Faculty Publications
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Item Soil toxicity and remediation techniques(Elsevier, 2022) Manikandan, S.K.; Shilli, A.; Noronha, F.R.; Nair, N.Soil is a major component required for the growth of plant, and its studies have been carried out intensively for enhanced agricultural production. The need to fulfill the food demands of the increasing human population and the requirement to safeguard food crops has resulted in the heavy usage of pesticides. However, the continuous usage of pesticides and their ability to persist in soil for a longer period has become a threat to society. The pesticide residue in the soil can cause severe environmental problems due to their high accumulative and persistent existence, that are biomagnified through the food chain of various life forms. Different disposal techniques classified as physicochemical technologies, biological technologies, and thermal technologies have been reported to be effective in pesticide removal from soil. Similarly, the application of green chemistry and nanotechnology have been stated to be effective for the removal of pesticides from the soil. This chapter provides detailed information on the various remediation involved in pesticide removal from soil. In addition, it also provides insights on the new technologies for treating contaminated soil and the economic aspect involved in the disposal of pesticides. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Item Biocatalytic Remediation of Industrial Pollutants(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023) Pallavi, P.; Manikandan, S.K.; Nair, V.The release of an significant amount of pollutants from various industrial activities pose a serious threat to environmental sustainability and ecological integrity. Toxic pollutants, such as dyes, pesticides, metal ions, plastics, and antibiotics, can cause detrimental diseases to diverse living beings in their ecosystems. Biocatalytic remediation is one efficient method of removing toxic industrial pollutants by applying microorganisms or enzymes. Microorganisms in the environment typically produce a variety of enzymes to immobilize and degrade contaminants by using them as a substrate for growth and development. Biocatalytic remediation has attracted enormous interest worldwide due to its affordability and eco-friendliness. The use of microbial enzymes and microorganisms, especially immobilized biocatalysts, has been established as a flexible approach for the sustainable alleviation of industrial pollutants, in contrast to physical and chemical methods. This chapter presents and discusses recent scientific and technological advancements related to biocatalytic remediation of industrial pollutants. It also considers different biocatalysts and novel methodologies to mitigate various pollutants. This article also examines current trends, challenges, and directions for efficiently removing pollutant using biocatalysis method. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.Item Role of catalyst supports in biocatalysis(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2023) Manikandan, S.K.; Giannakoudakis, D.A.; Prekodravac, J.R.; Nair, V.; Colmenares, J.C.Biocatalysis utilizes enzymes and microbial cells as catalysts for a wide range of applications in biotechnology. Immobilization of biocatalysts on various materials has several advantages, including the capacity for reuse, quick reaction termination, easy biocatalyst recovery and operational stability. The present article focuses on the use of material supports for developing immobilized biocatalysts in applications related to energy, environment and chemical synthesis. The work provides a comprehensive overview of a broad class of materials, including organic, inorganic and composites, that have been shown to be prosperous candidates to support the immobilization of enzymes and microbial cells. It also highlights the properties of nanomaterial support such as large surface area and comfort compartment for immobilization. The availability of different types of materials as catalyst support provides an opportunity to understand and develop efficient biocatalytic systems. The choice of selecting a catalyst support will mostly depend on the interaction of the material with the enzyme or microbial cell. Finally, potential challenges, future approaches in developing immobilized biocatalytic systems for various applications and novel material supports are suggested. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).Item Effective Usage of Biochar and Microorganisms for the Removal of Heavy Metal Ions and Pesticides(MDPI, 2023) Manikandan, S.K.; Pallavi, P.; Shetty K, V.; Bhattacharjee, D.; Giannakoudakis, D.A.; Katsoyiannis, I.A.; Nair, V.The bioremediation of heavy metal ions and pesticides is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Microbial remediation is considered superior to conventional abiotic remediation processes, due to its cost-effectiveness, decrement of biological and chemical sludge, selectivity toward specific metal ions, and high removal efficiency in dilute effluents. Immobilization technology using biochar as a carrier is one important approach for advancing microbial remediation. This article provides an overview of biochar-based materials, including their design and production strategies, physicochemical properties, and applications as adsorbents and support for microorganisms. Microorganisms that can cope with the various heavy metal ions and/or pesticides that enter the environment are also outlined in this review. Pesticide and heavy metal bioremediation can be influenced by microbial activity, pollutant bioavailability, and environmental factors, such as pH and temperature. Furthermore, by elucidating the interaction mechanisms, this paper summarizes the microbe-mediated remediation of heavy metals and pesticides. In this review, we also compile and discuss those works focusing on the study of various bioremediation strategies utilizing biochar and microorganisms and how the immobilized bacteria on biochar contribute to the improvement of bioremediation strategies. There is also a summary of the sources and harmful effects of pesticides and heavy metals. Finally, based on the research described above, this study outlines the future scope of this field. © 2023 by the authors.Item Advancing date palm cultivation in the Arabian Peninsula and beyond: Addressing stress tolerance, genetic diversity, and sustainable practices(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Manikandan, S.K.; Jenifer A, D.; Gowda, N.K.; Nair, V.; Al-Ruzouq, R.; Gibril, M.B.A.; Lamghari, F.; Klironomos, J.; Hmoudi, M.A.; Sheteiwy, M.; El-Keblawy, A.Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivation in the Arabian Peninsula is crucial for regional agriculture and global markets. The Arabian Peninsula is dominant in date production, contributing approximately 34 % of the global output. Recent advancements in agricultural technologies have improved fruit yield and quality, expanding date palm cultivation globally. However, sustainability challenges persist due to various abiotic stresses, such as salinity, temperature extremes, drought, soil factors, and biotic stresses, including diseases and pests. This review examines key environmental factors affecting date palm cultivation, with a focus on soil salinity, water scarcity, and climate change-related stresses. The genetic diversity among date palm varieties is emphasized, highlighting the need for breeding programs aimed at improving stress tolerance and yield. Biotechnological advancements, such as genetic transformation and genome editing, are discussed for their potential to enhance crop resilience and productivity. Additionally, remote sensing techniques are explored for their application in precision agriculture, particularly in the mapping and monitoring of date palm health and soil conditions. The significant role of artificial intelligence in accurately mapping date palm trees using multi-platform remotely sensed data is also reviewed, illustrating its potential to enhance geospatial databases and support sustainable management practices. The review concludes with recommendations for optimizing cultivar selection and management strategies tailored to local conditions, emphasizing the need for ongoing research to advance date palm cultivation on a global scale. © 2024Item Role of coconut shell biochar and earthworm (Eudrilus euginea) in bioremediation and palak spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) growth in cadmium-contaminated soil(Academic Press, 2022) Noronha, F.R.; Manikandan, S.K.; Nair, N.The contamination of soil with heavy metals is known to affect the yield the soil fertility, which in turn affects the growth of agricultural crops. This study investigates the role of coconut shell biochar (CSB) and earthworms (Eudrilus euginea) in the bioremediation and growth of Palak spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) in cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil. The soils were amended with different combinations of CSB and earthworms and incubated for 35 days. Later, the soil samples were analyzed for the changes in the soil properties, soil enzyme activity, and heavy metal contents. It is observed that the treatments with both CSB and earthworms resulted in the improvement of soil properties and soil enzyme activity which was directly related to soil fertility. Meanwhile, the maximum removal of 94.38% of total Cd content in the soil was obtained for the soil sample contain both CSB and earthworms. The improved soil properties resulted in a higher germination percentage of Spinacia oleracea L. seeds in the Cd contaminated soil. © 2021 Elsevier LtdItem Pseudomonas stutzeri Immobilized Sawdust Biochar for Nickel Ion Removal(MDPI, 2022) Manikandan, S.K.; Nair, V.Nickel ions generated from the electroplating industry and stainless steel and battery manufacturing industries contribute to water pollution, harm human health, and pose environmental risks. A long-term, sustainable, and efficient treatment method should be developed to address this issue. Bioremediation in the presence of biochar and microorganisms is a potential approach for metal ion abatement. This study evaluates the feasibility of Pseudomonas stutzeri immobilized sawdust biochar (PSDB) for Ni2+ removal. Sawdust biochar was prepared by pyrolyzing in a muffle furnace and was characterized using SEM, FTIR, and BET. The influence of biochar preparation parameters such as pyrolysis temperature, time on biochar yield, and impact on cell immobilization was investigated. The effect of various parameters, such as incubation time, pH, temperature, and biocatalyst dosage, was studied. The total Ni2+ in solution was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. PSDB showed an 83% Ni2+ removal efficiency and reusability up to three cycles. FT-IR analysis revealed that the mechanism of Ni2+ removal by PSDB was the synergistic effect of adsorption by biochar and bioaccumulation by P. stutzeri. This study presents a novel approach for environmental application by utilizing waste biomass-derived biochar as a carrier support for bacteria and an adsorbent for pollutants. © 2022 by the authors.Item Application of Box-Behnken Design in Optimization of the Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) Plant Growth in Loamy Sand Soil(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023) Shilli, A.; Manikandan, S.K.; Nair, V.Seedling emergence and its vigor index are the decisive steps for increasing vegetable crop yield performance using a sustainable approach. Response surface methodology (RSM) is an effective statistical method used to determine the significance of independent variables and the range of optimum conditions to maximize seedling growth in large-scale plant production. In this study, the RSM method was used to predict the maximum germination percentage and seed vigor index of an okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) plant in loamy sand soil. A Box-Behnken design of RSM having 15 triplicated runs was designed for okra seed germination experiments. A second-order polynomial model having three levels of biochar (10, 5.5, and 1%), cow dung (10, 5.5, and 1%), and water content (100, 70, and 40%) was used to optimize okra seed germination and seed vigor index. We evaluated the individual effect of biochar and cow dung manure on β-glucosidase and alkaline phosphatase activity in the soil. The results showed that the water content had a significant influence on the selected response variables. Based on the plant growth studies, the use of 5.5% of both biochar and cow dung concentration and 70% of water content in the soil resulted in the highest germination percentage and seed vigor index of 93% and 2479. The ANOVA studies revealed good agreement between the experimental data and the proposed model, indicating the suitability of the employed model in optimizing germination conditions. Enzyme activity analysis revealed that the amendment of 10% cow dung enhanced 55% β-glucosidase activity compared to control, while the application of 5.5% biochar along with cow dung improved 29% of alkaline phosphatase activity. The current study found that applying biochar and cow dung manure while maintaining water content can improve okra seedling emergence and growth in loamy sand soil. Future research includes long-term field experiments and studies on various biochar and their suitability for other soil types. Moreover, the RSM method can be used to study the effect of parameters like oxygen content, salt, heavy metals, and humus substance in soil on plant growth. © 2023, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedad Chilena de la Ciencia del Suelo.Item Developing a biocatalyst showcasing the synergistic effect of rice husk biochar and bacterial cells for the removal of heavy metals(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023) Manikandan, S.K.; Nair, V.Heavy metals like cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) are toxic pollutants that affect the environment and pose health risks. Removal of Cd and Ni through bioremediation in the presence of biochar is a sustainable strategy. This study investigated the removal of Cd and Ni by Pseudomonas stutzeri immobilized on rice husk biochar (PRHB). The removal efficiency was calculated by varying the culture incubation time, pH, temperature, biocatalyst dosage, and initial metal ion concentration. PRHB showed a maximum metal removal capacity of 95% Cd and 92% Ni. The removal efficiency of PRHB was higher than that of free cells, which could be attributed to simultaneous adsorption, ion exchange, complexation, precipitation, and bioaccumulation caused by the biochar carrier and bacteria. The rice husk biochar material served as both an adsorbent and a carrier supplying nutrients for the growth of the bacteria. Considering the excellent metal ion removal capability and reusability, the use of PRHB could be a promising, cost-effective, and environment-friendly strategy for treating wastewater containing heavy metals. © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Mechanistic studies on bioremediation of dye using Aeromonas veronii immobilized peanut shell biochar(Academic Press Inc., 2024) Singh, A.; Manikandan, S.K.; Nair, V.Recalcitrant chemicals in the environment not only present obstacles to living organisms but also contribute to the degradation of natural resources. One contribution to environmental pollution is the discharge of synthetic dyes from the textile sector. This study investigates the combined effect of microbial cells and biochar on eliminating methyl orange (MO) dye. The immobilization of Aeromonas veronii on peanut shell biochar (APSB) was conducted to investigate its efficacy in removing MO dye from water. PSB synthesized by pyrolysis at 300 °C for 120 min showed maximum bacterial immobilization potential. The highest degradation rate of 96.19 % was achieved in APSB within 96 h using MO dye concentration of 100 mg L?1, incubation temperature of 37 °C, pH 7, and biocatalyst dosage of 1g L?1. In comparison, free cells achieved degradation rates of 72.53 % and 61.56 % for PSB. Moreover, the adsorption process was primarily controlled by PSB, with subsequent dye mineralization by A. veronii, as supported by FTIR and LC-MS studies. Moreover, this innovative approach exhibited the reusability of the biocatalyst, giving 76.23 % removal after fifth cycle, suggesting sustainable alternative in dye remediation and potential option for real-time applications. © 2024 Elsevier Inc.