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This paper presents a comprehensive account regarding concentration, distribution and possible sources of trace elements (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in 20-30 cm sediment cores (<63 microm particle size) collected at the confluence of the Ganges River and Bay of Bengal (Sunderban wetland, India). This work aims to evaluate the fluvio-marine and geochemical processes influencing the metal distribution. The most interesting features are the downward increase of concentrations of majority of the elements reaching overall maximum values at a depth of 10-15 cm observed in station Lot No.8 located along the main stream of the Ganges estuary as well as an overall elevated concentration of all the elements in the lower littoral zone. The interelemental relationship revealed the identical behaviour of elements during its transport in the estuarine environment. The overall variation in concentration can be attributed to differential discharge of effluents originating from industrial and agricultural as well as from domestic sewage. Arsenic exceeded effects range - low (ER - L) concentrations, implying occasional or frequent adverse biological effects. For Cu, Ni and Cr a smaller proportion of samples had exceeded the ER - L values indicating that the dataset would be suitable for future use in evaluating predictive abilities of SQGs.

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This paper presents the first comprehensive report of the organochlorine pesticide residues (OCs) such as hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its six metabolites (DDTs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in core sediments (<63-microm particle size) from the Indian Sunderban wetland. The pooled mean values of the mass fraction of SigmaHCHs, HCB, and SigmaDDTs in the sediments were 0.05-12, 0.05-1.4, and 0.05-11.5 ng g(-1) dry weight, respectively. The vertical distribution of pesticides reveals an erratic pattern. The concentration of four isomers of HCHs reveals a heterogenic distribution where gamma-HCH (lindane) and beta-HCH shared the dominant part. The mass fraction of HCB did not show any sharp spatial variation. The prevailing sequence of DDT metabolites indicates an active degradation of the parent compound in the sediments and/or inputs of already degraded pp'DDT to the region. Peak concentrations of HCH isomers and DDT metabolites have the potential to induce ecotoxicological impact as per the sediment quality guidelines.

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Microbacterium immunditiarum sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from landfill surface soil, and emended description of the genus Microbacterium Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR China A Gram-positive, non-endospore-forming bacterium, designated strain SK 18 T , was isolated from surface soil of a landfill site by dilution plating on trypticase soy broth agar. Preliminary characterization of strain SK 18 T via biochemical tests, analysis of fatty acid methyl esters and partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing placed it within the genus Microbacterium. Analysis of the cell wall indicated that the peptidoglycan was of cross-linkage type B, containing the amino acids lysine and ornithine and with muramic acid in the N-glycolyl form. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified phospholipid and an unidentified glycolipid. The major fatty acids of the cell membrane were anteiso-C 17 : 0 , anteiso-C 15 : 0 and iso-C 16 : 0 . These data further strengthened placement of the strain within the genus Microbacterium. Strain SK 18 T shared highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (97.2 %) with Microbacterium ulmi DSM 16931 T . Levels of similarity with the type strains of all other recognized Microbacterium species were less than 97.0 %. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments with strain SK 18 T and its closest relative, M. ulmi DSM 16931 T , revealed a low reassociation value of 39.0 % (s53.8 %). Moreover, strain SK 18 T showed a number of differences in phenotypic characteristics (colony colour, catalase activity, hydrolysis of polymers, acid production from sugars and oxidation of various substrates), and its DNA G+C content was also higher than that of M. ulmi DSM 16931 T . These data indicated that strain SK 18 T represents a novel species of the genus Microbacterium, for which the name Microbacterium immunditiarum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SK 18 T

Industrialization plays a very important part in the economic development for a growing country with large population like India. Construction industry in India provides employment to about 40 million people. [1,2] However, construction work is one of the most hazardous sectors where health risks are significant due to dusts, noise, chemicals, manual handling, vibrating tools, excessive loads, and lack of safety awareness. [3] Higher rates of workplace injuries are reported among the illiterate and inexperienced construction workers in Ahmedabad, India. [4] Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and working Conditions) Act, 1996 passed in