Pankaj Kumar

60 percent of toilets in India are constructed with an onsite sanitation system (OSS). In the West Bengal (WB) State of India, 78 percent of the urban population is covered with unsewered and OSS systems. There is no detailed study that compares the economic benefits of FSTP in India with those of a Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP). This study is done to derive the anticipated outcome and benefits which may be achieved from independent Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTP) concerning economic aspects and control of environmental pollution caused by untreated discharge of Faecal Sludge (FS) and Septage into open ground and water bodies. The study was conducted in an indigenous and unique manner, following rigorous literature reviews and data collection. The study emphasises the immediate implementation of FSTP in each city where an unserved sanitation system exists. To establish an independent FSTP with 100 KLD capacity, it is concluded that the average capital cost (CapEx) for construction and its operation and maintenance cost (OpEx) for 15 years are around INR 106.5 million and INR 330 million, respectively. Considering this, the total CapEx plus OpEx (15 years) incurs around INR 985 per capita for using FSTP. On the other hand, the same approach, using STP, amounts to approximately INR 18,000 per capita, comprising capital expenditure (INR 9,000) and Operational Expenditure (INR 9,000 for 15 years). The economic benefits of adopting FSTP over STP are expected to reach INR 251 billion within the first 15 years. Moreover, end products of FSTPs add resource recovery, control environmental pollution, ensure sustainable development goals and promote a circular economy.

This study investigates the sensitivity characteristics of breast cancer biomarkers associated with both tumorigenic (MCF-7, T47D, Hs578T, and MDA-MB-231) and non-tumorigenic (MCF-10A) cell lines, utilizing the high-sensitivity regime of a Magnesium Silicide (Mg₂Si)-based Vertical Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor (VTFET) sensor. The biosensing performance of the proposed Mg₂Si-VTFET sensor is systematically evaluated through a comprehensive analysis of its electrical behavior, including surface potential, energy band diagrams, band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) rate, drive current, and transconductance. Key sensitivity parameters such as ON-state current (I_ON), I_ON/I_OFF ratio, transconductance, and subthreshold swing (SS) are employed as quantitative sensing metrics. Additionally, the study addresses the influence of steric hindrance during biomarker immobilization on the sensing performance. Device optimization is carried out by modulating the cavity thickness to enhance detection efficiency. The proposed Mg₂Si-VTFET sensor exhibits a peak sensitivity of 2.2 × 10⁶, with the highest selectivity observed for the T47D breast cancer cell line. These findings demonstrate a significant enhancement in sensitivity and selectivity, and owing to its CMOS compatibility, the Mg₂Si-VTFET sensor emerges as a promising candidate for label-free, selective detection of both cancerous and non-cancerous breast biomarkers. However, the Mg₂Si-VTFET sensor can also be employed to sense other biomolecules based on dielectric modulation approach.

The experimental and theoretical realization of 10% graphene doped ZnO/Graphene thin film alcohol sensor has been reported. The alcohol sensor has been fabricated by sol-gel method and theoretically verified by DFT-based first principle calculations. The quality of the fabricated device has been studied using SEM and UV measurements. To determine its figures-of-merit, the conductivity, transfer characteristics, and response measurements have been analyzed. In addition, the device has undergone three different exposures of alcohol concentrations such as Brandy, Whiskey, and Rum with varying exposure times.

In this study, we synthesized magnesium-doped cerium oxide (Ce_1 – xMg_xO₂) Electron Transport layer material via a straightforward co-precipitation method, varying the Mg compositions. These variations yielded promising alterations in the physical, optical, and dielectric properties of Ce_1 – xMg_xO₂ nanoparticles. The hexagonal structure of the Ce_1 – xMg_xO₂ nanoparticles was confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), while their morphology and surface characteristics (including topography and roughness) were examined via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry was employed to investigate the optical and electrical properties. The optical analysis revealed an increase in transmittance within the visible spectrum, ranging from 89 to 98%, accompanied by decreases in reflectance and absorbance. Moreover, energy bandgap (E_g) was enhanced 3.578–3.864 eV, while the Urbach energy (E_U) diminished from 0.25–0.11 eV with varying Mg alignments. The augmentation in Mg substitution induced an growth in defect amount, consequently diminishing both DC and AC conductivity.