The extent of drought tolerance in the seedlings of three wheat cultivars (WMRI-1, BARI GOM-33 and BARI GOM-21) was investigated by seed and root priming using abscisic acid (ABA) and glycine betaine (GB). The seeds were primed with ABA (10 and 20 μM) and GB (50 and 100 mM) and grown in pots maintaining control (0 % PEG) and drought (10 % PEG) conditions. Under drought, the root and shoot length, root and shoot biomass were significantly increased in ABA and GB primed seedlings than non-primed seedlings in all cultivars. Among the priming agents, either 20 μM ABA or 50 mM GB triggered better seedling growth in all wheat cultivars. These two levels were then applied with the nutrient solution in the hydroponics following four treatments: Control, Drought, Drought + ABA and Drought + GB. The seedling growth significantly declined in drought, while an improved seedling growth was observed in ABA and GB-treated plants in all cultivars. A considerable increase in lipid peroxidation, proline content, total antioxidant capacity and total flavonoid content in roots and leaves were recorded in all drought conditions, while these values were considerably reduced in ABA and GB treatments. Hierarchical clustering heatmap using stress tolerance index (STI) values showed that Drought + ABA and Drought + GB secured higher STI scores suggesting a greater degree of drought tolerance in all cultivars. In conclusion, seed and root priming of ABA and GB enhanced drought tolerance in the wheat seedlings by improving seedling growth and antioxidative defense suggesting a declined state of oxidative damage.

Water pollution is a significant problem stemming from several causes, with the contamination of heavy metal(oid)s being a primary concern. This is especially concerning because of the poisonous characteristics of these metal(oid)s and their effects on the aquatic ecosystem. This research is distinguished by its unique methodology for assessing metal(oid)s in the surface water of Bangladeshi rivers over a period of sixteen years, from 2007 to 2022. This work seeks to elucidate recent results on metal(oid) concentrations, contamination levels, multivariate statistical analyses, source identification using positive matrix factorization models, and probabilistic health risks. The findings reveal that the concentrations of chromium, nickel, arsenic, cadmium, and lead exceeded the acceptable limits for drinking water established by the World Health Organization (WHO) by factors of 4.64, 2.25, 22.51, 45.60, and 10.13, respectively. Our meta-analysis, subsequent to a Principal Component Analysis, indicated that increased concentrations of hazardous metals account for 85.47% of the variation from both anthropogenic and natural causes. Ecological risk indicators, including the metal index (84.06) and the Nemerow pollution index (10.55), indicated significant metal contamination. Ecological risk indicators, like the metal index (84.06) and the Nemerow pollution index (10.55), indicate substantial metal contamination. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model detected the following sources of metals in water: industrial (22%), mixed (32%), agricultural activities (27%), and natural sources (19%). Furthermore, Monte Carlo-simulation-based assessments of health hazards indicated that the mean hazard index (HI) and cancer risk values for adults (301.89 and 422.76) and children (51.56 and 39.45) significantly exceeded the recommended limits, suggesting that both adults and children are vulnerable to potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks. The immediate execution of control measures and regulations is essential to avert escalating pollution in surface water, protect ecosystems, and mitigate health hazards.