Development, validation and application of newer methods/tools for environmental (water, wastewater, soil, biota, etc.) quality and exposure assessment (monitoring and modeling) and decontamination with particular reference to major chemical contaminants. 

The Section is engaged in R&D activities as below:

• Water quality/Environmental/Mathematical modeling.

• Monitoring and assessment of water quality and wastewater characteristics with particular reference to physic-chemical parameters, metals, pesticides, etc.

• Environmental behavior, fate and exposure assessment modeling for chemicals.

• Chemometric (multivariate, multiway) modeling as new tools for data exploration.

• Persistent organic pollutants: environmental assessment and transboundary transport.

• Development of low-cost methods for decontamination of water and wastewater with particular reference to chemical contaminants.

• Novel routes for the preparation of Magnetic Activated Carbons (MACs) possessing high surface area, high sorption capacity and rapid reaction kinetics capable of removing Priority Pollutants from water/wastewater.

• Surface chemistry of activated carbons and/or alternative adsorbents (physical and chemical properties).

• Arsenic Removal Technologies from potable water using impregnated granular activated carbon media.

• Chemometric Modeling: 
  Developed chemometric modeling tools and performed multivariate, multi-way modeling for the analysis and interpretation of data generated under various studies.. The river water and sediments were investigated for spatial and temporal variations in river water quality (Singh et al., Wat. Res., 2004; Singh et al., Wat. Air. Soil. Pollut., 2005a) and contamination sources apportionment of water (Singh et al., Anal. Chim. Acta, 2005a) and sediments by chemometric modeling (Singh et al., Wat. Air. Soil. Pollut., 2005b). Chemometric modeling was also performed to optimize the STP design parameters (Singh et al., Anal. Chim. Acta, 2005b). Geographical and temporal variations in groundwater hydrochemistry and anthropogenic influences were investigated by chemometric modeling (Singh et al., Anal. Chim. Acta, 2005c). Further, in view of multi-way data structure, soil contamination in wastewater disposal area (Kanpur) and hydrochemistry of surface water were investigated using multi-way modeling (Singh et al., Chemom. Intell. Lab. Sys., 2006; Singh et al., Anal. Chim. Acta, 2006). 

• Water/Wastewater quality assessment: 
  Developed a huge database on drinking water, surface water, groundwater quality and wastewater characteristics under various projects/programs for regulatory agencies agencies (Singh et al., Chemosphere, 2004; Malik et al., Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol, 2004; Singh et al., Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol, 2005; Singh et al., Environ. Monit. Assess., 2005; Singh et al., J. Hydrol., 2005; Sinha et al., Environ. Monit. Assess., 2006).

• Decontamination of water/wastewater:
  Developed low-cost adsorbents and studied removal of chemical contaminants from water/wastewater, such as Cr (Mohan et al., Indus. Engg. Chem. Res., 2005; J. Haz. Mat., 2006), Cd(II) and Zn(II) (Mohan & Singh, Wat. Res. 2002); Synthetic dyes (Singh et al., Indust. Engg. Chem. Res., 2003), crystal violet and basic fuchsin from wastewater (Mohan et al., Indust. Engg. Chem. Res., 2002); Pyridine and its derivatives (picoline isomers) (Mohan et al., Carbon, 2004; Carbon, 2005; Mohan et al., Environ. Sci. & Technol., 2005); organic solvents (n-hexane, benzene) in vapour phase (Singh et al., Indust. Engg. Chem. Res., 2002; Fluoride i(Sivasamy et al., J. Chem. Tech. Biotech., 2001). 
  
  Low cost Technology for Arsenic Removal for Point-of-Use (POU) Household Application (Patent No. 0504NF2003).
  
                     
  A point-of-use (POU) low cost technology for household application for the decontamination of arsenic in water has been developed and patent (Patent No. 0504NF2003) keeping in view the arsenic problem in West Bengal, India. A low cost activated carbon was developed from agricultural by-product. This was modified and optimized for aqueous As(III) and As(V) remediation. Carbon bags have been prepared using developed carbon and applied for the decontamination purposes (see in picture above). The carbon bags are similar to tea bags available commercially. These bags are very handy to use and are very cheap. Bags can be designed and filled with prepared activated carbon according to the requirement and concentration of arsenic present in water. The developed carbon is able to remove both As(III) and As(V) with removal capacities of 188ug/g and 43ug/g, respectively in the neutral pH range.

• Gas Chromatograph (GC)

• High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC)

• Ion-Liquid Chromatograph (ILC)

• UV-VIS Spectrophotometer

Project Staff:
Dr. (Ms) Amrita Malik, Senior Research Fellow-CSIR 
Dr. Vinod K. Singh, Senior Research Fellow-CSIR 
Ms. Priyanka Ojha, Project Assistant

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