This review seeks to elucidate the synergistic processes via which air pollution and climate change jointly affect the incidence and the extent of diseases related to agriculture. The review looks at the combined effect of stresses on host-pathogen interactions to offer a comprehensive knowledge of contemporary agricultural concerns. A thorough examination of existing literature was performed, incorporating physiological, molecular, and ecological data. The review assesses how atmospheric pollutants like tropospheric ozone and particulate matter interact with meteorological factors like fluctuating temperature and precipitation, with an emphasis on how these factors collectively affect crop vulnerability. The synthesis shows that the combination of pollutants and abiotic stresses dramatically changes the pathogenicity of pathogens and promotes the formation of novel disease complexes. Significant results show that host plant resistance is commonly hampered by antagonistic signaling crosstalk; particularly, early signaling hubs involving reactive oxygen species and phytohormones emphasize abiotic stress responses, hence inhibiting immunological pathways. This physiological trade-off makes crops more susceptible to diseases, which can lead to significant losses in worldwide productivity. To ensure global food security, disease management must move to climate-informed systems that account for many concurrent stressors. Future research should prioritize interdisciplinary techniques to identify specific genes conveying different stress tolerances and develop effective forecasting models that combine both weather and pollution data.
This research paper presents the structural design and comprehensive cost analysis of a proposed waste management plant in Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu, India. The plant is designed to efficiently manage solid waste generated in the region, emphasizing sustainability, health, and environmental safety. The project is divided into seven phases, beginning with pre-construction activities and culminating in the operational handover. The design encompasses civil works, machinery, and equipment necessary for waste processing, including segregation, composting, and leachate treatment. A cost analysis based on reference projects highlights estimated expenses related to land acquisition, civil works, machinery procurement, and operational costs, with a total projected cost of Rs. 3.6 crores, factoring in contingencies for unforeseen delays and expenses. The approximate area required for a solid waste management plant can vary depending on the waste processing capacity and specific design. For a plant processing about 500 to 1,000 metric tonnes per day, the area typically ranges from 5 to 10 acres, which includes space for sorting facilities, composting, landfill, leachate treatment, and other necessary infrastructure. This study provides a region-specific integrated waste management model for medium-scale districts in Tamil Nadu, bridging the gap between conceptual policy guidelines and implementable engineering design. The findings offer a scalable framework that can be replicated in similar semi-urban districts across India. For the proposed plant processing 150 metric tonnes per day in Sivagangai District, the estimated area could be in the range of 8 to 12 acres, considering efficient land use and infrastructure integration.
Soil physical structure and particle size distribution are fundamental factors governing its physico-chemical behaviour.These characteristics strongly influence water retention, nutrient availability, and overall soil fertility.This study investigates the effects of organic manure application on soil structure through soil samples analysis employing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) along with Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). SEM imaging provided high-resolution morphological insights, revealing structural differences between untreated and amended soils. Notably, organic manure application resulted in more cohesive aggregates with enhanced porosity, indicating improved soil aeration and water retention capacity.DLS analysisindicated that the mean soil particle size in the control plot was 892.9 nm. Particle size increased substantially with organic amendmentsreaching 1092 nm in the GM+SM+VC (12.5 t ha-1) treatment.This finding points toward the formation of larger aggregates, likely due to improved organic matter content and microbial activity. The results demonstrated that organic amendments contributed to a more heterogeneous soil structure with increased particle connectivity and surface roughness. These changes are associated with enhanced nutrient-holding capacity and soil stability, which are crucial for sustainable agricultural practices. Overall, the study highlights the significant role of organic amendments in altering soil morphology and particle size distribution, leading to improved soil quality. By enhancing soil structure and fertility, organic manure application promotes better crop growth and sustainable land management. These findings emphasize the importance of adopting organic amendments for long-term agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.
Climate change and ecological degradation are increasingly associated with fear, helplessness, and sorrow, contributing to psychological distress and behavioral change. This narrative review synthesizes empirical research examining eco-anxiety and its associated behavioral responses. A total of 212 records were identified through searches of Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, APA PsycInfo, and Science Direct, with 50 articles meeting inclusion criteria following independent screening and data extraction by two reviewers. The methodological quality of included studies was generally limited, and findings were synthesized using conventional content analysis, resulting in two primary themes with three subthemes each. Evidence indicates that eco-anxiety is linked to both adaptive and maladaptive behavioral responses, including pro-environmental engagement, anger, depressive symptoms, and shifts in life decisions such as hesitancy toward family planning. Given the predominance of cross-sectional and self-report designs, conclusions should be interpreted cautiously; nonetheless, the literature suggests that eco-anxiety meaningfully shapes behavioral responses, albeit in heterogeneous ways across individuals.
The accelerated pace of industrialization in Central India has resulted in heightened emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, thereby eliciting substantial environmental and public health apprehensions. This investigation assessed the prevalence, spatial variability, and interlinkages between environmental and biological PAH levels in soil, plant, and blood sample collected from prominent industrial locales across Central India with a focus on evaluating potential exposure among industrial workers. In aggregate, 250 samples were subjected to analysis through liquid chromatography and conventional gas chromatography accompanied by tandem mass spectrometry techniques. Soil samples exhibited the highest concentrations of PAHs (0.11–1.58 ppm; mean 0.63 ppm), followed by plant samples (0.05–2.59 ppm; mean 0.77 ppm), whereas blood samples exhibited detectable concentrations (51.81–29712.66 ppb; mean 1059.74 ppb), indicating potential human exposure. Spatial analysis identified the Siltara Area and Korba Industrial Area as the primary contamination hotspots. Correlation analysis revealed a weak negative relationship between soil and plant samples (r = -0.28) and a stronger negative association between plant and blood samples (r = -0.73), suggesting complex exposure pathways. Risk evaluation utilizing toxic equivalency concentrations, incremental lifetime cancer risk, and hazard index demonstrated that non-carcinogenic risks were confined to acceptable thresholds; however, marginally elevated carcinogenic risks were identified in the Siltara region. The detection of low-molecular-weight PAHs in blood samples may suggest prospective occupational exposure among industrial workers, aligning with occupational safety concerns. These observations emphasize the necessity for sustained environmental monitoring and occupational health surveillance across industrial areas in Central India.
In India, urbanisationhas been a significant phenomenon, driving population growth and city expansion. It plays a crucial role in shaping the Earth's surface. Hence, this paper aims to analyseland-use patterns and change detection, and to determine urban growth in the Bidhannagar area. Bidhannagar has developed as a planned satellite town to address the growing population of Kolkata for the housing demand. This study uses satellite images to analyse the spatial and temporal dynamics of LULC changes. Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper for 2001 and 2011, and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager for 2021 and 2024have been used for LULC classification. Further, the Random Forest Model was applied in Google Earth Engine to analyse LULC patterns for selected years, and also worked outurban growth using the Urban Expansion Area Intensity Index (UAEII), Shannon Entropy model, and the Landscape Expansion Index (LEI). The results showed a significant decline in wetlands from 25.88% to 20.70%, green spaces from 21.25% to 16.89%, fallow land from 13.66% to 9.45%, and water bodies from 5.48% to 2.79%from 2001 to 2024, while the built-up area grew substantiallyfrom 33.72% to 50.17%. The Kappa Coefficient was applied to assess accuracy of image classification that are 0.81, 0.84, 0.86, and 0.89 for the years 2001, 2011, 2021,and 2024, respectively. UAEII from 2001 to 2024indicates that the built-up area is increasing at a moderately and Shannon Entropy reflects urban growth in a compact manner in the NE, SE, and SW zones, whileLEI emphasises the pattern of the built-up area's expansion. This paper offers valuable insights for developing more comprehensive and strategic land-use policies and management approaches in this study area.
Urban development is a dynamic process that extensively alters the geography and ecosystems, especially in the aftermath of rapid growth in ecologically fragile regions such as the Aravalli foothills of Haryana. This paper examines the impact of urban sprawl on ecosystem services in six foothill villages of the Aravalli region in the Gurugram district of Haryana. A total of 150 respondents were sampled using a purposive sampling technique, and a structured Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to respondents to collect the required data under assessment, which was then analysed by using statistical interpretation through SPSS. The paper explores the interaction between urbanisation and changes in the fundamental ecosystem services, which are the integrity of the habitat, water resources, soil quality, and climate stability. The findings indicate that the high levels of land-use change, construction and population are increasingly dislodging habitats and ecological networks and inhibiting the capacity of the region to sustain ecosystem processes. In the study, quantitative analysis is used to provide a general concept of the ecological transformation in the foothill landscape of the Aravalli terrain. The research, by shedding light on the environmental implications of the uncontrolled urban expansion, contributes to the existing arguments of maintaining a balance between urban development and ecosystem sustainability in the delicate foothill setting and provides suggestions on more sustainable urban planning approaches.
Shoreline change research is required to safeguard coastal environments, mitigate risks, and promote sustainable development. Coastal boundaries are highly responsive to environmental fluctuations, where continuous shoreline shifts occur as a direct result of sediment dynamics, tidal actions, climate-driven sea-level variations, and underlying geomorphological processes.To quantify coastal modifications, the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) is employed, integrating advanced geospatial analytical frameworks to track shoreline displacement over time.This study aims to assess long-term shoreline oscillations from 1980 to 2025, utilizing a Cohen’s Kappa accuracy assessment to validate the reliability of the derived shoreline data. Multi-temporal satellite data used from Landsat MSS, TM, and OLI/TIRS images to analyze shoreline shift. Its changes Investigated on seven coastal districts, where the shoreline Change Envelope (SCE), End Point Rate (EPR (m/year)), and Net Shoreline Movement (NSM (m)) methods are used on the statistical basis. Total 708 km coastline results demonstrated shift like Jagatsinghpur (moderate), Puri (substantial), Kendrapara (almost perfect), Bhadrak (moderate), Balasore (Fair), Purba Medinipur (slight) and South 24 Pargana (fair). According to EPR (m/year) and NSM(m) results, abrasion occurred along the South 24 Pargana coastal tract at rates of 3.90 m/ year and 175.57 m for this period. Purba Medinipur district has shown consistent and modest changes, with yearly rates of 0.32 m (NSM (m)) and 0.01 m (EPR(m/year)), respectively. Net shoreline movement (m) for Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore are 8.41 m, -4.98 m, -84.10 m, -46.61m and 43.23 m respectively for this period. Only, Puri’s findings show factual of significant accumulation over the period.
Precision Agriculture (PA) contributes to a paradigm shift from traditional farming towards a data-driven, technology-enabled approach that optimizes resource use and enhances productivity. This review follows a structured narrative review methodology, where literature was collected from databases including Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using keywords such as “precision agriculture India”, “IoT farming”, and “soil sensors”. Studies were screened based on relevance, recency (post-2015 priority), and applicability to Indian conditions. This review synthesizes the current state of sensor technologies and Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, critically evaluating their applicability within the unique socio-economic and agro-climatic context of Indian agriculture. This paper introduces PA and traces its technological evolution, followed by a detailed analysis of various sensor types—including resistive, capacitive, and advanced spectral sensors—and their specific applications in irrigation and nutrient management. Key findings indicate that capacitive and IoT-enabled sensors offer the best cost–accuracy balance for Indian farms, while adoption barriers remain primarily economic and infrastructural. The review then delves into the architecture of IoT platforms, examining hardware like Arduino and Raspberry Pi, and communication protocols such as Lora WAN and NB-IoT, with a specific focus on smart irrigation systems. A significant portion is dedicated to the implementation challenges in India, including land fragmentation, economic viability, and digital literacy, proposing context-specific solutions. Finally, future directions involving AI, advanced sensing, and policy frameworks have also been proposed in this paper. It also summarizes on developing affordable, scalable, and farmer-centric solutions supported by robust institutional mechanisms with the significant technological potential in India.
Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicides globally, acting by inhibiting the 3-enolpyruvylshikimate-5-phosphate (EPSP) synthase enzyme and disrupting aromatic amino acid synthesis in plants.This review critically evaluates glyphosate’s mechanism of action, global usage trends, environmental persistence, herbicide resistance, and potential ecological and human health impacts.Peer-reviewed literature, regulatory reports, and monitoring studies were systematically analyzed to assess glyphosate occurrence in soil and water, its primary metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), resistance in weed species, and toxicological evidence. The global consumption of Glyphosate will reach 740,000–920,000 tonnes by 2025, reflecting a substantial increase since the 1990s.Although glyphosate strongly adsorbs to soil and undergoes microbial degradation, residues persist in environmental matrices and may exceed safety thresholds. Repeated applications have contributed to herbicide-resistant weeds, increasing reliance on higher dosages. Despite low acute toxicity, potential risks to non-target organisms, soil microbiota, water quality, biodiversity, and long-term human health remain concerns. While glyphosate remains agriculturally important, its extensive use necessitates continuous monitoring, integrated weed management, and rigorous risk assessment to ensure environmental and public health protection.
Wetlands have long-standing economic and socio-cultural benefits and provide essential ecosystem services; yet they are amongst the most administratively vulnerable habitats on the planet. Despite their widely recognized worth, they are significantly collapsing due to governance failure, rapid economic and population growth and land-use policies. Through a comparative legal analysis of India, the United States (US), and China, this article examines how differing legal and regulatory frameworks shape wetland conservation outcomes. The study has four primary objectives: to compare the governance structures of the three jurisdictions; to analyze the role of ecological attributes in legal protection; to evaluate implementation challenges and best practices; and to propose an integrated governance model. The analysis reveals that while each country has developed distinct legal instruments- from India’s decentralized Wetland Rules and the U.S.’s permit-based Clean Water Act to China’s centralized Wetland Protection Law- effectiveness is consistently undermined by fragmented enforcement, regulatory ambiguity, and inadequate community integration. The article argues that sectoral approaches are insufficient to ensure wetland resilience and inter-generational equity. Instead, it contends that wetlands must be incorporated into legal, economic, and socio-cultural frameworks through an “integrated governance model” that combines robust regulation, participatory stewardship, scientific monitoring, and climate-adaptive planning.
The increasing anthropogenic release of heavy metals (HMs) threatens global biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. Phytoremediation of HMs in contaminated soil not only reducesmetal bioavailability but also mitigates toxic effects on both plants and their consumers. Biochar is one such agent capable of reducing HMs toxicity. Thus, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the toxicological effect of heavy metal Nickel (II) on seed germination anduptake efficiencyin maize (Zea mays L.), an economically important agricultural crop. Soil samples were treatedwith graded concentrationsof Nickel Chloride Hexahydrate (NiCl2.6H2O)at 100 mg kg-1 and 300 mg kg-1 and amended with rice-husk-derived biochar(produced at 400 oC) at a dose of (1% w/w); a control was used for comparison.After 10 days of treatment, the concentration of Nickel (II) in soil, root and shoot was determined usingthe Dimethyl glyoxime (DMG) test.Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the high surface area and porous structure of biochar primarily decreased the bioavailability of Ni in the soil by physically trapping Ni (II) ions. The results showed thatsoil treated with biochar,increased seed germination by 14% at 100 mg kg-1 and doubled it at 300 mg kg-1 compared to untreated soil.Ni was primarilysequestrated in the rootsfor both sets of pots.However, biochar significantly lowered Ni accumulation by 25% and6 % in roots at 100 mg kg-1 and 300 mg kg-1, respectively. Furthermore, biochar enhanced the Bioconcentration factor (BCF) by more than twofold, preventing the plants from being overwhelmed by Ni toxicity by limiting root to shoot transfer (Translocation Factor< 1). This allowed the maize to continue growing and performing phytoextraction over the10-day experimentalperiod. This study demonstrates that the phytoremediation of Ni-contaminated soil can be effectively achieved using maize and biochar, thereby preventing the transfer of toxicity into the food chain.
Enzymes serve as biological catalysts that participate in a critical task detoxifying reactive oxygen species and breaking down toxic pollutants. Microbial enzymes from microalgae, macroalgae and bacteria hold potential promise and significance for biodegradation applications. Enzymes such as lipases, alkane monooxygenases, esterases, and dehydrogenases are associated with driving crude oil degradation. This study examines the biochemical effects of petroleum hydrocarbons from crude oil, sludge from tank bottom, and Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) hydrocarbon sludge on enzyme activities of algae species. These pollutants contain mostly aliphatic compounds like butane, propane, and aromatic compounds like benzene, cyclohexane, which are toxic and carcinogenic in nature. Algal cultures were exposed to these pollutants at a pre-determined 9 mg/mL minimal inhibition concentration for 28 days, and the activities of lipase, esterase, dehydrogenase, and catalase were evaluated. Esterase activity increased by 4.00%–56.00% in cultures incubated consisting treatment compared to controls, which are algae cultures without any treatment, while catalase activity remained unchanged. Dehydrogenase and lipase activities showed minor variations, with Euglena sp. displaying 65.00% more lipase activity in cultures having treatment. GC-FID investigation of crude oil, sludge from tank bottom, and Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) hydrocarbon sludge revealed hydrocarbon compounds ranging from Carbon 1 to 30 with propane predominating more than 90% of Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). TPH abatement was found out to be 99.99% TPH in crude oil on treatment with Euglena sp. and Chlamydomonas sp., and 72.00% degradation by Chlorella sp. In ETP sludge, 99.00% TPH degradation was observed across three algae species, while sludge treatment achieved 99.90% degradation with Chlamydomonas sp. and Chlorosarcinopsis sp. These obtained results clearly allude to these algae species being capable degraders of petroleum hydrocarbons illustrating GC-FID’s functioning in remediation processes as an analyzing tool.
This study’s primary goal is to examine published research on nature-based tourism using established inclusion criteria and a holistic bibliometric approach. A total of 1,200 records were retrieved from the Scopus database based on predefined criteria using the keyword “nature-based tourism.”The VOSviewer application was utilized in order to perform bibliometric analysis on the data as it was collectedhere is a consistent and sustained increase in the number of publications that are about nature-based tourism, which indicates that there is an increase in the amount of scholarly interest in this field. There is also an expectation that the number of publications will continue to rise in the years to come. Tsung Hung Lee was found to be the author who was cited the most frequently, while Peter Fredman was discovered to be the author who had the most prolific output on this topic. It is clear that the Journal of Sustainable Tourism plays a crucial part in advancing research on nature-based tourism because it contains the greatest number of publications.Geographically speaking, the United States of America showed the highest number of publications which is an indication of the country's strong research setup in this particular field. It came to light that the University of Johannesburg tops the list of the most significant contributors, among the institutes, in terms of the number of its publications, which means that it has substantially prioritized nature-based tourism studies in its academic programs. Knowing which words are mostly used the analysis of keywords showed that nature-based tourism (621) was the term most frequently used, the second was ecotourism (435), and the third tourism (184), with tourism development (165), and protected area (157) continuing the list, thus reflecting the focus of the research that has been done so far as being more aligned with topics such as sustainability and conservation, related issues. In general, the authors' study adds to the current body of literature by presenting a clear and systematized account of the research trends, major contributors, and the most recurring themes of nature-based tourism." The study exclusively focuses on bibliometric analysis and therefore it can only be a good descriptive basis for empirical and theoretical studies in the future. However, further research can be conducted to look at the practical and policy, oriented implications more deeply."
This study examines Albania’s environmental and agricultural legislation in the context of the European Green Deal (EGD) and the EU accession process through a qualitative, document-based legal and policy review. The analysis is based on a structured comparative matrix that assesses legal transposition and selected implementation indicators, combining a review of national legislation with relevant EU directives and EGD priorities, alongside an evaluation of institutional and governance factors influencing implementation. The findings indicate that Albania has achieved a relatively high degree of formal alignment in environmental legislation, particularly in procedural and horizontal domains. In contrast, agricultural legislation demonstrates more limited integration of sustainability principles and remains constrained by structural factors such as small-scale farming and limited monitoring capacity. While environmental legislation demonstrates stronger alignment, agricultural policy remains less integrated into sustainability frameworks, reflecting a clear sectoral imbalance. Across both sectors, a persistent implementation gap is identified, associated with institutional weaknesses, fragmented governance structures, and financial constraints. Overall, the study suggests a pattern of asymmetric Europeanisation, whereby legislative transposition progresses more rapidly than practical enforcement and operationalisation. A key limitation of the research is its reliance on documentary sources without primary field validation, as well as the comparatively more limited depth of analysis of agricultural legislation.
The efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass into xylitol is often hindered by the presence of inhibitory phenolic compounds released during pretreatment and hydrolysis. However, the presence of inhibitory compounds in wheat straw hydrolysate (WSH) limits its direct utilization during microbial fermentation. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment strategies for improving the quality of WSH while preserving sugars. A technique for reducing phenolic compounds from WSH was developed and optimized by assessing the influence of different alkaline agents (NaOH, Ca(OH)2, and NH3) in combination with activated charcoal treatment. Major process variables, including pH, incubation time, temperature, and fixed concentration of activated charcoal application, were systematically investigated to enhance the clarification efficiency of WSH for thereafter microbial processing. Among the tested bases, NaOH treatment achieved the highest phenolic removal efficiency, followed by Ca(OH)2, and NH3. Optimization of pH revealed that pH 10 resulted in the maximum phenolic reduction of74.1% with minimal sugar loss. Temperature optimization indicated that treatment at 30 °C was effective, achieving 76.6% phenolic removal and the highest sugar retention. The incubation time significantly influenced detoxification efficiency, where 12 h showed optimal phenolic removal 77.8% while preserving total sugars (12.8%, w/v and reducing sugars (10.9%, w/v).The removal of inhibitory process resulted in a substantial reduction in phenolic content, improvement in hydrolysate clarity, and enhanced recovery of reducing sugars. These improvements indicate that the treated hydrolysate is more suitable for subsequent microbial fermentation processes. Overall, the study demonstrates that the combined alkaline treatment, process variable optimization, and activated charcoal detoxification approach effectively reduced the phenolic content and enhanced the suitability of WSH, supporting its use as a substrate for downstream xylitol fermentation.
Variations in the urban land surface temperature (LST) and its correlation with the surrounding rural areas lead to Urban Heat Islands, a global concern that affects mostly tropical cities. This study employed a novel methodology coupling a multi-criteria decision-making technique with geospatial data to identify heat stress vulnerability in a tropical urban agglomeration. Initially, the patterns of land use and land cover (LULC) changes are estimated for the years 1988, 2005, and 2023 using Landsat images. Thereafter, the mean and standard deviation of time series Land Surface Temperature, Normalized Difference Built-up Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, time series UHI index and population density is a proxy to Heat Stress Vulnerability Index using Analytical Hierarchy Process. The proposed methodology is tested in Kochi city, a rapidly expanding urban cluster in southern India. Results reveal a notable increase in built-up areas, accompanied by a decline in vegetation and open areas over the 34-year period resulted considerable increase of (4°C) LST from 2014 to 2023, The study uses a novel method of Heat Stress Vulnerability Index (HSVI) to identify the heat stress regions of the study area. The computed HSVI is further classified into very low, low, moderate, high, and very high heat stress vulnerability areas. ~12.78% of the study area is classified as high heat stress vulnerability, followed by 3.45% in very high vulnerability. Higher HSVI values are observed in dense built-up areas with high population density. The methodology used in this study will be helpful to develop appropriate urban planning and management policies through achieving Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 13.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasingconcern to global health, complicating the treatment of infections and contributing to millions of deaths worldwide. Aquatic ecosystem act as reservoirs for antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes due to discharge of industrial and domestic effluents directly into the waterbodies.While A. baumannii, amember of ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species) group is a well-known pathogen for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) but simultaneouslyother species of Acinetobactersuch as A. juniiisalso emerging as opportunistic pathogens especially in multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections. In this study, we isolated and identified bacterial isolates from the Kosi River in Uttarakhand, a relatively unpolluted freshwater sourcecompared to urban water bodies. Out of 25 isolates, 24 were identified as Acinetobacter junii through biochemical characterization and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. These isolates were screened for multidrug resistance using the disc diffusion method against 13 different antibiotics belonging to six different classes, and broth microdilution assay was performed for selected isolates for determining their susceptibility to PolymyxinB and Colistin. Notably, 100% of the A. junii isolates were resistant to Cefepime, 33% to Cefoxitin, and 4% to both Ceftazidime and Amikacin. The detection of MDR A. junii in a pristine environment underscores the growing environmental dimension of AMR. This study suggests that natural water bodies may serve as silent reservoirs of resistance genes. The findings reinforce the urgent need for integrated environmental surveillance, stricter control on antibiotic contamination, and global commitment to antimicrobial stewardship to safeguard both environmental and public health.
This study investigates urban sprawl patterns and their relationship with land use and land cover (LULC) transformations in Palakkad Municipality, a fast-growing medium-sized urban centre in Kerala, India, through the application of geospatial techniques. Such towns are increasingly experiencing significant land transformation due to growing population pressure and infrastructure expansion, yet remain underrepresented in urban sprawl studies. Multi-temporal Landsat imagery for the years 2001, 2011, and 2021 was analysed to perform change detection, and a supervised classification approach based on the maximum likelihood algorithm was employed to delineate five major land use categories. The extent of built-up land increased from 16.17% in 2001 to 50.80% in 2021, representing a net increase of 34.63%. The spatial pattern shows a transition from monocentric growth to linear expansion along major transportation corridors, with mixed tree vegetation and net sown areas being progressively converted to built-up land. These changes, supported by population and workforce growth trends, indicate increasing pressure on land resources and emerging ecological imbalance. The study provides a data-driven basis for urban planners and policymakers to promote sustainable land-use strategies and manage urban expansion in similar emerging urban centres.
