In recent scenario, fluorosis is now going to be a severe problem throughout the globe due to toxic effects of fluoride (F) on both plants, animals and humans. Natural geological sources and increased industrialization have contributed greatly to the increasing incidence of F-induced human and animal health issues. The toxic effects of high doses of F may adversely affect human health by causing skeletal fluorosis, dental fluorosis, bone fractures, the formation of kidney stones, decreased birth rates, weakening of thyroid functionality and impair intelligence, particularly in children. High concentrations of F in soil may seriously threaten the life of plants, devastate soil microbial activity, disrupt the soil ecology and causes soil and water pollution. Hydrogen fluorides (HF) in gaseous form accumulated in the leaves of sensitive plants against a concentration gradient and HF mainly damages the plant by entering into its body in the form of gas and affects a variety of plant physiological processes. In this review we discuss about the effect of fluoride toxicity on plant, human and soil health and its mitigation strategies.

We show, both analytically and numerically, that for a nonlinear system making a transition from one equilibrium state to another under the action of an external time dependent force, the work probability distribution is in general asymmetric. PACS numbers:We consider a system in contact with a heat bath, which is driven out of equilibrium by an external time dependent force. This force drives it from an equilibrium state A to another equilibrium state B. It was shown by Jarzynski [1, 2, 3] that the equilibrium free energy difference, ∆F between these states can be related to the probability distribution of the work done W in taking the system from A to B. In particular, e −∆F KT = e −W KT *

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Aims: To investigate the effect of combination between foliar zinc and boron on groundnut growth, yield, nutrient uptake and its accumulation in pods. Study Design:  Completely random design (CRD). Place and Duration of Study: Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia, West Bengal, India during 2016. Methodology: The pot experiment was comprised of three levels of Zn (0, 0.5 and 0.75% Zn), three levels of B (0, 0.3 and 0.45% B) and their combinations. The treatments were replicated thrice. Zn and B were applied through foliar spray twice at vegetative and flower initiation stage. Chlorophyll content, leaf area, root–shoot dry biomass, plant height, nutrient uptake and nutrient concentrations in pods were studied. Results: Foliar spray of Zn and B jointly increased the leaf area to the tune of 55% and 29% at flowering and pod formation stages, respectively. Despite sole application of B and Zn increased the leaf chlorophyll content in groundnut; the combined applications were much more prominent. Moreover, lower level of Zn combined with higher level of B significantly (p<0.05) had higher uptake of N (18.8%), P (11.5%) and K (5.9%) over higher level of sole Zn application. The improved biomass accumulation of groundnut amplified the efficient utilization of primary nutrients and resulted in higher nutrient uptake as well as their concentration in pods. Groundnut when sprayed with elevated doses of Zn and B produced the maximum yield (30.8 g/plant). Conclusion: Spraying of Zn and B increased plant biomass, leaf area, chlorophyll content noticeably and with the increase in concentration of Zn and B in spray, the increment became quite intense. The combined spray of Zn and B at critical growth stages promoted better growth and productivity of groundnut.

Risk assessment of arsenic toxicity through ground water-soil-rice system in Maldah district,