In the present study, an effort was made in Kashmir Valley, NW-Himalayas to delineate potential groundwater areas using GIS and Analytical Hierarchy method (AHP) by incorporating remote sensing data with data from other sources. These data sets were used to prepare eight thematic layers of slope, soil texture, drainage density, land/land cover (LULC), lithology, geomorphology, lineament density, and rainfall. The analytical method of AHP pair wise matrix was used to evaluate the normalized weight of these thematic layers. All the thematic layers and their corresponding classes were allocated ranks and weights based on their impact on groundwater potential. The study area has been classified into five different potential groundwater recharge zones — excellent (28.97%), good (19.99%), moderate (21.70%), poor (27.16%) and very poor (2.15%). The groundwater potential map prepared for the study area has been validated with 245 existing bore-wells and flow direction of basin. The validation of results was in agreement with the evidence obtained as Area Under Curve (AUC) was calculated to be 79.69% and flow computational investigations which suggest groundwater flows north-eastward from south of basin up to central Kashmir, and south-westward from North towards Jhelum River. The validation suggests that the applied method proves to give us a very significant and reliable result for the study area.

Heavy metal pollution in marine ecosystems is an escalating environmental concern, largely driven by anthropogenic activities, and poses potential threats to ecological health and human well-being. This study embarked on a comprehensive investigation into the concentrations of heavy metals in sediment samples and evaluated their potential ecological and health risks with a focus on Eastern St. Martin’s Island (SMI), Bangladesh. Sediment samples were meticulously collected from 12 distinct sites around the island, and the concentrations of heavy metals, including Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb, and Cu, were quantified utilizing atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results revealed that the average concentrations of the metals, in descending order, were Mn (269.5 ± 33.0 mg/kg), Fe (143.8 ± 21.7 mg/kg), Ni (29.6 ± 44.0 mg/kg), Zn (27.2 ± 4.34 mg/kg), Cr (8.09 ± 1.67 mg/kg), Pb (5.88 ± 0.45 mg/kg), and Cu (3.76 ± 0.60 mg/kg). Intriguingly, the concentrations of all the measured metals were found to be within permissible limits and comparatively lower than those documented in various national and international contexts. The ecological risk assessment, based on multiple sediment quality indices such as the geoaccumulation index, contamination factor, and pollution load index, indicated a moderate risk to the aquatic ecosystem but no significant adverse impact on sediment quality. Additionally, the human health risk assessment, encompassing non-carcinogenic hazard indices for different age groups, was considerably below the threshold, signifying no immediate health risk. The total carcinogenic risk was also found to be below acceptable levels. These findings underscore the current state of heavy metal pollution in Eastern St. Martin’s Island, providing valuable insights for environmental monitoring and management. While the immediate risks were not alarming, the study highlights the imperative need for sustained monitoring and the implementation of rigorous regulations to curb heavy metal pollution in order to safeguard both ecological and human health. This warrants the development of policies that are both adaptive and preemptive to ensure the sustainable utilization and conservation of marine resources.

The River Yamuna is one of the largest rivers in northern India. It serves as a major source of potable water to the National Capital Delhi. A study was carried out to monitor and quantify three common antibiotics in surface water, with the help of Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) coupled with the Mass spectrophotometer (MS/MS)-based method. All the major river water locations in the research area were sampled in triplicate to determine the significant presence of antibiotics from local areas, hospitals, drug manufacturing facilities, and residential areas. Using spiked, as well as actual samples, an optimized method for the detection and quantification of different concentrations of antibiotics was developed. Spatiotemporal variations in the physicochemical properties at the five sites, including reference site-6 (Jamia Millia Islamia), during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon period, were also investigated. Maximum concentration was observed during the pre-monsoon season followed by the post-monsoon season. The highest detected antibiotic concentration from the river water samples was that of ofloxacin (145.3794 ng/mL), followed by amoxicillin (3.033 ng/mL) and erythromycin (2.171 ng/mL). An aquatic environment may be very vulnerable to dangers from these pharmaceutical residues, according to this risk assessment. Additionally, the levels and compositions of pharmaceutical residue in the aquatic ecosystem might be influenced by seasonal agricultural application, precipitation, and temperature. The findings revealed the existence of antibiotics because of their indiscriminate usage, which may have resulted in the development of resistant strains and ultimately contributed to the spread of antibiotic resistance among living organisms in the river. Thus, attention is required particularly to this section of river as it is the local lifeline source for urban consumers for the domestic water supply and farmers for cultivation.