Groundwater quality assessment in selected polluted hotspots of Tamil Nadu, India using geospatial and statistical approaches

This study assessed groundwater quality in the Erode and Namakkal districts of Tamil Nadu, India, areas undergoing rapid urbanization and industrialization. Water quality parameters, including pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Calcium (Ca²⁺), Magnesium (Mg²⁺), Sodium (Na⁺), Potassium (K⁺), Carbonate (CO₃²⁻), Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻), Chloride (Cl⁻), and Sulfate (SO₄²⁻), were analyzed for 113 samples to determine their suitability for drinking and irrigation based on BIS (2012) standards. Geospatial mapping visualized parameter variations, while statistical techniques, including the Water Quality Index (WQI), correlation analysis, Piper plot, and Gibbs plot, were employed for risk assessment. Results revealed that 82, 100, 78, 51, 6, 91, 86, 85, 1, and 112 sites exceeded permissible limits for pH, EC, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, and SO₄²⁻, respectively. Additionally, limits for RSC, RSBC, SAR, Na ratio, Permeability Index, SSP, TSS, Magnesium Adsorption Ratio, and Potential Salinity were exceeded at 5, 5, 1, 0, 11, 33, 0, 13, 71, and 68 sites, respectively. The Piper plot indicated that sulfate and sodium were dominant ions, underscoring significant salinity and hardness issues. The findings highlight the critical need for comprehensive water treatment strategies, such as targeted filtration and chemical neutralization, to ensure safe drinking water and sustainable irrigation practices. Local policymakers could use these insights to implement stricter industrial wastewater discharge regulations, encourage eco-friendly practices, and prioritize vulnerable zones for immediate intervention. By informing sustainable groundwater management policies, the study underscores the urgency of addressing pollution hotspots in the context of continued urban and industrial development

Organoruthenium(II) Complexes Ameliorates Oxidative Stress and Impedes the Age Associated Deterioration in Caenorhabditis elegans through JNK-1/DAF-16 Signalling

AbstractNew ruthenium(II) complexes were synthesised and characterized by various spectro analytical techniques. The structure of the complexes 3 and 4 has been confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The complexes were subjected to study their anti-oxidant profile and were exhibited significantly greater in vitro DPPH radical scavenging activity than vitamin C. We found that complexes 1–4 confered tolerance to oxidative stress and extend the mean lifespan of mev-1 mutant worms and wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans. Further, mechanistic study and reporter gene expression analysis revealed that Ru(ƞ6-p-cymene) complexes maintained the intracellular redox status and offers stress resistance through activating JNK-1/DAF-16 signaling axis and possibly by other antioxidant response pathway. Notably, complex 3 and 4 ameliorates the polyQ (a Huntington’s disease associated protein) mediated proteotoxicity and related behavioural deficits in Huntington’s disease models of C. elegans. From these observations, we hope that new Ru(ƞ6-p-cymene) complexes could be further considered as a potential drug to retard aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.</jats:p

Photolysis and TiO₂-catalysed degradation of diclofenac in surface and drinking water using circulating batch photoreactors

The occurrence of diclofenac (DCF) as an emerging pollutant in surface waters and drinking water has been attributed to elevated global consumption and the inability of sewage treatment plants to remove DCF. In this study, DCF spiked drinking water and river water was subjected to photolysis and TiO₂ photocatalytic treatments in a circulating laboratory-scale (immersion-well) and a demonstration-scale loop reactor (Laboclean). The operational parameters for the immersion-well reactor were optimised as follows: TiO₂ P25 loading, 0.1 g L⁻¹; natural pH, 6.2; initial concentration, 30 mg L⁻¹; water type, distilled water. Complete DCF removal was realised within 15 min under the optimised conditions using the immersion-well reactor. Sunlight-mediated photochemical degradation required a prolonged exposure period of up to 360 min for complete DCF removal. DCF in distilled and drinking water was efficiently degraded in the larger Laboclean reactor. Differences were, however, observed based on their pseudo-first-order rate constants, which implies that the water matrix has an effect on the degradation rate. Six major photoproducts, 2-(8-chloro-9H-carbazol-1-yl)acetic acid, 2-(8-hydroxy-9H-carbazol-1-yl)acetic acid, 2,6-dichloro-N-o-tolylbenzenamine, 2-(phenylamino)benzaldehyde, 1-chloromethyl-9H-carbazole and 1-methyl-9H-carbazole, generated from TiO₂ photocatalysis of DCF were identified by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LCMS) and Fourier transform–ion cyclotron resonance–mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). This work has shown that photocatalytic degradation kinetics of DCF are dependent on both the geometry of the photoreactor and the nature of the water matrices

Titanium dioxide photocatalysis for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment

Heterogeneous photocatalysis using the semiconductor titanium dioxide (TiO2) has proven to be a promising treatment technology for water purification. The effectiveness of this oxidation technology for the destruction of pharmaceuticals has also been demonstrated in numerous studies. This review highlights recent research on TiO2 photocatalytic treatment applied to the removal of selected pharmaceuticals. The discussions are tailored based on the therapeutic drug classes as the kinetics and mechanistic aspects are compound dependent. These classes of pharmaceuticals were chosen because of their environmental prevalence and potential adverse effects. Optimal operational conditions and degradation pathways vary with different pharmaceutical compounds. The main conclusion is that the use of TiO2 photocatalysis can be considered a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical wastewater treatment methodology. Further studies are, however, required to optimize the operating conditions for maximum degradation of multiple pharmaceuticals in wastewater under realistic conditions and on an industrial scale