A novel sensor-based digital instrument for assessment of quality of fibre extracted from banana pseudostem.

Banana () farming generates huge quantities of biomass, all of which goes to waste due to the non-availability of suitable technology for its commercial application. The potential solution to this issue could be the conversion of pseudo-stems into valuable assets by converting them into fibres for various textile and non-textile applications. The specific characteristics of banana pseudo-stem fibre i.

Elucidation of False Detection of Pesticides During Residue Analysis in Indian Tobacco by Multidimensional GC-MS.

Background: False detection of pesticides in agricultural produce may raise serious questions regarding both consumer safety and trade. High levels of delta-hexachlorocyclohexane (δ-HCH; 11.7-22.

Effect of fly ash amendment on metolachlor and atrazine degradation and microbial activity in two soils.

The study reports the effect of Inderprastha (IP) and Badarpur (BP) fly ashes on degradation of metolachlor and atrazine in Inceptisol and Alfisol soils. Metolachlor dissipated at faster rate in Alfisol (t1/2 8.2-8.

Rapid and sensitive multiresidue analysis of pesticides in tobacco using low pressure and traditional gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Public exposure to pesticide residues through the main/side-stream smoke of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an international concern. This article reports optimization and validation of large-scale multiresidue analysis methods involving low pressure and traditional gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in compliance with the guidance residue levels (GRLs) of Cooperative Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco (CORESTA).

Development of a hybrid proximal sensing method for rapid identification of petroleum contaminated soils.

Unlabelled: Using 108 petroleum contaminated soil samples, this pilot study proposed a new analytical approach of combining visible near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (VisNIR DRS) and portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (PXRF) for rapid and improved quantification of soil petroleum contamination. Results indicated that an advanced fused model where VisNIR DRS spectra-based penalized spline regression (PSR) was used to predict total petroleum hydrocarbon followed by PXRF elemental data-based random forest regression was used to model the PSR residuals, it outperformed (R(2)=0.78, residual prediction deviation (RPD)=2.

Simultaneous removal of pesticides from water by rice husk ash: batch and column studies.

The present study evaluated rice husk ash (RHA) as an adsorbent for simultaneous removal of a mixture of seven different pesticides (alachlor, metolachlor, chlorpyriphos, fipronil, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, and p,p'-DDT) and two metabolites (p,p'-DDE and endosulfan sulfate) from water. The adsorbent RHA was prepared in the laboratory and characterized by techniques such as X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Adsorption kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

Optimization of a sample preparation method for multiresidue analysis of pesticides in tobacco by single and multi-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A selective and sensitive multiresidue analysis method, comprising 4 7pesticides, was developed and validated in tobacco matrix. The optimized sample preparation procedure in combination with gas chromatography mass spectrometry in selected-ion-monitoring (GC-MS/SIM) mode offered limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) in the range of 3-5 and 7.5-15ng/g, respectively, with recoveries between 70 and 119% at 50-100ng/g fortifications.

Assessment of organochlorine pesticide residues in Indian flue-cured tobacco with gas chromatography-single quadrupole mass spectrometer.

Presence of pesticide residues in tobacco increases health risk of both active and passive smokers, apart from the imminent potential health problems associated with it. Thus, monitoring of pesticide residue is an important issue in terms of formulating stringent policies, enabling global trade and safeguarding the consumer's safety. In this study, a gas chromatography-single quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method based upon quantifier-qualifier ions (m/z) ratio was employed for detecting and assessing ten organochlorine pesticide residues (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, δ-HCH, 2,4-DDT, 4,4-DDT, endrin, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan and endosulfan sulphate) in 152 flue-cured (FC) tobacco leave samples from two major tobacco growing states, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, of India.

Managing metolachlor and atrazine leaching losses using lignite fly ash.

Application of low cost amendment for pesticide retention in soil is an important area of research in environmental sciences. The present study reports the potential of coal fly ash (Inderprastha and Badarpur), a waste from thermal power stations, for retaining soil applied metolachlor and atrazine within the application zone. Both the fly ashes were highly effective in reducing the leaching losses of metolachlor and atrazine and at 2% and 5% fly ash amendment levels the herbicides were retained in the top 15 cm profile of the column.

Leaching behaviour of azoxystrobin and metabolites in soil columns.

Background: Azoxystrobin [methyl (E)-2-{2-[6-(2-cyanophenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yloxy]phenyl}-3-methoxyacrylate], a strobilurin fungicide, is a broad-spectrum, systemic and soil-applied fungicide. Azoxystrobin has been registered for rice cultivation in India, but no information is available on its leaching behaviour in Indian soils. Therefore, leaching behaviour of azoxystrobin was studied in packed and intact soil columns under different irrigation regimes.

Effect of organic manure on sorption and degradation of azoxystrobin in soil.

Information on pesticide degradation and factors influencing are important in predicting the levels of pesticide remaining in soils and allow assessment of potential risk associated with exposure. The present study reports the sorption and degradation of azoxystrobin [methyl (E)-2-{2-(6-(2-cyanophenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl}-3-methoxyacrylate] in a sandy loam soil. The fungicide was moderately sorbed, and the Freundlich adsorption parameter K(f) (1/n) values in natural and 5% compost-amended soils were 9.