Iranica Journal of Energy & Environment
Volume:1 Issue: 4, Autumn 2010

Every year wildfires in Rajaji National Park, north-west India destroys more than 250 hectares of landscape encompassing tall grasslands and mixed forests. This is not only making a negative impact on wild species, but also causing a drastic impact on elephant’s seasonal movements. This study evaluated the impact of three fire seasons in 2007, 2008 and 2009 on the elephants of Chilla and Haridwar forest ranges. The 2008 forest fire burned 95 (0.64%) hectare of the Chilla forest followed by 2007 (75 hectare, 0.50%) and 2009 (60 hectare, 0.40%) whereas the 2007 fire burned 120 hectare (1.40%) of Haridwar forest followed by 2009 (105 hectare, 1.23%) and 2008 (95 hectare, 1.11%) fires. Scarcity of natural water during dry periods is another major factor which is affecting elephant’s movements within their home range. Chilla and Haridwar forests are currently facing water scarcity as far the elephant distribution is concerned, most of the perennial water sources have shrinked or remaining are on the verge of it, whereas before 2002 all of these water sources were fulfilled with tremendous water. Our review of available evidence suggests that wildfires and shrinkage of natural water sources have caused a catastrophic decline of free-ranging elephants from the Chilla and Haridwar forest ranges. All of these data support the importance of protecting the Rajaji National Park and its adjoining protected habitats as an important elephant range, linking different protected areas in north-west India.

Assessment of some physico chemical and microbial parameters of the water bodies of three rivers (Cauvery, Bhavani and Noyyal) which is suitable for human consumption have been carried out during the period of one year (September 2007 to August 2008). Analysis of some physico-chemical characteristics like water temperature, colour, electrical conductivity, transparency, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, pÇ, dissolved oxygen, BOD, total alkalinity; total hardness has been done during the investigation period. Increases in temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity, total solids, PH, bicarbonate, COD values were higher in Noyyal river followed by Cauvery river. The increase dissolved oxygen; BOD values were higher in Bhavani river. Study indicates the rivers were largely pollution by anthropogenic performance due to industrial effluents, municipal sewage, religious credence and subject to amend owed to seasons, climate and flows and influx of waters from various tributaries. In addition present study point out that the river Noyyal facing severe anthropogenic followed by Cauvery and Bhavani.

The study on some physico-chemical characteristics of River Bhavani at its source and Mettupalayam and Sirumugai has been calculated for the period of one year (July 2007 to June 2008). The sampling points were selected on the basis of their importance. For surface water determination of water quality index becomes essential and pre-requisite. Analysis of some physico-chemical characteristics like water temperature, colour, electrical conductivity, transparency, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, pÇ, dissolved oxygen, BOD, total alkalinity; total hardness has been done during the investigation period. Increase in temperature, turbidity, pH, electrical conductivity, total solids, suspended solids, dissolved solids, BOD values were higher in Sirumugai station, whereas the increase in total hardness, bicarbonate values were higher in Mettupalayam due to the intensity of expulsion of contamination. The dissolved oxygen values higher in Pillur dam station owing to unpolluted water. The Bhavani river has been facing severe anthropogenic activities, mostly due to municipal sewage and industrial waste and dense population etc.

Textile cardiovascular prostheses are woven or knitted structures made generally from biocompatible polyester fibres. After production, they have to undergo special treatments before packaging such as compaction. This treatment is necessary to reduce porosity especially for knitted structures, but it can modify poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polymer’s properties. We have studied the effect of chemical and thermal compaction process parameters on physical properties of PET with DSC and XRD techniques. The obtained results show changes of glass transition temperature according to compaction parameters. A multiple melting peaks thermograms were observed for untreated and most compacted samples indicating differences between crystallites sizes. The compaction treatment involves an increase of PET crystallites size because of molecular bonds rearrangement among the polymeric chains. With DRX, we have showed crystallites size increases for compacted samples when compared with untreated samples. This increase is particularly important in perpendicular direction to (010) crystallographic plane.

Fish Processing parameters with regards to organoleptic evaluation and cost benefit analysis were studied. The chorkor smoked fish has an attractive colour, good taste and is of good quality. Cost benefit analysis showed that at all levels of operation, the chorkor is superior to the traditional smoking altar in terms of all indices of profitability. A major benefit of chorkor fish processing technology is in the area of environmental conservation due to the much lower fuel wood requirement. The chorkor is amendable to adaptation to gas fuel whereby a gas ring in the pit supplies the heat in place of wood.

Four microorganisms isolated from samples of mangrove areas were found to be promising and significantly decolorized spent wash. Incidentally, they showed higher phenol degradation and COD reduction as well. The individual colorants imparting the color to spent wash were fractionated. Degradation of melanoidin and caramel was confirmed by UV and FTIR spectral analysis. Decrease in OD of melanoidin and caramel at their 8 max and appearance of new peaks and changes in functional groups of compounds in the IR spectra with respect to control suggest their degradation. K1 was the best melanoidin (77%) as well as caramel (54%) degrader followed by other three isolates (Ku3, Rtb2 and EB4).

Fast depletion of world’s petroleum reserves and increasing ecological concerns has created a great demand for environmentally benign renewable energy resources. Biodiesel has emerged as a sustainable alternative to petroleum origin diesel and its usage have been encouraged by many countries. Transesterification reaction is the most common process to produce biodiesel from variety of vegetable oils and animal fat. Transesterification process depends upon a number of process parameters which are required to be optimized in order to maximize the biodiesel yield. Thumba oil is an underutilized non edible vegetable oil, available in large quantities in Rajasthan, India and its potential suitability as a biodiesel feedstock is still not evaluated comprehensively. In this research paper, the transesterification process for production of Thumba oil methyl ester has been analyzed and the various process variables like temperature, catalyst concentration, amount of methanol and reaction time have been optimized with the objective to maximize yield. The optimum conditions for transesterification of Thumba oil with methanol and KOH as catalyst were found to be 60°C reaction temperature, 6:1 molar ratio of Thumba oil to methanol, 0.75% catalyst (w/w) and 1 hour reaction time. oil

The electronic structure and the conductance of carbon nanotube based metal/semiconductor/metal intramolecular junctions are investigated numerically. The nature of electronic states at the interfaces and in the semiconductor section is analysed with the help of tight-binding method. The quantum conductance of the system is calculated in the logical regime and its variations with energy have been observed. These quantum conductances have been compared among the different carbon nanotubes and that have been correlated with the pentagon and heptagon that formed in the intramolecular junction.