• Name: Dr. Meenu Gautam
• Gender: Female
• Department: Botany
• Specialization : Solid Waste Management, Phytoremediation, Biodiversity Assessment, Metal Mobility at the Soil-Plant Interface, Food Chain Contamination, and Human Health.

• Raja Jwala Prasad Post-Doctoral Fellow (2024–2025), Waste Management, Resource Recovery and Ecotoxicology (WRE) Laboratory, Department of Environment and Sustainable Development, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (IESD), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, 221005, India.
• Research Associate (2019–2022), Department of Botany, BHU, Varanasi, sponsored by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi. Engaged in cutting-edge botanical and ecological research with national funding support.
• Assistant Professor (2018–2019), Department of Botany, Sunbeam College for Women, Bhagwanpur (affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi). Delivered lectures, guided undergraduate research, and contributed to curriculum development in plant sciences.

1. The Indian Science Congress Association (No. L24554)
2. SAMEECSN_iLEAPS

Research Publications

• Singh, R. P., Gautam, M., Sharma, B., Kothari, R., & Singh, A. (2026). Investigating the growth and yield responses of Abelmoschus esculentus L. cv. Kashi Kranti (VRO-22) grown under the co-application of sewage-sludge and fly ash in soil. Environmental Sustainability, 9(1), 183-201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-025-00391-7. (Scopus-indexed, Q1).
• Singh, R. P., Gautam, M., Vaish, B., Suhani, I., & Srivastava, V. (2025). Explicating the fertilizer potential of anaerobic digestate on soil quality and growth performances of Solanum lycopersicum var. Kashi Aman. International Journal of Environmental Research, 19(65), 2008-2304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-024-00733-z. (Scopus-indexed, Q2).
• Gautam, M., Pandey, B., Agrawal, S. B., & Agrawal, M. (2022). Stabilization of metals in sludge-amended soil using red mud and its effects on yield and oil quality of Brassica juncea cultivar Kranti. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 44(5), 1431-1450. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653- 021-01150-3. (Scopus-indexed, Q1).
• Gautam, M., & Agrawal, M. (2021). Application potential of Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty for the remediation of red mud-treated soil: An analysis via determining alterations in essential oil content and composition. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 23(13), 1356-1364. https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2021.189647. (Scopus-indexed, Q2).
• Gautam, M., & Agrawal, M. (2019). Identification of metal-tolerant plant species for sustainable phytomanagement of abandoned red mud dumps. Applied Geochemistry, 104, 83-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2019.03.020. (Scopus-indexed, Q1).
• Gautam, M., & Agrawal, M. (2019). Effects of red mud addition in soil fertilized with cow dung manure on growth performance and metal accumulations in Brassica juncea cultivars Kranti and Pusa Bold. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 50(10), 1214-1231. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2019.1614599. (Scopus-indexed, Q2).
• Gautam, M., Pandey, B., & Agrawal, M. (2018). Identification of indicator species at abandoned red mud dumps in comparison to residential and forest sites, accredited to soil properties. Ecological Indicators, 88, 88-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.12.062. (Scopus-indexed, Q1).
• Gautam, M., & Agrawal, M. (2017). Phytoremediation of metals using vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty) grown under different levels of red mud in sludge-amended soil. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 182, 218- 227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2017.03.003. (Scopus-indexed, Q1).
• Gautam, M., & Agrawal, M. (2017). Influence of metals on essential oil content and composition of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf.) grown under different levels of red mud in sewage sludge-amended soil. Chemosphere, 175, 315-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.065. (Scopus-indexed, Q1).
• Gautam, M., Pandey, D., & Agrawal, M. (2017). Phytoremediation of metals using lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf.) grown under different levels of red mud in soil amended with biowastes. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 19(6), 555-562. https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2016.1267701. (Scopus-indexed, Q2).

• Gautam, M, Yadav D.S., Agrawal, S.B., Agrawal, M. (2021). Socio-economic Insinuations and Air Quality Status in India Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown. In: Muthu, S.S. (ed) COVID-19. Springer, Singapore. Pp. 83-112. ISBN: 978-981-16-3856-5.
• Gautam, M.,, M. (2021). Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Management: A Review of Global Scenario. In: Muthu, S.S. (ed) Carbon Footprint Case Studies. Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes. Springer, Singapore. Pp. 123-160. ISBN: 978-981-15- 9577-6.
• Gautam, M., Mishra, S., Agrawal, M. (2020). Cause, effects and sustainable approach to remediate contaminated soil. In: Prasad, R. (ed) Environmental Pollution and Remediation. Springer Nature, Singapore Pte Limited. Pp. 451-495. ISBN: 978-981-15-5498-8.
• Yadav, D.S., Jaiswal, , Gautam, M., Agrawal, M. (2020). Soil Acidification and Its Impact on Plants. In: Singh, P., Singh, S.K., Prasad, S.M. (eds) Plant responses to soil pollution. Springer Nature, Singapore Pte Ltd. Pp. 1-26. ISBN: 978-981-15-4964-9.
• Gautam, M., Maurya, A., Agrawal, M. (2019). Baseline study on drinking water quality, sanitation and hygiene status of selected schools in Varanasi and their consequent impact on gender parity. In: Water and Sanitation Insecurity in Asia. Asian Development Bank, Japan. Pp. 92-127. ISBN: 978–4–89974–113–8
• Gautam, M., Pandey, B., Agrawal, M. (2018). Carbon footprint of aluminium production: emissions and mitigation. In: Muthu, S.S. (ed) Environmental Carbon Footprints: Industrial Case Studies. Elsevier, Singapore. Pp 197-228. ISBN: 978-0- 12-812849-7.
• Pandey, B., Gautam, M., Agrawal, M. (2018). Greenhouse gas emissions from coal mining activities and their possible mitigation strategies. In: Muthu, S.S. (ed) Environmental Carbon Footprints: Industrial Case Studies. Elsevier, Singapore. Pp. 259-294. ISBN: 978-0-12-812849-7.
• Gautam, M., Pandey, D., Agrawal, S.B., Agrawal, M. (2016). Metals from mining and metallurgical industries and their toxicological impacts on plants. In: Singh, A., Prasad, S.M., Singh, R.P. (eds) Plants response to xenobiotics. Springer, Singapore. Pp. 231-272. ISBN: 978-981-10-2859-5.
• Gautam, M., Pandey, D., Agrawal, M. (2016) Bioprocessing of metals from packaging wastes. In: Muthu, S.S. (ed) Environmental footprints of packaging. Springer, Singapore. Pp. 139-164. ISBN: 978-981-287-913-4.

Magazine article(s)

• Gautam, M. (2023) Municipal Solid Waste: The promising tool towards environmental protection. Newsletter of IAAPC, Vadodara, India. 25(1): 4-5.
• Gautam, M., Agrawal, M., Agrawal, S.B. (2018) Phyto-management of industrial solid waste dumps using essential oil-bearing plants. Kahar: A multilingual magazine for common people, Prof. H. S. Srivastava foundation for Science and Society, Lucknow, India. 5(3): 37-39. ISSN: 2395-9369.

• Rapporteur & Coordinator in “International Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development (ICESD)” at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 03–06 February 2025.
• Invited Speaker: Delivered a lecture on “Gender Equality and Women Empowerment” under Mission Shakti Phase-IV by Women Grievance and Welfare Cell and Centre for Women Studies at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya Awadh University, Faizabad, 8 August 2022.
• Leadership Recognition: Selected for the Platinum Jubilee Women in Leadership Training Program by British Council, UK (amongst the top 20 in India and 100 in Southeast Asian Countries), January 2022.
• Volunteer – Sensitisation Programs for Tribal Women in Mirzapur & Sonbhadra Districts of Uttar Pradesh under National Academy of Sciences (Varanasi Chapter), Banaras Hindu University, India, 2018-2022.
• Invited Speaker: Delivered a lecture on The Impact of Metals from Mining and Metallurgical Industries on Soil and Crop Plants at the iLEAPS Virtual Conference 2021 under the session Land Atmosphere Interactions and Impacts on Climate, Air Quality and Ecosystems over South Asia, organised by IITM, Pune; ISER, Mohali and Hindu College, Delhi University, New Delhi, 16 March 2021.
• Academic Jury: Invited as a judge to evaluate student presentations on “National Parks and Sanctuaries of India” at Sunbeam College for Women, Bhagwanpur, Varanasi, UP, 3–4 February 2021.
• Guest Lecturer: Delivered a lecture on “Environmental Impacts of the Covid-19 Outbreak” at Sunbeam College for Women, Bhagwanpur, Varanasi, UP, 14 May 2020.
• Managing Editor – Book of Abstracts, Asian Air Pollution Workshop (AAPW-5), Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, 5-7 November, 2019.
• International Recognition: Honoured as an invited speaker in an Authorship Workshop on “Water Insecurity and Sanitation in Asia – Book Project”, hosted by the National University of Singapore and organised by the Asian Development Bank Institute, Japan,

• Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) through the National Eligibility Test in Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi,
• National Eligibility Test-Lectureship (NET-LS) in Environmental Sciences, University Grants Commission (UGC), India,
• Common Eligibility Test (CET) in Environmental Science, Ram Manohar Lohia Awadh University, Faizabad,

• Selected for the Indo-German Youth Exchange Program, sponsored by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (GIZ-ASEAN), Ministry of Hamburg, Germany,

• LIST OF PAPERS PRESENTED IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES

• Best paper presentation award on the topic “Sustainable phytomanagement of bauxite residue dumps using metal-tolerant plant species” in an International Conference on Ecosystem Restoration and Sustainability: Living with Nature by Indian Institute of Technology, Indore and National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi, India, 5-7 June 2021.
• Oral presentation on the “Effectiveness of red mud with sewage sludge in improving soil properties and biomass in lemongrass,” International Conference on Sustainable Natural Resource Management: From Science to Practice at the Department of Farm Engineering, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, BHU, Varanasi, 12-13 January 2017.
• Paper presentation on “Reconnaissance on metal stabilisation potential of red mud sludge-amended soil and consequent performance of mustard plant” in a National Seminar on Water and Soil Management for Agriculture and Livelihood Security under Climate Change at Sunbeam College for Women, Bhagwanpur, Varanasi, 8-9 September 2017.
• Best paper presentation award on the topic “Effect of red mud in soil amended with organic manures on biomass of vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash): a medicinally important herb” in a National Conference on Climate Change: Challenges to Plant Biologists at Udai Pratap Autonomous College, Varanasi, 27 March 2016.
• Best paper presentation award on the topic “Role of microorganisms (Bacillus polymyxa, Trichoderma sp. and Pseudomonas sp.) in phytoremediation of red mud-amended ground soil using Beta vulgaris L. variety All Green”, in the “National Conference on Current Status and New Horizons of Ecological Sciences and Environmental Biotechnology, Department of Botany, Institute of Science, B.H.U., Varanasi, 1-3 March 2013.
• Paper presentation on “Sanitation in municipal schools in Varanasi: access, quality and maintenance, waste disposal and gender equality”, in the “National Conference on Current Status and New Horizons of Ecological Sciences and Environmental Biotechnology, Department of Botany, Institute of Science, B.H.U., Varanasi, 1-3 March 2013.