We probed the status quo of arsenic (As) and related cocontaminants like iron (Fe), fluoride (F-), and uranium (U) reported in aquifers of the eastern Himalayan region including the northeastern Indian states, the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna basins, and Bangladesh. Our study appraised the hydro-geobiological features and probable sources of cocontamination and corroborated the variability concerning the conditions in Bangladesh. Increased awareness, advanced analytical capabilities, and support from international organizations have led to the identification of new contamination sites, with As levels in some areas exceeding the permissible value of 10 mu g L-1, reaching up to 986 mu g L-1. Key factors include mineral deposits enriched with As, Fe, U, and F- in the Indus-Tsangpo suture zone and the Siwalik Neogene sediments, influenced by iron (hydr)oxide and microbial processes, as well as growing reliance on groundwater. In northeastern India, cocontaminants are more prevalent due to diverse land use, quartzite, shale, sandstone, and clay deposits. In contrast, the contamination in Bangladesh is mainly associated with aquifer geology. Leveraging data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), this study identifies the significant challenge of groundwater overexploitation in both regions assessed. These findings offer opportunities to support sustainable goals, raise awareness, and implement mitigation to protect vulnerable communities.

This study aimed to conduct first robust meta-meta-analysis on mecC and mecA-positive MRSA strains, determining their overall prevalence and temporal trends. It encompassed 14 meta-analyses, involving 322,269 samples from 553 index studies. MRSA strains exhibited mecA / mecC positivity ranging from 0.90 % to 69.98 %. Varied AMSTAR and QUOROM scores were observed. mecC-positive MRSA prevalence was 2.41 % (95 % CI: 0.72–7.78 %). Human mecA-positive MRSA had 21.77 % prevalence (95 % CI: 9.08–43.67 %), animal samples had 7.08 % prevalence (95 % CI: 3.93–12.42 %), and worldwide prevalence was 14.58 % (95 % CI: 6.61–29.14 %). Temporal trends reveal fluctuations, mecA prevalence spiked to 52.68 % in 2012 and decreased to 7.11 % in 2022. For mecC gene, the year 2015 marked a low incidence of 0.41 % (95 % CI: 0.05–3.54 %). Overall, mecA gene carriage surpassed mecC in MRSA strains, especially in humans.

This article provides an overview of the contamination of micro(nano)plastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their behavior in natural environmental settings. Interaction between micro(nano)plastics and PFAS is governed by functional groups, polarity, crystallinity, surface area, surface morphology, size, solution chemistry (i.e. pH, salinity, and organic matter), aging, and biofilm. Micro(nano)plastic adsorbs long-chain PFAS primarily via strong hydrophobic attraction (hydrophobic C–F chain tail of PFAS molecule), strong electrostatic attraction due to short-chain PFAS, and pore filling (high quantities of mesopores). Finally, this paper concludes the co-transport and enrichment of micro(nano)plastics and PFAS in sediments and aquatic environments.

Lake Victoria is the world’s largest tropical lake and the third-largest water body, providingsignificant water resources for surrounding environments including the cultural, societal, andlivelihood needs of people in its basin and along the White Nile. The aim of this study was to usedecade-long time series of measured lake flow in the lake system and phosphorus deposition todevelop a suitable numerical model based on shallow water equations (SWE) for assessing waterquality in Lake Victoria, an increasingly important tool under climate variation. Different tech-niques were combined to identify a numerical model that included: i) a high-resolution SWEmodel to establish raindrop diffusion to trace pollutants; ii) a two-dimensional (2D) verticallyintegrated SWE model to establish lake surface flow and vertically transported wind speed flowacting on lake surface water by wind stress; and iii) a site-specific phosphorus deposition sub-model to calculate atmospheric deposition in the lake. A smooth (non-oscillatory) solution wasobtained by applying a high-resolution scheme for a raindrop diffusion model. Analysis with thevertically integrated SWE model generated depth averages for flow velocity and associatedchanges in water level profile in the lake system and showed unidirectional whole lake windblowing from the southwest to northeast. The atmospheric phosphorous deposition modelenabled water value assessment for mass balances with different magnitudes of both inflows andoutflows demonstrating annual total phosphorus at 13, 500 tons concentrating at mid-lakewestern and eastern parts. The model developed here is simple and suitable for use in assess-ing flow changes and lake level changes and can serve as a tool in studies of lake bathymetry andnutrient and pollution transport processes. Our study opens towards refining models of complexshallow-water systems

Salinity hinders the growth of many crops common in the diet, such as rice, wheat and maize when cultivated in coastal salinity areas. Given the limited availability of cultivable land and the increasing growth of the population, it is necessary to enhance productivity. In this paper, we present an innovative approach to adopting Halotolerant Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (HPGPR) to enhance salt-tolerant rice varieties to solve salinity stress and enhance crop production. HPGPR has functions to overcome plant growth and development and is the most efficient bioinoculant for rice in saline environments. This approach can be considered a potential method because of the cost-effective and environmentally friendly impacts in agricultural production, which involves salt-affected areas.

The quest for safe water in Bangladesh has resulted in the shift of water sources and extraction methods throughout history. The study aims to investigate the factors driving these changes, assess the consequences of current water consumption trends, and propose solutions for sustainable water management. The research highlights the historical shift from surface water to tube-wells for accessing groundwater, driven by their affordability and user-friendly nature. However, the discovery of arsenic contamination in tube-well water raised serious public health concerns, leading to the exploration of alternative water sources and extraction techniques. Various methods such as dug wells, pond sand filters, piped water supply, rainwater harvesting, and well-sharing have been adopted by communities and indigenous groups to ensure access to safe and clean water. The study reveals disparities in the installation of deep tube-wells by the government and NGOs, often overlooking safer water sources available at shallower depths. Furthermore, the study discusses the consequences of high-yielding technologies and increased water consumption in Sonargaon Upazila, leading to groundwater-related disasters and a decline in the groundwater table. Private irrigation facilities have become more popular among people, contributing to the declining groundwater table. This study provides insights into the changing water sources and extraction methods in Bangladesh, identifies the consequences of current water consumption trends, and proposes strategies for sustainable water management. The findings underline the importance of informed decision-making, government intervention, and community involvement to address the challenges of groundwater depletion and contamination in the region.

Recently, researchers have shown concern about the ChatGPT-derived answers. Here, we conducted a series of tests using ChatGPT by individual researcher at multi-country level to understand the pattern of its answer accuracy, reproducibility, answer length, plagiarism, and in-depth using two questionnaires (the first set with 15 MCQs and the second 15 KBQ). Among 15 MCQ-generated answers, 13 +/- 70 were correct (Median : 82.5; Coefficient variance : 4.85), 3 +/- 0.77 were incorrect (Median: 3, Coefficient variance: 25.81), and 1 to 10 were reproducible, and 11 to 15 were not. Among 15 KBQ, the length of each question (in words) is about 294.5 +/- 97.60 (mean range varies from 138.7 to 438.09), and the mean similarity index (in words) is about 29.53 +/- 11.40 (Coefficient variance: 38.62) for each question. The statistical models were also developed using analyzed parameters of answers. The study shows a pattern of ChatGPT-derive answers with correctness and incorrectness and urges for an error-free, next-generation LLM to avoid users' misguidance.

The health effects of arsenic (As) exposure are a major global environmental issue affecting millions of people around the globe. Although adult epidemiological studies on As-induced health consequences have been extensively reviewed, but not much comprehensive review has been done targeting children. In this epidemiological review, 64 human subject studies on children were identified after applying exclusion criteria, which addressed an array of health effects of As exposure in early life stages in South and Southeast (S–SE) Asian countries, where a great variability in As exposures has been reported. The present review identified neurocognitive impairment linked to As exposure in early life stages. In utero and childhood As exposures were also associated with genetic and metabolic alteration, elevated pneumonia risk, and skin lesions in several populations in S–SE Asia. Significant associations of As with epigenetic changes, DNA damages, abnormal birth outcomes, and elevated mortality were also reported in epidemiological studies. The findings of this review article may help public health policymakers and clinicians develop early-life intervention strategies to reduce the burden of diseases in As-exposed populations.

Background Dengue virus (DENV) infection, spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, is a significant public health concern in tropical and subtropical regions. Among the four distinct serotypes of DENV (DENV-1 to DENV-4), DENV-2 is associated with the highest number of fatalities worldwide. However, there is no specific treatment available for dengue patients caused by DENV-2.Objective This study aimed to identify inhibitory phytocompounds in silico in Vernonia cinerea (V. cinerea), a widely used traditional medicinal plant, for treating DENV-2 associated illnesses.Methods The chemical structures of 17 compounds from V. cinerea were sourced from the Indian Medicinal Plants, Phytochemistry, and Therapeutics (IMPPAT) database. These compounds underwent geometry optimization, were screened against nonstructural protein 1 (NSP1) of DENV-2, and further validated through molecular dynamics simulations (MDS). Baicalein, an established drug against DENV-2, was used for validation in molecular screening, MDS, and MM-GBSA analyses.Results Among these compounds, Beta-amyrin, Beta-amyrin acetate, Chrysoeriol, Isoorientin, and Luteolin showed promising potential as inhibitors of the NSP1 of DENV-2, supported by the results of thermodynamic properties, molecular orbitals, electrostatic potentials, spectral data and molecular screening. Besides, these compounds adhered to the Lipinski's "rule of 5", showing no hepatotoxicity/cytotoxicity, with mixed mutagenicity, immunotoxicity, and carcinogenicity. Furthermore, final validation through MDS confirmed their potential, demonstrating stable tendencies with significant inhibitory activities against NSP1 of DENV-2 over the control drug Baicalein. Among the screened compounds, Chrysoeriol emerged as the most promising inhibitor of NSP1 of DENV-2, followed by Luteolin and Isoorientin.Conclusion Taken together, our results suggest that Chrysoeriol is the best inhibitor of NSP1 of DENV-2, which could be evaluated as a therapeutic agent or a lead compound to treat and manage DENV-2 infections.

The Virtual Special Issue (VSI) entitled "COVID-19 in Environment: Treatment, Infectivity, Monitoring, Estimation (TIME)" mainly brings together the different themes and perspectives related to wastewater epidemiology related to COVID-19. The issue further concentrates on the idea of the very much required scientific studies of the wastewater containing the SARS-CoV RNA; its contagious attributes if any; and the very important possibility of estimation and monitoring of patients based on the wastewater epidemiology. We have brought global perspectives related to the most suitable estimations methods based on SARS-COV-RNA data and development of an approach combining wastewater epidemiology and clinical diagnostic test could facilitate surveillance of public health system for informed decision making for better and effective treatment methods on one platform, thereby facilitating the expansion of the reach of these ideas and their audience. This VSI is going to act as an interface for microbiologists, environmental engineers, data scientists, civil engineers, remote-sensing experts, and modelers to integrate their findings on the aforementioned topics to etch out the probability of relative environmental risks and human health challenges. It has undergone an open call for papers and a rigorous peer-review process, where each submission has been evaluated by a panel of experts. In total, twenty-two articles could pass the test of external referees that represent the ongoing research and development activities in the topical research area of COVID-19 wastewater surveillance.