Environmental management: a country-level evaluation of atmospheric particulate matter removal by the forests of India.

Particulate matter (PM) is a critical air pollutant, responsible for an array of ailments leading to premature mortality worldwide. Nature-based solutions for mitigation of PM and especially role of forests in mitigating PM from an ecosystem perspective are less explored. Forests provide a natural pollution abatement strategy by providing a surface area for the deposition of PM.

Improving performance of deep learning predictive models for COVID-19 by incorporating environmental parameters.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely crippled the economy on a global scale. Effective and accurate forecasting models are essential for proper management and preparedness of the healthcare system and resources, eventually aiding in preventing the rapid spread of the disease. With the intention to provide better forecasting tools for the management of the pandemic, the current research work analyzes the effect of the inclusion of environmental parameters in the forecasting of daily COVID-19 cases.

Valuing burden of premature mortality attributable to air pollution in major million-plus non-attainment cities of India.

Accelerating growth due to industrialization and urbanization has improved the Indian economy but simultaneously has deteriorated human health, environment, and ecosystem. In the present study, the associated health risk mortality (age > 25) and welfare loss for the year 2017 due to excess PM concentration in ambient air for 31 major million-plus non-attainment cities (NACs) in India is assessed. The cities for the assessment are prioritised based on population and are classified as 'X' (> 5 million population) and 'Y' (1-5 million population) class cities.

Assessment and valuation of health impacts of fine particulate matter during COVID-19 lockdown: a comprehensive study of tropical and sub tropical countries.

A novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to challenge the whole world. The disease has claimed many fatalities as it has transcended from one country to another since it was first discovered in China in late 2019. To prevent further morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19, most of the countries initiated a countrywide lockdown.

Impact assessment of clean cookstove intervention in Gujarat, India: a potential case for corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding.

Exposure to indoor air pollutants released from traditional cookstoves in rural Indian households is a matter of great concern. While there are various studies over several decades focused towards intervention strategies for reducing air pollutants, limited literature exists towards the identification of appropriate methodology for feasible intervention, adoption and usage of improved cookstoves (ICS). In the present study, PM and CO microenvironment concentrations are estimated in households using traditional and improved cookstove (NEERDHUR).

COVID-19 Creating another problem? Sustainable solution for PPE disposal through LCA approach.

Amid COVID-19, there have been rampant increase in the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits by frontline health and sanitation communities, to reduce the likelihoods of infections. The used PPE kits, potentially being infectious, pose a threat to human health, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems, if not scientifically handled and disposed. However, with stressed resources on treatment facilities and lack of training to the health and sanitation workers, it becomes vital to vet different options for PPE kits disposal, to promote environmentally sound management of waste.

Valuation of air pollution externalities: comparative assessment of economic damage and emission reduction under COVID-19 lockdown.

Air pollution (AP) is one of the major causes of health risks as it leads to widespread morbidity and mortality each year. Its environmental impacts include acid rains, reduced visibility, but more importantly and significantly, it affects human health. The price tag of not managing AP is seen in the rise of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, and respiratory ailments like asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Understanding COVID-19 transmission, health impacts and mitigation: timely social distancing is the key.

COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, first identified in China and spread globally, resulting into pandemic. Transmission of virus takes place either directly through close contact with infected individual (symptomatic/asymptomatic) or indirectly by touching contaminated surfaces. Virus survives on the surfaces from few hours to days.

Air pollution aggravating COVID-19 lethality? Exploration in Asian cities using statistical models.

The present work estimates the increased risk of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by establishing the linkage between the mortality rate in the infected cases and the air pollution, specifically Particulate Matters (PM) with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 µm and ≤ 2.5 µm. Data related to nine Asian cities are analyzed using statistical approaches, including the analysis of variance and regression model.

Understanding COVID-19 transmission through Bayesian probabilistic modeling and GIS-based Voronoi approach: a policy perspective.

Originating from Wuhan, China, COVID-19 is spreading rapidly throughout the world. The transmission rate is reported to be high for this novel strain of coronavirus, called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as compared to its predecessors. Major strategies in terms of clinical trials of medicines and vaccines, social distancing, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and so on are being implemented in order to control the spread.

Understanding air and water borne transmission and survival of coronavirus: Insights and way forward for SARS-CoV-2.

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in unprecedented disease burden, healthcare costs, and economic impacts worldwide. Despite several measures, SARS-CoV-2 has been extremely impactful due to its extraordinary infection potential mainly through coronavirus-borne saliva respiratory and droplet nuclei of an infected person and its considerable stability on surfaces. Although the disease has affected over 180 countries, its extent and control are significantly different across the globe, making it a strong case for exploration of its behavior and dependence across various environmental pathways and its interactions with the virus.

Morphologically designed micro porous zeolite-geopolymers as cool coating materials.

Functionally modified fly ash zeolite-geopolymeric material was developed as cooling coatings for structural application. The tailored precursor of cool coating materials was obtained through modified grain behavior of zeolite with variable pour morphology and mechanical activation of fly ash followed by geopolymerization with alkaline activator. The modified zeolite was found to possess unique heat management properties through disorderly connected pores.