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ICMCESA 2022- Abstract Book Flipbook PDF
ICMCESA 2022- Abstract Book
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BOOK OF ABSTRACTS
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed” - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT ICMCESA ABOUT COLLEGE MESSAGES ICMCESA PATRONS ORGANIZERS ORGANIZING TEAM SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM TECHNICAL SESSION BIOSKETCH ABSTRACT PLENARY KEYNOTE INVITED ORAL PRESENTATION POSTER PRESENTATION ECOVILLE ABSTRACT
1 2 3-14 15-17 18-19 20-22 23-29 30-35 36-53 54 55 56-71 72- 98 99-204 205- 215 216-220
Indian Pond Heron at Keoladeo National Park - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
ABOUT ICMCESA UN mandated “Decade of Action” has already begun from the year 2020 with an aim to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This decade long endeavour is assigned to promote the shared vision of nations and proffer multipronged accelerated responses to one of the world’s most serious challenges – reversing climate change. The main focus of the conference is to generate interest amongst all to concentrate on the burning issue of environmental mitigation through proactive uptake of sustainable approaches. It is in line with the global scenario wherein the latest developments occurring in the field of environmental monitoring & assessment have generated intense research in all branches of science (Biological, Chemical and Physical). The field of contemporary environmental issues demand affirmative action in fields including but not limited to biodiversity conservation/reclamation and environmental toxicology. Creation of sustainable cities through strict laws and policies for environmental protection while assessing environment status via GIS mapping and remote sensing comprise the basic step forward. Pioneering ideas of adoption of environmental economics and eco-preneurship constitute another important phase. Worldwide scientific findings necessitate that there is an urgent need to ignite young minds to think out-ofthe-box and in an innovative manner to help stoke interest in environmental sensitization. The International e-Conference on Mitigating Contemporary Environmental Issues by sustainable approaches envisions to make available a platform for free exchange of ideas for the same.
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ABOUT THE COLLEGE The college is 30 years old and through all these years, it has helped to unfold the enormous potential of the students and empower them to meet the challenges of the future. ANDC is considered as one of the top colleges in India. This is evident from the NAAC score of 3.31 and 20th NIRF-2021 ranking. Besides, India Today and Week rankings are also testimony to this. The College has one of the best infrastructure & research facilities. Our pedagogy is student centric. The College provides ample opportunities for students to excel in both academics and co-curricular activities. Several flagship schemes like Paramarsh, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and DBT STAR COLLEGE SCHEME of Government of India have been sanctioned to the College. This year College has been granted DBT STAR STATUS by Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India. Collaborations like SPIE (USA) Chapter, Science Setu Programme and NPTEL-SWAYAM chapter continue to report robust progress at the national and international level.
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Messages
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Chancellor, University of Delhi
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Secretary, Ministry of Science & Technology, DST, GoI
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Chief Patron, ICMCESA
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Prof. Balaram Pani Dean of Colleges Patron, ICMCESA-2022
Warm Greetings to all It gives me immense pleasure to note that Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi is marking Science Day celebrations by way of organizing a week long International E-Conference on Mitigating Contemporary Environmental issues by sustainable approaches – ICMCESA – 2022, from 22 – 28 February 2022. I am happy to note that the conference has been able to garner committed participation of 12 renowned scientists from institutes abroad as Plenary, Keynote and Invited speakers besides getting substantial contributory participation from India. It is envisioned that the conference would provide a suitable platform for free exchange of ideas besides providing exposure to students and participants alike in frontier areas of all things related to environment.
Prof. Balaram Pani
Patron, ICMCESA
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Prof. Ravi Toteja Principal, Acharya Narendra Dev College
Chairperson, ICMCESA
MESSAGE In September 2019, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to accelerate efforts to deliver on the ambitious, universal and inclusive 2030 Agenda. In tandem with this understanding of the collective responsibility towards environment, our very own Acharya Narendra Dev College’s key objective in organizing the seven-day International E-conference “Mitigating Contemporary Environmental issues by Sustaining Approaches [ICMCESA -2022] (22nd February to 28rd February) lies in fostering a multifaceted discourse around both theoretical and empirical solutions to environmental crises. Adhering to Covid-19 protocols regarding travel restrictions and social distancing, this conference will be conducted over the virtual platform; the event shall host speakers from India, USA, Slovenia, Australia, UK, Uruguay, and Czech Republic to name a few. The relentless hard work of our team along with the unwavering support and enthusiasm of the participants ensures the subsequent success of the event. A theme of such pertinence, our speakers and various presenters will confront diverse ‘Areas of Concern’ within our habitat ranging from environmental policy making to animation as an instructional tool for inculcating scientific zeal among children. All these deliberations will most certainly help community of speakers, presenters, attendees (including students, research scholars and faculty members) to attain a comprehensive glance at their individual responsibilities in protecting and sustaining the environment. The ambitious feat of planning and now executing this week-long international conference will only be possible because of the accommodating nature of all involved. Right in sync with the driving force required in making any substantial changes in our view and approach towards environment, everyone engaged with the conference has been supportive and exhibited a sense of reverence towards a cause greater than our individual beings, i.e., the health of Mother Nature! We hope this conference will becomes the point of initiation for more in-depth conversations and collaborative efforts around matters of immediate concern in the future.
Prof. Ravi Toteja 8
Director General, Health Services
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Chancellor, FRI, Dehradun
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Vice Chancellor, JNU, Delhi
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Vice Chancellor, Jamia Milia Islamia
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Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir
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Message from Scientific Chairs World Health Organization (WHO) defines environmental pollution as contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. There has therefore arisen a pressing need to revisit exposure-response assessment of environmental contamination as it has assumed gigantic proportions. Acharya Narendra Dev College (University of Delhi) is taking the lead in commemoration of National Science Day in India celebrating discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’, by Sir C.V. Raman by way of organizing an International E-Conference on Mitigating Contemporary Environmental issues by Sustainable Approaches (ICMCESA – 2022). This conference scheduled from 22 – 28 February 2022 envisions providing a platform to students, researchers and scientists for brain-storming and free exchange of ideas about environmental issues. The conference envisages helping students establish a connection between classroom teaching and worldly knowledge. Plenary, keynote and invited talks by eminent scientists from different parts of the world specializing in different branches of science are expected to give an exposure to standardized methods of pollutant measurement while bring everyone up-to-date with the latest in cutting-edge areas of science. Delegates of the conference are envisaged to get a fair exposure to recent methods of targeted research, advanced monitoring strategies and inter-comparisons. Ideas about variations in nature and magnitude of pollutant levels would help develop strategies to mitigate the same and hence create research priorities that allow assessment of exposure defining more accurately exposure–response relationships. In future these small steps would help develop a responsive information network for the public in general to communicate the multiple risks and their impact on health in both long-time and short-time perspectives. Finally, the proceedings in the conference would help develop a clear understanding to improve science for influencing decisions including transparency and accountability in its fold. The conference is envisioned to bring forth ideas about innovative approaches being pursued worldwide and hence help putting into practice nouveau approaches leading to value addition and quality improvement. Novel techniques environmental conservation also mean creation of new and efficient technology and employing out-of-the-box thinking to generate quality values that would bring about significant changes in society. These endeavours would expose students at an early age to the concept of innovation and ignite their young minds to think and act accordingly to protect and preserve the environment. In order to get a hang of what we perceive as all things important for mitigating environmental concerns, this e-Conference is being organized wherein we envisage providing an opportunity for free flow and exchange of ideas amongst scientists, researchers and students across disciplines. A warm welcome to all!
(Seema Makhija)
(Charu Khosla Gupta) 14
(Arijit Chowdhuri)
ICMCESA-2022
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THE PATRONS
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Chief Patron
Prof. Yogesh Singh
Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi
Patron
Patron
Prof. Balaram Pani
Shri. Anil Kumar Saini
Dean of Colleges, University of Delhi
Co-Patron
Prof. Shri Prakash Singh Director, South Campus, DU
Chairman, Governing Body, ANDC
Co-Patron
Prof. Sanjeev Singh
Joint Director, South Campus, DU
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Co-Patron
Dr. Vikas Gupta Registrar, DU
THE ORGANIZERS
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Chairpersons
Prof. Ravi Toteja
Dr Garima Gupta
Principal, ANDC
Scientist-F, DBT, GoI
Co-Chairpersons
Prof. Rup Lal
NASI-Sr Scientist,TERI
Sr. Prof. Suman Lakhanpal
Prof. Ashutosh Bhardwaj
Head, Department of Botany, DU OSD, Institute of Eminence, DU
Scientific Chairs
Prof. Arijit Chowdhuri
Department of Physics, ANDC
Prof. Charu Khosla Gupta Department of Botany, ANDC 19
Prof. Seema Makhija
Department of Zoology, ANDC
ORGANIZING TEAM 20
Convenors Prof. Sunita Hooda, Department of Chemistry Prof. Sarita Kumar, Department of Zoology Dr. Sanjeeta Rani, Department of Physics Dr. Geetu Gambhir, Department of Chemistry Dr. Archana Pandey, Department of Biomedical Science
Coordinators Prof. Gagan Dhawan, Department of Biomedical Science Prof. Pankaj Khanna , Department of Chemistry Dr. Manisha Verma, Department of Physics Dr. Pooja Bhagat, Department of Chemistry Dr. Anita Narang, Department of Botany Dr. Sandeep Kumar Goel, Department of Commerce Dr. Anupama Shukla, Department of Botany Dr. Rashmi Sharma, Department of Botany Dr. Sada Nand Prasad, Department of Mathematics Dr. Ravneet Kaur, Department of Electronics Dr. Harita Ahuja, Department of Computer Science Mr Pawan Kumar, Department of Physics
Organizing Secretaries Dr. Vineet Kumar Singh, Department of Botany Dr. Sumit Sahni, Department of Botany Dr. V. Bhasker Raj, Department of Physics Dr. Gurudatt Rao Ambedkar, Department of Mathematics Dr. Narayan Singh, Department of Mathematics
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Program Committee Dr. Yash Mangla, Department of Botany Dr. Pragati Malik, Department of Chemistry Dr. Sweety Shrimali, Department of Zoology Dr. Manoj Kumar Singh, Department of Botany Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Department of Physics Dr. Jitender Goel, Department of Commerce Dr. Aparna Sharma, Department of Zoology Dr. Rahul Dev, Department of Zoology Mr. Abhay Pratap Singh, Department of Environmental Science Dr. Siddhartha, Department of Physics Dr. Neelakshi Borah, Department of Physics Dr. Kavita Mittal, Department of Chemistry Dr. Anita Thakur, Department of Botany Dr. Rimpy K. Chowhan, Department of Biomedical Science Dr. Ritu Khosla, Department of Biomedical Science Ms. Bhawana Kaushik, Department of Chemistry Ms. Ankita Rasaily, Department of English Swati Maurya, Sandeep (Ph.D scholar), Ciliate Biology Laboratory Jyoti Dagar (JRF), Ciliate Biology Laboratory Divya (Ph.D scholar), Insect Pest and Vector Laboratory Manu Shankar (Ph.D scholar), Insect Pest and Vector Laboratory Harsha Panchal (Ph.D scholar), Microbial Technology Laboratory Drashya (Ph.D scholar), Polymer Research Laboratory
Technical Team
Technical Assistant
Mr V.S. Rao (A.O) Mr Anil Kishore Godiyal (Assistant Admin) Mr Ashutosh (Assistant Admin) Mr Sanjay Sangwan (System & Network Administrator) Tarun Kumar Sharma (STA) Ram Kumar Singh (STA) Girish Gosain (MTS) Deepak (Accounts)
Sher Singh Manoj Dharmender Sachin Resham Intezar
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SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM 23
ICMCESA-2022
22 - 28 February 2022 Scientific Program
Day - 1: February 22, 2022 (Tuesday) 0800 – 0830
Welcome by Mr Anil Saini, Chairman, Governing Body, ANDC Introduction of International Conference by Prof. Ravi Toteja, Principal ANDC Session Chairs Co-Chairs
Plenary Talk Syzygy or Sisyphus: The Future of Environmental Policy Making 0830 – 0915 Prof. Gaytha A. Langlois
Sr. Prof. Mridula Gupta
Prof. of Environmental Policy, Bryant University Rhode Island, USA
Prof. Arijit Chowdhuri Prof. Seema Makhija
Inauguration by Prof. Yogesh Singh, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of University of Delhi and Prof. Balaram Pani, Dean Colleges, University of Delhi, Keynote Talk Major Global Environmental Issues with emphasis on Invasion 1000 - 1045 Ecology Prof. R. K. Kohli Prof. Charu Khosla Vice-Chancellor Amity University Punjab, Mohali, INDIA Prof. Rupam Kapoor Gupta Dr Rahul Dev Invited Talk EIA As a Tool of Environmental Protection 1045 – 1115 Ms. Parul Gupta 0915 - 1000
Independent Law Practitioner at NGT and legal adviser with Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation
Tea Break
1115 - 1130 Keynote Talk 1130 - 1215 Biodiversity for Everyones’ life Prof. Dinabandhu Sahoo
Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA
Invited Talk Tools and Rules of Ecological Entrepreneurship for Sustainable 1215 - 1245 Health and Wealth Prof. Radhey Shyam Sharma
Prof. Vishnu Bhat
Dr Anita Narang Dr Yash Mangla
Prof. R. K. Negi
Dr Sweety Shrimali Mr. Abhay Pratap Singh
Deptt. of Environmental Science, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA
Invited Talk Low temperature operated efficient NO2 gas sensors for 1245 - 1315 environmental monitoring Dr Anjali Sharma Kaushik Deptt. of Physics, ARSD College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA
LUNCH Break Invited Talk Anthropocene: A misplaced trust in Ecological Utopia 1400 - 1430 Dr Himender Bharti
1315 – 1400
Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, INDIA
Invited Talk Environmental mitigation through biological approaches 1430 – 1500 Dr Raunak Dhanker
School of Engineering & Sciences, G D Goenka University, Gurugram, Haryana, INDIA
Invited Talk Overcoming challenges in the sustainable remediation of 1500 - 1530 Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) dumpsite soils Dr Charu Dogra Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA
1530 - 1600
Invited Talk Antifungal compounds: emerging environmental pollutants Prof. Hardeep Kaur Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA
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Technical Sessions
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BIOSKETCH
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PROFESSOR GAYTHA A LANGLOIS Professor of Environmental Policy, Bryant University, Rhode Island, USA Title of talk - Syzygy or Sisyphus: The Future of Environmental Policy Making Professor Langlois, whose scholarly pursuits include microbial communities associated with coral reefs and oilstressed ecosystems, the effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems, and protection strategies for endangered Metasequoia redwoods in China, also has extensive experience in crafting municipal and statewide environmental policies. Her courses focus on broad policy implications, system challenges, innovative technology solutions, and sustainable business practices. Formerly Chair of the Department of Science and Technology from 2008-2014 and again in 2017-2018. Prof. Langlois helped to create new academic programs in Environmental Science and Biology, including the M.S. in Global Environmental Studies degree program, and collaborated with colleagues to envision new laboratory facilities, research programs, and faculty recruitment needs. Prof. Langlois was integrally involved in the Bryant’s collaborative learning at a distance program (CLD) in Belarus, and has traveled extensively in China and Tibet as part of Bryant’s global education initiatives. She is currently President of the International Society of Protistologists (ISOP) and will serve on the Executive Committee until 2022.
Professor R. K. Kohli
Vice-Chancellor, Amity University Punjab, Mohali, INDIA Title of talk - Major Global Environmental Issues with emphasis on Invasion Ecology Prof. R.K. Kohli, a senior experimental ecologist with highest global accreditation and JC Bose Fellow (highest Research Fellowship of India) is the current Vice-chancellor of Amity University, Mohali. He is fellow of all the four official national academies (FNA, FASc, FNASc, FNAAS), and has been formerly the Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Panjab and DAV University, Jallandhar. He had been Professor of Botany and Dean University Instruction, Panjab University, Chandigarh. He has served as the Chairman of State EAC for Environmental Clearance of developmental projects for UT Chandigarh. His research focuses on inter-plant interactions. Apart from 3 patents to his credit, he has published over 250 research papers and 69 book chapters and articles. He has guided 36 Ph.D. & 29 M. Phil theses. He is on the Editorial Board of 5 international journals on Forestry, Ecology and Plant sciences, and reviewer of several international scientific journals.
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Professor Inderjit Singh
Dept. of Environmental Science. University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of Talk - Novel chemicals mediate invasion success of exotic species Prof. Inderjit is an ecologist who is known internationally for his work on biological invasions, allelopathy, and soil ecology. By using a wide range of methods, and carrying out work from cellular to global scales. Professor Inderjit lead to the discovery of new mechanisms that facilitate invasion of a species in novel environments. His research focuses on the ecological-evolutionary processes in search of new pathways that mediate human-assisted biological invasion in novel environments. Prof. Inderjit has established successful research collaborations in North America, South America, Europe, Middle-East and Asia. His research group has produced influential publications in high-profile journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS), Nature, New Phytologist, Journal of Ecology, Ecology, Ecology Letters, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Oikos, Global Ecology & Biogeography, PLoS Biology, Trends in Plant Science, Plant Physiology and many others.
Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo
Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of talk - Biodiversity for Everyones’ life Prof. Dinabandhu Sahoo is a Senior Professor, Department of Botany, University of Delhi. Prior to that, he was : Director, Centre for Himalayan Studies, University of Delhi, Director, Cluster Innovation Centre, University of Delhi, Former Vice Chancellor, FM University, Odisha, Former Director Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development (IBSD) DBT, Govt.of India at Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim, Scientific Adviser to Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Member, Research Council, CSIR-CSMCRI,Bhavnagar, Gujarat, Member, Research Council, CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, Assam, Adjunct Professor, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala), Adjunct Professor, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Prof. Sahoo has been championing the causes of sustainable development. He was the First Indian student to visit Antarctica in 1987 during the 7th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica where he hoisted the Indian flag and with other members laid the foundation for India’s permanent station “Maitri” in Antarctica which was a landmark in the history of Indian Antarctic Science. By the time he was 27, he travelled all the seven continents and five oceans in a record time of just 18 months. Subsequently, he made two trips to Arctic. Prof. Sahoo stepped out of his laboratory into the real world and trained villagers in various coastal states of India for seaweeds cultivation and utilization thus sowing the seeds of a “Blue Revolution”. His inspiring story “Teach a Man to Fish” has been published in the best-selling book “I have a Dream”, which has been translated into several Indian languages. He was part of the scientific delegation and gave a presentation before Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on the 19th August 2015 at New Delhi regarding Sustainable Development of North East. He has visited as many as 38 countries which include more than 80 Institutions. He also served as: Scientific Adviser to Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Member , Research Council, CSIR-CSMCRI, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, Member, Research Council, CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, Assam, Adjunct Professor, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala), Adjunct Professor, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
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Dr Paola Scavone
Principal Investigator, Departmento de Microbiologia, Clemente Estable Biological Research Institute, Montevideo, Uruguay Title of talk – How to teach contemporary environmental issues to children? Paola Scavone currently works at the Departamento de Microbiología, Clemente Estable Biological Research Institute. Paola does research in Urinary Tract Infectious, Biofilms, Urology, Infectious Diseases and Cell Biology. Their current projects are ‘Infecciones urinarias y bacteriuria asintomática en pacientes sometidos a trasplante renal, “Role of biofilms in the pathogenicity of P. mirabilis UTI”, “Nanoparticles for the preventions of biofilms” and “ Fosfomycin in the treatment of UTI in children”.
Dr Siva Karuturi
School of Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Title of work-Advanced Semiconductor and Catalytic Materials for Sustainable Hydrogen Generation Dr Karuturi is currently working as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering, at the Australian National University (ANU). He received a PhD degree in 2013 from Nanyang Technological University in Materials Science and Engineering. Dr Siva worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in the School of Photovoltaics & Renewable Energy Engineering before moving to ANU in 2014. At ANU, he is leading a research program on the development of catalytic materials and systems for green hydrogen production. His research broadly focuses on the synthesis and up scaling of electro catalysts and semiconductors, electrochemical characterisations, and design of prototypes for solar water splitting and zero gap electrolysers. Dr Siva was a recipient of the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) grant from the Australian Research Council (ARC) in 2015. He was also a recipient of the Australia-China Young Scientists Exchange Programme Award from the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) and Australia– India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) Early- and Mid-Career Fellowship from the Australian Academy of Science (AAS). Siva’s research work has been filed for several patents and published in prestigious international journals, including Chemical Reviews, Advanced Materials, Energy & Environmental Science, Advanced Energy Materials, ACS Energy Letters and Nano Energy. Siva served as a co-chair for NECTAR (Network of Early Career Academics @ANU) and as an ANU University House Academic Fellow to support and advocate on behalf of early career academics and postgraduate student communities in ANU.
Dr Natasa Mori
Senior Scientific Associate, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia Title of the Talk: “Aquatic biofilms as “bioengineers” for newly emerging pollutants removal” Dr Mori is a Senior Scientific Associate at Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Her research field are ecosystem studies of freshwaters. She is primarily interested in functioning and role of transitional areas between different ecosystems (groundwater-river, floodplains, and springs) and the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances on the ecosystem structure and processes. Currently, her research focus is oriented towards better understanding of impacts of multiple stressors, including microplastics on river biofilms and aquatic invertebrate communities and bioremediation potential of microorganisms for newly emerging pollutants, specially microplastics. 39
Prof. Michael W. Murray
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Augusta University Georgia, USA Title of talk - “Environmental Indicators: Thoughts on Contributing to Sustainability and Equity in the Great Lakes Region and Beyond” Professor Michael W. Murray is an environmental scientist with three decades’ experience working on multiple issues involving the Laurentian (North American) Great Lakes in USA. He spent 24 years with the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office, coordinating and collaborating on projects addressing toxic chemicals (including mercury and PFAS), Lake Erie eutrophication, climate change mitigation and adaptation, Great Lakes indicators, and other topics. He has M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Water Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where his research focused on physical-chemical properties and environmental cycling of PCBs. He is currently an instructor teaching environmental science at Augusta University, and is Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, USA.
Dr. David Kocman
Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI), Ljubljana, SLOVENIA Title of talk - Engagement of citizens in co-designing citizen science studies in environmental epidemiology: Opportunities and challenges Dr David Kocman is a Senior scientist and Head of Environmental Informatics group within the Department of Environmental Sciences at Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia. His research interests focus on understanding of physical, chemical and biological processes that influence the environment, with emphasis on anthropogenically perturbed environments. His experience is in environmental data analysis, spatial data acquisition and management, participatory sensing using novel sensing technologies, citizen science approaches and testing of Citizens Observatory concepts for the assessment of exposure of human populations. He was involved in variety of multidisciplinary national and EU funded projects including CITI-SENSE, HEALS, ICARUS, SMURBS and CitieS-Health.
Dr Bettina Sonntag
Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, AUSTRIA Title of the Talk: Identification and monitoring of ciliated key protists in aquatic environments in the light of a sustainable environmental approach Dr. Sontag is a Senior scientist and Head of the research group ‘Ciliate ecology and taxonomy’ at Research Department for Limnology, University of Innsbruck, Austria. Her research group focuses on the ecology, biodiversity and taxonomy of ciliates mainly in lakes. Particularly to understand the autecology of ciliates in planktonic food webs, she studies the protists on an alpha-taxonomic level including morphological and molecular state-of-the-art methods. She has more than 40 publications in peer-reviewed journal. There are several ongoing projects in her research laboratory.
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Professor Rup Lal
NASI Senior Scientist Platinum Jubilee Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), INDIA Title of the Talk: Hot springs located Atop the Himalayan Ranges at Manikaran and Kheer Ganga in Himachal Pradesh, India : Potential Sources of Microbial Diversity and Thermostable Enzymes Prof. Rup Lal is the NASI Senior Scientist Platinum Jubilee fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute, IHC Complex, New Delhi. He is the Fellow of Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi (FNA), Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, India (FNASc), Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FNAAS) and the Fellow, Academy of Microbiological Sciences (FAMSc), India. He has over 40 years long standing experience in teaching, administration and research.He has supervised nearly 70 Ph.D. thesis and mentored more than 120 M.Sc/M. Tech and under-graduate students. Prof. Rup Lal specialized himself in the area of microbial diversity, genomics and metagenomics.Prof. Lal was Editor-in-Chief of Indian Journal of Microbiology (2006-2013) and also serving as a member of the editorial board in various leading scientific journals like mSystems, Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Reports, BMC Biotechnology, BMC Biochemistry, Microbial Biotechnology and many more. He has over 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals with 8618 ISI citations and h-index 46. Professor Lal is the recipient of several prestigious fellowships including the Alexander Von Humboldt Fellowship(Germany), DBT Overseas Fellowship and Indo-USASM Professorship in Microbiology.Presently, he is the Ambassador of ISME (International Society for Microbial Ecology), The Netherlands to the Indian Ocean Region.
Dr Kaustubh Sharma
Senior Ecologist, Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle, USA Title of the Talk: Snow leopard: Atop predator, mountain ambassador and icon of trans-boundary conservation Dr Koustubh Sharma has been involved in active research and conservation since 2001. He has been working with the Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle, USA since 2007, and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Conservation Policy and Partnerships. Since 2014, he also serves as the International Coordinator o f the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystems Protection Program (GSLEP) whose secretariat is based in Bishkek. At the GSLEP Program, Koustubh works with a small team with support from international organizations to coordinate this unique alliance that brings together governments of the 12 snow leopard range countries, Non-Government Organizations and Conservationists. At the Snow Leopard Trust, he assists in implementing research, conservation, training and building collaborations across several countries. Koustubh obtained a PhD in Wildlife Zoology from the University of Mumbai in 2006 after pursuing his Masters in Physics in 2001. His conducted the first detailed study of the rare four-horned antelope while working with Bombay Natural History Society in Central India for his PhD. Koustubh’s academic interests lie in population ecology, conservation biology, policy, data visualization, and technology for conservation. He has so far authored about 40 scientific publications and has presented his work in nearly the same number of international conferences.
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Dr. Rajesh Jalota
Senior Environmental officer, Energy and Extractive and Southwest Queensland Compliance unit, Queensland Australia Title of talk: ‘Land Management and Carbon Sequestration: Simple Solution to Somewhat Big Problems Dr. Rajesh Jalota is Senior Environmental officer in the Energy and Extractive and Southwest Queensland Compliance unit, in Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES)& Queensland Department of Resources, (DoR), Australia. Since the last 18 years he has been proactively involved in different capacities including implementation of technical and research skills to deliver sustainable management and protection of Queensland’s Natural Resources and Environment. He has extensive experience in a range of fields covering the entire gamut starting from soil science& survey, database management, carbon sequestration, environmental management,thermal energy, Coal Seam Gas, Sewage Treatment Plants, Waste Collection and Recycling, Quarries, Heavy industry, Coastal, Chemical Storage and Handling, Land Rehabilitation and ending with Community Engagement.
Prof Andy Purvis
Life Science Diversity and Informatics Division, Natural History Museum, London Title of talk: ‘Using biodiversity models to support the nature-positive transition’ Professor Andy Purvis is a research leader at Department of Life Science, Natural History Museum, London, He leads the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems), which aims to model globally how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human pressures and to use these models to project potential biodiversity futures under alternative scenarios of socioeconomic development. PREDICTS estimates the Biodiversity Intactness Index, the first indicator available on the Natural History Museum’s Biodiversity Trends Explorer. He was a Coordinating Lead Author on the first IPBES Global Assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and scientific advisor on Sir David Attenborough’s documentary, “Extinction: The Facts”. Other research interests include phylogenetic comparative methods and macroevolution, often using macroperforate planktonic foraminifera as a model system.
Shri. Kunal Satyarthi
Joint Secretary (Advisor), National Disaster Management Authority, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, INDIA. Title of talk - “Environmental Conservation: Contemporary Realities” Shri. Kunal Satyarthi is Joint Secretary (Advisor) at National Disaster Management Authority, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India. He belongs to Indian Forest Service 1997 Batch, Himachal Pradesh Cadre. He has a Master’s degree in Public Policy, from Australian National University, Canberra, Australia besides a Diploma in Socioeconomic Security for the poor, Institute of Social Studies, Netherlands. He has served in many important positions including as DFO Kullu, DFO Mandi, Project Officer CAT Plan Kinnaur, DD, GHNP
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in Himachal Pradesh. Besides this he has also discharged duties as Principal, CASFOS, ADG (Media & Ext.) ICFRE, Head Silviculture, Forest Research Institute at Dehradun. Further he has also been Member Secretary, HIMCOSTE, HP State Biodiversity Board, Space Application Centre & HP and Climate Change Centre at Shimla, HP. He has attended various esteemed courses such as management of rivers and lakes at Japan, developing economic opportunities and eco-tourism in Italy and 26th UN Climate Change Conference held in UK among others. Mr. Satyarthi has always inculcated honesty and integrity into his professional life and has believed in the ideas of institution building, leadership and innovations.
Dr Gayatri Kanungo
Senior Environment Specialist, World Bank, USA Title of talk - Nourish Ecosystems, Nurture Biodiversity, Enable Food and Enhance Resilience – Boosting Nature’s potential Dr Kanungo is Practice Coordinator and Senior Environmental Specialist at Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy Global Practice World Bank Group, Washington DC, USA. She coordinates and manages the environment facility portfolio across various regions globally. Dr Gayatri’s passion has been in designing and implementing multi-sectoral landscape management approaches for sustainable development. She has been working on addressing natural resource management issues with a focus on land degradation, biodiversity conservation, blue economy and climate resilience, and currently leads and contributes to investment projects and programs in several countries across the globe. She comes with several years of experience on environment related operations, business development, advisory and portfolio management. Prior to her time with the World Bank Group, she worked for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in India, looking at the conservation of the global public goods. Gayatri is a Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Cambridge Scholar holding a Ph.D in Biotechnology from the Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, U.K. and a Masters in Zoology from the University of Delhi, India.
Prof. Chirashree Ghosh
Deptartment. of Environmental Science, University of Delhi, INDIA Title of talk - “Natural biological Solutions for remediating urban pollution/ or air pollution and health risk management” Prof. Chirashree Ghosh is a faculty at the Department of Environmental Studies, University Delhi. She has an expertise in the fields of Environmental pollution & Health; urban climate change & mitigation strategies; Landscape ecology and urban designing. She also has been a recipient of the prestigious DAAD fellowship from the German Government.Prof. Ghosh has been instrumental in the preparation of Carbon footprint map of Delhi, which was later presented at the Copenhagen summit in 2009. She is also a collaborator of national air quality monitoring program by the name SAFAR, which is System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research. Her research on “Water foot print map” was presented as a case study from Asia pacific region by the international climate change work group and the meeting held at Johannesburg organized by IDRC, Canada. She was selected as a panel speaker by the SEG women’s network committee in the year 2019 at San Antonio, Texas. Being a teacher and a researcher, she is always mobilizing the community on various environmental issues and sensitizing them how their simple effective lifestyle changes can help them to attain a better quality of health.
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Prof. Radhey Shyam Sharma
Deptartment. of Environmental Science, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of talk -Tools and Rules of Ecological Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Health and Wealth Prof. RadheyShyam Sharma is serving as a Professor at the Department of Environmental Studies, and OSD, Delhi School of Climate Change & Sustainability, Institute of Eminence, University of Delhi. His research interests include understanding the ecology of abandoned mines and other contaminated sites for the development of ecological restoration and bioremediation biotechnologies. He has published several research papers in Journals of international repute, such as Nature, Scientific Data, Soil Biology & Biochemistry, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Journal of Environmental Management, and Environmental Research. He is serving as expert member for International Overseas Doctoral, Post-Doctoral, and Visiting Fellowships, expert member to Task Force on Environmental Biotechnology and Centre of Excellence for NE Regions of India, as Expert Member, United Nation Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD) Core Group to Govt. of India (2005-2008).
Dr. Himender Bharti
Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, INDIA Title of talk - Anthropocene: A misplaced trust in Ecological Utopia Dr. Himender Bharti is currently Head of the Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University Patiala. He is an Evolutionary biologist, with a keen interest in Insect Systematics, Phylogeography, Speciation patterns, Phylogenetics, Ecology and Conservation biology. He is widely travelled and has delivered invited talks/lectures at many International fora. Dr. Bharti has been nominated as Fellow of Prestigious Royal Entomological Society, London and has also been conferred with “Distinguish Taxonomist Award” by TC Narendran trust for animal taxonomy. He is credited with the discovery of more than 100 new species of ants, in addition to number of new records. His findings include endemic and red list species. He has already completed 10 major research projects funded by DST, MoEF, and ICAR and is at present working on two major research projects sponsored by DST and MoEF respectively. He has guided 8M.Phil. and 15 Ph.D. students. At present, he happens to be President of ANeT (International Network for Study of Ants) and IUSSI (International Union for study of Social Insects) Indian Chapter. He is on the editorial board of International journals, Asian Myrmecology, Sociobiology, Current Research in Insect Science (Elsevier) and is the Chief Editor of journal “Halteres”, besides being reviewer for many International journals.
Dr Anjali Sharma Kaushik
Deptartment of Physics, ARSD College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of talk - Low temperature operated efficient NO2 gas sensors for environmental monitoring Dr. Anjali Sharma received her B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Physics in the year 2006, 2008 and 2013 respectively, from University of Delhi. At Present, she is serving as Assistant Professor at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, University of Delhi. Her research interests are in gas sensor systems that include sensor characterization and development of metal oxide films for sensor coatings. She is recipient of Dr. G.C. Jain 44
Memorial Award for best Ph.D. thesis by Material Research Society of India in year 2015 and Shri Ram Arora Award at 141st Annual meeting of The Metals, Minerals and Materials Society, Orlando USA in year 2012 for her excellence in Material science and Engineering. She has published more than 55 papers in journals of high repute with h-index of 19 and has been published two Indian Patents.
Dr. Raunak Dhanker School of Engineering & Sciences, G D Goenka University, Gurugram, Haryana, INDIA Title of talk - Environmental mitigation through biological approaches
Dr. Dhanker Assistant Professor, Department of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Engineering and Sciences, G D Goenka University, Gurugram, Haryana. She is an expert in the area of Environmental Biotechnology. Dr. Dhanker holds a PhD from the National Taiwan Ocean University (Taiwan). She has published many research articles in SCI\SCOPUS indexed journals. She serves as reviewer in Journal of Plankton Research, Marine Biotechnology, PLOS ONE and Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management. She is frequent presenter in the national and international conferences. She has delivered invited talk in various conferences. She has won Best Paper Presentation awards thrice and Poster presentation awards twice in national and international conferences. Under her guidance PhD student and master students have won many presentation awards. She has a total experience of more than 8.5 years in teaching and research. Her current research interests are in the area of Environmental Biotechnology, Green Nanotechnology and Aquaculture.
Dr. Charu Dogra Rawat
Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of talk - Overcoming challenges in the sustainable remediation of Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) dumpsite soils Dr Rawat is an Associate Professor at Ramjas College, University of Delhi, heading the Molecular Biology and Genomics laboratory. She is PhD in molecular microbiology from University of Delhi during which she got the opportunity to work as a visiting research scholar at EPFL – École polytechniquefédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland. She pursued postdoctoral research at Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital in California, USA. She has received prestigious Universitas21 faculty training fellowship to do MS in Bioinformatics from University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. She was recommended by University of Delhi as digital literacy champion to undergo further training in digital literacy at Edinburgh College, Scotland under D-LITE (Digital Literacy and Innovation for Tomorrow’s Education) project of UKIERI (UK and India Education Research Initiative). In 2019, she represented University of Delhi in a scientists’ delegation to China. Recently, she is honored with Indian Academy of Sciences (INSA) Teachers Award, highest national award for teachers engaged in higher education and research. Her research interests include environmental genomics, metagenomics and microbiomes. She has published in several high-impact international journals of repute. Dr. Rawat is one of the Principal Investigators of a DBTfunded multi-institutional project on the development of Microbial Bioremediation Technology for Remediation and Reclamation of Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) Dumpsite. She is also PI of DST-SERB project that involves genetic engineering of Bacillus strains for screening HCH catabolic proteins.
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Professor Hardeep Kaur
Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of talk - “Antifungal compounds: emerging environmental pollutants” Prof. Kaur is currently working as a Professor in Department of Zoology, Ramjas College, University of Delhi. She has been a rank holder during her graduation and also received prestigious All India Postgraduation Scholarship in her post-graduation. Thereafter, she completed her doctoral research on the topic of “Cloning and partial characterization of Rifamycin Biosynthetic Gene cluster in a novel strain Amycolatopsis mediterranei DSM 46095”. Prof. Kaur is a proactive lecturer and researcher with 20+ years of teaching experience at Undergraduate level and is supervising 3 research scholars for their PhDs. She has also co-authored a book on Immunology and published over 24 research papers, articles and chapters in various eminent peer reviewed journals and books.
Dr. Mukesh Kumar Thakur
J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC Title of talk - The Role of the 2D materials for sustainable Growth and Future Optoelectronic Device Applications for environment Dr. Thakur was born in state of Bihar, India. Post schooling from Bihar Board, he completed his undergraduate studies in B.Sc. Physical Science from Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi during the period 2008 – 2011. He then proceeded to obtain his PG degree in Physics from Jamia Milia Islamia in Delhi during the period 2011 – 2013. After a year long stint as Project fellow in CSIR funded National Physical laboratory in New Delhi during 2014 he was awarded prestigious prestigious National Yang-Ming University Taiwan Scholarship for Ph.D. studies in 2015. Post Ph.D. Dr. Thakur is continuing in the capacity of Senior Post-doctoral Fellow at J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic. He has published many papers in international journals of repute and his specialization is in investigating role of 2D materials in sensing besides their synthesis.
Professor Kamal Gupta
Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of talk: Manipulation of life processes of insect pests using botanicals: A sustainable approach of pest management Prof Kamal Gupta is teaching at Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi for more than three decades. At present, Dr Gupta is the Vice-Principal of the college. Before joining Deshbandhu College he did his Ph. D. in 1990 in Zoology from the Department of Zoology, University of Delhi. He is a passionate teacher and committed researcher. He established his research laboratory at Deshbandhu College in 1999. His research interests are insect reproductive behaviour and physiology, insect-plant interaction, vector biology and management. At present five research scholars are pursuing research work for their Ph. D. programme under his guidance. Two research scholars have completed their Ph. D. under his supervision. To date, he has published 28 research papers in the refereed journals of national and international repute and authored a book on Environment Science. He had contributed 31 research presentations at international conferences held in India and abroad and 7 research papers at national conferences. He had successfully completed five research projects. He had been nominated for the Indo-Italian cultural exchange programme and Indo-South African educational exchange programme. He has delivered invited talks at national conferences and symposiums and have been invited as a resource person in many workshops. He is in the penal of reviewers of many national and international research journals and has developed many e-contents. 46
Dr Swati Sharma
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department: Medicine, Blood Research Center, UNC, USA Title of the Talk: “SARS COV 2: Invisible Threat and Impact on Environment” Dr Swati Sharma joined Antoniak Lab in December 2021. Her project aims to investigate the role of the blood coagulation system in viral infections and different cardiac injury models. As a team she is working on deciphering the role of tissue factor and proteaseactivated receptors in viral infections using in vivo and in vitro approaches.
Professor Ram Kumar
Professor and Dean in School of Earth, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Central University of South Bihar. Title of the Talk: Zero Hunger and climate mitigation: Constraints and possibilities Prof. Ram Kumar is currently working as a Professor and Dean in School of Earth, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Central University of South Bihar. He completed his post-doctoral research from Institute of Marine Biology, Taiwan. Prof. Kumar was a faculty at ANDC where he taught as an Assistant Professor from 20042011. He has published over 80 research articles in various prestigious journals, written 2 books and is also Associate Editor of Frontiers In marine science journal. He is a keen environmentalist and is a specialist in the field of Ecological impact assessment and restoration of degraded wetlands, Aquatic pollution, Bio-control and Bioremediation. He has been conferred with many esteemed accolades including Prof. M. C. Dash Gold Medal Award by Zoological Society of India.
Dr Nageswara Rao Amanchi
University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA Title of the Talk: “Ecosystem Restoration – Certain key approaches, principles and interventions” Dr Nageswara Rao Amanchi is an Assistant Professor of Zoology at University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. He has Masters in Zoology and obtained his Ph.D. in Zoology from Osmania University in the year 2007. His research interests lie in the area of Ecotoxicology of pesticides, heavy metals and metagenomics. Two of his Research students have been awarded PhD degree and three are pursuing. He completed two research projects funded by UGC and DBT successfully and published 17 research papers in national and International repute journals, three book chapters/books on Biodiversity and Human Health, Environmental Toxicology. He has collaborated with researchers in other disciplines of Life sciences, particularly Environmental Sciences, Biotechnology for bioremediation of heavy metals, Pollutants and Applied Toxicology. He is the instructor for both Undergraduate and Post-graduate programmes for the past 16 years besides research experience. He has associated actively in organizing several of national and international conferences, seminars and workshops for upcoming researchers and students in the University. He is life member in several academic bodies and reviewer to the Journal of Ecotoxicology and environmental safety.
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Dr. Helianthous Verma
Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India Title of the Talk: Study of Potential Molecular Drug Targets against Mycobacterium tuberculosis using Comparative Genomics Dr.HelianthousVerma is working as Assistant Professor, Ramjas College, University of Delhi. During her doctoral research, she worked on deciphering the characterization and comparative genomics of sphingomonad species isolated from hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) contaminated soil. She was awarded the Ph.D. degree by University of Delhi in November 2016. She was inolved in comparative genomics studies on different species and strains of Sphingobium, Novosphingobium, Sphingopyxis, Bacillus, Paracoccus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and SARS-CoV2 .She is a young researcher with 25 publications including peer-reviewed research, review articles, book chapters and a chapter on genus Sphingopyxis in prestigious Bergey’s Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria. She is now actively working in the field of comparative genomics of pathogenic bacteria such as Phytoplasma and Bdellovibrio.
Dr.Rachna Chandra
Department of Environmental Sciences - Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, Sri Sri University, Cuttack, Odisha, INDIA Title of talk - Mangrove plantation activities in Kachchh, Gujarat Dr.Rachna Chandra is Associate Professor & Head, Department of Environmental Sciences at Sri Sri University (SSU), Cuttack, Odisha. She also holds Head In-charge position for the Department of Forestry at SSU. Earlier to this Dr.Chnadra has served as a Senior Scientist & Head of Environmental Impact Assessment Division at Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE), Bhuj-Kachchh, Gujarat. Dr. Chandra holds a doctoral degree in Environmental Sciences for her work on nutrients and trace metals in soils with specific emphasis on metal hyperaccumulators. Dr. Chandra is a recipient of DST-INSPIRE Faculty award by DST, New Delhi. She works on restoration ecology, biodiversity, ecosystem services, metal speciation and bioavailability and agro-chemicals. Dr. Chandra has around 28 research articles to her credit in journals of repute, 17 abstracts in national and international conferences, 09 chapters in books, 01 edited book, 01 monograph, and several technical reports. She also serves as Editorial Board Member and reviewer for environmental pollution and ecology related journals.
Dr. Kajal Jindal
Kirorimal College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of the Talk: Ultraviolet photodetectors: Evolution from bulk to two dimensional photodetectors Dr. Kajal Jindal is faculty in Department of Physics, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi. Her research interests include 2D materials, UV photodetectors, biosensors and First Principle calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT). She has 30 publications in international refereed journals with about 400 citations and h-factor of 11. In addition, she has contributed a book chapter along with a number of e-modules.
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Mr Debadityo Sinha
Founder & Trustee, Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation and TEDx speaker, INDIA Title of the Talk: Understanding ‘Forests’ Beyond Dictionary Meaning- The Disconnect Between The Science And Law Mr Debadityo Sinha is a Senior Resident Fellow at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and leads the ‘Climate & Ecosystems’ initiative. His research interest lies in the intersection of ecology, law, and policy. He is a recipient of the Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award 2019 for his conservation initiatives in lesser-known wilderness areas of Uttar Pradesh. He is also a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission- Bear Specialist Group and EKO Energy network, Helsinki.
Dr. Aparajita Mohanty
Gargi College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of Talk: Bioinformatics and Biopesticides: Achieving Sustainable Goals in Agriculture’ Dr. Mohanty is Associate Professor in Department of Botany, Gargi College, University of Delhi. Major area of her research pertains to biodiversity and conservation. She has also explored the application of bioinformatics for genome mining to identify cyclic peptides with various bioactivities and their role in terms of sustainable resources. She also has post-doctoral experience as fellow in University of Madrid, Spain in the European Community Multinational Project titled “Measuring molecular differentiation of European deciduous forest for conservation and management’.
Mrityunjay Kar Suar
KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, INDIA Title of talk: Incubating Ideas to to Build Sustainable Environmental Technologies Prof. Suar is the Director General of R&D at KIIT University and the CEO of KIIT Technology Business Incubator. He completed his PhD in Molecular Microbiology from University of Delhi, Postdoc from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and later established the School of Biotechnology in 2007 under KIIT University which became a Centre of excellence awarded by DBT, Government. of India. Dr Suar is a passionate mentor who has been deeply involved in mentoring more than 260 start-up companies in last 10 years through their journey from ideation to enterprise creation. He has received several recognitions including Samanta Chandrasekhar Award-2019 from Odisha Bigyan Academy, American Society of Microbiology Professorship award 2012, GP Chatterjee memorial award during 102nd Indian Science Congress, Future young technical leaders award 2010 by STARS Switzerland among many others
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Dr. Utkarsh Sood
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Delhi, INDIA Title of talk: The role of genomics in resolving classification anomalies of bacterial genera Dr. Utkarsh Sood is working as Research Associate at The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi. He is the Director and Co-Founder of PhiXGen Pvt. Ltd. He completed his graduation from Hansraj College and did his Master’s in Zoology from the Department of Zoology, University of Delhi. Thereafter, during his doctoral research, he worked on the complete and comparative genomic analysis of clinical and nonclinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. He was awarded Ph.D. degree by the University of Delhi in November 2018. He is a young researcher with 35 publications including peer-reviewed research, review articles, and book chapters. He has recently contributed 2 chapters in the prestigious Bergey’s Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria. He is now enthusiastically working in the field of comparative genomics, microbiome studies, and secondary metabolites of bacteria.
Dr Shailly Anand
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of the talk – Tiny Things, Mighty Challenges Dr Shailly Anand is an assistant professor at the Zoology department of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, University of Delhi. Her areas of specialization include Cell and Molecular Biology, Genomics and Metagenomics, Microbiology, and Biotechnology. Her mission is to promote child-centric Microbial Literacy in India, especially in rural areas. She has published various chapters in books/ e-Content/ Research Papers & Articles. She has participated, organized, and convened various workshops and conferences under the initiative of MHRD and the DBT Star College Programme. She has been a member of the Indian Network for Soil Contamination and Research since, 2018. Most recently she participated in a webinar titled, “Taking stock of Geopolitical and Geo economic Challenges and opportunities for India” organized by Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), Dean Dayal Upadhyaya College on 6th September 2021. Apart from receiving accolades for academic excellence in higher education, she has successfully ensured a pragmatic and nurturing outcome of her research projects towards society both within and outside of academic purview.
Renu Gupta
Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of the talk- Ciliates in research and class room teaching Prof. Renu Gupta is a Professor of Zoology at Maitreyi College, University of Delhi. She did her M.Phil and PhD in Zoology from University of Delhi and has been awarded Post-Doctoral Research Associate Fellowship of CSIR, DST Women Scientist, NorthSouth-Dialog Scholarship and Ernst Mach Grant fellowship. She has authored a book and 3 book chapters. She has published many research papers in International repute journals and has presented a large number of research papers in various International and National Conferences. Her research has been applauded immensely by the scientific community on various platforms and she has received the best presentation award, Innovative Researcher award and Women Scientist Award in Applied Zoology. She has been teaching Ecology, Cell Biology and Molecular Biology since 2001. She is also a Mentor for Students’ Projects at Maitreyi College since 2010. She has also been a reviewer for reviewing research manuscripts submitted for publication to Zoological International Journals since 2009. 50
Ms Sangeeta Relan
Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, India Title of the talk – The Dying Habit of Reading Ms Sangeeta Relan is an Associate Professor and a founding member of the Commerce Department of the college, helping with the initial setting up of the department. She has been teaching students of B.Com (Pass) and B.Sc Electronics for over three decades. Her specialization includes Finance, Insurance and Economics. One of the initial ones to carry out research on the concept and usage of Credit Rating in India, Topic- Credit Rating in India- An Emerging Financial Service, she is the recipient of the Nishtha Service Award by the College in appreciation of twenty five years of dedication and outstanding service to the college in 2017.
Dr. Binita Dutta
Hyloris Pharmaceuticals, Belgium Title of the talk – Health Care Sustainability Dr. Binita Dutta started her professional career as a Ph.D. student at Indian Institute of Science in 1993 and then moved to USA as a post-doctoral researcher at Medical College of Georgia, Scientific collaborator at University of Brussels (VIB, VUB) and Institute for medical Immunology (IMI, ULB) for six years. Subsequently, she worked as a clinical scientist at Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne for four years. She pursued MBA from Solvay Business School, Brussels and joined Johnson and Johnson Medicals under the flagship program of IRDP at New Jersey (Johnson and Johnsons, Headquarter). She worked as a senior manager and subsequently as an associate director in Health Economics and Market Access (HEMA) team of Johnson & Johnson Medicals before transiting to Business development in Hylrois pharmaceuticals for repurposed medicines in oncology and cardio vascular therapeutics.
Dr Faiyaz Khudsar
Centre for Environment Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE), University of Delhi, Delhi, INDIA Title of the talk – “Biodiversity Parks of Delhi as models for Environmental Sustainability and Resilience” Faiyaz Ahmad Khudsar has been trained in environmental biology & wildlife biology. He has been working in these fields for the last 20 years. His field of interest is ecological restoration, wildlife research and also initiated work in the field of aquatic biology. After completing Masters in Environmental Biology from University of Delhi, he has carried out a long term research in the Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh which yielded him Ph.D. He worked on Gharial and Gangetic Dolphin population in Chambal and Tiger & neighborhood communities in Panna, Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves. He also has experience of working with Gond, Baiga and Sahariya tribes in & around protected areas. He has received the Carl Zeiss Award for excellence in wildlife conservation. He has also authored a book, “Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary: Preparing Second home for Asiatic Lion” and published some national and international research papers. He is currently working in the Biodiversity Parks Program at the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE), University of Delhi; establishing network of Biodiversity Parks in Delhi with the help of assemblage of species in the form of biological communities belonging to Yamuna River Basin and Aravalli Hill Ranges. 51
Dr Roshan Kumar
Magadh University, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, INDIA Title of the talk – “Phylogenetic Relationships and Potential Functional Attributes of the Genus Parapedobacter: An Isolate from Hexachlorocyclohexane Dumpsite” Dr. Roshan Kumar is an assistant professor in the Post Graduate Department of Zoology. He completed his Ph.D. in 2016 from University of Delhi. His academic awards include the best interjector prize at Southeast Asian Symposium on Microbial Ecology (SARSME-2020). He also received the ITS-SERB travel grant for attending the seventh world congress on Microbiology,Valencia, Spain. He has served as Guest Editor for “Indian Journal of Microbiology” and as an Editor for “Bodh-Gaya News Letter: A bilingual quarterly newsletter”. He has reviewed several journals including European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Indian Journal of Microbiology and Frontiers in Medicine”. As a member of both organizing and advisory committee, he has contributed to several International conferences like the 61st Annual International Conference of the Association of Microbiologists of India and Indian Network for Soil Contamination Research (INSCR) and International E-Conference on “Health and Research in Current Scenario: with Special Emphasis on Covid-19 Virus Genomics and Pathogenicity”. In the field of Higher learning, he participated in Faculty development programme on “Effective Ways to develop e-Content for teaching and Learning” conducted in association with Human Resource Development Centre (UGC-HRDC), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune. He is also a member of Indian Network for Soil Contamination Research (INSCR) and of Association of Microbiologists of India (AMI).
Prof. Guwhar Bashir Vakil
Institute of Technology, Zakura Campus, University of Kashmir, INDIA Title of the talk – “Atmospheric electric field as an index for air pollution”. Prof. Guwhar Bashir Vakil is currently Dean and Director IOT, University of Kashmir. He is also serving as the Chairman, NIF CELL KASHMIR as well as Chairman, Centre Of Incubation and Entrepreneurship, Kashmir University. He has published 30 international publications and completed 3 research projects and presently he has 4 PhD scholars. He has set up Antenna lab where Gain Radiation patterns of Horn antennas were studied. He also has the credit of setting up the High Performance Computing (HPC) Laboratory in Kashmir University which is only of its kind in the entire J&K State. He also has successfully conducted various national level prestigious exams and has been a member of prestigious boards as well.
Dr Sanjukta Subudhi
DBT-TERI Center of Excellence in Advanced biofuels & Bio-commodities, The Energy and Resources Institute, Delhi, INDIA Title of the talk – “Microbial Interventions for Advanced Biofuel production” Dr Sanjukta Subudhi is a microbiologist and working as senior fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi. Dr Subudhi worked as a faculty scientist (2004-2008) at Pilot Plant Development Technology Research Institute (PDTI), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok, Thailand until she joined TERI in 2008. She leads the advanced microbial biofuel & biochemical research group at TERI. Research explorations of her group span the domain of; microbial production of clean fuel (biohydrogen bio-methane, bio-butanol from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation feed stocks) and green chemicals (2,3 Butane Diol, lactic acid, lipase, bioflucculant, carotenoids, PUFA, Pre and probiotics). She had the opportunity to work in several bilateral and multilateral collaborative research projects. She has over 100 research publications, 52
conference papers, and proceedings to her name, which includes 51 high impact factor peer-reviewed international publications (with RG score of 29.39 and 1104 citations, h-index, 18, I10 index, 25), four patents, and three book chapters. Major research achievements include biohydrogen and bioethanol production from 1st and next generation feed, biomethane from organic matter, microbial production of 2,3 Butane Diol and its downstream purification, algal production of value added bio pigments. Dr Subudhi has also worked in several bilateral and multilateral collaborative research projects with overseas research institutions: Michigan State University, U.S; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ, Leipzig, Germany); Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University of York, (York, UK); Finnish Meteorological institute, Helsinki & Tampere University, Tampere, (Finland) and many more.
Ms Parul Gupta
Independent Law Practitioner at NGT and legal adviser with Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation Title of the talk- EIA As a Tool of Environmental Protection
History Foundation.
Parul Gupta is a practicing lawyer before the Supreme Court of India and National Green Tribunal. She has a vast experience of more than a decade in dealing with diverse environmental issues across India. She holds expertise on matters ranging from environment and forest clearance processes, environmental pollution, waste management, mining etc. She is also legal advisor of Vindhyan Ecology and Natural
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ABSTRACTS
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Syzygy or Sisyphus: The future of environmental policy making Gaytha L. Langlois Professor of Environmental Policy, Bryant University, Rhode Island, USA Author email: [email protected]
As we try to navigate the complexities of environmental challenges, we must address issues of climate change, degradation of crucial ecosystems, uneven distribution of energy, inadequate food supply and clean water, along with avoidance of toxic exposure. However, there is an additional crisis that arises from the misalignment of policy goals and strategies. Energy policies fail to include waste management; truncated supply chain analyses ignore post-use impacts; inefficient processes and wasted resources heighten shortages, and communication among stakeholders may be insufficient or non-existent. Achieving policy alignment will necessitate changing the way we frame problems, utilizing better technology for assessment of policy efficacy, and designing innovative strategies by governmental agencies, NGOs, and academic researchers. The scientific underpinnings of environmental policy initiatives must be clearly presented and more widely available for decision makers. To move forward toward better policy alignment, we will need to recognize and appreciate the essential complexity that is intrinsic to environmental linkages. This presentation will explore the terrain encompassed by these challenges.
PLENARY TALK 55
Major global environmental issues with emphasis on invasion ecology R. K. Kohli Amity University Punjab, Mohali, Punjab Author email: [email protected] Environment affects every biota on the earth. It is now well known globally. Yet no statesman anywhere is taking it seriously against economic development. This is so irrespective of the level of individual or society at state national or global level, whether rich or poor. Let us focus on issues that demand global action. UNDP has focused on the following 8 major Global Environmental Issues of Concern: 1. Protection of atmosphere (global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, pollution, etc.) 2. Protection of the freshwater quality 3. Protection of ocean and coastal areas 4. Protection of land resources 5. Combating deforestation and desertification 6. Conservation of global biodiversity 7. Eco-friendly management of hazardous wastes 8. Protection of human health and quality of life. Biodiversity is a well-known parameter of ecosystem stability and sustainability. For obvious reasons, its conservation has become a major global challenge. Invasion by alien plants is the 2nd most important of the 5 primary drivers of Biodiversity loss. India, credited with 10 bio-geographic regions and 4 of the 36 “Biodiversity Hotspots”, has become the favoured place for invasion by exotic plant species, impacting biodiversity loss. Though not a new phenomenon, invasion of Alien Invasive Species (IAS) has gained momentum during the last 3 decades because of several reasons. The magnitude of its major impact on biodiversity loss and consequential ecosystem integrity and ecology varies, depending upon the geographical features of the area, population density, and type of landscape. Being a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, India is seriously concerned about the control of IAS in this era of globalization and economic integration. However, like many other countries, we lack data on total invasion load in different areas. Of course, no individual/a group of individuals or an institution alone can undo the damage or prevent it from further deterioration. It demands long-term strategies, global partnership, and collaborative actions. In addition to the global issues of environmental concern, it is proposed to share about the IAS, including neoinvasives, and discuss the major issues, possible solutions, and the efforts of the Government of India to control their spread.
KEYNOTE TALK 56
Novel chemicals mediate invasion success of exotic species Inderjit Singh Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Exotic species when introduced to new areas far from their native range gain dominance and may form monodominant communities. Several exotic invasive species produced chemicals that are novel for the resident communities of the introduced ranges, often described as ‘novel chemicals’. In my talk I will discuss how novel chemicals contribute to the invasion mechanisms proposed to explain several invasion hypotheses. These ideas are discussed in my recent paper published in the New Phytologist (2021, 232: 1184-1200).
KEYNOTE TALK 57
Dinabandhu Sahoo Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
No abstract received.
KEYNOTE TALK 58
How to teach contemporary environmental issues to children? Paola Scavone Laboratory of Microbial Biofilms, Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, URUGUAY Author email: [email protected]
UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development include 17 goals that cut across disciplines, sectors, and institutional mandates. Integrates approaches to sustainable development, improving environmental health, reducing risks, and increasing societies’ resilience. Also, the One Health approach recognizes that people’s health is closely connected to the health of animals and our environment. In this context, microbiology science appears closely related to these issues, and microbial literacy should be mandatory in the UN Agenda. Throughout history, bacteria have been mainly associated with human and animal diseases. As microbiologists, we all know the relevance and impact of microbes in our daily lives. Even more, the COVID-19 pandemic proves that microbiology literacy in our society is necessary. One of the most challenging microbiology problems is that we cannot see microbes and viruses by eye. It is also more complicated for children as we still do not have specific microbiology curricula according to their age and needs. We need to explore different strategies to communicate the discipline and convince society of the importance of science education on children. We have been involved in a project using comics as a tool for microbial literacy, mainly for children and the general public. Here, I will tell you about our experience with the development of comics to teach microbiology and different aspects associated with environmental issues and One health. The use of different strategies for teaching microbiology will empower children and, consequently, parents and finally the general society to make an informed decision, have arguments for and against misinformation and fake news, and change human behavior to preserve our environment and health.
KEYNOTE TALK 59
Advanced semiconductor and catalytic materials for sustainable hydrogen generation Siva Karuturi School of Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, AUSTRALIA Author email: [email protected]
Solar energy has the greatest potential to replace fossil fuels among all carbon-free energy sources. Given that electricity only accounts for 30% of global energy consumption, breakthroughs in renewable energy storage and transportation are needed to accomplish the transition to renewable energy, along with the development of a supply chain for renewable energy exports. The chemical bonds present in chemical fuels provide one of the densest ways to store energy. For example, energy density of hydrogen fuel is 100 times higher than that of a best Li-ion battery. Hydrogen generated from solar-driven water splitting has the potential to provide clean, sustainable, abundant and transportable energy. In this talk, I will present on the development of semiconductor and catalytic materials for solar hydrogen generation. Specific strategies to enhance the light harvesting, catalytic activity and long-term stability of photoelectrodes will be explained in detail. Following this, I will introduce our work on tandem semiconductor systems for spontaneous hydrogen evolution using solar energy as the sole energy input. In particular, our recent results on perovskite/Si tandems for stand-alone water splitting systems achieving high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency will be presented.
KEYNOTE TALK 60
Aquatic biofilms as “Bioengineers” for newly emerging pollutants removal Nataša Mori1, Tjaša Matjašič1,3, Tatjana Simčič1, Oliver Bajt1, Tanja Dreo1, Tjaša Kanduč2, Zoran Samardžija2 National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
1
Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2
Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana, Slovenia
3
Author email: [email protected]
Plastic pollution is a global problem that affects also freshwaters including drinking water. The main concerns on pollution with plastics are about their persistence and durability, and harmful impacts on human health and other living creatures during ingestion, potentially causing mechanical impairments. Moreover, plastic-associated chemicals (additives) may be endocrine-disrupting or toxic, plastics can also adsorb toxic organic pollutants, nanoparticles or metals, which may cause adverse effects during ingestion, or even can act as vectors for invasive or pathogen species. Large quantities of different types of primary and secondary microplastics (MP; particles < 5 mm) are entering freshwaters through point-source pollution (e.g., wastewater treatment plants) and some through nonpoint-source pollution from urbanized and agriculture areas. One of the most critical sites for freshwater quality and quantity are riverbed sediments extending below and laterally from the river channel (i.e., hyporheic zone (HZ)), often referred to as the rivers’ liver but also as a physical, chemical and biological filter between surface and ground waters. These sediments are overgrown by biofilms and inhabited by benthic and hyporheic invertebrates.Riverbed biofilms, especially these from the HZ are the core engine for organic matter and pollutant degradation and nutrient transformations, driving carbon and other biogeochemical cycles. When sediments are contaminated with MPs, specific communities, the ‘plastisphere’ can develop, that often differ from the surrounding communities. Investigation of biofilms in with MPs contaminated environments may result in a discovery of indicative taxa that can be used as a new monitoring tool or in discovery of new species with bioremediation and biodegradation potential.
KEYNOTE TALK 61
Environmental indicators: Thoughts on contributing to sustainability and equity in the great lakes region and beyond Michael Murray Department of Biological Sciences, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Author email: [email protected]
Environmental indicators are measurable features that provide useful information on the state of the environment, including for the scientific and management communities. Such indicators have been in development and use for several decades in the Laurentian (North American) Great Lakes. Multiple criteria have been considered important in selecting indicators, including that they have a clear purpose, be situated within a particular conceptual framework, consider scale, and provide for an assessment of progress towards desired outcomes. There have been multiple efforts to develop and/or assess Great Lakes indicators, and as of 2019, the U.S. and Canadian Governments have a program involving nine broad indicators of ecosystem quality (such as drinking water, fish consumption, and nutrients and algae), with 45 sub-indicators. A recent expert and stakeholder effort I led assessed Great Lakes indicators, and identified several areas in which indicators could be improved, including considering a wide range of criteria (including human equity and well-being), more explicitly tying management actions to environmental responses, increasing use of indicators more directly tied to human health, and involving a broader range of stakeholders in indicator development and implementation. In addition to extensive indicator work in the Great Lakes, there is a wide range of environmental (and sustainability) indicator development and implementation work occurring at multiple scales globally, including in other countries, through academic institutions, and through the United Nations and other intergovernmental bodies. This presentation will briefly review recent work on environmental indicators in the Great Lakes, other similar indicators, and provide preliminary thoughts on implications for indicator development and use for freshwater ecosystems in India.
KEYNOTE TALK 62
Engagement of citizens in co-designing citizen science studies in environmental epidemiology: Opportunities and challenges David Kocman1, Johanna Amelia Robinson1,2, Rok Novak1,2, Tjaša Kanduč1, Miha Pratneker1 and Jure Ftičar1 Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
1
Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
2
Author email: [email protected]
Citizen Science (CS) is a rapidly growing field of research, increasingly used, among others, in various aspects of environmental health monitoring and health science, including environmental epidemiology. Its major advantage lies in the fact that CS facilitates inclusion of general public in scientific research processes. In recent years, there is a noticeable trend in CS projects - transition from more passive forms of participation, often limited to data collection, to active involvement of citizens in all project phases and research activities (co-created CS). This is largely supported by the rapid development of sensing and supporting information and communications technologies. While co-creation brings new opportunities, a number of challenges still exist and need to be considered when implementing respective CS activities. In this contribution, some of these opportunities and challenges will be discussed, both of technological and non-technological natures, based on hands-on experience in selected past and on-going CS projects. The general aspects discussed comprise, but are not limited to, the following: (i) user-centered design of tools and their fitness for purpose evaluation; (ii) societal vs. scientific relevance of CS activities; (iii) levels of collaboration between researchers and citizen scientists in data analyzing and knowledge generation; (iv) data governance and ownership, including intellectual property aspects; (v) management of volunteer motivations and expectations; (vi) educational value of CS when integrated in the school curriculum; and (vii) measuring the impact of citizen science including user-experience aspects.
KEYNOTE TALK 63
Hot springs located atop the Himalayan ranges at Manikaran and Kheer Ganga in Himachal Pradesh, India: Potential sources of microbial diversity and thermostable enzymes Rup Lal The Energy and Resources Institute, Darbari Seth Block, IHC Complex, Lodhi Road, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Manikaran and Kheer Ganga hot springs are located at altitude of 1700 and 3000m, respectively atop the Himalayan ranges in Himachal Pradesh. We have been using culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches to explore the microbial diversity from these hot springs. Culture-independent approaches revealed that these hot springs represent very versatile and dynamic bacterial and viral communities. They are thus becoming potential sources of extracellular enzymes that have potential application in the industry. We have isolated bacteria from these locations and found them producing extracellular enzymes like DNA polymerase and proteases. Based on our research efforts during the past more than 10 years, the dynamic microbial community existing at these locations and their potential application to produce microbial enzymes will be presented.
KEYNOTE TALK 64
Snow leopard: A top predator, mountain ambassador and icon of trans-boundary conservation Kaustubh Sharma Senior Ecologist, Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle, USA Author email: [email protected]
Snow leopards are the top predators of the high mountains of Asia. They occupy nearly 2 million square kilometers of Mountain habitat. Nearly a third of their distribution range is within 100 km from international borders. Snow leopards range over several kilometers and cross unfenced international borders often. Revered across cultures, the snow leopard is legally protected across the 12 countries where they are found. Conserving snow leopards requires a multipronged approach focused on research, community-engagement, education, policy and transboundary cooperation. As climate changes, the habitat of snow leopards will change, but a much rapid transition will be in how humans change their space and resource use patterns. These changes are likely to affect the delicate relationship between humans and the large predator, and amplify the existing threats the species faces.
KEYNOTE TALK 65
Identification and monitoring of ciliated key protists in aquatic environments in the light of a sustainable environmental approach Bettina Sonntag Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, AUSTRIA Author email: [email protected]
Ciliates are key protists in lakes and oceans because of their importance in the trophic transfer among prokaryotes, eukaryotes and small metazoans in aquatic food webs. Additionally, they are excellent indicator organisms for any water body due to their short generation times. As each ciliate has different demands on its environment, they need to be identified to the species level because they can be ecologically very different, i.e., mixotrophic and heterotrophic species can belong to the same genus. In our studies, we generally go for a ‘bottom-up process’ starting with the morphological identification of a ciliate followed by single-cell sequencing analyses that provide the basis for high-throughput sequencing approaches. Some recent case studies on ecologically important species of the genera Urotricha, Coleps and Halteria will be presented and I will explain why a combination of morphology, molecular sequences and environmental data is necessary to identify ciliate key players in aquatic food webs and seasonal patterns. Our approach is an appropriate basis for water quality assessments. Finally, by frequently involving citizens and pupils into our research, we consequently transfer recent findings into classrooms and living rooms to initiate discussions and include non-academic knowledge into aquatic ecosystem research.
KEYNOTE TALK 66
Land management– Big problems – Simple solutions – Applying science commonsense and awareness of law in land rehabilitation: A case study from Springfield Lakes Queensland, Australia Rajesh Jalota Department of Environment and Resource Management, Townsville, Queensland, AUSTRALIA Author email: [email protected]
The ecological footprint of modern human society and its practices are huge hence and there is a need to adopt a holistic approach to reduce this footprint by creating a balance between economic development and environmental protection. The holistic approach includes – implementation of laws, practices to ensure sustainable resource use and if all stakeholders while continuing economic development use effective strategies to protect environmental values for the future generations. Some of the strategies are – effective planning, judicious resource use, adopting suitable technology (modern as well as traditional), behavioural change, common sense etc. Above approach was adopted to rehabilitate a highly erosive slope that had potential to pollute neighbouring creek by using simple techniques, mainly by installing check-dams (almost 150) of dead wood, woodchip/mulch, and other locally available material that was considered “waste”. In first year, we could achieve more than 7580% of groundcover. To achieve 100% groundcover garden “waste” (green) was spread on bare patches on the slope before the wet season. Constant monitoring, improving rehabilitation methods and smart planning helped us to establish almost 100% groundcover that stabilised the slope and improved the soil quality. Within three (3) years (July 2018 – May 2021) we could successfully establish a self-sustaining landscape that is providing shelter and food to local fauna, improved aesthetic sense of the landscape and helped to sequester ~ 70 tonnes of carbon in the top 10 cm of the soils.
KEYNOTE TALK 67
Using biodiversity models to support the nature-positive transition Andy Purvis The Natural History Museum, London, UNITED KINGDOM Author email: [email protected]
The 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity will soon be negotiating the global framework that will guide conservation actions for the next decade and beyond. The stakes are enormously high. Will we manage a nature-positive transition that bends the curve of biodiversity loss, or will losses continue to accumulate and limit the opportunities for future generations? In this talk, I will show how biodiversity models have an essential - but often overlooked - role to play in getting us to the future safely. Using the PREDICTS framework as an example, I will outline how only models can tell us whether our planned actions are sufficient to reach our goals. The complexities of biodiversity mean that models are still much less well developed than climate models, but I will argue there is no alternative to using them. Close integration of models with biodiversity monitoring will accelerate model development and provide society with the ‘sustainability sat-nav’ that we all need.
KEYNOTE TALK 68
Laws and policies for environmental protection Kunal Satyarthi Joint Secretary (Advisor), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India Author email: [email protected]
Environmental Protection and management regime of natural resources in India has traditionally been community driven and reflects the cultural ethos of the people. All the ancient scriptures deal with this concept, more so by documenting the biological diversity and capturing the traditional wisdom of many generations about their usage. It evolves further on management perspective with the advent of princely estates and large kingdoms & dynasties but still retaining a utilitarian flavour and showing abundance of the resources. The British Rule brought in scientific forest management into the country along with the bureaucratic structure and the statutory provisions like Indian Forest Act and the Forest Policy in 1880s. Consolidation of forest boundaries, settlement of rights, change in crop structure favouring valuable timber species, forestry research and training were the norms till Independence and few decades thereafter. The years of 1972 and 1992 with the Stockholm conference and the Earth summit respectively raised the environmental consciousness at the global level with the birth of numerous Conventions and subsequent agreements, protocols and declarations. The decade of 1970s brought in Wildlife Protection Act, Amendments to the Constitution of India, Forest Conservation Act as new statutory instruments. Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 shook the nation’s conscience and brought environment protection into the forefront of lawmakers’ mandate. Enactment of Environment Protection Act, creation of a separate Ministry of Environment & Forests and the Forest policy of 1988 followed the years after the massive tragedy. The concern for environment protection has raised impressively in India in the past decades beginning 1988 onwards. Many measures have been taken by the Indian government to protect the environment and maintain an ecological balance in the society including the shift towards community driven management principles. The highest courts of India including the Supreme court and many State High courts have also taken a lead in the domain of environment protection with so many green judgements. Environmental jurisprudence has evolved and ultimately developed into environmental conservation being interpreted as a basic human right and it being a Fundamental right of every citizen to live in a pollution free environment. It is high time that general public, Community based entities, private enterprises, academia, state government and central government together comprehend the damage that has been done to environment and foster joint strategies for better ways of maintaining the balance between the environment and society. In the legal domain it is also a time to align the conservative green laws with the brown laws of development to serve the ultimate mandate of fulfilling constitutional aspirations.
KEYNOTE TALK 69
Nourish ecosystems, nurture biodiversity, enable food and enhance resilience – integrating natures’ potential Gayatri Kanungo Senior Environmentalist, World Bank, USA Author email: [email protected]
Nature and its ecosystems are central to healthy human existence. Notably therefore, keeping our planet healthy and resilient finds significant relevance, particularly as we all slowly emerge from the devastating impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The “UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration” comes both as a stark reminder and a great opportunity to better tap into natures’ own potential to ensure environmentally friendly sustainable development. Globally complex interactions including climate change impacts among many different factors are leading to increasing vulnerabilities and jeopardizing the long-term livelihood prospects for hundreds of millions of people across nations. Severe land degradation, within any and all ecosystems, is a clear resulting impact. The multi-dimensional challenge of land degradation, unsustainable land use and climate variability requires a holistic and integrated solution. There is increasing understanding that degradation of land and water resources transcend institutional and geographic boundaries. Integrated management of a mosaic of production systems at the landscape level - watersheds, pastoral and rangelands, protected area habitats, and dry forestlands - that together form the rural landscapes, can offer an effective solution. Increasingly, integrated landscape management (ILM) – together with improved agricultural productivity, rural development, and nature-based tourism – are becoming the core of national strategies for green growth, yielding nature-based solutions to strengthen countries’ resilience to natural disasters and climate change. What we the people do to ‘Nourish our ecosystems, Nurture our biodiversity, Enable reliable food and Enhance resilience’ will translate to ‘Better environment, Better production, Better nutrition, and Better lives’.
KEYNOTE TALK 70
Natural biological solutions for remediating urban pollution and health risk management Chirashree Ghosh Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Today, some 55% of the world’s population – 4.2 billion inhabitants – live in cities. This trend is expected to continue, as by 2050, with the urban population more than doubling its current size, nearly 7 out of 10 people in the world will live in cities. For sustainable urban development, natural biological solutions (NbS) are specific actions defined by IUCN which are extremely important, supporting to improve air quality, managing flooding and rainwater, and contributing to citizens’ physical and mental health. Urban living limits the natural access, so active urban planning for improved and sustainable ecosystem is quite difficult. It takes political guidance, citizen participation, and cross-sector collaboration to address the vision for “urban sustainability” specifically using the concept of “Natural biological solutions”. The solutions may differ with the change of population size, types of grey structure, urban expansion, the altitude of the place, and geographical location. The numbers of metropolitan cities in India were only 5 in the year 1951, which has crossed 60 in the year 2021. As per the CENSUS 2011, 31.16% of the total population lived in urban areas, increased to almost 36% in the year 2020. This projection would pressure the urban area to cope up with the lifestyle choices of these people while also combatting the deteriorating effects of climate change wherein basic commodities like fresh air, clean water, and fertile soil patches are already lost due to the anthropogenic pressures on the supporting natural resources.
KEYNOTE TALK 71
Tools and rules of ecological entrepreneurship for sustainable health and wealth Radhey Shyam Sharma Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected] Ecosystem degradation and contamination offer an opportunity to translate ecological theories into practice by evolving ecological entrepreneurship for redesigning the earth. At personal level, individuals fail to achieve their natural potential due to degraded ecosystems, while societies suffer from cultural homogenization, and nations increase their environmental debt. Exponential trajectory of diminishing ecosystem goods and services due to the biodiversity crisis governs the poor quality of life of all living organisms, which further deepens the mental, physical, and spiritual health of humans. Ecological concepts, however, provide frameworks to achieve excellence by individuals and institutions, and achieve economic sustainability, social equity and environmental security by nations. Better insights into ecological concepts governing ecosystem development and acquiring skills to translate these concepts into restoration practices would lead to the establishment of a new industry – ‘ecological entrepreneurship.’ Such industries will not only solve the current environmental problems but also prevent the future ones, therefore, will also govern the success of the forthcoming decade of ecological restoration (2021-2030) as declared by the United Nations. Practicing ecological concepts for environmental remediation will convert contaminated and degraded sites as economic, environmental, and psychological burdens into economic and ecological wealth, and social heritage. Practicing of solitude would promote focus, limitless imagination, and exceptional creativity among children and adults. Teaching emerging concepts of ecosystem restoration at all levels of education will develop an ‘Ecoliterate Society,’ whereas the research and practice of restoration ecology will strengthen the foundation for a sustainable nation. Plant-microbe associations serve as biological inputs to formulate biotechnologies for restoring the degraded ecosystems. We, however, recommend developing a nextgeneration restoration practice based on emerging concepts in ecology. We offer an ecological framework based on in-depth knowledge of the sociobiology of living organisms, particularly -soil-plant-(bacteria-phage)-soilinteractions. Bacterial viruses, for example, improve the ecological fitness of bacterial cells, generate diversity in a population of useful bacteria, and govern the evolution of a bacterial community. The high specificity of phage to bacterial host and ease of modifying the phage genome further offer opportunities to develop biomonitoring tools for tracking contaminants and microorganisms in the environment. Our research framework unravels the critical linkage between phagemediated benefits for developing next-generation restoration practices for reviving ecological processes, such as soil formation, nutrient cycling, and primary productivity, and for biomonitoring the ecosystem health. We emphasize using the ecological concepts of sociobiology between phage and bacteria to develop next-generation restoration practice and restore our broken relationship with nature and realize the human potential to the fullest. Above all, the restoration practices based on emerging concepts in ecology will trigger creativity among individuals, promote social equity, and ensure environmental sustainability.
INVITED TALK 72
Low temperature operated efficient NO2 gas sensors for environmental monitoring Anjali Sharma Department of Physics, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Air pollution may be defined as any atmospheric condition in which certain substances are present in such concentrations that may produce undesirable effects on human beings and ecosystem. Nitrogen oxide (NO2) is an important pollutant. Constantly increasing level of NO2 gas is harmful to living beings as it is irritating to the upper respiratory tract and lungs even at low concentrations. Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLHs) of NO2 gas has been declared to be 20 ppm by Occupational Safety and Health Administration, USA. Thus, precise detection of trace level of NO2 has become need of an hour. Hence, it is necessary to develop small size, highly sensitive and inexpensive NO2 gas sensors to detect low concentration of NO2 gas at lower operating temperature. Tin oxide (SnO2) is the most preferred material for gas sensor application because it is sensitive to many gases and some degree of selectivity can be conferred by the use of appropriate additives. Efforts have been to study the effect of different modifiers (p-type or n-type metal oxide) incorporated with n-type SnO2 thin film in enhancing the sensing response with reduction in operating temperature. To improve the response parameters of the sensor, different modifiers (WO3, TeO2, Al2O3, NiO, CuO, In2O3, ZnO, TiO2, Ag2O and PdO) in the form of microclusters have been deposited over SnO2 surface. Origin of heterojunctions formed at the interface of different metal-oxide (p-type or n-type) modifiers and n-type SnO2 thin film surface and its implication in enhancing the sensing response has been studied. Furthermore, efforts are also made to develop room temperature operated NO2 gas sensor using hybrid nano-composite of multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNTs) and SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) nanostructures with varied concentration of MWCNTs. The sensor made using 5 mg of MWCNTs yielded a maximum response of about 1.07 x 103 at room temperature with fast response time (4 min) and recovery time (8 min) towards trace level (100 ppb) NO2 gas. Also, to prepare handheld gas sensor based on SnO2 film for on-field detection of NO2 gas, effort has been made towards the miniaturization and packaging of complete sensor device. Finally, the efforts have also been made to demonstrate 2D layer MoS2 based FET sensor for the efficient detection of NO2 gas at room temperature. Fabricated FET based gas sensor showed the sensing response of 59.4% towards 10 ppm concentration of NO2 gas and limit of detection (LOD) of 1 ppm.
INVITED TALK 73
Anthropocene: A misplaced trust in ecological utopia Himender Bharti Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab Author email: [email protected], http://www.antdiversityindia.com
The current biodiversity crisis is the result of various threats, which include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation, overexploitation of biological resources, spread of invasive species, diseases, and global climate change. This has led to unprecedented extinction rates, hence the cost of investments in ecological restoration is sharply rising. The impact is such that the current epoch has been dubbed as Anthropocene. Much of the focus is on glamourising afforestation and reforestation. In such a scenario, the role of conservation biology becomes significant. To understand human impact on species, genetic variations, and ecosystems and to develop practical approaches to prevent the extinction of species, maintain genetic diversity, restore biological communities and associated ecosystem functions, the science of conservation biology must play a vital role. However, the implementation of strategies directed at conserving the biodiversity are mostly deficient in an integrative approach, as well the lack of understanding about the holistic knowledge of organismal biology. Thus, to conserve biodiversity, to replenish the ecosystems, we must have a thorough understanding of organisms and ecosystems in question. We need participative approach, adaptive management, holistic thinking, long-term planning, so that we contribute towards the betterment and sustenance of future generations.
INVITED TALK 74
Environmental mitigation through biological approaches Raunak Dhanker Department of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Engineering and Sciences, GD Goenka University, Gurugram, Haryana Author email: [email protected]
According to the united nation statistical division data the global human population is expected to reach 8 billion with 57% urban population by 2023. Despite global slow down due to Covid-19 pandemic the world has witnessed high amount of soil erosion ~ 65-ton ha−1 in 2020, threatening land resources and of the whole watershed. Conventional wastewater treatment processes like activated sludge, degrade organic carbon but fail to reduce nutrient concentration of wastewaters to suitable values so that eutrophication can be prevented. However, biological approach such as microalgal treatment ensures that excess inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals are efficiently removed while ensuring pathogenic bacteria do not proliferate attributed to the differences in their growth conditions. The multiple applications of the microalgal biomass, role in CO2 sequestration makes the use of microalgae - economical and eco-friendly. Yet they alone cannot degrade organic carbon quickly enough. The integrated bacterial-microalgal approach addresses both these issues while also keeping all the benefits of the individualistic approach intact. This combines nutrient and organic carbon removal while also reducing the carbon footprint associated with mechanical aeration of CO2 and O2 that is needed if these organisms are grown independently. This cyclical, almost self-reliant water treatment method with the added benefit of microalgal biomass could provide the right balance between expenditure and the access to clean water to the citizens, where wastewater treatment is rare, environment protection standards are not stringent, and water borne diseases are common.
INVITED TALK 75
Overcoming challenges in the sustainable remediation of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) dumpsite soils Charu Dogra Rawat Molecular Biology and Genomics Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi
1
Author email: [email protected]
All ecosystems, natural or modified, are under tremendous anthropogenic pressure that has led to loss in their integrity, biodiversity and ability to provide essential services and benefits. The increase in the produced capital (roads, factories, machines, buildings, ports) is related to the staggering reduction in the natural capital (mineral and fossil fuels, agricultural land, forests), which is not sustainable. Moreso, it has resulted in disturbed and damaged ecosystems which must be restored and reclaimed. Globally the need of sustainable nature-based solutions to protect, manage and restore ecosystems has been increasingly realised. Bioremediation that involves the usage of living forms like microbes, bacteria, fungi and plants for detoxification or mineralization of noxious pollutants thatinduce structural, physiological, neurological and reproductive disorders/deformities in biotic forms including humans is one such nature-based solution. Bioaugmentation (addition of microbes) and biostimulation (addition of nutrients to stimulate indigenous microbes) are two majorly employed microbial assisted remediation methods. However, vulnerable and dynamic environment, toxicity and bioavailability of the contaminants, monitoring and survival of microbe degraders are some of the challenges that impede the sustainable degradation of the toxicants. Several molecular and analytical strategies and techniques aid in microbial sustainability and remediation process assessment in the field conditions.Use of advanced technologies like “omics” (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) and synthetic and system biology approaches (mining genes from databases and genome editing) have opened the way for alternate, better understood, more effective and sustainable microbe-assisted remediation. We are employing genomics and genetic engineering approaches to devise method to monitor the bioinoculant Sphingobium indicum B90A, a well-known degrader of Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), an organochlorine pesticide, in the bioaugmentation field trials at an HCH dumpsite and engineer a Bacillus strain to secrete HCH catabolic proteins that will be discussed.
INVITED TALK 76
Antifungal compounds: Emerging environmental pollutants Hardeep Kaur Department of Zoology, Fungal Biology Laboratory, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
The role played by agriculture in sustaining the ever-growing human life is of paramount importance. However, many pathogens including different fungal species cause huge loss of crop. Antifungal drugs are frequently used to check this damage and also to prevent post-harvest spoilage of crops. However, the repeated and often indiscriminate usage of the most common azole antifungal agents especially in agricultural fields, has given way to an alarming environmental concern. These compounds persist in the soil or enter waterways due to run off from the fields. Domestic sewage and hospital waste water are also reported to contain large amount of azole compounds. Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) are found to be incapable of removing these compounds; their differing biodegradation rates being the primary culprit of poor removal rates. This dissemination of effluents into the natural environment acts as the root cause of water pollution. This poses a threat to the health of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and also often leading to development of azole resistant fungal strains. Azole compounds are also the preferred drug of choice in the treatment of human mycosis. Based on genotyping, it has further been found that these azoles also enter the water table and the food chain, eventually causing increased incidence of azole resistance among azole naïve human population and patients who have never before contracted fungal infections. Antifungal resistance is hence a major threat to the clinical management of fungal infections and therefore the initiation of the antimicrobial stewardship programme is the foremost step in management of its spread. This would be of utmost importance in our objective to lower the levels of fungicides in the environment and keep a check on the emergence and spread of mutant fungal strains.
INVITED TALK 77
The role of the 2D materials for sustainable growth and future optoelectronic device applications for environment Priyanka Sahu1 and Mukesh Kumar Thakur2 Department of Humanities and Social Science, Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering and Technology (GKCIET), Malda, West Bengal, INDIA
1
J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC
2
Author email: [email protected]
After the discovery of graphene, the new era of 2D materials research begins and it opens a new platform for developing advanced semiconducting technology. Since then, others materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) like MoS2, WS2, WSe2, MoSe2 including Janus structures (WSSe, GaGeTe) from the 2D materials family, have gathered prominence as possible candidates for silicon replacement in the electronic chip architecture landscape. However, graphene has remained at the center of attention due to its fascinating physical, chemical, mechanical, and optoelectronic properties. Although the Dirac-like band dispersion at the Fermi level in graphene leads to a very low on/off current ratio for graphene-based transistors, which is a major shortcoming for the practical application in electronic circuits. To solve these issues several ways have been adopted. Hence with this motivation in mind, at the first general introduction to the synthesis strategies for some of these 2D materials using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and mechanical exfoliation (using scotch tape method) leading up to the formation of the 2D heterostructures will be demonstrated. Furthermore, simple and robust characterization techniques using Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy will be discussed to confirm the quality of these 2D materials. Finally, the impact of stable functionalization of graphene by fluorination will be showcased having a tunable impact on the electronic properties, thus paving the way for functionalization dependent ultrafast optoelectronic applications with graphene-based materials.
INVITED TALK 78
Manipulation of life processes of insect pests using botanicals: A sustainable approach of pest management Kamal Kumar Gupta and Sunil Kayesth Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019 Author email: [email protected]
Insects constitute the most common living organisms present on earth and account for more than two-thirds of the total number of described species. They cause great economic losses to human beings by destroying agricultural crops and stored products. The extent of damage to agriculture may reach up to 60-70%. They are also responsible for the transmission of a variety of diseases to man and livestock. The use of chemical poisons is the most common method of insect control, but with serious limitations. Increased dependence on chemical pesticides caused environmental contamination, bioaccumulation and biomagnifications in the ecosystem, adverse impact on non-target organisms and beneficial insects, human health hazards, and pest resistance and resurgence. Our research work focused on the potential application of botanicals in the management of insect pests and vectors by altering growth, development and reproductive processes. The model insects used were Dysdercuskoenigii-a hemipteran polyphagous pest, Helicoverpaarmigera-a lepidopteran polyphagous pest and Aedes aegypti-a vector of dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika virus. Botanicals were extracted from the plants such as Ocimum sanctum, Catharanthus roseus, Lantana camara and Thevatianeriifolia. The experiments were conducted on the insect populations bred in the laboratory. Lethal and sublethal effects of plant extracts were studied on both the immature stages and adults. Various parameters such as survival and longevity, growth and development, mating behaviour, fecundity and fertility, gut histological architecture, enzyme profile were included in the study. GC-MS analysis of the plant extracts was done to know phytoconstituents present in the plants. Our results indicated the plant extracts have adverse effects on the survival and longevity of both the immature stages and adults of the model insects. Impaired growth rate, decreased growth index and developmental anomalies were some of the sublethal effects seen in the treated insects. The plant extracts also abbreviated various reproductive processes. There were changes in the courtship behaviour and oviposition behaviour. The treated insects showed non-receptive courtship behaviour, which results in decreased mating success. Also, decreased fecundity and fertility were observed in the treated insects. All these factors resulted in decreased reproductive fitness. GCMS analysis of the plant extracts revealed the presence of a variety of chemicals responsible for lethal and sublethal effects. The presence of insect growth disrupters, Juvenile hormone mimics and JH intermediates were also reported in the extracts, which may cause developmental anomalies and disrupted reproductive behaviour. These studies signify the potential of botanicals for the management of insect pests and insect vectors in a sustainable and environmental-friendly manner.
INVITED TALK 79
SARS COV 2: Invisible threat and impact on environment Swati Sharma Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, USA Author email: [email protected]
The respiratory distress syndrome accompanying a subset of severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be distinct from classic acute respiratory distress syndrome. SARS-CoV-2 has positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome containing a surface glycoprotein known as spike proteins, or S protein, and are thought to be responsible for the tropism it displays as they engage only with specific receptors on the cell surfaces of target organisms. The coronavirus pandemic has plunged the world into uncharted territory, leaving people feeling helpless in the face of an invisible threat of unknown duration that could infect any of us. The COVID-19 pandemic has jeopardized the stability and security of countries across the world. Now the entire world - its physical well-being, its economy, its people’s livelihoods - is being upended by something unseen and aggressive and hard to avoid. Is it any wonder that unease and disorientation are the result? Today I am here to shed light upon COVID induced coagulopathy and the effect of this pandemic on the environment.
INVITED TALK 80
Zero hunger and climate mitigation: Prospects and challenges Ram Kumar School of Earth, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Central University of South Bihar, Bihar Author email: [email protected]
More than two years into the pandemic, we have seen unprecedented human and economic toll. Seven years ago the world envisioned a paradigm shift by the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The pandemic has slowed down the economic growth, developmental activities and regrettably thrown progress on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) off track. With the global average temperature reaching about 1.2°C above preindustrial levels, the climate crisis has rightly arrived, and its impacts are being felt across the world. At this surge in the global extreme poverty rate, i.e. for the first time in over 20 years, ~119 to 124 million people were pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020. The 2nd goal of SGDGs set out in the UN 2030 agenda is Zero hunger i.e. end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. The world has witnessed the increase of greenhouse gas (GHG) and food demand to feed humans and live stocks. Although the current population growth is slower than 10 years ago (1.24 vs 1.10%) with an annual increase of 83 million people, global population will reach ~8.6 billion in 2030 and 9.8 billion in 2050. Land based agriculture area is shrinking day by day driven by industrial growth and expansion of human settlement. The livestock sector has potential to satiate hunger of growing human population, this sector requires a substantial amount of natural resources and is responsible for about 14.5% to 18% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions. Given rising food insecurity, frequent recurrence of diet driven diseases, colossal contribution of industrial food systems to climate change the achievement of zero hunger target seems nearly impossible. Indian traditional knowledge heritage, with adaptability and innovations in the field of economic zoology, botany and microbiology, demonstrating the interdependency and interlinkages among the various dimensions of sustainability may come out with a solution – from health, well-being, social and economic prosperity to climate and ecosystems. So far our dietary diversity is concerned, beef emits 31 times more CO2 per calorie than tofu does, as coal emits 24 times more CO₂ per unit of energy output than hydropower does. Besides, the conversion of forests into agricultural land and livestock ranches is one of the major causes of deforestation. It is being done to meet the rising demand for food. Livestock including aquatic resources are key drivers for sustainable development in agriculture. Indian traditional food habits and exploring alternative food sources the sector can reduce its environmental impacts and become more efficient in the use of resources. Studies in economic zoology may provide comprehensive analysis of the sector from a social, economic and environmental perspective and develops tools and policy guidance for sustainable livestock development. As part of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, our expertise will assist countries to approach zero hunger while tackling climate change through improved livestock systems management. The presentation will delve upon anticipated constrains in achieving zero hunger for rising human population and propose solutions based on India Traditional Heritage and modern tools of economic zoology.
INVITED TALK 81
Ecosystem restoration: Certain key approaches, principles and interventions Nageswara Rao Amanchi Freshwater Ecology, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety laboratory, Department of Zoology, UCS, Osmania University Campus, Hyderabad, Telangana Author Email: [email protected]
Billions of people around the world are suffering the consequences of the climate change, food and water insecurity, and the COVID-19 pandemic. All forms of ecosystems are facing severe challenges worldwide, mere protection and sustainable management of our existing natural ecosystems would not be enough: the planet’s degraded ecosystems must be restored due to huge benefits that they have provided to human kind since beginning. The restoration of forest landscapes, farming, livestock and fish-producing ecosystems should primarily contribute to restoring them to a healthy and stable state, so that they are able to provide ecosystems services and support human needs for sustainable production and livelihoods. By declaring the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), governments have recognized the need to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide for the benefit of both people and nature. This crucial initiative provides a unique opportunity to transform food, fibre and feed production systems to meet the needs of the 21st century, and to eradicate poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Drawing on the latest scientific evidence, this talk explains the crucial role played by ecosystems from forests and farmland to rivers and oceans, and charts the losses that result from our poor stewardship of the planet. For example, around one third of the world’s farmland is degraded, about 87 per cent of inland wetlands worldwide have disappeared since 1700, and one third of commercial fish species are overexploited. Degradation is already affecting the well-being of an estimated 3.2 billion people – that is 40 per cent of the world’s population. Every single year, we lose ecosystem services worth more than 10 per cent of our global economic output. Restoration can also curb the risk of mass species extinctions and future pandemics. Therefore by engaging in restoration, everyone – from governments and businesses to civil society groups and individuals – can contribute towards resetting our relationship with nature.
INVITED TALK 82
Study of potential molecular drug targets against Mycobacterium tuberculosis using comparative genomics Helianthous Verma1,2, Shekhar Nagar3, Shivani Vohra2,4, Shubhanshu Pandey2,5, Devi Lal2, Ram Krishan Negi3, Rup Lal6 and Charu Dogra Rawat1,2 1
Molecular Biology and Genomics Research Laboratory, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi 2 Department of Zoology, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi 3 Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi 4 Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, South Asian University, Delhi 5 Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla, Delhi 6 The Energy and Resources Institute, Darbari Seth Block, IHC Complex, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes airborne infectious disease tuberculosis (TB). Each year millions of people worldwide suffer from tuberculosis (TB) which necessitates need to determine effective cure against the disease. The identification of different drug resistant i.e., multi extremely- and total-drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis demand for the development of new drug strategies. Here, we analysed genomes of 174 strains of M. tuberculosis in the light of evolutionary divergence of molecular drug target (MDT) genes. Phylogenomic clustering of Mycobacterium is identified as temporal type of clustering where strains isolated at same time were observed in same clusters. 51 MDT genes were categorised into, diversifying (D, dN/dS>0.70), moderately diversifying (MD, dN/dS=0.35-0.70) and stabilized (S, dN/dS 36oC during summer season was 57 with negative slope and minimum temperature < -2oC was 26 during winter season with positive slope. In maximum temperature a decreasing trend was observed during only May whereas it was increasing for all the remaining month and during seasons. Minimum was showing a decreasing trend in June & December but increasing in remaining months & all the seasons. A positive trend was observed in maximum temperature (Z= 1.9; Q=0.036) and minimum temperature (Z=1.15; Q= 0.01).
ORAL PRESENTATION 114
Abstract Code – OP17
Assessment of air quality index (AQI) in urban areas of Himachal Pradesh Kartikey Sahil and Satish Kumar Bhardwaj Department of Environmental Science, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Himachal Pradesh Author email: [email protected]
The present investigation entitled “Assessment of Air Quality Index (AQI) in Urban Areas of Himachal Pradesh” was conducted during the year 2017-2018 and 2018-19 in the Department of Environmental Science, YSP University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India. In order to assess the impact of urbanization four major towns namely Shimla, Dharamshala, Mandi and Kullu were selected. The observations were recorded for important criteria pollutants viz. PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2 and VOCs in the ambient air for eight hours at each location of the selected town during day time and observations were taken for one week by using standard methodology. The AQI was computed by taking all the four parameters studied as per the CPCB standard procedure. Statistical tests have been applied to the results with two-way and one-way analysis of variance based on different monitoring sites. However, all the parameters were within the permissible limits except PM10 at the traffic site of Shimla town. The AQI ranged from 15.32 - 40.07 and categorized as Clean to Fairly Clean. Urban area wise AQI was in the order of Shimla (40.07) > Mandi (28.59) >Kullu (27.90) > Dharamshala (15.32). The study area has affected by area, point and volume sources of pollution. The study inferred that urbanization has started impacting ambient air quality in Himachal Pradesh.
ORAL PRESENTATION 115
Abstract Code – OP18
Physico-chemical and nutrient analysis of copper oxy-chloride fungicide applied and nonapplied soil samples of rubber plantation in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode and Wayanad Districts of Northern Kerala Steffi Simmi Maxim and Jeyabalan Sangeetha Department of Environmental Science, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala Author email: [email protected]
Rubber farmers of Northern Kerala depend upon Copper oxy-chloride fungicide to control abnormal leaf fall disease of rubber trees occurring during monsoon because of the pathogenic fungi Phytophthora palmivora. The study was conducted to know whether the fungicide application has any impact on the physico-chemical and nutrient quality of the soil. Copper oxy-chloride fungicide applied and non-applied (Control samples) were collected on the 15th and 30th day after the fungicide application from the selected rubber plantations of northern, southern, eastern and western parts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, and Kozhikode districts of northern Kerala and pesticide analysis, physico-chemical and nutrient analysis were performed using standard protocols. pH was measured using pH meter, electrical conductivity using conductivity meter and organic carbon using Walkley– Black titration. Among the macro nutrients, nitrogen (N) was estimated using Kjeldahl method; potassium (K) and sodium (Na), using flame photometer, calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), using titration, phosphorous (P) and sulphur (S) using spectrophotometer. Micronutrients iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) were estimated by DTPA extraction process using AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy), and boron (B) using spectrophotometer. Statistical analysis of the data were carried out using paired-t test (95% significance level) in SPSS software (Version 16) to assess whether there is significant difference between the physico-chemical, macro and micro nutrients parameters of control samples and copper-oxy chloride applied samples. Statistical analysis showed that there is no significant difference in the physico-chemical and nutrient parameters of the copperoxychloride fungicide applied soil samples and control samples.
ORAL PRESENTATION 116
Abstract Code – OP19
Sentiment analysis of public opinion on solar energy Rajat Sharma1, Ravneet Kaur2 and Vibha Gaur1 Department of Computer Science, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
1
Department of Electronics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
2
Author email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
During the ongoing era of development, industrialization and globalization, sustainable development plays a very crucial role. Sustainable development involves satisfying the needs of the existing generation and maintaining the necessities of the generations to come. To accomplish this, judicious utilization and preventing overexploitation of the natural resources has become a need of the hour. Renewable resources of energy like solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy offers the best solution. Solar energy is one of the most bountiful energy assets on Earth. This sustainable asset is a spotless and safe elective energy arrangement that can assist with diminishing harmful pollution. Henceforth, solar power can be a remarkable method for battling climate change and assist with decreasing carbon footprint. Solar energy has emerged as the cheapest and most widely accessible source of replenishable energy, this work performs a sentiment analysis, of the public opinion from social media such as Twitter, using python. Sentiment Analysis classifies the public sentiments into positive, negative and neutral categories. However, negative and neutral opinions can be shifted to positive outlooks by organizing awareness programs and therefore subsequently removing the myths prevailing in the society if any. Sentiment Analysis may provide an insight into the people’s opinion of India that would assist the concerned stakeholders and government agencies in formulating suitable laws and policies to promote the use of solar energy. The analysis may also help in the evolution of the solar market.
ORAL PRESENTATION 117
Abstract Code – OP20
Avian diversity nearby Mama Ji Ka Pond Loharwa, Barmer, Rajasthan Sunil Khati and B. R. Jaipal Department of Zoology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan Author email: [email protected]
This paper is based on the surveys those were conducted from September 2020 to December 2021 nearby the Loharwa pond at Barmer district in the Thar Desert. Thar desert upholds a massive number of avian species. We observed some different types of reptiles, birds, mammals, and plant species but, the population of birds was higher. We saw different birds like peacocks, ringdove, parrots, house sparrows, crows, large grey babblers, white-throated kingfishers, black drongo, red-wattled lapwing. Out of these populations, the Asian green beeeater population was found to be the maximum and the population of the Asian koel was the minimum. Birds play an important role in the Thar Desert wildlife systems and the birds are worked as indicators of the healthy ecological system. The point count and direct observation methods are used in the counting of bird species. We also used binoculars and Nikon p900 Camera for identification and photography.
ORAL PRESENTATION 118
Abstract Code – OP21
Biopesticide: An alternative for synthetic pesticide Tupti Sumam, Matta Vineetha and Nageswara Rao Amanchi Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Lab, Department of Zoology, Nizam College, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
Most common method to increase food production in order to support the fast-growing world’s population is by the use of synthetic pesticides. But the continuity in pesticide use has numerous deleterious effects on the environment and non-target organisms across ecosystems. More so excessive use causes not only toxicity but also leads to pest resistance. Annual amount of synthetic pesticides used for crop protection is estimated at 2.5 million tonnes causing damage worth about 100 million USD worldwide. Synthetic pesticides are no doubt a threat to environment and demand an urgent alternative with better crop protection and yield. In view of this, biopesticides have become an effective alternative as they save environment from pesticide contamination and human kind from health hazards. Bio pesticides are derived from either plant or animal sources and are used as repellents, insecticides, fungicides and bactericides. Bio pesticides have proofed to be less toxic, low cost and help in plant growth without affecting seed viability and quality. Thus, research in bio pesticides increased significantly over the past two decades and this signifies use of bio pesticides with the intention to substitute the synthetic pesticides. In spite of all these advantages, commercialization of bio pesticides remains limited.
ORAL PRESENTATION 119
Abstract Code – OP22
Connecting young minds to nature Gafoor Unnisa and Maqbool Ahmed School of Sciences, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad Author email:[email protected]
Environment cannot be studied from a particular discipline, but understand the interlinks between the complex ways in which one action is connected to another and the same thing can be understood from different perspectives which often rooted in different disciplines. A large number of environmental issues have increased and further complicating nature’s systems by increasing the risk of mankind’s survival on the Earth. It is well recognized that environmental issues like Global warming, Ozone depletion, Acid rain, Clean Air & water accessibility, Forest fires, Marine pollution and Biodiversity are not just National issues but they are Global Issues and for this International efforts and co-operations are needed to address them. There is need to ignite young minds for environmental awareness involving the application of scientific and technical information to understand, manage, protect and conserve the environment and its resources and also make them aware about the destruction due to the release of pollution into the environment. It is utmost important for us to save the humanity from extinction because of our activities and in the name of development the environment is affected and Biodiversity is depleting. Effective methods need to be adopted, such as project-based learning from the early childhood education, where young minds learn by addressing a real-world challenges-its uniqueness lies in the fact that students come up with an end product which represents their new understandings, knowledge and attitudes. In this way, we can sensitize the importance of survival and protection of the environment, because it is very important to save humanity from extinction so that future generations can have a better and healthier future.
ORAL PRESENTATION 120
Abstract Code – OP23
DNA damage and repair mechanism under pesticide stress – An overview Sruthi Pillai and Nageswara Rao Amanchi Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Lab, Department of Zoology, Nizam College, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana Author email:[email protected], [email protected]
All organisms have an efficient DNA repair mechanism and is accompanied by cell-cycle checkpoints that may lead to cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death if genomic instability is beyond repair. Quite naturally, ecotoxicologists soon realised that DNA damage caused by pollutants could not be overlooked. Damage to the DNA molecule can result from many exogenous or endogenous factors, from the direct action of certain toxicants to excessive oxidative radicals generated by metabolic imbalance and cell death. A few toxicants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), diol epoxide metabolite (BPDE), are likely to induce DNA damage to some extent. Apart from the above, certain heavy metals like Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As) and Chromium (Cr) are also reported to induce DNA damage. Despite the limited number of studies addressing this issue in the field, special modifications of methods for genotoxicity assessment, combined with state-of-the-art molecular tools, are beginning to show promising results in the unravelling of DNA repair proteins, genes and networks in non-conventional model organisms. The main purpose of this study is to contribute to the awareness that DNA damage is not limited to direct interactions of toxic compounds with the DNA molecule.
ORAL PRESENTATION 121
Abstract Code – OP24
Environmental awareness and demographic trends: A case study of the native population of river Bharathapuzha (Kerala) S.G. Gopika Unni and K.M. Remia Center for Conservation Ecology and Department of Zoology, M. E. S Mampad College (Autonomous), Malappuram, Kerala Author email:[email protected], [email protected]
Kerala, the God’s own country is enriched with innumerable natural resources and sublime climatic peculiarities, which makes it distinctive and courteous to all life forms habitating in it. The river Bharathapuzha has incredible biodiversity, and it is home to a wide range of species and vegetation, many of which are native to the river and the Western Ghats. Even so, reports of declines in many species of native fauna have been documented as a result of varied anthropogenic activities, which are posing a threat to the preservation of the area’s biota, such as sand mining, illegal and overfishing, building impoundments, and sewage pollution. We conducted a survey to find out how natives felt about the quality of the river’s water, its fish diversity, and its pollution status. The most striking observation was the natives’ avoidance of visiting the river due to safety and hygiene concerns. The majority of people were indifferent to the importance of becoming familiar with local riverine fauna. With the demographic information provided, it is possible to identify that those who were aware of river conditions were those who had completed high school, those in the 40-59 age group, females, and those who had lived by the river for more than twenty years. This study clearly distinguished the need for environmental awareness from conservation, as conservation is possible only if the emerging generations are aware of the environment and the potential environmental consequences.
ORAL PRESENTATION 122
Abstract Code – OP25
Ecopreneurship: An emerging concept in India Swetanshu and Pratichi Singh Department of Biosciences, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh Author email: [email protected]
The human race comes a long way in the course of developing technologies but knowing or unknowingly exploiting the natural resources harming flora and fauna. Over the years, the maintenance of a sustainable environment and protection of climate has emerged as a prime concern for the whole world. Most multinational companies and firms or even a small local industry does not seek steps that could reduce pollution, as they may need to install some equipment which will increase the total production cost. Here in this review, we discuss the ecopreneurship as an emerging business model making India sustainable and economically prosper, in addition to the role of government and different industrialists tackling this situation. Several policies of the government like taxation policy, carbon tax, green cess, vehicle scrappage policy, etc. and the developing innovative technologies by ICAR, DRDO, Praan, Cellzyme Biotech, NavAlt, Beco, ZunRoof, Nexus Power, etc. in India are currently running to counter the pollution generation and its elimination. Pollution and waste are something we cannot undo or prevent their generation but implementing some rules and policies can cut down its existence and reduce the loss of biodiversity, climate change, and other ecological problems. Moreover, startups are gradually becoming milliondollar companies which are eventually helping the environment and economic growth of the country.
ORAL PRESENTATION 123
Abstract Code – OP26
Environmental toxicology: Sources and effects of heavy metals and possible ways of mitigation Maleeha Taqdees Malik and Ira Khan Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, Telangana Author email: [email protected]
Toxicity of environment is an issue of great concern in the present scenario as environment is already in deteriorating condition and anything adding to it will only worsen the situation. The wide usage of heavy metals and their release in environment has raised concerns over the potential effect they may cause on various forms of life on earth. To overcome this problem a comprehensive knowledge of the causes of heavy metal toxicity, its consequences and strategies to tackle it is of utmost importance. There is a dire need to not only strictly monitor the release of these metals but also work for remediation and do something for the harm already done. Here, in this review we have tried to explain the sources of heavy metal pollution and the effects caused by some highly toxic heavy metals on human health, plant processes and environment and also discussed various biological, physical and chemical methods used for its mitigation and the challenges faced in its removal from the environment.
ORAL PRESENTATION 124
Abstract Code – OP27
Exploring the correlation between acute respiratory infection & GDP in different states of India: A bio-economic perspective using Kuznet Curve Tripti Singh and Ashwani Mathur Jaypee Institute of Information & Technology, Noida, Uttar Pradesh Author email: [email protected]
India is obtruding as a economic superpower. According to the World Bank Data the country has a vast population of about 1.38 billion in the year 2020. The development in terms of growing international trade has imparted an extensive burden on the natural resources of the country. Environmental Kuznet Curve (EKC) is used to study the relationship depicting the economic growth of the country and environmental degradation. The EKC is a bioeconomic perspective to explore correlation between GDP per capita and environment. Existing studies have also shown that high GDP is associated with low disease burden linked with environmental degradation. The current study explores the EKC between GDP per capita of different states of India for the period 2010-2019 and envisage a possible correlation between GDP and Acute respiratory infection cases. The study may be extended in finding the socio-economic and environmental factors along with policy making.
ORAL PRESENTATION 125
Abstract Code – OP28
An infinitesimal pollutant – Microplastics Tupti Sumam and Nageswara Rao Amanchi Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety lab, Department of Zoology, Nizam College, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana Author email: [email protected]
Microplastics are plastics that are less than 5mm in length, mostly made from polyethylene, polystyrene, polyesters and are defined as synthetic solid particles which are insoluble in water. The primary source of these particles results from commercial products such as cosmetics and clothing. Secondary source results from breakdown of large plastic items due to exposure to sun’s radiation or other environmental factors. During degradation microplastics bio accumulate in living organisms including mammals causing severe health issues. Microplastics can bind with other harmful chemicals acting as endocrine disrupters causing long term effects on human health. The entry point of microplastics into the human system may be through contaminated food, inhalation and dermal contact. Microplastics of about 20µm size can penetrate organs, and those about 10µm size are able to access secondary tissues such as liver and muscles, cross cell membranes and even blood-brain barrier. They are found in all placental portions: maternal, foetal and amnio-chorial membranes. Major ways to overcome microplastics pollution is through source reduction and subsequent microbial biodegradation.
ORAL PRESENTATION 126
Abstract Code – OP29
Safe drinking water and human health: The challenges before India Neeraja Sood, Sadhna Gupta and Rita Rath Department of Zoology, Dyal Singh College, Lodhi Road, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Environment plays a very important role in providing energy and materials for sustaining life viz. clean air, potable drinking water and nutritive diet. In fact, the span of life is dependent on the access to these basic amenities thereby making environmental factors the primary cause of diseases, disability and death. The statistical data from sub-Saharan Africa, shows that the environmental factors contribute a whopping 35% to overall human mortality. A major portion of these deaths can be mitigated by preventing the diseases caused by environmental hazards of air, water and soil pollution. Water is the basis of life and the quality of drinking water is of paramount importance for good public health. Water is contaminated due to anthropogenic or geological factors. The anthropogenic contamination is due to untreated domestic and industrial effluents and agrochemical runoffs. Groundwater contamination with arsenic and fluoride is due to geological formation of the rocks lining the aquifers. The anthropogenic contamination has very serious repercussion and is responsible for Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases (ADD) such as gastroenteritis, dysentery, cholera, hepatitis and typhoid. In India, ADD is the second most important contributor to infant and child mortalities and morbidities. Chronic arsenic exposure results in arsenicosis while fluoride leads to dental and skeletal fluorosis. Nitrate contamination results in Blue baby syndrome in infants. In India, the challenges in drinking water quality are due to its large population, urbanization, industrialization that interfere with the natural hydrological cycles causing overuse/abuse and pollution of our vital water resources. India needs to do more to ensure safe drinking water to her citizens.
ORAL PRESENTATION 127
Abstract Code – OP30
Anthropogenic impacts on phytoplankton community and environmental conditions of Dhamara Estuary, East Coast of India Subhasree Swagatika Mohanty1, Manas Barik2, K.C. Sahu3 and C.R. Panda4 Department of Marine Sciences, Berhampur University, Odisha Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, CSIR, Odisha Wetland Research and Training Center, CDA, Odisha Author email: [email protected]
Estuaries are always influenced by the anthropogenic pollutants of riverine runoffs. Dhamara estuary, is one of the estuary of east coast of India, that affected by a large amount of pollutants, and it will eventually lead a threat to the ecological sensitive areas in its vicinity. To understand the phytoplankton community structure and its relationship with the environmental variables in the estuary waters of Dhamara estuary and its adjoining coastal waters, east coast of India, samplings were collected during 2016–2018 seasonally, which are pre-Monsoon (Pre-M) and post-Monsoon (Po-M) from 12 stations of estuary and coastal locations. Phytoplankton population was comprised of 54 species of phytoplankton out of which 32 belong to Diatom, 11 Dinoflagellates and one from Cyanobacteria. On a temporal and spatial scale, it was observed that the impact of point sources carrying anthropogenic runoff towards the nutrients factors as well as phytoplankton growth. Surprisingly, sizable populations of Dinoflagellates, Cyanobacteria (Trichodesmium sp.) were noticed during post monsoon year 2. The seasonal data was analyzed by SPSS V21 (One-Way-ANOVA) to understand the sources of variation in between environmental data and phytoplankton diversity. N=48 for each parameter taken. From the study, it was observed that the phytoplanktons are significant from ANOVA studies with respect to community. Chemical parameters are influenced by anthropogenic activities such as sediment dredging, aquaculture effluent, and waste from industry and sewage from upstream. This issue is definitely taking an attention towards phytoplankton diversity which clearly observed in our study.
ORAL PRESENTATION 128
Abstract Code – OP31
Impact of air pollution on Type-1 respiratory/ allergic disorders Shashi Chawla Department of Microbiology, Gargi College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Type-1 respiratory disorders include allergic rhinitis, asthma, etc. which develop in an individual mainly due to genetic predisposition and exposure to the allergens (pollen, fungal spores, insect emanations and detritus, dust mites, animal danders) present in the air. Their incidence and exacerbations have been reported to be on the rise. Approx. 40% of the population around the globe has been found to be suffering from respiratory allergic disorders. One of the significant causes for this rise is air pollution. Components of air pollution like ozone, nitrous acid as well as particulate matter, all have been shown to have relation with exacerbation of asthma and allergic rhinitis. They may act as triggers or modifiers of immune response to aeroallergens or as irritants in the airways. Air pollutants can modify the allergenicity of certain pollen. In a study, significant association was found between exposure of ozone and the sensitization to new outdoor allergens. Co-exposure to diesel emissions and airborne allergens has been shown to increase the levels of allergen-specific IgE, asthma severity. Besides, air pollution also increases incidence of respiratory infections which also exacerbate asthma symptoms. This study aims to: (i) review the impact of air pollution on respiratory allergic disorders, (ii) sensitize people towards reforestation of non-allergenic trees in urban areas, and (iii) create awareness about the need to have national and international environmental policies for reducing the impact and consequences of this health problem.
ORAL PRESENTATION 129
Abstract Code – OP32
Reconstruction of palaeoenvironment of the late quaternary sediments of the Kanwar Taal Lake, Begusarai, Bihar, India Supriya Kumari1, Ram Kumar2, Kamlesh Kumar1, Anupam Sharma1 and Dhruv Sen Singh3 Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, University Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 2 Centre for Environmental Sciences, Central University of South Bihar, Patna, Bihar 3 Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, University of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Author email:[email protected] 1
This study described the reconstruction of paleoenvironment over the last 3,000 year in the lake of Gangetic plain, Kanwar Taal lake, Begusarai, Bihar, India (Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake) is situated at 25°35’ N latitude and 86°10’ E longitudes. It has high curvature and circular bend ended into hook - like connection towards the river Buri Gandak. 210 cm thick Sediment trench were collected from the lake. Temporal variation of (Zooplanktons, resting eggs), Chronology (OSL Dating), Texture study, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), species richness, Shannon Wiener Index and Evenness, etc. were studied. As freshwater inflow increased to the lake, there were an increase in nutrients and terrestrial organic material input. These zooplankton communities (Rotaria, Epiphanes, Lecane, Hexarthra, Polyarthra, Nauplii of Calanoid,Nauplii of Copepoda, Brachionusrubens, Brachionus angularis, Notommata and Asplanchna) were present in the sediment of lakes as dormant stages and reconstructed again in the laboratory conditions when suitable environment provided. The survival of resting egg takes place in sediment part of water body for a longer period of time. If we collect those resting eggs and provide appropriate condition for hatching then the faunal diversity can be observed of that ecosystem. The diversity of organism having short life span shows the survival of them in different environment condition occurs due to anthropogenic condition.
ORAL PRESENTATION 130
Abstract Code – OP33
Student-driven interdisciplinary course on environmental consciousness for young minds in the direction of environmental sensitization and beyond Yejoor Chawla and Gautam R. Pisharadi Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, Rajasthan Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
The United Nations has declared the present decade as the one for action, but academia and industry have not acknowledged this and are determined to maintain the status quo. They have chosen to turn a blind eye towards the catastrophic environmental issues which face us. A clear-cut sensitization towards the environment is lacking. Studying Environmental Sciences is mandatory. However, these courses only enable a general understanding of the environment and related issues. It does not build one’s inclination to solve these issues. Thus, we need grass-root level-based interventions to nurture these values not as teaching but as a practice in one’s own life and subsequently implementing it in the rest of the world. There is a clear requirement of institutions and individuals who not only transmit this knowledge but also take a keen interest in transmitting it. Under the guidance of TLC BITS Pilani, a body set up in BITS Pilani, consisting of faculty members to build innovative teaching-learning pedagogy, as UG Students, we have been given the privilege to curate a full-fledged course on Interdisciplinary course on “Environmental Consciousness for Young Minds in the direction of Environmental Sensitization and beyond” against a funding of INR 12,000 which can be offered as an “Elective Course” in BITS Pilani and/or other colleges and can also be uploaded as a MOOC on several online course platforms. We conducted a study with around 100 students to understand their inclination towards taking this course.
ORAL PRESENTATION 131
Abstract Code - OP34
Comparative analysis of energy consumption in cryptomining for environment sustainability Ayushi Sharma, Harsh Bamotra, Pratham Sharma and Vibha Gaur Department of Computer Science, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Cryptocurrencies are increasingly gaining attention worldwide and are often considered the future of digital currency. Crypto means hidden and currency means the system of money so the hidden unit of currency is known as Cryptocurrency. It is monitored by peer-to-peer networks such as blockchain. Blockchain technology can be defined as a digital ledger that consists of records of every transaction known as blocks. Blockchain makes the history of transactions unalterable, therefore making it extremely difficult to corrupt. To maintain this digital ledger, many miners sitting across the world, compete with each other to be the first to verify a crypto transaction. This process is generally considered Cryptomining and is done using powerful computers capable of generating millions and billions of hash functions per second which requires large amounts of electricity. The high consumption of energy leads to a significant amount of carbon emission. Carbon being a greenhouse gas leads to global warming and ultimately climate change which may cause natural disasters like floods, wildfires, storms, etc. These carbon emissions can have an exceedingly harmful effect on the environment. This paper analyses the power consumption of two variety of cryptocurrency coins i.e., Bitcoin and Ethereum and thus paving the way for the Government, environmentalists and miners who can turn their interest towards setting up renewable energy projects like hydroelectricity, solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy and biomass for crypto mining and may lead to a sustainable environment.
ORAL PRESENTATION 132
Abstract Code – OP35
Review on various bioremediation techniques for the treatment of environmental pollutants Bhavna Kumari, S. Sripoorna and Anupam Prakash Department of Biological Science, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh Author email: bhavnasingh365gmail.com
Globally, pollution is increasing due to rapid industrialisation, population growth, and a variety of human activities such as unregulated agriculture, hazardous medical waste dumping, and inadequate petroleum waste management. Formaldehyde, per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, aromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are all harmful pollutants accumulated in the air, water, and soil that are wreaking havoc on the environment at an alarming rate. Effective waste management is essential since our environment has such a direct impact on our lives. Incineration, landfill, gasification, and pyrolysis are just a few of the waste disposal options accessible. All of these approaches, however, are not very effective since they are costly, energy-intensive, and time-consuming, and they also require a large plant setup; consequently, biological pollution remediation is the most effective solution to all of these problems. Bioremediation is the technique of using living organisms to remove pollutants from the environment. Microbial enzymes degrade and transform more toxic chemicals into less harmful forms. Bioremediation has proven to be effective in a number of well-known clean-ups, notably the Exxon Valdex oil spill in Alaska in 1989. In bioremediation, enzymes such as cytochrome P450, laccases, hydrolases, dehalogenases, lipases, and others are widely used. This review highlights the role of different bioremediation strategies used to treat environmental pollutants.
ORAL PRESENTATION 133
Abstract Code – OP36
Effects of acetamiprid-exposure on oxidative stress parameters in rat liver tissue Annu and Vinay Malik Department of Zoology, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana Author email: [email protected]
Long-term and high demand of pesticide usage is associated with serious environmental contamination and adverse effects in non-targeted organisms including humans. In humans, liver being the major metabolizing and detoxifying organ, becomes prime target for pesticide toxicity. Acetamiprid is a neonicotinoid pesticide that is widely used over globe without any known regulation. Toxicity studies concerning acetamiprid exposure are limited. Owing to its high use over the globe, the toxic effects of these neonicotinoids are a topic of interest for toxicologist. In this continuation, results of this study investigated that acetamiprid-exposure significantly elevated oxidation of lipids and proteins; and considerably reduced antioxidant enzymes activities. Further acetamiprid exposure also depleted glutathione content and caused histological alterations in liver tissues. In conclusion, acetamiprid was detected as toxic pesticide that could infer hepatotoxicity by eliciting oxidative stress in rats. Further the effects of this pesticide should be evaluated in different levels of environment to regulate its uses and to gain a better insight of its environmental toxicity.
ORAL PRESENTATION 134
Abstract Code – OP37
Comparative analysis of flood vulnerability techniques for detecting area specific indicators Deepanshu, Megha Karki, Shruti Jain, Sunita Narang and Harita Ahuja Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Flood, one of the most devastating natural hazards, can damage the ecosystem of the affected area resulting in habitat/crop destruction, loss of assets and life due to drowning and disease proliferation. This can have serious implications like alteration of landscape, eroding of river banks, massive population migrations, significant decrease in country’s gross domestic product etc. To better equip the population against such disasters it is very important to assess an area’s sensitivity (vulnerability) to flooding while taking into account various environmental, social, economic and physical components. Each of these components are analyzed based on several indicators and sub-indicators. Appropriate selection of the indicators affects an area’s flood vulnerability and would help policy makers and stakeholders to take action for risk remediation. This paper makes a comparative analysis of various flood vulnerability assessment strategies discussed in literature since 2000. It uses data of 2018 Kerala floods and assesses the vulnerability of its 14 districts. The paper not only selects reliable district-specific indicators and sub-indicators for environmental, social, economic and physical components; but also propose new indicators for each district to decision makers. Finally, results highlight which Kerala districts are more vulnerable with respect to the system’s components and, therefore, need more attention from stakeholders.
ORAL PRESENTATION 135
Abstract Code – OP38
Characterization of stress-inducible genes in freshwater ciliates by molecular methods for surveying water quality S. Sripoorna1, Jeeva Susan Abraham1, Swati Maurya1, Ravi Toteja1, Renu Gupta2 and Seema Makhija1 Ciliate Biology Laboratory, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
1
2
Zoology Department, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email:[email protected]
Ciliates are single-cell eukaryotic microorganisms which are nowadays widely used for various ecotoxicological studies. Since these microbes do not possess cell wall, they react efficiently to environmental changes. In the present situation, heavy metal pollution is increasing exponentially and drastically majorly due to anthropogenic activities. These pollutants have been reported to cause deleterious effects on living organisms when they are exposed to heavy metals beyond a certain threshold level. To control the prevailing condition, heavy metal pollutants need to be assessed to determine the water quality. Thus, in the current investigation, heavy metal effects were studied on freshwater ciliates, i.e., Euplotes aediculatus. Isolation, identification, and characterization of stressinducible genes in E. aediculatus were conducted in this study. Besides, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and transcriptional modulation of stress-inducible genes were also determined under heavy metal stress. Significant increase in the enzyme activity and transcriptional expression of stress-inducible under metal stress (even under low heavy metal concentration ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 mg/L of Cu, and 2.0 to 3.0 mg/L of Cd) indicated that these genes can be used to survey the quality of freshwater. Also, the active sites of these genes have been deduced and compared with other reported ciliate species to understand their role in cell defence.
ORAL PRESENTATION 136
Abstract Code – OP39 Plastic waste dumping in the kadalundi estuary as a major health concern for human and
fish – A review
C K. Sreeparvathi, K M. Remia and K S. Anoop Das Center for Conservation Ecology and Department of Zoology, M.E.S Mampad College (Autonomous), Malappuram, Kerala Author email:[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Life without plastic has become impossible for us. In the 20th century, plastics became more popular, and their production is still on the rise today. The Kadalundi estuary has been declared as the “Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve” since 2007 due to its ecological importance. Currently, plastic waste is being dumped more frequently in this area. The survey and field visit were conducted between January 2021 and March 2021. About 54.6% of the survey respondents said that the main cause of pollution is the dumping of plastic waste. These plastic wastes accumulated near mangrove roots and along the sandbar. Often, this disturbs the ecology and vegetation of such places, causing the extinction of many organisms. The mangrove ecosystem is crucial to the reproduction, breeding, and food of many species. The omnipresence and small size of microplastics make it easier to ingest by aquatic organisms and it can be found in gastrointestinal tracts, liver, muscle tissues, and even gills. These ingested particles can physically damage their internal organs. The accumulation of microplastic up to the food chain is another major concern. There is a risk that the “man-made food chain” could impact whole ecosystems and ultimately affect human health. Therefore, a proper assessment of the ecology, pollution, biodiversity, and other factors is critical to understanding how this ecosystem functions and operates. To avoid these serious problems, we have to find various solutions to replace plastic material with something more ecofriendly. This study is trying to promote the extensive use of biodegradable plastics in our daily life.
ORAL PRESENTATION 137
Abstract Code – OP40
Optimizing perishable inventory model for carbon emission and expiring items Gurudatt Rao Ambedkar and Chaman Singh Department of Mathematics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email:[email protected], [email protected]
Now a-days, adventures like the grocery store industry are going up against various challenges to meet the objectives of sustainable development. The client’s decisions are changing at a faster speed due to new advances and quick change the overall environment. It is seen that demand of the product is clearly connected with the stock level however keeping a gigantic stock justification for increase in holding cost and disintegrating impact. It is a major test to sell the complete stock before its pass with the objective that its effect on environment can be reduced. In the evolving climate, stockpiling and overseeing of stock things in the grocery store additionally plays a significant commitment in green-house gas outflow subsequently grocery stores are authorized to put forth attempts to decrease the emanation which likewise influences the behaviour of a stock. The impact of carbon emission from the grocery store industry has been explored for deteriorating items. Deterioration and inflation additionally significantly affect any model, in this way can’t be disregarded. This model combines the expiry date and deteriorating impact of green things and gives an ideal yield to acquire the most outrageous advantage under inflationary conditions with carbon emission. The model is handled numerically to approve the insightful outcomes, which would grow the hard and fast advantage. Sensitivity analysis reinforces the pertinence of the model.
ORAL PRESENTATION 138
Abstract Code – OP41
Electrical and optical study of ZnO thin film based UV photodetector Babita Sharma1,2, Kajal Jindal3, Reema Gupta4, Arijit Chowdhuri5 and Monika Tomar2 1 2 3
Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi
Department of Physics, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi
Department of Physics, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, Delhi Department of Physics, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi
4
Department of Physics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
5
Author email:[email protected], [email protected]
Ozone Layer depletion is the major cause for the increase in the Ultraviolet radiation in the environment. It not only affects the human health but is hazardous to the wildlife as well. UV protective measures need to be taken to save the environment from the risk of exposure to UV. So, there is a need for different types of Ultraviolet photo detectors. Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin film based semiconductors are the most promising and widely used material for UV detection application at room temperature due to its ease in the fabrication with modulation in properties. Due to its wide band gap energy of 3.37 eV and large surface to volume ratio, ZnO is the best suited for UV detection. In the present work, Sol-gel technique has been utilized for the fabrication of UV detector. ZnO thin film was deposited on IDEs/glass substrate using spin coating technique. The structural, electrical and optical properties were investigated to examine the performance of the device for UV detection application. The switching characteristics of the device are measured with UV laser of wavelength 355 nm and power 120 mW with varying applied bias in the step of 0.5 V. The high switching response was observed at 4V applied bias. The response and the recovery time was found to be 9 s and 10 s at 1 V respectively. The dark current (Id) and photo response (K) values are found to be 4.26×10-9 A and 9.6×102 respectively. The results indicate the potential application of ZnO thin films for detection of UV radiations.
ORAL PRESENTATION 139
Abstract Code – OP42
WO3 and WO3-SnO2 composite based sensors for detection of NO2 gas Jatinder Pal Singh1,2, Kalpajit Roy2, Prahlad Sharma2, Varnika Agarwal2, Anjali Sharma3, Monika Tomar4 and Arijit Chowdhuri2 Department of Physics & Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi Department of Physics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 3 Department of Physics, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, University of Delhi, Delhi 4 Department of Physics, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 1
2
Author email: [email protected]
Air pollution is one of the biggest threats to human health, alongside climate change. One of the major contributors to air pollution, particularly in urban areas is Nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The major sources of NO2 emission are thermal power plants, chemical factories, and the burning of fossil fuels by automobile engines. It acts as an ozone precursor at low levels of the atmosphere and also contributes to the formation of smog in urban areas. Moreover, its reaction with water vapour can cause acid rain. So, continuous real-time monitoring of NO2 is necessary for the protection of human health and the environment. Currently, efforts are concentrated across the globe towards the development of compact NO2 sensors that exhibit higher response at lower operating temperature. In the present work, conductometric gas sensors based on Tungsten Trioxide (WO3) and Tin Oxide - Tungsten Trioxide (WO3- SnO2) composite have been developed using chemical solution deposition (CSD) technique for the detection of NO2 gas. The sensing response was studied at different temperatures varying from 30°C to 210°C towards 10 ppm of NO2. The bare WO3 films showed the maximum response of ~559 at 150°C with the response time of 15s and recovery time of 121s while the SnO2-WO3 nanocomposite one showed the maximum response of ~220 at 120°C with response and recovery time of 39s and 130s respectively.
ORAL PRESENTATION 140
Abstract Code – OP43
Studies on photovoltaic properties of WO3/BFO bilayer thin films for solar energy harvesting applications Shiva Lamichhane1, Savita Sharma2, Monika Tomar3 and Arijit Chowdhuri4 Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 2 Physics Department, Kalindi College, University of Delhi, Delhi 3 Department of Physics, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 4 Department of Physics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 1
Author email:[email protected], [email protected]
Solar energy harvesting using ferroelectric materials based on ferroelectric photovoltaic (PV) properties has provoked enormous enthusiasm of the research community in the past few decades because of the increasing energy demands. Though ferroelectric materials like LiNbO3, BaTiO3 and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 drew significant attention of researchers, but their wide band gap required further identification of other potential PV materials such as Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3, BFO). BFO possess high remnant polarization (~100 μC/cm2) low direct band gap (∼2.7 eV) having potential for suitable PV applications. The high leakage current of BFO demand further material engineering. In the present work, WO3 insulating layer is utilized with BFO and WO3/BFO bilayer structure is fabricated for reducing the leakage current along with possessing the low band gap and high ferroelectric polarization. WO3 nanostructured layer was deposited using rf-magnetron sputtering technique under the optimized parameters while the BFO layer in WO3/BFO bilayer structure was deposited using Pulsed Laser deposition (PLD) technique by varying laser energy from 150 mJ to 250 mJ. The WO3/BFO bilayer thin film fabricated at laser energy of 200 mJ exhibited the superior ferroelectric properties with high values of short circuit photocurrent density (Jsc = ~7.5x10-4 A/cm2) and open-circuit voltage (Voc = ~314 mV) respectively. Obtained results indicate the utilization of fabricated WO3/BFO bilayer structures towards the energy harvesting applications.
ORAL PRESENTATION 141
Abstract Code – OP44
Self biased dual energy harvester using multiferroic cantilevers Reema Gupta1, Vandana2, Lokesh Rana3, Monika Tomar4, Mallika Verma4 and Anjali Sharma5 Physics department, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 3 Physics Department, Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi, Delhi 4 Physics Department, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 5 Physics Department, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, University of Delhi, Delhi 1
2
Author email:[email protected], [email protected]
Energy harvesting is the process of capturing and converting ambient waste energy into useable electricity. Energy harvesters not only solve the concerns related to energy crises, but also endeavour a step towards wireless communication. Energy can be harnessed sufficiently using a variety of ambient sources like solar, mechanical, magnetic etc. for the development of self powered devices. The mechanical and magnetic energies have been considered in the present work as it is independent of climatic conditions. The acoustic vibrations from the environment can be efficiently harnessed using piezoelectric cantilevers (PCs). PCs are integrated with ferromagnetic layers for harnessing magnetic energy also. For realization of such system, Lead Zirconium Titanate (PZT) has been chosen as the most suitable candidate having high piezoelectric coefficient which is integrated with non piezoelectric cantilevers. PZT thin film was deposited on nickel (Ni) and silicon (Si) cantilevers using physical deposition technique i.e., Pulsed Laser Deposition under the optimized parameters using excimer laser. Ferroelectric properties of PCs indicate the good ferroic properties. The cantilever studies revealed the generation of induced power across the load for the PCs. The cantilever studies were performed for PCs as a function of acceleration and load resistance. The maximum value of power density of 3600 mW/m3 was obtained at 0.5 g acceleration at a load resistance of 100 kΩ. For realization of silicon based cantilevers, PZT is also integrated with thin layers of ferromagnetic material. The results obtained are promising and can further be exploited for the fabrication of dual energy harvester.
ORAL PRESENTATION 142
Abstract Code – OP45
Evaluating N-shaped environmental Kuznets Curve for FDI flows in India: An ARDL bound test approach Rinku Manocha Department of Commerce, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Major thrust of developing economies is economic growth; and often environment issues are given a back seat over economic development. In order to boost economic development, developing countries like India come up with policies and infrastructure that support (and even enhance) FDI inflows; and hence production and industrial units that are environmental hazardous tend to move to developing economies that are pollution havens. Numerous studies have validated the presence of pollution haven for India by employing inverted u-shaped and n-shaped EKC hypothesis for economic development (GDP per capita) and environmental degradation variable/s. However, the present study (unlike the existing studies) is an attempt to empirically evaluate the presence of n-shaped EKC curve (for India) by capturing FDI inflows, square of FDI, and cube of FDI along with energy consumption as independent variable using time series data for the period 1991-2021. Unit root testing is done via ADF and PP to test the stationarity for I(0) and I(1); ARDL bound test was conducted to validate long run results. The short run and long run estimates supported the presence of n-shape curve for India. The results indicate that precautionary measures are required at the end of policy makers as environment quality is likely to deteriorate after reaching the trough point (of n-shaped EKC) and India might face technology obsolescence effects.
ORAL PRESENTATION 143
Abstract Code – OP46
Al2O3/CuI/PANI catalyzed one pot synthesis of 2,3-Dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones under green solvent conditions Sahil Kohli1,2, Ramesh Chandra1 and Sunita Hooda2 Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi Department of Chemistry, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 1
2
Author email: [email protected]
In this work, we fabricated a novel Al2O3/CuI/PANI nanocatalyst which have been well prepared by a simple self-assembly approach where aniline oxidizes into PANI and aniline acts as a reductant in presence of KI. The nanocomposite catalysed the synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones using 2-aminobenzamide and aldehydes under normal reaction conditions. The nanocatalyst was well investigated through X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscope, Scanning electron microscope, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis, and X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy. The nanocatalyst can be easily recovered and reused for six consecutive rounds without losing its catalytic efficiency. Also, catalyst showed ideal value of green metrics including E-factor, reaction mass efficiency, carbon efficiency, and process mass intensity which indicates that the present method is sustainable and green to the environment.
ORAL PRESENTATION 144
Abstract Code – OP47
Analysis and prediction of ground-water quality of India using linear regression Tanisha Sharma, Jyotika Sharma and Vibha Gaur Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
The water underneath the earth’s surface, also called groundwater, is one of the most important natural resources to human beings. It is also one of the major sources of drinking water which also plays a vital role in irrigation in India. The appalling groundwater quality is a major problem in the world that threatens not only human existence but also the ecosystem, environment, animals, and plant lives too. Due to the rapid growth of population and development of technologies and industries, the exploitation of not only surface water but also groundwater is increasing resulting in the deterioration of the quality of groundwater, making it important to know the quality of groundwater. This project is based on the Water Quality Index (WQI) which uses linear regression-based models that are trained using machine and deep learning for the prediction of groundwater quality in India. A linear regression model utilizes the linear relationship between the output and input parameters. The dataset used in the project for training and testing purposes is from Indian Government sites for calculating the WQI of groundwater from parameters such as Temperature, Dissolved O2, pH, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Nitrate-N + Nitrite-N, Total and Faecal Coliform. This work would make people aware of poor groundwater quality and would make them aware towards the future of groundwater quality in India.
ORAL PRESENTATION 145
Abstract Code – OP48
Green synthesis and biological evaluation of spirobarbiturates using zebra fish model for physiological and behavioral assays Devanshi Magoo, Soma M. Ghorai, Padmashree Mudgal and Soni Rani Department of Chemistry, Hindu College, University of Delhi, India Department of Zoology, Hindu College, University of Delhi, India Department of Biochemistry, Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi, India Author email:[email protected]
Spirobarbiturates have held a position of prominence in Organic Synthesis due to the myriad of pharmacological activities they possess which make them attractive synthetic targets and promising drug candidates. These compounds have been extensively studied since their discovery for their antipsychotic, anti-HIV, anxiolytic, and antiproliferative properties. However, their preparatory methods employing the use of organic solvents have raised concerns owing to their hazardous and non-sustainable nature. Consequently, we shift our focus to greener alternatives which aim to reduce or eliminate typically used VOCs, making the synthesis sustainable and compliant with Green Chemistry guidelines. Our work has thus, been focussed on developing a robust, efficient and sustainable protocol for which we have explored a tandem 3CR involving the condensation of various substituted benzaldehydes with 1,3-dimethyl barbituric acid followed by the subsequent reaction of the produced alkene with Triphenylphosphine/ Triethylphosphite and diethyl acetylene dicarboxylate to give the desired product, in a variety of green solvents as reaction mediums.
Functionalised spirobarbiturate moieties were synthesised with minimal generation of hazardous chemical waste and their biological activity was evaluated using Zebrafish as the model system. The Zebrafish embryos were exposed to different spirobarbiturate compounds for 10 days to assess the toxicity at different concentrations and the Maximum non-lethal concentration was determined. The same concentration was used to perform physiological (Spontaneous movement and heart rate assay) and behavioural assays (thigmotaxis and scototaxis) on the Zebrafish embryos to develop an overall understanding of the said compounds in contrast with the control environment.
ORAL PRESENTATION 146
Abstract Code – OP49
PLD grown In2Se3 thin films for realization of high performance self-powered UV photodetector Kajal Jindal1, Chanchal2,3, Monika Tomar4 and Pradip Kumar Jha2 Department of Physics, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, Delhi Department of Physics, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, University of Delhi, Delhi 3 Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi, India 4 Department of Physics, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi, India 1
2
Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
Self-powered photodetectors have attracted enormous attention recently due to the increasing demands of energy worldwide and can operate without any external bias voltage. They are based on either a p-n junction or an asymmetric contact electrode to produce built-in field which enables them to operate in zero-bias. In2Se3 is a two-dimensional material and possess various polymorphs which exhibit unique set of properties and offers wide range of potential applications for optoelectronics and memory devices. In the present work, pulsed laser deposition technique has been utilized to obtain the various room temperature stable phases of In2Se3i.e. α–In2Se3, β–In2Se3 and γ-In2Se3 by tuning the deposition parameters. The grown phases of In2Se3 thin films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy technique. Electrical measurements have been carried out upon illumination of UV radiation (λ= 405 nm) to characterize the detection performance of ITO/ In2Se3 photodetector. The results suggest that at high pressures, as-obtained structure is γ-In2Se3, whereas at lower pressures, a sign of α-In2Se3 is obtained. An intermediate deposition gas pressure resulted in the formation of β-In2Se3 dominated by excess Se. The Schottky junction based ultraviolet photodetectors made using as-grown films of In2Se3 exhibits high performance in self-powered mode. The obtained high self-powered photoresponse in α, γ–In2Se3 is attributed to their non-centrosymmetric structures which produce an in-built field due to in-plane spontaneous polarization. Thus, In2Se3 based self-powered UV photodetectors prepared using PLD pave the way for low power optoelectronic device applications and environmental monitoring.
ORAL PRESENTATION 147
Abstract Code – OP50
Bio-nanocomposite of guar gum decorated with iron-oxide nanoparticles as promising adsorbent for reactive green 19 dye Laishram Saya1,2,3, Drashya Gautam2, Geetu Gambhir2, W. Rameshwor Singh3 and Sunita Hooda2 Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, Delhi Polymer Chemistry Lab, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 3 Department of Chemistry, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal, Manipur 1
2
Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
Reactive dyes which are mainly used for dyeing cotton and other cellulose-based fibers are being released in huge quantities into the water bodies. They are known to be associated with several harmful effects including allergic dermatoses, respiratory diseases, colonic and rectal cancers, etc. Herein, we report the synthesis of a bio nanocomposite of guar gum decorated with magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (mGG) via a simple co-precipitation method which shows promising removal capacity for reactive dyes. Physicochemical techniques such as TEM, FTIR, TGA and XRD have been used for characterizing the as-synthesized nanocomposite. Batch adsorption studies carried out on mGG showed rapid and excellent adsorption potential of the semi-synthetic nanocomposite exhibiting a removal efficiency of 98.44 % within an hour with a maximum adsorption capacity of 526.32 mg g-1 for anionic Reactive green 19 dye from aqueous medium. The adsorption kinetics data fitted best into the pseudosecond order model. Out of various isotherm models being studied such as Langmuir model, Freundlich model, Temkin and Sips model, the adsorption equilibrium was found to be best described by the Langmuir isotherm model. The spontaneous as well as the exothermic nature of the adsorption phenomenon is clearly evident from the thermodynamic studies. mGG composites also showed significant regeneration capacity showing retention in adsorption efficiency even up to several cycles of adsorption-desorption process. Hence, the reported semisynthetic nanomaterial holds a good scope of playing a significant role in solving the perpetual challenge of water pollution.
ORAL PRESENTATION 148
Abstract Code – OP51
Improvement of characteristics and adsorption performance of chitin for rhodamine 6G by sonication Drashya Gautam1, Laishram Saya1,2,3, Geetu Gambhir1 and Sunita Hooda1 Department of Chemistry, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 2 Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, Delhi 3 Department of Chemistry, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal, Manipur
1
Author email: [email protected]
In the subject of surface and interface science and technology, Chitin has received a lot of interest. The adsorption behaviour of numerous Chitin modified systems has been studied, and it is widely acknowledged that the long polymeric chain is responsible for the large number of oxide groups and large surface area. The development of Sonicated Chitin (SC) as a promising adsorbent for dye adsorption is described in this paper. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterise the structure, size, and dispersity of these Sonicated Chitin (SEM). In addition, sonicated chitin was used for adsorption of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) with improved adsorption performance which is due to the fact that sonication can produce well-distributed SC and more oxygenated functional groups on SC. The highest performance was observed for a longer duration of sonication which may be due to generation of larger cavitation bubbles. The sonication approach showed tremendous effect in improving the properties of Chitin, resulting in a promising adsorbent material for Rhodamine 6G dye.
ORAL PRESENTATION 149
Abstract Code – OP52
A sustainable developmental approach for ecological landscaping in Deshbandhu College Sunil Kayesth, Rajiv Aggarwal, Sourabh Singh Deo, Sashwat Bhattacharya, Mohd Shazad, Kamal Kumar Gupta and Ashwini Kumar Singh Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
The present study aimed to execute a holistic approach for ecological landscaping in Deshbandhu College. In order to achieve this goal, a framework was devised keeping in mind the following objectives viz, economical, sustainable, scientific, multipurpose, student friendly, research oriented and beneficial for ecology and all stake holders. The ecological landscaping was done in an area which was ecological challenged and almost unattended, unorganized and unapproachable since years. After a hard work of eco club core team members for a couple of years, it has come out as a functional ecological landscape with sprawling lawn, garden, curves, slopes, ecological niche for some insect, bird, reptile and mammalian species. In this area, more than 6000 new plants of nearly 60 species including trees, herbs and shrubs have been introduced which are leading to increase the faunal diversity as well. Efforts were also made to harvest the rain water, and roughly 5-lakhs-liters of rain water has been recharged into ground during last rainy season. This lowline area which is being used for recharging water is also serving as an amphitheatre. A bonsai garden is also made to give the exposure of green commerce to the students. In open and green area, a huge stage complex is alluring students for sports and cultural activities which will create awareness and interest in nature as well. A billion-years-old historical stone installed in the park is probably one of the oldest rocks on the earth is very unique feature, and may be one of its types in the world. This stone is very significant and center of attraction for students. Meditation center in a lonely and shrine space is apt for the spiritual and mental wellbeing that helps students to concentrate on their studies. An aromatic garden near the library is creating a better study environment. The upcoming rock garden near the entry of park with succulents and xerophytic plants will provide good study material for students. The ecological landscaping is supporting and fulfilling the academic, sports, cultural, historical, spiritual, health, commercial and research interest of all stake holders of the college. The present study indicates that the power of youth, academic wisdom and interest of institutional head can resolve such ecological challenge if addressed sincerely. The study also serves as study model for other academic institution.
ORAL PRESENTATION 150
Abstract Code – OP53
Does auxin and melatonin interaction palliate heavy metal and metalloid toxicity in plants? Anita Thakur1, Geetika Kalra1 and Soumya Mukherjee2 Department of Botany, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 2 Department of Botany, Jangipur College, University of Kalyani, West Bengal
1
Author email:[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Along with growing industrialization and anthropological activities, heavy metal and metalloid (HM) toxicity of the soil is a major menace to crop plants and environment world-wide. HM toxicity consequently leads to excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can cause peroxidation of lipids, oxidation of protein, inactivation of enzymes, DNA damage or interact with other vital constituents of plant cells. Plants respond to HM toxicity via a number of mechanisms. One of the mechanisms involve the chelation of heavy metals by phytochelatins. Phytochelatins are a family of peptide ligands present in the plants. Other mechanism involves sequestration of these heavy metals by antioxidant defence system components like amino acids, organic acids and glutathione (GSH). Understanding of these inter-related networks of physiological and molecular mechanisms and their genetic basis is an important aspect towards developing plants as an agent of phytoremediation. Recent investigations in the last decade have provided sufficient insights into the beneficial role of auxin and melatonin in regulation of HM toxicity in plants. However, future investigations are required to unravel the associative involvement of auxin and melatonin in regulating the activity of phytochelatins which in turn is likely to modulate HM sequestering abilities of major crop plants. Thus, exogenous auxin and melatonin application is likely to possesses potential benefits as biostimulants in palliating HM toxicity in plants. Auxin and melatonin – overexpression transgenic might appear beneficial in enhanced chelation and sequestration of HMs in certain plants. Thus, these two potential biomolecules are important facilitators of phytoremediation and crop tolerance to HM toxicity.
ORAL PRESENTATION 151
Abstract Code – OP54
Microcontroller based sensor assisted weather monitoring system Ritesh Raj1, Sagar Bisht2, Mukhtair Ali2, Anju Agrawal2 and Ravneet Kaur2 Department of Electronic Science, University of Delhi South Campus, Delhi
1
Department of Electronics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
2
Author email: [email protected]
The environmental conditions of a place play an important role in determining where a person chooses to live or work. Thus, it is essential to have a monitoring system that can assess the climatic parameters of a place. The aim of the weather monitoring system is to detect, record and display various weather parameters like temperature, humidity and CO levels in the atmosphere. Several environmental sensors are available that can monitor some specific elements such as CO2, O2, H2, temperature, humidity, smoke, gases, solar radiation, pressure etc. These environmental sensors can be placed both in outdoor and indoor sites. These sensor-based monitoring system provides a low power and low-cost solution and, in most cases, is organized as a short distance transmitter of data. In this work, meteorologicalparametersaremeasuredandrecorded using sensorswithout the intervention of humans. The mainobjectiveof thisworkistodeviseasimple,low-costmicrocontroller-basedweathermonitori ngsystemusingwirelesstechnology. It fetchesweatherconditionsusingvarioussensorsand displaysitonLCD. The project is developed by usingATMEGA-328P Microcontroller (Arduino),LCDdisplay and DHT-11 temperature andHumidity sensor and MQ 135 gassensor. This embeddedsystemcanprovetobeusefulforanyone whowishesto monitor the weather conditions of alocationwithoutbeingphysicallypresentthere.
ORAL PRESENTATION 152
Abstract Code – OP55
Highly conducting biodegradable polymer electrolyte film for supercapacitor application Kouao Dujearic-Stephane1, Neha Taneja1, Namrata Agrawal2, Ashwani Kumar3, Pushpa Singh4, Bharti5, Meenal Gupta1 and Yogesh Kumar6 Sharda University, Department of Physics, School of Basic Sciences and Research (SBSR), Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 2 Department of Physics, Swami Shraddhanand College, University of Delhi, Delhi 3 Indian Institute of Technology, Nanoscience Laboratory, Institute Instrumentation Centre (IIC), Roorkee, Uttarakhand 4 Department of Zoology, Swami Shraddhanand College, University of Delhi, Delhi 5 Shivaji College, University of Delhi, Delhi 6 Department of Physics, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma (ARSD) College, University of Delhi, Delhi
1
Author email: [email protected]
A biodegradable polymer electrolyte film was prepared with latex of giant milkweed Calotropis gigantea (CGL) combined with poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) via solution cast technique at a mass ratio of 1:1 without the addition of doping salts. The morphology, crystalline state, vibrational and thermal properties of the film were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA)/differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The ionic conductivity and transport properties were investigated by using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) Technique. Due to the highest ionic conductivity at room temperature (2.7x 10-2 S/cm), allsolid-state electrolyte was assembled using the prepared polymer film and a comparative study was conducted with respect to 1M H2SO4 liquid electrolyte, regarding the specific capacitance and the electrical properties. The results demonstrate that the fabricated all-solid-state supercapacitor using PVDF-HFP/CGL biodegradable polymer electrolyte film matches the performance of the liquid electrolyte.
ORAL PRESENTATION 153
Abstract Code – OP56
A comparative study of physico-chemical parameters and ciliate diversity of leachate contaminated soil from the landfill and the soil from Jahanpanah City Forest Swati Maurya1, Jeeva Susan Abraham1, Sripoorna Somasundaram1, Sandeep1, Jyoti Dagar1, Renu Gupta2, Seema Makhija1, Pooja Bhagat1 and Ravi Toteja1 Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
1
Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, Delhi
2
Author email: [email protected]
Landfilling is considered to be a safe and economical approach for waste disposal but this is true only for engineered landfills. Engineered landfills are seldom found in developing countries like India. The generation of leachate from the landfilled municipal solid waste (MSW) is a major concern nowadays. This leachate can cause severe environmental degradation and also pollute natural resources like soil and soil microbes. In the present study, the physico-chemical parameters and ciliate diversity of leachate contaminated soil from the Okhla landfill (Okhla L) and non-contaminated soil from forest area Jahanpanah (JP) were compared. It was observed that the heavy metals and physico-chemical parameters namely, water holding capacity, pH, electrical conductivity, calcium and magnesium, calcium carbonate, soil organic matter, nitrogen and cation exchange capacity of soil contaminated with leachate from Okhla L was found to be significantly different from the JP. Heavy metals viz, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were found to be much higher than permissible limits at Okhla L site. The various diversity indices for ciliate diversity were found to be significantly higher at JP. This study clearly shows that the disposal of MSW significantly alters the physico-chemical parameters of leachate contaminated soil. This study might help to understand that how MSW dumping affects physico-chemical parameters of soil and also its biological properties. The study will help in ascertaining that ciliates can act as bioindicators for assessing soil health and quality.
ORAL PRESENTATION 154
Abstract Code – OP57
Compartmental model for traffic congestion Pushkar Pandey1, Kunal Pant2 and Sarita Agarwal3 1
Department of Sociology, Allahabad State University, Uttar Pradesh
Department of Mathematics and Computing, Indian Institute of Technology Guhawati, Assam
2
Department of Mathematics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
3
Author email: [email protected]
Transport impacts health and the environment through multiple pathways. Traffic in Mega Cities has become a major problem, particularly over the last 10 years. In order to improve this situation, it is important to understand the processes involved such as how concentration of vehicles with respect to time on the road varies so as to get a logical approach to resolve the problem of Traffic Congestion. Some way of predicting how the number of vehicles varies as a result of current management is vital. As of now, we should be in a position to predict how the number of vehicles or concentrations varies over time and under different management strategies. We will try to solve the problem of traffic by constructing a compartmental model on a particular road of given length with the help of differential equations. This will help us to determine the concentration of traffic volumes and the duration of red light at traffic signals which will help to manage traffic. Our example of this compartmental notion is based on a particular road data (i.e. no. of vehicles per unit length). We are modelling the number of vehicles that are changing with respect to time.
The differential equation for concentration of vehicles on the road can be given as:
which on solving gives concentration in terms of speed, time and initial concentration:
The equation helps us to determine the traverse time on the road so that it does not cross the Design Service Volume.
ORAL PRESENTATION 155
Abstract Code – OP58
Role of GO composite in detecting hydrogen gas Rupali Pandey, Sandeep Singhania, Anju and Amit Garg Department of Electronics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Graphene and its sister materials are being baptized as “Miracle material”, it is due to the amazingly alluring properties and applications in all the apprehend fields such as electronics, optoelectronics, energy storing and sensing, etc. The amelioration in research of graphene-based materials necessitates studying its potential in environment-related accoutre. One of the major enigma faced by all the countries is “pollution”. Here we discuss the synthesis and sensitivity of graphene-based materials over non-toxic (hydrogen) gas present in our environment due to various sources and directly or indirectly harmful to living beings. The low sensitivity & long- recovery time is still a limitation in graphene-based sensors. Attributable to this trade-off relationship, the advantages of graphene cannot be fully availed of in such sensing applications. Metal oxide semiconductors provide greater sensitivity for gas sensing but require high operating temperature and may provide low selectivity at room temperature.The graphene basedsensors exhibit improved performances compared with those of the conventional metal oxide-based sensors in terms of sensitivity, reversibility and limits of detection, etc. The objectives of this study are to synthesize “Graphene-oxide (GO)” using Modified Hummer’s Method. The composite of Graphene oxide and metal oxide (tin-oxide) semiconductor using chemical and hydrothermal route have been synthesized and its gas sensing properties in terms of different parameters like Sensor response, response & recovery time have been studied to understand its role in sensing hydrogen gas at room temperature.
ORAL PRESENTATION 156
Abstract Code – OP59
Heavy metal bioremediation by ciliates Jyoti Dagar, Sripoorna Somasundaram, Swati Maurya, Jeeva Susan Abraham, Sandeep, Ravi Totejaand Seema Makhija Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Increasing environmental pollutants due to various anthropogenic activities are of great concern nowadays since they affect the health of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Heavy metals such as Cu2+, Hg2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Cr6+ are non-biodegradable, persistent in nature for longer time and toxic to all life forms. In this context, bioremediation technology is gaining considerable attention. Bioremediation technology generally employs various living organisms which include ciliates also for the removal of heavy metals. The ciliate protists tolerate elevated concentrations of metals, which are accumulated, bound to metallothioneins (MTs) peculiar to these organisms. Tetrahymena sp., Paramecium caudatum, Vorticella microstoma, Stylonychiamytilus, Oxytrichafallax, and Euplotes mutabilisproduce MT like proteins against metal stress which may be involved in heavy metal handling and detoxification processes. These ciliates showed promise as a member of the consortium used for bioremediation of contaminated wastewater. This comprehensive study could help in commercial success of waste management processes as this technology is relatively more environmental- and budget-friendly.
ORAL PRESENTATION 157
Abstract Code – OP60
Resource politics, coal mining and the pursuit of sustainability in Meghalaya Ripamchi A. Sangma Department of Political Science, Tura Government College, Tura, Meghalaya Author email: [email protected]
In Meghalaya, coal is a major issue in state politics which is the most accessible and controllable resource and by far the most significant economically. For communities seeking various forms of territorial autonomy, control over resource extraction is at the forefront of political action. Very often a study on coal and communities is often a battle with state and the need for environment protection. However, interestingly in Meghalaya, it is the tribal communities that defend mining where mineral resources and extraction remain in the hands of the local people. So, it is pertinent to critically identify the ways coal is linked with larger questions of territory, identity and sustainable development. We can point out that this seems to be a case of political predicament of local people in resource rich peripheries who are under pressure from outside interests that seek to exploit their land and natural resources. A classic case of “resource curse” seem to exist which needs a more serious exploration.Research on coal and communities involving indigenous tribal and ethnic minorities is often a battle with state and a need for environmental sustainability. This is an important issue to contend with in research on coal and communities. In mining whether small or informal, application of sustainability is still ambiguous. Where valuable mineral deposits underlie fragile natural ecosystems, the question that needs to be pondered upon is, will restoration to “as good as or better” status be possible over any reasonable time-scale? Does mining fail to qualify as a sustainable development? These are the questions that one needs to be critically looked at while discussing about the concept of sustainability. This paper will simultaneously examine mining legislations in the state and highlight the importance of mining in accordance with sustainable development.
ORAL PRESENTATION 158
Abstract Code – OP61
Cost determination with two level permissible delay and cash discount for retailer in a multi-level supply chain system Narayan Singh and Brijendra Yadav Department of Mathematics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
We generalise cash discount and allowable payment delay for retailers in a multi-level supply chain structure in which the manufacturer provides a delay period to the dealer and the dealer also provides a trade credit period and cash discount to the retailers in this analysis. The entire research is based on time-dependent production and demand rates. To calculate the system’s optimum cycle time, we model it as a cost minimization system. The optimum cycle time, order quantity, and payment time are all determined in this article. Finally, numerical examples are provided to explain the effect, as well as managerial insights.
ORAL PRESENTATION 159
Abstract Code – OP62
Assessment of heavy metal concentration in river Yamuna Sandeep, Sripoorna Somasundaram, Swati Maurya, Jeeva Susan Abraham, Jyoti Dagar, Seema Makhija, Pooja Bhagat and Ravi Toteja Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, India Author email: [email protected]
The pollution of water bodies with heavy metals has become a worldwide problem. The present study was conducted on the river Yamuna to evaluate the concentrations of heavy metals in surface water. The Yamuna River is one of the major tributaries of the river Ganga originated from Yamunotri glacier and converge with river Ganga at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The stretch of Yamuna River from Yamunotri, Uttarakhand to Wazirabzd, Delhi was chosen for determining concentration of heavy Metals like Fe, Cu, Co, Zn, Pb, CN, Ni, Cd, Mn, As and Cr by using ICP-MS. It was found that the concentrations of different heavy metals in the river water were vary significantly from one location to other which may be because of domestic sewage and industrial discharge. The results indicate that the maximum heavy metal content was found at Wazirabad (Delhi) followed by Sonipat, Poanta sahib and Yamunotri. The most polluted stretch of river Yamuna along the capital, Delhi and is the major source for domestic water supply and irrigation therefore posing serious health impacts. The present work highlights the pollution load of heavy metals in the river Yamuna and also advocates an urgent attention towards minimizing the health risk of people residing not only along the river banks and surrounding regions but also for city population.
ORAL PRESENTATION 160
Abstract Code – OP63
CHAR-TOPSIS: A novel approach to rank Asian countries for safety measures during Covid-19 pandemic Anindita Panda, Sant Kumar, Abhishek Kumar Prajapati, Harita Ahuja and Sunita Narang Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
The outbreak of Coronavirus in 2019 has caused mayhem the world over and threatened the very life of people. Since then, researchers and policy makers are contemplating on it. The pandemic’s extraordinary cost demands a transparent ranking of the countries with respect to various safety measures. As the analysis of these measures orbits around multiple criteria like government plans, medical preparedness, human resilience etc., this makes it an appropriate Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) problem which can be solved through Technique of Order Preference Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). In this paper, a novel CHAR-TOPSIS is proposed which firstly uses entropy (H) to calculate the weights of the criteria (C) in place of fixed or equal weights used in TOPSIS. Secondly, it calculates relative distance (R) between the alternatives (A) and an ideal reference point existing in D+D- plane instead of Euclidean distance used in TOPSIS. These changes rank alternatives more rationally and avoid rank reversals. CHAR-TOPSIS has been used to rank Asian nations (alternatives) based on certain criteria gathered from a report provided by the Deep Knowledge Group (DKG) consortium to judge how well their governments have succeeded in using good mitigation strategies to battle against the pandemic. The rankings obtained by novel CHAR-TOPSIS and traditional TOPSIS were compared. The experiments demonstrated that former outperformed later. These rankings help policymakers to make better strategic plans to combat any pandemic in future.
ORAL PRESENTATION 161
Abstract Code – OP64
Effect of heavy metal nanoparticles on ciliates Ashish Arora1, Sandeep2, Swati Maurya2, Jyoti Dagar2, Drashya2, Geetu Gambhir2, Ravi Toteja2 and Seema Makhija2 Amity University Noida, Uttar Pradesh Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 1
2
Author email: [email protected]
Nanotechnology applications have increased the discharge of nanoparticles (NPs) into the environment. NPs such as titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, and silica are commonly found in industrial, medical, and food items. Ciliates are eukaryotic microorganisms that play an important role in the breakdown of organic materials. They are considered as good biological indicators for heavy metal contamination. Ciliates are very sensitive to environmental changes and their sensitivity to different heavy metals vary significantly. Several studies state that the heavy metal nanoparticles are highly toxic to ciliates and generate oxidative stress that cause cytoplasmic and nuclear aberrations. Mitochondrial degeneration and Cytoplasmic vacuolization are one of the major modifications observed in heavy metal nanoparticle treated cells. The present review discusses the impact of heavy metal nanoparticles on ciliates species.
ORAL PRESENTATION 162
Abstract Code – OP65
Microbial siderophore and its applications Shivangani Sharma1, Swati Maurya2, Sandeep2, Jyoti Dagar2, Ajay Kumar1, Seema Makhija2 and Ravi Toteja2 Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 1
2
Author email: [email protected]
Siderophores are the low-molecular weight secondary metabolites which have high affinity for ferric iron and are produced by microorganisms under iron stressed conditions. Siderophores are produced by various bacteria viz., Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Mycobacterium and Azobacter. Iron is a vital nutrient which is required for various cellular processes such as electron transport but due to aerobic conditions most of the iron become unavailable as surface iron get oxidized into oxyhydroxide polymers and free iron get reduced. Siderophores have clinical, environmental as well as agricultural applications. In this review, we discuss about the siderophores and its types, isolation of siderophores and different applications of siderophores such as various types of siderophores which help in promoting growth of some plant and increases the plant yield. This review is intended to provide outline of the siderophores and its applications.
ORAL PRESENTATION 163
Abstract Code – OP66
Bioaccumulation, removal and detection of heavy metals using microorganisms Vanya Garg1, Sandeep2, Swati Maurya2, Jyoti Dagar2, Anupam Prakash1, Ravi Toteja2 and Seema Makhija2 Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 1
2
Author email: [email protected]
The discharge of inorganic and organic contaminants such as fertilizers, pesticides, petroleum products, acids, salts, heavy metals, etc. is increasing in the environment due to anthropogenic activities. Pollutants that cannot be degraded get piled up in the surrounding soil and water bodies and use of soil contaminated with heavy metals for food crop production is the source of entry of metal pollutants in the food chain. Heavy metals such as cobalt, nickel, lead, chromium, arsenic, copper, cadmium, manganese, mercury, etc are not only non-degradable but are also toxic and persistent in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem. Bioremediation process uses microorganisms such as algae, bacteria, actinomycetes, yeast, and ciliates for breaking down environmental pollutants. Microorganisms can also be used as biosensors for detecting the presence and determining the concentration of heavy metal ions available for organisms in natural samples. This review highlights the role of different microorganisms that have the potential of heavy metal removal and might be helpful to generate eco-friendly and cost effective bio technology for heavy metal removal from soil and water.
ORAL PRESENTATION 164
Abstract Code – OP67
Endophytic fungi diversity in mangrove plants from Northern Kerala Paul Joshi and Jeyabalan Sangeetha Department of Environmental Science, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala Author email: [email protected]
Endophytic Fungi are those microorganisms that live inside plant tissues without causing any harmful reactions. They live inside the plant through a symbiotic relationship. However these group of Fungi rarely becomes pathogenic during stressful conditions. Often these microorganisms provide protection and other nutrient supplements for the healthy growth of their host. These Fungi community belong to the least explored category of all Fungus which in turn makes the studies about them even more interesting. The study shown here isolated endophytic fungi from various different Mangrove plants that found in the state of Kerala, India. Leaves from different Mangrove plants were collected and preserved. These samples were then surface sterilized and made into extracts using distilled water under sterile conditions. The extracts were then subjected for serial dilution and inoculated into PDA medium. These were then labelled and kept under optimal conditions. Observations were recorded after every 24 hours. After sub-culturing the Fungi were identified microscopically by observing under Trinocular microscope. 11 different species of Endophytic Fungi belonging to Zygomycota and Ascomycota were identified from the study. These microorganisms are least studied and are an important alternate source for various bio-active compounds which have high medicinal value. Extensive studies are essential to reveal more properties of these precious microorganisms.
ORAL PRESENTATION 165
Abstract Code – OP68
Examining the impact of adoption of minimalistic approach in clothing on sustainability Harikishni Nain Commerce Department, Bharati College, Delhi University, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
This paper aims to (i) examine the impact of adopting minimalistic approach in clothing by individuals on sustainability; and (ii) identify the factors that facilitate its adoption in Indian context. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 36 married Indian women, this study adopts a qualitative methodology to gain deeper insights about the considered issues. The collected data was codified by using the Ground theorydeveloped by Strauss and Corbin in 1994 while the NVIVO software was used for organizing, analyzing, and gaining insights in the unstructured interviewed data. The study results indicate that although the females do understand the implications of their clothing-styles on environment but they lack the confidence to take the actions accordingly. The surveyed respondents also reiterated the social fabrication of Indian society and social media as the most influential but deterrent factors in the adoption of sustainable clothing choices. Existing studies have focused on discussing the concept of sustainability without even considering the minimalistic clothing choices which may significantly contribute is the existing literature in this field of knowledge. This study is an effort to document this bridge and to provide practical directions for the stakeholders.
ORAL PRESENTATION 166
Abstract Code – OP69
Screening of soil samples from different natural environments to check the emergence of resistant yeast strains from soil to clinical settings Anamika Yadav1, Anuradha Chowdhary2 and Hardeep Kaur1 Fungal Biology Laboratory, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi Medical Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi 1
2
Author email: [email protected]
Soil is main niche for all kinds of microorganisms including clinically important fungal species. We investigated a total of 40 soil samples from 8 different sites including Ganga River bank (Uttarakhand), Yamuna River bank (Delhi), different ponds (Rewari, Haryana), Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Kamla Nehru Ridge area (Delhi) to explore the medically important fungal species and to check their resistance patterns. Different dilutions (1/10,1/50,1/100) of soil were prepared in normal saline and was transferred on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and CHROMagar plates. Identification of yeast colonies was done by MALDI-TOF MS and antifungal susceptibility profile was determined using CLSI broth microdilution method. Six different yeast species (n=35) including, Candida tropicalis(n=19), Candida krusei(n=10), Candida palmioleophila(n=1), Candida lusitaniae(n=1), Candida rugosa (n=1),Trichosporanasahii(n=3),were recovered. AFST testing revealed that 21.4% C. tropicalis recovered from soil samples were resistant (MIC ≥8 mg/L) to fluconazole. Out of three recovered T. asahii, one showed high resistance to echinocandins (MICs ≥8 mg/L) but was susceptible to all other antifungal drugs. All other yeast species were found to be susceptible to the tested antifungal drugs. Resistant C. tropicalis strains were recovered from ponds soil samples which were near to agricultural lands hence underlining a possibility of acquired crossresistance due to enhanced use of de-methyl inhibitors in agricultural fields that share similar structure to clinical azoles. Soil environment is also the most common route for the emergence of azole resistant isolates in hospitals hence exploration of other types of soils is still warranted.
ORAL PRESENTATION 167
Participant – 70
Synergic catalysis through functionalized MCM-41: A benign and environmentally friendly route to organic synthesis Sharda Pasricha1, Kavita Mittal2 and Pragya Gahlot1 Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, Delhi Department of Chemistry, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email:[email protected] 1
2
Catalysis is a central pillar for chemical industry while development and use of recoverable and recyclable catalysts for chemical synthesis is one of the key principles of green chemistry and environmental sustainability. Heterogeneous catalysis, because of better catalyst stability, product selectivity, recyclability, reusability, as well as ease of separation from the reaction medium, is now being favoured over homologous equivalents for several organic transformations. Crystalline porous materials such as mesoporous silicas, metal‒organic frameworks (MOFs), and zeolites are some examples of heterogeneous catalysts. Synergistic catalysis, through heterogeneous catalysts, is a branch of organic synthesis which is gaining importance given the myriad of tandem and multicomponent reactions being reported. Cooperative interaction between the acidic and basic groups located on the same catalyst skeleton can catalyse C-C bond formation in the reactions like nitroaldol or aldol condensation, Knoevenagel condensation etc. The electrophilic center and the nucleophilic center are activated concurrently in such reactions. Immobilization of basic and acidic functionalities at suitable positions inside the solid matrices will enable them to co-exist and function synergically in the reactions. Placement of these catalytic groups on the solid support is however a challenging task and requires precise tunning to optimize the cooperative effect and prevent the undesired acid-base neutralization. Due to textural properties, chemical diversity and suitable geometry, MCM-41 has been explored as a suitable solid support for the construction of bifunctional catalysts in tandem and one-pot cascade reactions. We have explored the use of the bifunctional MCM-41 catalysts in Aldol and Knoevenagel condensation as well as acetalization, esterification and transesterification reactions. Bifunctionalized MCM-41 were found to be superior to homogeneous counterparts due to cooperative catalysis.
ORAL PRESENTATION 168
Abstract Code – OP71
A typical everyday exposure to particulate matter in the life of an undergraduate student in Delhi Arijit Chowdhuri, Jay Kumar Sirmoria, Sruthi S. Kumar and Charu Khosla Gupta Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
According to the latest report by WHO (2021), some 91% of premature deaths occurred in low- and middleincome countries, especially in South-East Asia due to Ambient air pollution. The latest burden estimates reflect the very significant role played by air pollution in cardiovascular illnesses, respiratory infections, lung cancer and death. Level of ambient air pollution (AAP) in any neighbourhood is influenced by complex interactions amongst various factors including local meteorology, prevailing climatic conditions, wind attributes (direction, velocity), physiographic, urban and social conditions along with air pollution emissions from anthropogenic sources. Though rapid industrialization and urbanization have definitely improved our standard of living but at the same time has led to an increase in severity of environmental pollutants. Amongst various types of atmospheric contaminants, airborne particulate matter (PM) is unique, mainly because of its potential complexity both in terms of chemical composition and physical properties; it being of different sizes, shapes, and chemical compositions derived from a wide range of sources. Of late, it is much in news in the National Capital Territory of Delhi causing a variety of adverse health outcomes. The national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5 (24-hour average) of 60 micrograms per cubic metre was met for around half the year (179 days) in 2021 in Delhi, leading to more hospital admissions and mortality. In the current study we estimated the approximate exposure to AAP in a typical day of a student of an undergraduate college of University of Delhi. It is alarming to note that the levels of PM2.5 are 10-12 times more than the permissible limits set by WHO and those of PM10 are 6-7 times above the prescribed limits. On an average, every citizen of Delhi is being exposed to these hazardous concentrations all through the day.
ORAL PRESENTATION 169
Abstract Code – OP72
Laterite habitats of Malabar region in Kerala: A rescue call Shijith Puthan Purayil P.G. Department of Botany, Mahatma Gandhi Government Arts College, Mahe, Puducherry Author email: [email protected]
The laterite habitats of Malabar region in Kerala is known for its plant and animal biodiversity. Seasonal pools are the characteristic microhabitats seen in the laterite habitats of Malabar. Unfortunately this vast ecosystem is commonly termed by the government and local people as ‘wasteland’ as they are not commercially helpful for humans such as doing agriculture due to the extreme hot climatic factor in the summer season. These habitats are also known for its water storage capacity. The construction industry requires laterite stone for making houses, apartments and buildings. The demand for laterite stone has turned to be its terminator. In our present study conducted by field surveys and satellite maps, we have found 9.57% of total laterite areas are mined in the Malabar region. This requires unregent attention for conserving laterite habitats of Malabar, as they harbor critically endangered Rotalamalabaricawhich is endemic to Malabar region.
ORAL PRESENTATION 170
Abstract Code – OP73
Ecology and diversity of subterranean termites in Bhadrachalam Forest Region, Telangana, India Nageswara Rao Apka, Sandhya Naram and Kranthi Kumar Environmental Biological and Entomology Lab, Department of Zoology, Nizam college, Osmania University, Hyderabad Author email: [email protected]
Biodiversity study in forest ecosystems is very important to understand species composition of Insects. In order to study the ecology and biodiversity of termites in forest ecosystems, an attempt was made from June-2019 to December 2021 in the Bhadrachalam forest region of BhadradriKothagudem district, Telangana. During this period, 13 termite species were observed and identified, which are belong to 5 genera of 2 families. All pest species were common and dominant in the study area. A diverse species of termites are belonging to the order Isoptera. They play a prominent part in recycling plant nutrients through the disintegration and decomposition of dead wood and plant debris. Seasonal changes in the abundance and species composition of tropical forest termites are poorly, studied despite the importance of termites in forest ecosystems. Foraging activity of Microtermes unicolor synderand OdontoTermesLokanandireported by Chaterjee and Thakur (2007). Key environmental factors affecting the seasonal foraging activity of termites were discussed (Haverty et al., 1974; Lapage et at., 1976). However, very little information is available on the seasonal diversity of termite foraging activity on trees grown in the forest ecosystem and leaf litter on the forest floor. The present study deals with the foraging of termites on the forest floor.
ORAL PRESENTATION 171
Abstract Code – OP74
Environmental impact assessment of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, Telangana – A review Matta Vineetha and Nageswara Rao Amanchi Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Lab, Department of Zoology, Nizam College, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana Author email: [email protected]
Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project was formulated for irrigation of land in Karimnagar, Rajanna Siricilla, Siddipet and 10 other districts of Telangana state. Project is proposed at Medigadda, below the point of confluence of Pranitha and Godavari River near to Kaleswaram. The project provides irrigation facility to 18,25,700 acres covering 13 districts and drinking water and industrial needs to Hyderabad by diverting 180 TMC water from the river Godavari. Despite the beneficial aspects there are certain negative impacts of the project on environment. Pranahitha wildlife sanctuary, which provides habitat for Black buck, Indian antelope, endangered species and Shivaram wildlife sanctuary known for the conservation of freshwater mugger, were affected due to habitat destruction and fragmentation. Kawal tiger reserve present in Mancherial district, is also affected due to the lack of prey. Ground water contamination resulted due to improper disposal of construction debris. Emission of air pollutants from combustion of fuel, and dust emissions due to the blasting activities are causing air pollution in surrounding areas posing health concerns. Twenty-six species of butterflies and moths, 75 species of birds, 11 species of reptiles, 5 species of amphibians, 16 species of mammals are the fauna whose conservation status has not been assessed and are said to be displaced.
ORAL PRESENTATION 172
Abstract Code – OP75
The effects of air pollution on human health Aishwary Kumar Chaturvedi, Yash Mangla and Charu Khosla Gupta Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, India Author email: [email protected]
Increasing industrialization and urbanisation, is leading to our environment becoming more and more toxic each day. WHO data shows that almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits containing high levels of pollutants, with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures. Air pollution alone is estimated to kill seven million people worldwide every year. Greenpeace researchers found that 57,000 premature deaths in Delhi during 2020 can be attributed to air pollution exposure alone. Several recent studies also indicate gender being affected at pre- natal and post- natal phase in children owing to air pollution. Too much exposure of Ultra fine particles (0.1µ) is known to result in disturbances in CNS, gastro tracts and Microbiome of organisms besides affecting the cardio-vascular and respiratory systems. If the current levels of pollution continue at the same rate, then our future is uncertain and bleak. Presently, plant and plant parts are promoted to remediate the pollutants in the air and this recent mitigation practice is called as Phylloremediation i.e., remediation by leaves. It has been observed that there are several plants which have the ability to tolerate, adsorb and absorb most of the pollutants, including the particulate matter present in their vicinity. This is done primarily by increased photosynthesis, absorption and adsorption of particulates by leaf cuticles, hair, waxy coating, stomata etc. The more the surface area of the leaves, the more is the ability to remediate. .
ORAL PRESENTATION 173
Abstract Code – OP76
A study on environmental efficacy of air-purifiers vis-à-vis features and cost benefits Sandeep Kumar Goel1, Priyanka2, Arijit Chowdhuri1 and Charu Khosla Gupta1 1
Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi School of Open Learning, University of Delhi, Delhi
2
Author email: [email protected]
Worldwide there is an increasing concern about outdoor and indoor air pollution levels with some research studies reporting indoor air to be several times more polluted than outdoor air. In order to alleviate ambient air pollution (AAP) within households use of air purifiers has gained prominence worldwide. Air purifiers are devices that claim to purify indoor air and hence help protect denizens from coughs, sneezes, and hacks. In the current study the criteria of choice of an air-purifier vis-à-vis performance versus cost has been analysed. The need for in-built High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters within the air purifiers and their functioning has been studied. A survey was conducted for 100 odd residents of Delhi to understand the demand, necessity and usage of airpurifiers in the current scenario of Delhi having an average air quality index (AQI) of severe category for 11 days in the month of November, 2021 breaking the record of 10 dangerous air days in November, 2016 (CPCB report). This study envisions identifying critical parameters that govern our priorities in choosing an air purifier of a particular brand and/or features. It was found that most youngsters in the age group of 18 – 30 years felt that air purifiers are the only solution to combat the effects of rising levels of pollutants in the air. Majority (70%) of them were of the opinion that the Govt. should provide air purifiers to all citizens taking into consideration public health. It was also observed that nearly one third of the respondents had air purifiers installed at their premises to counter the ill effects of pollution, with Philips being the most favoured brand. Respondents whose average monthly household income was below one lakh rupees did not have much idea about air purifiers and also had no inclination to buy one.
ORAL PRESENTATION 174
Abstract Code – OP77
Screening and molecular analysis of antifungal compounds from Streptomyces spp. against pathogenic fungi Monisha Khanna Kapur1, Harsha1, Prateek Kumar2, Munendra Kumar1 and Renu Solanki3 Microbial Technology Lab, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
1
2
Department of Zoology, Ramjas College,University of Delhi, Delhi
Department of Zoology, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, University of Delhi, Delhi
3
Author email: [email protected]
The emergence of multi-drug resistance in pathogenic fungi is a serious threat to human health. Fungi not only harm humans but also have a severe impact on crops. Nowadays, drugs targeting ergosterol biosynthesis are widely in use to control diverse fungi by targeting the enzyme lanosterol demethylase (Cytochrome P450). This leads to the accumulation of methylated sterols in the fungal cells, and development of resistance against drug molecules. Taking this problem into consideration, research community is trying to identify novel compounds with unique modes of actions. Natural compounds from Streptomyces serve as a prolific source of bioactive molecules having a broad range of antifungal properties. During our previous studies, different Streptomyces strains were isolated, taxonomically characterized using 16S rRNA gene, screened for bioactive compounds production, and these were identified using GC-MS, LC-MS, and NMR techniques. In our present study, analysis of antifungal activity will be performed using disc diffusion assay, MTT assay, and MIC determination. Moreover the morphological studies on fungi treated with bioactive extract from Streptomyces will be done using SEM/TEM microscopy and flow cytometry. Furthermore, generated ROS (reactive oxygen species) will be measured by colorimetric and bioluminescence assay. Growth of fungi and their toxins produced can be controlled through the regulation of structural genes such as aflK, aflP, and aflD. In nutshell, findings from the present study using Streptomyces spp. may help to control the pathogenic and crop-destroying fungi.
ORAL PRESENTATION 175
Abstract Code – OP78
Optimizing supply chain model for stock-dependent price elasticity of demand and carbon emission MajharAlam and Chaman Singh Department of Mathematics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, India Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
In today’s competitive business world it is a very challenging issue for the company’s manager to stock the items in advance when price elasticity of demand occurs in the market. Advanced stock items attract buyers to buy more products also satisfy their demand. The demand rate depends not only on the displayed stock level but also on the selling price. In the case of a large amount of inventory system, will be facing a higher risk for price elasticity on stock and maybe collapse the business strategy. In this paper, we have developed a supply chain inventory model for stock-dependent price elasticity of demand along with deteriorating items and carbon emission. The supply chain model results in lower costs and a faster production cycle in inventory. We consider demand as a combination of stock, price elasticity, lifetime, and price. Suppliers are supplied an item to the buyer (retailer) with allowable shortage and are partially backlogged. Due to proper storage condition at the supplier end, no deterioration occurs. Carbon emission is a crucial factor of our environment as well as industries. We include carbon emission cost and their effects on the total cost margin of our supply chain model. The concept of price elasticity of demand is used by organizations in determining prices under various situations. This paper has an objective to maximize the total profit by developing a supply chain model. A numerical example is elaborated to test the validity of the model numerically and a sensitivity analysis with respect to various parameters illustrates the present study with managerial insights.
ORAL PRESENTATION 176
Abstract Code – OP79
Mitigating air pollution through Pleurotuseryngii (King Oyster Mushroom): A concept Mohd Afham*, Vridhi Singh*, Mrityunjoy Chakraborty*, Vineet Kumar Singh, Manoj Kumar Singh and Sumit Sahni *equal contributors Department of Botany, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Agricultural residue is a major environmental problem as it is rich in slow degrading lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose. Edible mushrooms cultivation on agricultural residues adds value to it, which otherwise set ablaze. It is one of most efficient biological ways by which these residues can be converted to protein-rich, palatable food. The oyster mushroom, Pleurotuseryngii, is one of the most successfully cultivated specialty mushrooms with a huge demand. After harvesting, the spent substrate is disposed of in an unfeasible way which is a source of emission of global warming gases like CO2 and CH4 and ground water pollution by generation of leachate. This problem creates the need to explore a sustainable waste management solution. The fungal mycelium inherently present in the spent mushroom substrate (SMS) consumes the lignocellulosic content with the help of extracellularly secreted lignocellulolytic enzymes. Therefore, SMS could be a rich source for extracting these enzymes, which are of immense commercial interest. The extensive industrial application, mainly in the food and textile industries, of lignocellulolytic enzymes makes them a valuable proportion. In the present research we are proposing the cultivation of Pleurotuseryngiiutilizing available lignocellulosic waste and isolation and characterization of enzymes available in SMS.
ORAL PRESENTATION 177
Abstract Code – OP80
Antidiabetic activity of Cyphostemmaauriculatumroxb. green mediated AgNPs in alloxan induced albino mice Kishore Mendam1, S. Jithender Kumar Naik1, Anusha C. Pawar1, V. Mangesh1, S. Vamshi1 and Y. Kumar2 Toxicology Lab, Department of Zoology, University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana 2 Department of Botany, University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana 1
Author email: [email protected]
AgNPs were successfully synthesized using leaf extract of CyphostemmaauriculatumRoxb. as a reducing and stabilizing agent. UV-Visible spectrophotometry maximal absorption peak noted at 409 nm. FTIR spectral data proving proteins from CyphostemmaauriculatumRoxb. are largely involved in the stabilization process. XRD was used to establish the crystalline structure of AgNPs and peaks identified at 2 theta values are 37.81, 45.93, 64.36 and 77.25 are indexed to lattice planes of face-centric cubic structure (111), (200), (220) and (311), respectively. TEM analysis provided the details about the synthesized CA-AgNPs are spherical in shape, polydistributed, monoclinic in nature with an average diameter of 15 nm. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder in which a combination of hereditary and environmental results in abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). In this study, examined the effect of oral administration of CA-AgNPs in comparison with standard antidiabetic drug, Metformin (120mg/kg body weight) in alloxan (ALN, 150 mg/kg body weight) induced diabetic albino mice on biochemical parameters such as fasting blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin, serum total protein, albumin, globulin, serum glutamate oxaloacetate and pyruvate transaminase (SGOT and SGPT). For all the parameters evaluated, the results were observed significant and in close comparison with the standard antidiabetic drug, Metformin.
ORAL PRESENTATION 178
Abstract Code – OP81
Data analytics for Delhi pollution Amit1, Ramit Yadav1, Ravneet Kaur2 and Vibha Gaur1 Department of Computer Science, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi 2 Department of Electronics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
1
Author email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Air pollution, a term not even known to most of the humanity, has become a grave concern of scientists, environmentalists, and even policy makers today. By providing a data-driven foundation and using data as evidence to inform policy makers, excellent results may be obtained. Delhi, the most polluted capital of world has witnessed high levels of air pollution in past years. The smog covers whole city reducing visibility to very low levels. Also, even a lockdown was enforced to keep people inside the homes and the schools were closed for the safety of the students. Hopefully, nowadays large amount of data is available to research, analyze and come to some productive results. Data analytics plays an important role in guiding policy makers in framing feasible policies and even predict its effect on life. This work utilizes the dataset having Air Quality Index (AQI) of previous years including its components such as PM10, NO2, PM2.5 and O3. It aims to find out which component is responsible for the high levels of pollution and can be harmful for the health so that the government could take initiatives in controlling the components that are contributing most in causing the pollution. Mitigating the impact of pollution is important to limit its ill effects on people and to sustain a healthy environment for the people.
ORAL PRESENTATION 179
Abstract Code – OP82
A comparative study of 5-flurouracil, doxorubicin, methotrexate, paclitaxel for inhibition of mpro of nCoV: Molecular docking and temperature dependant molecular dynamics simulations Madhur Babu Singh1,2, Vijay Kumar Vishvakarma1, Kamlesh Kumari3, Pallavi Jain2 and Prashant Singh1 Department of Chemistry, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, University of Delhi, Delhi Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Delhi-NCR Campus, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 3 Department of Zoology, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, University of Delhi, Delhi 1
2
Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
A new corona virus is aetiological agent responsible for the viral pneumonia epidemic. Three is no specific therapeutic medicines available for the treatment of this condition and also effective treatment choices are few. In this work author tried to investigate some repurposing drug such as of 5-flurouracil, doxorubicin, methotrexate and paclitaxel against Mpro of nCoV by computational model. Molecular docking was performed to screen out the best compound and doxorubicin was found to have minimum binding energy -121.89 kcal/mol. To further study, MD simulation were performed at 300K and the result successfully corroborate the energy obtained by molecular docking. Temperature dependent MD simulation of best molecule that is doxorubicin obtained from docking result was performed to check the variation in structural changes in Mpro of nCoV at 290 K, 310 K, 320 K and 325 K. It is sound that doxorubin binds effectively with Mpro of nCoV at 290 K. Further ADME properties of the 5-flurouracil, doxorubicin, methotrexate and paclitaxel were also evaluated to understand the bioavailability.
ORAL PRESENTATION 180
Abstract Code – OP83
Impact of temperature on structural changes in nsp2 and nsp3 of CHIKV: Molecular dynamics simulations Durgesh Kumar1,2, Mahendra Kumar Meena1,3,4, Vinod Kumar5 and Prashant Singh1 Department of Chemistry, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, University of Delhi, Delhi 2 Department of Chemistry, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, Delhi 3 Department of Chemistry, Shivaji College, University of Delhi, Delhi 4 Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi 5 SCNS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
1
Author email: [email protected]
Authors have considered non-structural protease-2 (nsp2) and non-structural protease-3 (nsp3) of CHIKV for the investigation as they are involved in the replication of the virus and increases the infections in the human. CHIKV protease (nsp2), has a catalytic dyad (Cys1013/His1083) that processes viral polyproteins. Further, it has also been suggested that the catalytic dyad is interchangeable to a serine (proximal) and hence making called non-papainlike cysteine protease. Similarly, nsp3 plays important role during replication of CHIKV genome. In this work, we have investigated the effect of temperature on the structural stability of nsp2 and nsp3 of CHIKV. Although, we did not get any regular patter for change in the RMSD and RMSF for the nsp3 of CHIKV and observed that RMSD for nsp3 of CHIKV is acceptable at all the temperature (300, 325 and 350 K) but the minimum RMSD values are obtained at 325 K. Similarly, no regular pattern is observed for RMSF trajectories of nsp3 of CHIKV at different temperature and minimum fluctuations in the position of amino-acids at 325 K. Further, the RMSD and RMSF trajectories for nsp2 of CHIKV are investigated and observed a regular pattern in the RMSD and RMSF trajectories generated from MD simulations on increasing the temperature. In this, RMSD values are minimum at 300 K while the fluctuation in the position of amino-acids are maximum.
ORAL PRESENTATION 181
Abstract Code – OP84
The effects of climate change on the plant-pollinator relationship Mridula Rani, Charu K Gupta, Yash Mangla and Mayank Yadav Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
Almost 80% of angiosperms rely on insects like bees, wasps, butterflies, moths for pollination services. The change in temperature regimes/global warming is known to affect physiology of flowering plants, hence altered the phenological cycle i.e., flowering, and its duration, fruit formation, and their seed dispersal. Due to phenological shift in flowering window, the synchrony between the interacting plant species and their pollinators is gradually loosening-up or there are temporal mismatches with pollinator species. For an instance, due to early/delayed flowering the pollinators are not available to plants. Such asynchronies variously hinder plant reproduction and limit the food resources necessary for the survival of pollinators. Elevated temperatures are also distressing the plant reproductive behaviour in a number of ways e.g., nectar and pollen production, their quantity, even their chemical composition etc. size of flowers, number of flowers and so on. These factors chiefly influence foraging activity, body size at maturity, as well as individual life span of the insects. Global climate change along with stressors like the rampant use of chemical pesticides, habitat loss etc. are also negatively affect plants-pollinators interactions. These affects can be easily study both in natural habitats of several species as well as in agroecosystems. Despite the fact that pollinators are essential for food availability and also the maintenance of our diverse ecosystems, very little has been done on the effects of climate change on these essential biotic interactions. In the present study a review on understanding of plant-pollinator interactions with help of available studies will be presented. We are also attempting to perform a meta-analysis of available studies on indicator species for climate change.
ORAL PRESENTATION 182
Abstract Code – OP85
Measuring complexity and chaos in three - species food chain system with mixed selection of functional response Sada Nand Prasad Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Three species food chain system with mixed selection of functional response investigated for regular and chaotic evolutions under different feasible conditions in the framework of nonlinear dynamics. The Euler’s method employed to transform the continuous model of food chain into discrete model and used it as the study model. Bifurcations diagrams obtained by varying certain system parameters in turn while keeping other parameters constant. Regular and chaotic attractors have been drawn to identify behaviour of the system. Numerical studies further extended to calculate Lyapunov exponents (LCEs), topological entropies and correlation dimensions of chaotic attractors for different sets of parameter values.
ORAL PRESENTATION 183
Abstract Code – OP86
Biotechnological interventions in citrus: Current and future prospects Savita Department of Botany, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
The genus Citrus, one of the most important group of fruit crops worldwide, belongs to family Rutaceae comprising 140 genera and 1300 species distributed throughout the world. The major citrus producing countries include Brazil, US, Spain, Italy, Egypt, India, Mexico and China. In India, citrus fruits rank third in area and production after banana and mango. Citrus fruits are known for their distinctly pleasant aroma, arising due to terpenes present in the rind. The genus derives its commercial importance from its fruits, which are of great economic and health value and are consumed fresh or pressed to obtain juice. However, other by-products of citrus fruits such as dried pulp, pectin, blend syrup, essential oils and molasses are also part of the citrus trade chain. Since, citrus crops are susceptible to many biotic and abiotic stresses and their control is mainly dependent upon the various chemical applications, that is not an environment friendly approach. Sustainable methods of agricultural industry with great quality and high yield is the pressing demand of the present scenario. The potential of conventional methods of genetic improvement of citrus is limited by biological factors such as heterozygosity, inbreeding depression, nucellar polyembryony, self incompatibility, and lengthy juvenile period etc. Under such circumstances biotechnological interventions like tissue culture techniques and genetic transformation offer best possible alternative for the development citrus plants more resistant to important pathogens that adversely affect the production of citrus.
ORAL PRESENTATION 184
Abstract Code - OP87
Acetylation of alcohols, phenols and amines using green methods Rashmi Thukral and Somya Singh Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Acetylation of phenols and amines is an important reaction in organic synthesis. This reaction has been used as protective group reaction in agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. A variety of methods are used for the preparation of acetyl derivatives using acetyl chloride or acetic anhydride in the presence of homogenous or heterogeneous catalysts. The more recent methods involve use of plant wastes as catalyst for this important organic transformation. The purpose of this review is to summarize the various eco friendly green catalysts/ techniques which have been used for acetylation.
ORAL PRESENTATION 185
Abstract Code - OP88 Modeling and analysis of fuzzy sustainable inventory model for deteriorating item with controllable carbon emissions and preservation technology Yogendra Kumar Rajoria1 and Deo Datta Aarya2 Department of Mathematics, K.R. Mangalam University, Haryana
1
Department of Mathematics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
2
Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
Due to carbon emission difficulty in the environment, associated with the preservation technology strategy, this study involves green technology development to decrease carbon dioxide emissions from greenhouse operations and to decrease product deterioration by applying preservation technology. Greenhouse product manufacturers will apply preservation technology to increase the product’s lifetime and hence decrease environmental effects. The results and sensitivity analysis demonstrate the positive impacts of controllable carbon emission and deterioration on the total inventory model profit. Shortage costs, preservation costs, and deterioration costs are considered as fuzzy trapezoidal numbers. A graded mean integration method is applied to defuzzify the total inventory cost. To validate the model in real-world problems, numerical examples are used.
ORAL PRESENTATION 186
Abstract - OP89 Mitigation environmental issues with enigmatic Laboulbeniomycetes Riya Dayal, Maniket Chauhan, Anupama Shukla and Anita Narang Department of Botany, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected], [email protected]
There are approximately135,000 species of known fungi, however the estimated total number of species lies between 2.2 million and 6 million. There are 7 million insect species. Parasitism has evolved between these large groups. The Laboulbeniomycetes, is a group of incompletely known fungi that are obligate associate so far thropods as biotrophs or for dispersal. The Laboulbeniomycetes possess certain qualities that lend themselves toward being a model group for studies in ecosystem health. The fungi persist intact on the museum specimen soft heir host for decades. Therefore, entomological collections serve as a repository for these organisms. They can thus be seen as consistent indicator for the robustness of the insect population, which in turn may be a proxy for the overall health of the habitat. Laboulbeniomycetes have found to possess bacterial biofilms which play a role in biodegradation and biosynthesis. It produces various proteases which has a potential for production of host specific biopesticides. Laboulbeniomycetes can cause a threat to its host species by gradually declining it’s population such as Harmoniaaxyridis, Myrmicaants, Blatoddea spp. etc. which play an important role in the ecosystem. So. Being an enigma there is a need to carryout research studies on various aspects of Laboulbeniomycetes to fully explore it’s importance.
ORAL PRESENTATION 187
Abstract Code - OP90
An analysis of a mathematical model of tuberculosis disease by using fractional derivative Pooja Khoda Department of Mathematics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author e-mail: [email protected]
In this model, I study about Tuberculosis disease and I used a numerical method namely Predictor – Corrector method to derive an iterative solution of this model. I see some basic terms such as Fractional Derivative, Generalized Fractional derivative, Basic Reproduction number R0 , Stability and Equilibrium points for this model. This model also describes Existence and Uniqueness theorem for Fractional systems. I also used some results to provide more realistic conclusion of this model.
ORAL PRESENTATION 188
Abstract Code - OP91
Environmental awareness and attitudes towards environmental worldviews of Indian university students Shivani Dayal Department of Environmental Studies, Bharati College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
This study aims to understand the overall environmental awareness of college students in India. Additionally, this study will assess the environmental attitudes of Indian university students through the usage of the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale. This was done during the COVID-19 pandemic where environmental seminars and workshops have declined and where several challenges of education have arisen. Educational activities have been hampered as several students suffered a loss of approximately 3 months in the academic year of 2020-2021. However, most of the respondents of the conducted survey seem to be aware of their actions as their answers imply that they partake in activities which prevent damage to the environment. This was also seen through the overall endorsement of the new ecological paradigm which was measured through the NEP scale. Although the nation needs a lot of work in terms of proper implementation of India’s environmental and forestry policies, it is beneficial that the youth of the country are environmentally conscious and are aware about the consequences of their actions on the environment.
ORAL PRESENTATION 189
Abstract Code - OP92
Effect of diflubenzuron exposure on the physiological and reproductive fitness of Aedes aegypti L. Manu Sankar, Divya and Sarita Kumar Department of Zoology, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author e-mail: [email protected]
Persistent rise in mosquito-borne diseases and consequent fatalities have necessitated REmosquito management. However, use of conventional insecticides causing multiple insecticide resistance; and negative effects on nontargets, human health, and the environment has emphasized the use of eco-safe, Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs). The management potential of an IGR, Diflubenzuron (DFB) was assessed against Aedes aegypti by studying effects on the adult emergence, development parameters, oviposition, and egg hatch. The early-fourth instars of the Ae. aegypti were exposed to DFB doses. The adult emergence inhibition (IE%) was computed (PASW software) and sublethal (IE10; IE30) doses were selected for studying the growth regulatory effects on the early fourth instars. The growth and development parameters and abnormalities were recorded. The ovicidal effects of DFB were also investigated and the hatch was scored. The DFB larval exposure significantly inhibited adult emergence (IE50; IE90 = 0.31µg/L; 4.84µg/L). Exposure to sublethal doses (IE10; IE30) alleviated physiological and reproductive fitness, increasing developmental period (12.5, 12.0d; Control: 7.8d); and reducing adult emergence (75%; 35.5%; Control: 97.25%). Increased mortality and formation of intermediates were scored at different stages. The oviposition/female and %egg hatch also diminished on exposure to IE10 (46.60%; 85.5%) and IE30 (37.17%; 68.97%) DFB than in controls (52.24%, 90%). DFB also induced significant ovicidal effects (IC30; IC50 = 0.04µg/L; 0.43µg/L). DFB affected the physiological and reproductive fitness of Ae. aegypti and diminished next generation significantly. With minimal toxicity to non-targets and the environment; DFB can be a more promising intervention than conventional ones.
ORAL PRESENTATION 190
Abstract Code - OP93
Analyzing perceptions regarding health effects of ambient air pollution: A case study of Delhi Dyuti Agrawal and Tanu Jindal Department of Environmental Science, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh Author email: [email protected]
Air pollution is increasing becoming a problem in today’s world. It is not only harmful for the environment, but also poses several health risks to humans and is responsible for various diseases. Delhi is one of the most polluted megacities in this world. Along with government measures, to effectively tackle the situation, awareness amongst the public regarding this problem is necessary. This paper analyzes the awareness that the residents of Delhi have regarding the negative effects of ambient air pollution on their health. It also explores the preventative measures (if any) that individuals are taking to combat the situation at a personal level. For this, a perception analysis was done using purposive sampling where participants were required to fill a questionnaire. Almost all the participants in the survey were not satisfied with the ambient air quality in Delhi. Many of them said that it affects their health in one way another. Participants also recognized that air quality of Delhi worsened as winter started approaching. Some of them were using air purifiers at home to combat the problem at a personal level.
ORAL PRESENTATION 191
Abstract Code - OP94
Health aware preventive recommender system - A novel framework using localised air pollutant prediction Devansh Sharma, Tishya Thukral, Rahul Basu and Vandita Grover Department of Computer Science, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi Author email: [email protected]
The alarmingly high levels of air pollution in major urban settlements is a significant public health issue. The increasing concentrations of hazardous pollutants have inevitably resulted in severe respiratory ailments and substantial loss of life. Therefore, the capability to monitor and predict the variations in air quality is a crucial starting step in the mitigation of the prevailing pollution crisis. Numerous models have been proposed to forecast pollutant concentrations to provide mitigatory recommendations on a broader scale. However, the prediction of the predominant pollutant in a particular region to deliver relevant preventive measures to the populace is still an emerging opportunity for researchers. Hence, a novel framework for Health Aware Preventive Recommender System guided by Localised Air Pollutant Prediction is proposed in this work. With the aid of data mining techniques, dominant pollutants for the next 5 hours are predicted for different regions across the city of Delhi. The subsequent predictions are then used to build an alert system, wherein the registered users will be notified with a list of scientifically sound precautions and recommendations via an automated mailing system. This ensures a relatively safer commute for those travelling from one particular region of the city to another by providing a wellmeasured response against the health risks posed by air pollution. Such a system can be envisioned to become an individual’s first line of defence against the ailments triggered by the decline in air quality.
ORAL PRESENTATION 192
Abstract Code - OP95
Mass propagation of arid zone tree legumes Anita Narang, Anupama Shukla, Sumit Sahni and Manoj Kumar Singh Department of Botany, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi Author email: [email protected]
With the ever-increasing human population, the demands for natural resources have also risen exponentially. This has led to a large proportion of the world’s forests be stripped of their natural cover. Industrialization and urbanisation have only added to this immense pressure on the natural resources. In the developed countries, the desire to maintain higher living standards has largely contributed to the environmental degradation, whereas in the developing countries, the chief causes have been poverty and overpopulation. Hence, the need of the hour is to conduct reforestation and afforestation programs to mitigate such hazardous and catastrophic developments, and attempt to help restore the environment as much as possible. Leguminous trees are a significant component of forest vegetation because of their ecological and economic values. Acacia and Prosopis are considered to be the saviours of arid zones. Realising their significance for afforestation and reclamation of wastelands, rapid mass propagation protocols have been developed for Acacia nilotica, A. holosericea and Prosopis cineraria. Multiple shoots regenerated in explants excised from in vitro grown seedlings of all the three species, on various cytokinin supplemented media. The shoot frequency was further enhanced by using the nodal explants of in vitro raised shoots as microcuttings as well as repeated subculture of the original explants (stumps) after excising the shoots. These shoots regenerated roots successfully at their bases. Plantlets grown in vitro could successfully be transferred to the soil.
ORAL PRESENTATION 193
Abstract Code - OP96
Study the effect of modified Newtonian force on the restricted 3-body configuration in nonlinear sense Bhawna Singh Department of Mathematics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
The aim of this paper is to investigate the non-linear stability of the triangular libration point (L4) in R3BP when massive primary is a point mass which is producing the modified Newtonian Potential and less massive primary is a heterogeneous spheroid with three layers having different densities. First, we have discussed the linear stability of L4 which is stable for a critical value of mass parameter µ. Then, following the procedure of Birkhoff’s
normalization, we normalized the Hamiltonian up to second order and the coordinates (x,y) are expanded in double D’Alemberts series. The non-linear stability of L4 is discussed by applying Moser’s modified version of Arnold’s theorem (1961) and following the procedure adopted by Bhatnagar and Hallan(1983).
ORAL PRESENTATION 194
Abstract Code - OP97
Screening, identification and characterization of biofilm-inhibiting mycobacteriophages Kanika Nadar*, Ritu Arora* and Urmi Bajpai *equal contribution Department of Biomedical Science, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
Bacteriophages (phages for short) are natural virus of bacteria and are promising alternative/complement to antibiotics. Phages play a critical role in nutrient cycling in the natural ecosystems such as oceans where they contribute substantially in reducing carbon in the atmosphere by causing deep burial/sinking of the infected bacterial population. The efficient killing mechanisms of phages is estimated to destroy half of the world’s bacterial population every forty-eight hours. Similarly, understanding the relationship between the methane-assimilating bacteria and how phages control their population is suggested to be an important contributing factor in mitigating climate change. Hence, studying phage biology and applications are of paramount importance in environment and clinical studies. The focus of this study lies in clinical applications of phages.In the current era of antibiotic resistance, there is an urgent need for developing new and effective non-antibiotic strategies to treat multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections. We are investigating the potential antimycobacterial role of mycobacteriophages and encoded endolysins in the treatment of tubercular and non-tubercular mycobacterial infections and also examining their effect on mycobacterial biofilms which protect pathogens from host immune system and also confers resistance to antibiotics. Our lab is building a repository of mycobacteriophages isolated from environmental samples such as soil and water, using Mycobacterium smegmatis as the bacterial host. After isolation and purification by double agar overlay method, phages are characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), whole genome sequencing (WGS) and functional annotation and by determining their methylation status and stability. The average genome length of mycobacteriophages is ̴ 70kbp and the average GC% content is 63.7%. Based on the similarity in the nucleotide sequence, mycobacteriophages are classified into various clusters. We use primers-specific to A1, A2, A3, G, K, B1 for cluster classification. While a large number of phages isolated in the lab are noted to belong to B1 sub-cluster,several others belong to cluster G, F and A. All the phages tested so far are found to be nonmethylated and belong to siphoviridae family. Mycobacteriophages V11B and SV’s host range also comprises of the NTM M.fortuitum. Here, functional genome annotation and characterization of phage ‘RitSun’ (NCBI accession number ‘MZ343158’) and the effect of mycobacteriophages on M.smegmatis biofilm, which identified two phages to show 47.87% and 54.34% inhibition and 14.18% and 19% disruption, respectively is presented. The growing emergence of drug-resistant Tuberculosis and NTM infections has stimulated research into discovery of mycobacteriophages. We believe developing a bank of well-characterized novel mycobacteriophages will be a useful national asset, to be tested against tubercular biofilms, MDR clinical isolates and as a promising source of therapeutic enzymes..
ORAL PRESENTATION 195
Abstract Code - OP98
Chaos control in a three species predator-prey system Itendra Kumar Department of Mathematics, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
Author email: [email protected]
In this paper, I investigate the dynamic behaviours of a Three Species predator-prey system. The Hopf-bifurcations and chaos are found in the system. I computed all the equilibrium points and analysed the stability of equilibrium points. The model is analysed by bifurcation structure and nature of sinks. It is known that chaos control is the first step of utilizing chaos. After the numerical simulations, the model theoretically described.
ORAL PRESENTATION 196
Abstract Code - OP99
Insights into the morphological and systematic position of a new species, Gastrostyla indica n. sp. (Protozoa, Ciliophora), isolated from Delhi, India Jeeva Susan Abraham1, 2, Sripoorna Somasundaram2, Swati Maurya2, Renu Gupta3, Ravi Toteja2 and Seema Makhija2 Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi
1
Ciliate Biology Laboratory, Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi
2
Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, Delhi
3
Author email: [email protected]
The morphology and systematic position of a new species Gastrostyla indica n. sp. isolated from water samples collected from Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Delhi, India, is described from both live cell observations and protargol impregnations. The population is characterised as follows: Size in vivo about 95–100 x 30–32 µm, after protargol staining 74–99 x 21–35 µm, length to width ratio 3:1; flexible, dorsoventrally flattened; adoral zone occupies 37% of the body length with an average of 32 membranelles; undulating membrane intersecting in the middle in typical Oxytricha pattern (Berger, 1999; Berger and Foissner, 1997); two macronuclei, two to six micronuclei; 24–30 frontoventral transverse cirri arranged in a midventral row, two pretransverse ventral, five transverse cirri, one left and one right marginal row, non-confluent with an average of 27 and 31 cirri; six rows of dorsal kineties (DK1–4 and DM1–2), DK3 shortened posteriorly, DK4 commences subequatorial, three to four caudal cirri at the posterior ends of kineties DK1, 2 & 4,encystment and excystment frequent, conjugation not observed. Phylogenetic analysis suggests Gastrostyla indica n. sp. to be distinct from its closest congeners, Neogastrostyla aqua and G. steinii with a genetic distance of more than 4%. Study of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region, hypervariable region and ITS2 secondary structure, Gastrostyla indica n. sp. is distinct from the reported species of Gastrostyla.
ORAL PRESENTATION 197
Abstract Code - OP100
Analysis of halo orbits under the mass variation effect in cr3bp Abdullah Ansari Department of Mathematics, University of Delhi, Delhi Author email: [email protected]
The idea of this paper is to study the effect of mass variation of the test particle on the dynamical behaviour of the restricted three-body model. The equations of motion and its solutions by the use of Lindstedt-Poincare method, are determined under the various perturbations. The time-series, Poincare surfaces of section and halo orbits around one of the collinear critical points of this model are drawn under the effects of the oblateness of the one of the primaries and the solar radiation pressure of the other primary.
ORAL PRESENTATION 198
Abstract Code – OP101
Green finance: Sustainable financial solution to India’s green endeavours Sanjay Kumar1, V. Bhasker Raj1, Rakhee Chauhan2, Mamta2 and Saundarya Singh3 1
Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Delhi Kalindi College, University of Delhi, Delhi
2 3
EXL Services, Gurugram, Phase 3, Haryana Author email - [email protected]
Green finance can be described as any financial initiative, product, process or service that is either designed to protect the environment or to manage how the environment impacts finance and investment. The concept has assumed priority at the global stage only recently, hence, the concept is still being explored. Various interpretations of Green finance that have been given across the world are also discussed in the paper along with its conceptual development in India. India ranks 7th most vulnerable nation to climate change in 2021 - may lose 3-10% of GDP annually by 2100 to environmental shocks. India acknowledges the importance of a healthy environment for a development process that is sustainable and inclusive. Government has set various ambitious green targets such as 450GW renewable energy generation capacity by 2030, 20% ethanol blended petrol by 2025, transformation to a net zero emission economy by 2070 and so on which require investment and capital mobilisation at a large scale. Therefore, the paper analyses the performance of India in this regard and discusses various challenges associated with green finance in the country - such as unaware businesses and citizens, information asymmetry, lack of developed market infrastructure, data related issues and so on. The study also provides policy measures and recommendations that can help India to overcome these barriers for a green, inclusive and sustainable future.
ORAL PRESENTATION 199
Abstract Code – OP102
A comparative study of activity pattern of visayan spotted deer using camera traps Malayaj Rai1,2, Matt Ward1 and Leandro S. Cabrera2 Talarak foundation, Kabankalan, PHILIPPINES Department of Biology, Silliman University, Dumaguete City, PHILIPPINES 1
2
Author email:[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Visayan spotted deer is one of the rarest deer species and is currently facing a risk of extinction in its native habitat. Maintenance of captive population is one of the approaches for the conservation of species, but reintroduction programs are necessary to maintain its population in wild. Despite their importance the reintroduction programs often have risks associated with them, usually related to behavior of the reintroduced animal to the unpredictable environment and thus post-release monitoring and evaluation is important to ensure reintroduction success. This study was designed to explore the activity pattern and behavior of captive-bred Visayan Spotted deer released in the Danapa nature reserve area and compare them with the captive-bred deer still in captivity in Silliman University Centre for Tropical and Conservation studies. Camera traps were used to observe the deer at both sites and number of independent captures was used as an indicator of activity. The behaviors depicted by the deer were recorded in an ethogram. The deer in Danapa were active throughout the day but various peaks were observed as compared to the deer in SU-CENTROP where the activity remained fairly uniform through the day. The overall results for the activity patterns of the deer in captivity and Danapa did not show any significant difference (p = 0.7). This study attempts to fill the knowledge gap created from the lack of studies associated with the behavior of visayan spotted deer and provides a basis for more research in future. It would also provide more information for studying animal behavior with the use of camera traps.
ORAL PRESENTATION 200
Abstract Code – OP103
Optimizing the concentration of Malachite green in Middlebrook 7H10 media for isolation of NTM from soil samples Pushplata and Sudhir K. Awasthi Department of Life Sciences, CSJM University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh Author email: [email protected]
Non-tuberculous mycobacterium is known as environmental mycobacteria, can cause number of diseases in humans and animals. NTM are ubiquitous in nature and their transmission in humans are supposed to occurs by exposure of environmental factors like soil, water and dust. Soil contains high diversity of microorganism so we need to find a methods for isolation of mycobacterium from soil. There are several selective media are used for mycobacterial culture in which malachite green is a common compound which is used for inhibiting contaminant growth. So, we used different concentration of malachite green (ranging from 20mg/l to 1000mg/l) in Middlebrook 7H10 media using 10 samples decontaminated by 2% NaOH+3% SDS for achieving a concentration of MG which can give the maximum positive growth with minimum contamination, and find that the media containing malachite green concentration of 200mg/l was most effective in terms of getting maximum plates showing mycobacterial growth. This medium was further optimized by using all 60 soil samples for isolation of mycobacterium and found 38 soil (63.33%) samples were positive showing mycobacterial growth (both rapid and slow growing colonies) and rest 22 samples (36.66%) showed no growth. Total 13 mycobacterial species were isolated which were identified further by biochemical and 16 rRNAs sequencing methods. Our results showed that Middlebrook 7H10 with malachite green 200mg/l is useful for primary isolation of mycobacterium from soil.
ORAL PRESENTATION 201
Abstract Code – OP104
Population trends of blackbucks in Ganjam District, Odisha Kiranbala Panigrahi, Sakti Prasad Pattnayak, Priyanka Jena and B. Anjan Kumar Prusty Department of Natural Resources Management and Geoinformatics, Berhampur University, Odisha Author email: [email protected]
Blackbucks (Antilope cervicapra) are threatened globally primarily due to habitat degradation and poaching and are listed under Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972). The present compilation is an offshoot an analysis of population trends of Blackbucks in different forest divisions of Ganjam district, Odisha. Data on population census (between 2011 and 2021) from 03 forest divisions of Ganjam district were collected from relevant sources including the records of Forest Department. The population of the species varied significantly among the 03 forest divisions and different ranges in the district (ANOVA, p