a broad range of health impacts, both directly and indirectly through effects on biodiversity. “Events like record-breaking high temperatures in North America, massive flooding in Europe and China, and devastating wildfire seasons provide increasingly frequent, grim reminders that countries need to step up action to eliminate the health impacts of environmental risk factors,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, at WHO. “Implementing the actions in the compendium should be part of a healthy and green recovery from the COVID pandemic and beyond, and is essential to…
Why is public transport not good enough to make private vehicle ownership unnecessary?
If the goal is to protect the environment from automobile pollution, improve road safety, and end disparities in society, then vehicle scrappage policy is not likely to deliver on these tall promises. Rather such a policy could be counter-productive if we look closely at the aforementioned goals. Such a policy is another example of promoting market-based solutions to benefit few industries at the plight of the people and the planet. If governments are serious to deliver on the goals listed above, then the only way forward is to improve public transport to an extent that private ownership of motor vehicles, becomes unnecessary and cumbersome. When the Covid pandemic had peaked in India during April-May 2021, we may remember how some people who had resources procured oxygen cylinders as well as oxygen concentrators. But had the health system been strong enough for every human being, then why would have people privately procured such potentially lifesaving equipment like oxygen concentrators? Likewise, if public transport is strong enough, then why will we own a private vehicle? Last week Indian government announced its National Automobile Scrappage Policy at an investor summit to ‘give a new identity to the auto sector and to the mobility of New India’. The government hopes that such a policy will inject over INR 100 billion. Indian Prime Minister said in a series of tweets that his aim is to create a viable circular economy and bring values for all while being environmentally responsible. He said that the goal for 21st century India is to be clean, congestion-free and convenient mobility is the need of the hour. He also mentioned market-based solutions such as promoting electric vehicles. But he did not mention even once the plight of public transport due to which people are forced to buy private vehicles (often on loans) to meet their commuting needs. Car-less commuting is the future! Who can disagree with the above promises the government is making, but such promises can only be delivered if we strive towards improving public transport with equity and human rights in the centre. Electric vehicles or scrappage policy…
Nitrogen pollution restricts the safe margin for other environmental issues
Nitrogen pollution: Humanity’s failure New Delhi, Jun 01: Humanity’s failure to stop nitrogen pollution could limit the safe operating margin for many other issues facing our planet earth, say, scientists. This latest finding was reported by Professor Johan Rockstrom, former director of the Stockholm resilience centre at the Stockholm University, Sweden. “Human activities have pushed climate change, biodiversity loss, shifts in nutrient cycles (nitrogen and phosphorus) and land use beyond the tolerance limits of planet earth. The difficulty is that they also limit the safe margin available for other environmental issues facing the earth, such as freshwater use, ocean acidification, land use and stratospheric ozone depletion”, he said. He was delivering a keynote address at the 8th triennial Conference of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) that began today and attended by 950 registered participants from all continents. “INI conferences always brought together the latest science to call for governmental action and evidence-based policies. Following the UN resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management, our task is to scientifically support its mitigation efforts”, said Nandula Raghuram, Chair of the INI. As a Professor of biotechnology from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, his keynote lecture dealt with the improvement of crop nitrogen use efficiency as a solution. “Fertilizers are a predominant source of nitrous oxide and ammonia pollution. We narrowed down the minimum number of physical attributes and gene targets for nitrogen use efficiency in rice for the first time”, he said. Speaking on nitrogen in Europe at the inaugural session, EU Commissioner for the Environment, Ocean and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius said that the European Commission has a policy framework in place that imposes limits to nitrogen pollution of air and water. The German environment minister Svenja Schulze highlighted the country’s nitrogen pollution reduction targets and enabling policies, apart from her ministry’s promotion of vegetarianism. “Germany is the only country with such national targets; its policies are worth emulating”, said David Kanter, Vice-Chair of INI and Assistant Professor of the environment at New York University. Speaking on behalf of the UN Environment Programme, Laeticia Cavalho said “India championed the UN nitrogen resolution…
Researchers identify phenotype to boost ‘nitrogen use efficiency’ in rice
Improving poor ‘nitrogen use efficiency’ (NUE) was a major global challenge for decades, as there were no simple visual cues or genetic means to differentiate between high and low NUE cultivars in any crop.
NCCR ups the ante against marine pollution
New Delhi, May 21 (Mohammad Faiyaz Anwar): Millions of people depend on oceans for their livelihood and food source. At the same time, the quality of marine resources has to be at safe levels for their continued use. The challenge to keep the marine resources safe comes from undeterred pollution levels. Marine pollution includes different emerging contaminants such as endocrine disrupters, oil spills, wastewater discharges, marine debris and dredging. They cause adverse biological effects, which include human physical disturbances on marine ecosystems and habitats. The National Center for Coastal Research (NCCR), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), is presently working on improving the country’s capabilities in controlling marine pollution. Several environmental, social, economic interventions are being planned by NCCR to address the challenges prevailing in the coastal regions. Establishing stringent norms is one of the steps in that direction. Earlier, NCCR (Chennai) had recommended new safe limits for lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium, zinc, cadmium, copper and different other pesticides under the Environment (Protection) Amendment Rules, 2020. Accordingly, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has amended the Environmental (Protection) Rules, 1986, reflecting the new regulations. It is expected that these new standards would go a long way in securing underwater life as envisaged in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal-14. In addition, researchers at NCCR have also conducted field surveys. Another important intervention made by NCCR was to carry out environmentally realistic mesocosm experiments to assess the risk of a complex mixture of pollutants of marine biota in relation to numerous ocean water quality criteria. Such experiments would help formulate future guidelines to prevent environmental deprivation in coastal waters. A mesocosm is nothing but an external experimental system that allows the investigation of a small part of the natural environment under controlled conditions to provide a link between field surveys and highly controlled laboratory experiments. Going further, NCCR intends to conduct a model case study to trace pollutants from the source and also do an impact assessment of marine outflow from pharmaceutical companies in Pondicherry, Srikakulam, and Mangalore. As per the suggestion of the MoEFCC, NCCR will also explore…
Please play no blame game of politics on Delhi’s Health Emergency
There is a need for a special drive for plantation all around and fixing the accountability for pollution control and management.
Vitamin D may protect against pollution-associated asthma symptoms in obese children : New Study
Washington. 09th March. A new study finds vitamin D may be protective among asthmatic obese children living in urban environments with high indoor air pollution. The study out of John Hopkins University School of Medicine, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. “The research team has identified many factors that make children susceptible to health problems from air pollution throughout Baltimore’s inner city,” said Kimberly Gray, Ph.D., administrator for the Children’s Environmental Health Research Centers program at NIEHS. Higher indoor air pollution is linked to greater respiratory problems According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 12 children in the U.S. have asthma, which totals 6.1 million children nationally. Additionally, asthma disproportionately impacts urban minority populations, such as black children. Higher indoor air pollution, from sources such as cigarette smoke, cooking, burning of candles, and incense, is linked to greater respiratory problems, including worsening of asthma symptoms and more hospital visits. Relation of Asthma & vitamin D “Asthma is an immune-mediated disease,” said Sonali Bose, M.D., lead author of the study and assistant professor of medicine, pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins. “From previous scientific studies, we knew that vitamin D was a molecule that may influence asthma by impacting antioxidant or immune-related pathways.” Bose explained that at the time the study was being conceived, researchers were seeing vitamin D deficiencies across the U.S. “It became very clear that African-Americans were at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency, particularly black children,” she said. “We were also noticing a heavy burden of asthma in inner city minority children. It seemed as though vitamin D deficiency and asthma were coincident and interacting in some way.” Relation between air pollution levels in homes, blood vitamin D levels, and asthma symptoms The study tested three factors – air pollution levels in homes, blood vitamin D levels, and asthma symptoms – in 120 school-aged children…
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