[en] Heavy metal (HM) pollution of waters, soils and vegetation is a major ecological problem that needs to be investigated. The present study involved the collection of soil samples and natural vegetations (Tribilas terristris, Lepia nodiflora, Amaranthus viridis, Heliotropium euoropeum, Coronopis didymus, Cynodon ductylon, Chenopodium murale and Eclipta alba) from the vicinity of wastewater canal and subsequent analysis for their HM concentrations. Results showed that HM concentrations varied within the species of vegetation and type of metal analyzed. The order of vegetation for metal concentrations was A. viridis > E. alba > H. euoropeum > L. nodiflora > C. murale > C. didymus > C. ductylon > T. terristris. Metals prevailed in plants in the decreasing order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cr > Cu > Cd, irrespective of the vegetation. Metal prevalence in soils was in the order of Fe > Mn > Cd > Cr > Pb > Zn > Cu. Samples near canal were found with higher level of Mn, Pb and Zn as compared to soil away from canal water. Distant sampling gave higher accumulation of Cd, Cr, Cu and Fe as compared to the soil nearby wastewater. The analyzed species of HM in the soils and plants may indicate the variability of their composition in wastewater. (author)

[en] External dose needs to be estimated for the radioactivity discharged into the canal, as it constitutes one of the pathways of exposure to the public. Two activities are considered here: i) a walk along the bank of the canal ii) and the walk on the bridge. A concentration of 1 Bq/l is assumed here for the gross beta activity for the estimation of the dose conversion factor. A canal of width 14.39 m and the depth of 2.5 m is considered for this study. Length of the canal is taken to be infinite. Canal side wall is assumed to be the 25 cm thick concrete. Two points are selected, one on the bank, and the second on a bridge 1 m above the top surface of canal water. Dose Conversion factors for the person moving on the Bridge (at one meter above the water surface) and standing on bank of canal is estimated by using the QAD CG code for "1"3"7Cs. Dose conversion factors for the location mentioned above are found to be 1.11E-10 Sv/hr/(Bq/l) and 1.55 E-11 Sv/hr/(Bq/l) for bridge and bank of canal respectively. (author)

[en] To record the weed flora infesting the rainfed and canal irrigated arable fields in the Punjab province, three districts viz. Chakwal, Jhelum and Rawalpindi in rainfed agro-ecosystem, while three districts in canal irrigated wheat fields i.e., Sahiwal, Qasoor and Gujrat were surveyed comprehensively to examine weed spectra. Weeds occurring in various localities largely varied with the variation in the mode of irrigation i.e., Barani areas and Canal irrigated area. In Rainfed (Barani) areas Fumeria parviflora and Asphodelus tenuifolius were noted frequently while their representation was very rare or even absent in canal irrigated areas. Carthamus oxayacantha was also observed at some sites there. The only weeds growing infrequently were hardy grasses like Cynodon dactylon and Cyperus rotundus. None of the weed could cross the limits of occasional frequency level. Nevertheless, in canal irrigated areas Convolvulus arvensis, Anagalus arvensis, Chenopodium sp., Melilotus alba, Lepidium sativum, Lathyrus aphaca, Medicago denticulata, Rumex dentatus and Cynodon dactylon were frequently observed. Phalaris minor and Avena fatua formed very dense stands in many areas. Carthamus oxayacantha, Poa annua, Sonchus asper and Vicia sativa were recorded infrequently. The farmers of Sahiwal and Qasoor districts seem well informed about the importance and use of weedicides as a result the spectrum of weeds growing there was quite low and none of them could establish dense stands. (author)

[en] One thousand eighty five (1085) water samples from same point of Chashma Jhelum Link Canal flow conditions during January 1997 to November 2001 were collected. These samples were analyzed for physico-chemical constituents i.e. pH, conductivity (EC) micro S/cm, TDS, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, and bicarbonates. Corrosion and scaling behavior studies were also carried out of some corrosion indices. Langelier Saturation Index has been found to be useful qualitative relative corrosiveness of water samples. The free energy change, which is the quantitative measure of the energy available to derive the precipitating reaction of calcium carbonate on metal surface, has also been calculated from Langelier Saturation Index (L.S.I.). The values of delta G of these water samples range from-0.03 to -0.44 Kcal/mol. during canal flow 0 to 4000 cusecs, while above this flow it ranges from 0.01 to 0.05 kcal./mol. Water samples having positive delta G values shows that corrosion is expected. Larson Ratio (L.R.) relative behavior of chloride (corrosive ion) and bicarbonate (protective ion). Aggressive action of water samples of C. J. Canal during January 97 to November 2001 has also been evaluated with the help of .L.R. of these water samples have values, between 0.17 to 0.89. The lower values of L.R. have been observed during high flow conditions. Langelier Saturation index (L.S.I.) of water samples of this canal 4000 cusecs have values between 0.325 to 0.020. It means that water samples in low flow condition were moderate scale forming in nature, while in high flow condition were moderate corrosive in nature having negative values. Different compositional groups of water have also been identified. The data shows that under maximum flow condition water is of calcium bicarbonate type, while in minimum flow condition it is of sodium type. It is evident that soil composition of C. J. Canal is of Ca-Na-HCO/sub 3/-CI type, so in high flow condition compositional group of water of this canal is Ca-Na-HCO/sub 3/-Cl type due to soil erosion, but under minimum flow condition water is of Na-Cl-HCO/sub 3/ type. The main reason of this type is seepage flow of salt range. (author)

[en] This paper presents rigorous analysis of shortage of canal water supplies, crop water requirements, and groundwater use and its quality in the command of Lower Bari Doab Canal, Pakistan. The annual canal water supplies are 36% less than the crop water requirements. This shortage further increases to 56% if actual canal supplies (averaged over last ten years) are compared with the crop water requirement. The groundwater levels are depleting at the rate of 30 to 40 cm per year in most parts of the LBDC command and this tendency of lowering may increase in future due to further increase in crop water requirements. The analysis of data for the last seven years indicate that quality of groundwater in most parts of LBDC command is generally good (64% of the area) or marginally acceptable (28%) for irrigation use. However, declining trends in groundwater quality are visible and can create long term sustain ability problems if proper remedial actions are not taken well in time. (author)

[en] Inland waters play a vital role in the life of the many small northern communities which depend in large measure on the provisions of the natural environment for their sustenance. These communities are therefore particularly vulnerable to changes in the ice regime of these waters, especially changes that are irregular. However, the north is also the site of much of Canada's hydroelectric power development and potential, developments that have a major influence on the ice regime of effected waters. As a contribution to the background information required for the necessary discussions and negotiations associated with such developments, the various aspects of the natural ice regime, the possible effects of hydroelectric development and operation on this regime, and its consequences, are briefly reviewed. The emphasis has been placed on changes that will likely be of most significance to northern communities in the bedrock-controlled country of the western Canadian Shield. The major direct, and in some circumstances life-threatening, impact of changes to the ice regime is on trafficability of the iceways that play such a vital role in the life of the communities. Hence particular emphasis has been placed on this aspect and on the formation of the slush and thin ice conditions that are the bane of over-ice travel and that are subject to unexpected changes by hydroelectric development and operation. To place these changes and their effects in some perspective, the nature of a hydroelectric development is also briefly described and an effort made to indicate the large costs incurred if these developments are restrained in their operation to avoid or mitigate some of the effects on the ice regime. 31 refs., 57 figs., 1 tab

[en] Two-dimensional calculations have been done to determine the feasibility of constructing deep canals with nuclear explosives subject to the limitation in the proposed PNE Treaty. The conditions under which a series of explosives set in a row can be approximated by a cylindrical line source have been determined. Using this result, the possibility of lifting 250 m of overburden with 150-kt charges spaced at 50-m intervals has been investigated. This study shows that for a variety of equations of state for the geological medium, there appears little possibility that such an excavation can be accomplished

[en] This chapter explains several things which consist radioactivity measurements, regular and high background radioactivity, radioactive contaminated soil and radioactivity in fertilizers, rocks, building materials, food, water, environments, sediments, flora and fauna. Besides, the natural radioactive gas concentration of radon and toron in the environment also been discussed specifically in this chapter.

No abstract available

[en] Cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) concentrations were investigated in six different forage species, i.e., Trifolium alexandrium, Cichorium intybus, Avena sativa, Medicago polymorpha, Brassica campestris and Medicago sativa, irrigated with canal, sewage or mixed canal and sewage water. The Cd levels of the forages irrigated with different water treatments in this study were greater than the tolerance level for grazing livestock reported in the literature. Thus, the Cd levels in the six plant species found in the current study showed high potential threat for livestock consuming these forages. Similarly, high levels of Cr in the six forages were observed with sewage water treatment only. However, in the present investigation, Cr concentration of forages was below the toxic level. Therefore, there was no threat of Cr toxicity for animals being reared on these forages. (author)