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Sugarcane bagasse is a significant renewable energy source for the sugar and bioethanol industries. Bagasse ash is the waste from the combustion process and is mostly disposed of as landfill. Only a small quantity of bagasse ash is utilized as pozzolan in concrete, and a considerable quantity is left unused due to its high carbon and crystallite content. Generally, bagasse ash is rich in silica (SiO2), and it is thus an alternative source for silica extraction. In this paper, a low-energy and low-chemical consumption method is proposed to obtain silica from bagasse ash using alkali extraction and acid precipitation. The physical and chemical properties of the extracted silica are described. A silica yield of 80% and moisture absorption of 73% were achieved. The silica had amorphous phases and was light gray in color owing to the presence of carbon from incomplete combustion. Bagasse silica was used as an extender filler in an expensive photochromic pigment to increase the bulk volume. It was found that a pigment-to-silica mass ratio up to 1:10 could be used for thick-layer painting. However, a ratio of up to 1:3 is recommended for thin-layer screen-printing on fabrics. The bagasse ash silica-pigment blends have very good color fastness when washing; however, frequent aggressive washing should be avoided.

Wastewater treatment plants produce hundreds of million tons of sewage sludge every year all over the world. Vermicomposting is well established worldwide and has been successful at processing sewage sludge, which can contribute to alleviate the severe environmental problems caused by its disposal. Here, we utilized 16S and ITS rRNA high-throughput sequencing to characterize bacterial and fungal community composition and structure during the gut- and cast-associated processes (GAP and CAP, respectively) of vermicomposting of sewage sludge. Bacterial and fungal communities of earthworm casts were mainly composed of microbial taxa not found in the sewage sludge; thus most of the bacterial (96%) and fungal (91%) taxa in the sewage sludge were eliminated during vermicomposting, mainly through the GAP. Upon completion of GAP and during CAP, modified microbial communities undergo a succession process leading to more diverse microbiotas than those found in sewage sludge. Consequently, bacterial and fungal community composition changed significantly during vermicomposting. Vermicomposting of sewage resulted in a stable and rich microbial community with potential biostimulant properties that may aid plant growth. Our results support the use of vermicompost derived from sewage sludge for sustainable agricultural practices, if heavy metals or other pollutants are under legislation limits or adequately treated.

To study the influence of diesel fuel blended with polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODEn), a new alternative fuel with a high oxygen content and large cetane number, on the combustion characteristics, fuel economies, and emission characteristics of heavy-duty diesel engines that meet China VI emission standards, relevant tests were conducted on a supercharged intercooled high-pressure common-rail diesel engine. The PODEn were blended with diesel fuel at three different ratios (volume fractions of 10%, 20%, and 30%). The test results showed that the PODEn could optimize the combustion process of diesel engines that met the China VI emission standards, effectively improve the thermal efficiencies of diesel engines, and reduce the emissions of hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and soot. With an increase in the PODEn blending ratio, the peak values of the in-cylinder pressure, average in-cylinder temperature, and instantaneous heat release rate gradually decreased, and each peak progressively moved forward. As the start of combustion gradually moved forward, the combustion duration was shortened by 0.7–2.8°CA, the heat release process became more concentrated, and the effective thermal efficiency was increased by up to 2.57%. The effective fuel consumption gradually increased, yet the equivalent effective fuel consumption gradually decreased, with the largest drop being as high as 4.55%. The nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission increased slightly, and the emissions of HC, CO, and soot gradually decreased. The emissions of CO and soot declined significantly under high-speed and high-load conditions, with the highest reductions reaching 66.2% and 76.3%, respectively.

Industrial development and increased energy requirements have led to high consumption of fossil fuels. Thus, environmental pollution has become a profound problem. Every year, a large amount of agro-industrial, municipal and forest residues are treated as waste, but they can be recovered and used to produce thermal and electrical energy through biological or thermochemical conversion processes. Among the main types of agro-industrial waste, soluble coffee residues represent a significant quantity all over the world. Silver skin and spent coffee grounds (SCG) are the main residues of the coffee industry. The many organic compounds contained in coffee residues suggest that their recovery and use could be very beneficial. Indeed, thanks to their composition, they can be used in the production of biodiesel, as a source of sugar, as a precursor for the creation of active carbon or as a sorbent for the removal of metals. After a careful evaluation of the possible uses of coffee grounds, the aim of this research was to show a broad characterization of coffee waste for energy purposes through physical and chemical analyses that highlight the most significant quality indexes, the interactions between them and the quantification of their importance. Results identify important tools for the qualification and quantification of the effects of coffee waste properties on energy production processes. They show that (SCG) are an excellent raw material as biomass, with excellent values in terms of calorific value and low ash content, allowing the production of 98% coffee pellets that are highly suitable for use in thermal conversion systems. Combustion tests were also carried out in an 80kWth boiler and the resulting emissions without any type of abatement filter were characterized.

This work presents an alternative method for fabricating Li-ion electrodes in which the use of aluminum/copper current collectors and expensive binders is avoided. Low-cost natural cellulose fibers with a 2-mm length are employed as binder and support for the electrode. The objective of this method is to eliminate the use of heavy and inactive current collector foils as substrates and to replace conventional costly binders with cellulose fibers. Moreover, no harmful solvents, such as N-methylpyrrolidone, are employed for film fabrication. Water-soluble carbons are also utilized to reduce the preparation time and to achieve a better repartition of carbon in the electrode, thus improving the electrochemical performance. Flexible and resistant LiFePO4 (LFP), Li4Ti5O12 (LTO), organic 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA), and graphite electrodes are obtained with active mass loadings similar to those obtained by the current casting method. The initial discharge capacity of approximately 130 mAh·g−1 at 2 C is obtained for an LFP/LTO paper battery with an approximately 91.6% capacity retention after 1000 cycles. An all-organic prelithiated PTCDA/graphite cell without a transition metal is prepared and electrochemically tested. It is one of the first self-standing batteries that is composed of organic redox active molecules and biodegradable components reported in literature.

The prevention of decrease of quality caused by microbial activity in footwear materials entails the use of biocides. However, these substances may pose a hazard to humans and to the natural environment. The paper presents the results of antimicrobial effect investigation for cowhide leather treated with oregano oil. In these studies oil was applied by spraying onto the finished leather surface and examined to determine its antimicrobial activity by using the Agar Diffusion Plate Test. These results were compared with those where a cowhide leather was treated with oil at the stage of fatliquoring. In addition, the oregano oil toxicity level was assessed and compared with biocides used in the tanning industry. Introducing oregano oil into the leather at the stage of fatliquoring provides a better antimicrobial effect than by spraying, however hygienic finishing of leather can be obtained by introducing oil into the raw material by these both methods. The oregano oil is characterised by the lowest number of hazards and toxicity as compared with commercial biocides. The use of essential oils as natural biocides in the tanning industry seems to be especially important and suitable solution considering the harmful effects of synthetic biocides to humans and the environment.

Lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive renewable resource to produce biofuel or platform chemicals. Efficient and cost-effective conversion systems of lignocellulosic biomass depend on their appropriate pretreatment processes. Alkali or dilute acid pretreatment of biomass requires a high temperature (> 150 °C) to remove xylan (hemicellulosic sugar) and lignin partially. In this study, peracetic acid was used to pretreat biomass feedstocks, including hardwood and softwood species. It was found that the thermally-assisted dilute acid pretreatment of biomass conducted under the mild temperature of 90 °C up to 5 h resulted in the effective removal of lignin from the biomass with a negligible loss of carbohydrates. This thermally-assisted pretreatment achieved 90% of delignification, and this result was compared with the microwave-assisted pretreatment method. In addition, the crystallinity index (CrI), surface morphology, and chemical structure were significantly changed after the acid pretreatment. The biomass digestibility increased significantly with increased reaction time, by 32% and 23% for hardwood and softwood, respectively. From this study, it is clear that peracetic acid pretreatment is an effective method to enrich glucan content in biomass by delignification.

The requirement of continuous and stringent growth on filtration performance, including longer life span, higher overall efficiency, lower initial pressure drop and more cost effective, has still drove filter media manufactures to research and develop. One of the possible way to achieve these challenges, was to utilize a dual-channel head-box with two sets of pulp conveying system, which can produce filter media with bulky and gradient properties. In this study, three kinds of commercial cellulose were chosen to make two layers filtration media, analyzed the effect of fiber blend on physical properties and filtration performance. By fine-tune the slurry ratio of top layer, we made one single layer and two layers composition filter media, the thickness and air permeability of composition media were higher than single layer media. According to ISO 5011, filtration performance test has been done to compare single layer media with composition media, this composition gradient profiles that provided the life span 37.0% improvement to the terminal pressure drop during dust injecting, and the dust hold capacity improved 34.7%, the main contributor of dust hold capacity was decided by top layer, however, the overall efficiency was depended on wire side layer.

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.), an important tropical fruit belonging to the family Cactaceae, is rich in essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, dietary fibres and antioxidants. This study aims to distinguish three dragon fruit species well adapted to Andaman and Nicobar Island through morphological (34 quantitative and 26 qualitative traits), biochemical (5 traits) and molecular (14 ISSR primers) characterization. Morphological characterization revealed that presence of considerable amount of genetic variations among them especially for fruit characters viz., colour of peel and pulp. Cladode characters such as number of spines (3–5), length of areoles (mm) as 1–4, margin ribs of cladode (convex or concave) and its waxiness (weak or strong white waxy or light waxy) could be used for identification of three Hylocereus spp. under present study. Highest co-efficient of variation (%) obtained for pulp weight (88.7), whereas, lowest in distance of anthers belowstigma (3.3). Fruit and pulp weight (g) ranged from 26.5–419.3 and 10.3–258.8 with mean value of 204.8 and 125.3, respectively. Comparatively, high phenol (71.3–161.3) and flavonoid (26.6–508.2) content observed in peels than pulp (32.5–130.0 and 45.0–258.2) of fruit indicating higher antioxidant potential. Highest total carotenoids (µg 100 g−1), β-carotene (µg 100 g−1) and xanthophyll (µg g−1) content obtained in pulp on DGF3 (33.8), DGF4 (55.9) and DGF3 (32.7), whereas, in peel on DGF2 (24.3), DGF4 (18.5) and DGF2 (24.1), respectively. DPPH-based scavenging activity (%) revealed higher scavenging activity of peels (55.6–81.2) than pulp (36.0–75.3) extracts. Comparatively, ABTS-based scavenging activity (%) was found more than DPPH-based one. Sixteen ISSR primers screened, 14 were produced 178 reproducible amplified bands. Number of amplified bands varied from 5 in UBC887 to 19 in UBC811 with an average of 12.71 bands per primer. Range of polymorphic bands and % polymorphism observed were 1–13 and 20.0–92.8, respectively. The polymorphic information content value of ISSR marker ranged from 0.42 (UBC895) to 0.91 (UBC 856). Cluster analysis distinguished three different Hylocereus species on the basis of geographic origin and pulp colour by forming separate groups and two genotypes each showed 52% (DGF1 and DGF3) and 76% (DGF2 and DGF4) genetic similarity. Key traits identified for distinguishing three different Hylocereus species were: Pulp/ peel colour of fruits, number of spines and length of areoles in cladode. Genotypes with high carotenoid and xanthophylls content (DGF4 and DGF2) identified under present study may be of industrial importance for development of nutraceutical products to meet out the vitamin-A deficiency among humans in tropical regions needed future focus.

This study investigated a novel agricultural low-cost bio-waste biochar derived from wood apple fruit shell waste via the pyrolysis method, which is modified by ball milling and utilized to remove toxic phenol and chlorophenols (4-CPh and 2,4-DCPh) from contaminated aqueous media. The ball-milled wood apple fruit shell waste biochar (WAS-BC) sorbent was systematically analyzed by BET, CHN, and FTIR as well as particle size, SEM–EDS, XPS and TGA studies. The sorption equilibrium and kinetic studies exhibit that the sorption capacity was greater than 75% within the first 45 min of agitation at pH 6.0. The uptake capacity of 2,4-DCPh onto WAS-BC was greater than those of 4-CPh and phenol. Equilibrium results were consistent with the Langmuir isotherm model, while the kinetic data were best represented by the Elovich and pseudo-second-order model. The maximum uptake of phenol, 4-CPh, and 2,4-DCPh was 102.71, 172.24, and 226.55 mg/g, respectively, at 30 ± 1 °C. Thus, this study demonstrates that WAS-BC is an efficient, low-cost sorbent that can be used for the elimination of phenol and chlorophenol compounds from polluted wastewater.

The present study was conducted to qualitatively and quantitatively elucidate dynamic changes of ginsenosides in ginseng pulp steamed under different temperatures (100 or 120 °C) for different durations (1–6 h) through UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and HPLC with the aid of as numerous as 18 authentic standards of ginsenosides. Results show that levels of eight polar ginsenosides (i.e., Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rb3, F1, and Rd) declined but those of 10 less-polar ginsenosides [i.e., Rf, Rg2, 20(S)-Rh1, 20(R)-Rg2, F4, 20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, PPT, Rg5, and 20(R)-Rh2] elevated with increases of both steaming temperature and duration; the optimum steaming conditions for achieving the highest total ginsenosides were 100 °C for 1 h. Particular, 20(R)-Rg3, a representative less-polar ginsenoside with high bioactivity such as potent anti-cancer effect, increased sharply but Re, the most abundant polar ginsenoside in fresh ginseng pulp, decreased dramatically. More importantly, ginsenoside species enhanced from 18 to 42 after steaming, mainly due to transformation of polar into less-polar ginsenosides. Furthermore, four malonyl-ginsenosides were detected in fresh ginseng pulps and ten acetyl-ginsenosides were formed during steaming, demonstrating that demalonylation and acetylation of ginsenosides were the dominant underling mechanisms for transformation of polar into less-polar ginsenosides.

In present study, the effects of carbon sources on compost process and quality were evaluated in the lab-scale sewage sludge (SS) composting. The composting experiments were performed for 32 days in 5 L reactors. The results showed that carbon sources could change the nitrogen conversion and improve the compost quality. Especially, the readily degradable carbon source could promote organic matter degradation, improve nitrogen conversion process and accelerate compost maturation. The addition of glucose and sucrose could increase dissolved organic carbon, CO2 emission, dehydrogenase activity, nitrification and germination index during the SS composting. That's because glucose and sucrose could be quickly used by microbes as energy and carbon source substance to increase activity of microbes and ammonia assimilation. What's more, the NH3 emission was reduced by 26.9% and 32.1% in glucose and sucrose treatments, respectively. Therefore, the addition of readily degradable carbon source could reduce NH3 emission and improve compost maturity in the SS composting.

In the present study, five lignocellulosic biomass namely, corn cobs (Zea mays), rice husks (Oryza sativa), cassava peels (Manihot esculenta), sugar cane bagasse (Saccharum officinarum), and white yam peels (Dioscorea rotundata) of two mesh sizes of 300 and 425 microns and a combination of some and all of the biomass were pretreated using combined hydrothermal and acid-based, combined hydrothermal and alkali-based and hydrothermal only processes. The raw and pretreated biomass were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine the effects of the various pretreatments on the biomass being studied. The cellulose values of the raw biomass range from 25.8 wt% for cassava peels biomass to 40.0 wt% for sugar cane bagasse. The values of the cellulose content increased slightly with the pretreatment, ranging from 33.2 to 43.8 wt%. The results of the analysis indicate that the hydrothermal and alkaline-based pretreatment shows more severity on the different biomass being studied as seen from the pore characteristics results of corn cobs + rice husks biomass, which also shows that the combination of feedstocks can effectively improve the properties of the biomass in the bioethanol production process. The FTIR analysis also showed that the crystalline cellulose present in all the biomass was converted to the amorphous form after the pretreatment processes. The pore characteristics for mixed corn cobs and rice husks biomass have the highest specific surface area and pore volume of 1837 m2/g and 0.5570 cc/g respectively.

Global warming has become a serious issue nowadays as the trend of CO2 emission is increasing by years. In Malaysia, the electricity and energy sector contributed a significant amount to the nation’s CO2 emission due to fossil fuel use. Many research works have been carried out to mitigate this issue, including carbon capture and utilization (CCUS) technology and biological carbon fixation by microalgae. This study makes a preliminary effort to screen native microalgae species in the Malaysian coal-fired power plant’s surrounding towards carbon fixation ability. Three dominant species, including Nannochloropsis sp., Tetraselmis sp., and Isochrysis sp. were identified and tested in the laboratory under ambient and pure CO2 condition to assess their growth and CO2 fixation ability. The results indicate Isochrysis sp. as the superior carbon fixer against other species. In continuation, the optimization study using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was carried out to optimize the operating conditions of Isochrysis sp. using a customized lab-scale photobioreactor under simulated flue gas exposure. This species was further acclimatized and tested under actual flue gas generated by the power plant. Isochrysis sp. had shown its capability as a carbon fixer with CO2 fixation rate of 0.35 gCO2/L day under actual coal-fired flue gas exposure after cycles of acclimatization phase. This work is the first to demonstrate indigenous microalgae species' ability as a carbon fixer under Malaysian coal-fired flue gas exposure. Thus, the findings shall be useful in exploring the microalgae potential as a biological agent for carbon emission mitigation from power plants more sustainably.

Odors due to the emission of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) have been a concern in the sewage treatment plants over the last decades. H2S fate and emissions from extended aeration activated sludge (EAAS) system in Muharram Aisha-sewage treatment plant (MA-STP) were studied using TOXCHEM model. Sensitivity analysis at different aeration flowrate, H2S loading rate, wastewater pH, wastewater temperature and wind speed were studied. The predicted data were validated against actual results, where all the data were validated within the limits, and the statistical evaluation of normalized mean square error (NMSE), geometric variance (VG), and correlation coefficient (R) were close to the ideal fit. The results showed that the major processes occurring in the system were degradation and emission. During summer (27 °C) and winter (12 °C), about 25 and 23%, 1 and 2%, 2 and 2%, and 72 and 73% were fated as emitted to air, discharged with effluent, sorbed to sludge, and biodegraded, respectively. At summer and winter, the total emitted concentrations of H2S were 6.403 and 5.614 ppm, respectively. The sensitivity results indicated that aeration flowrate, H2S loading rate and wastewater pH highly influenced the emission and degradation of H2S processes compared to wastewater temperature and wind speed. To conclude, TOXCHEM model successfully predicted the H2S fate and emissions in EAAS system.

The two types of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) surface characteristics were evaluated by oil contact angle under ethanol–water solution at several concentrations as well as in air. Wood pulp-based 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxylradical (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCNF) sheets and bamboo-derived mechanical counter collision cellulose nanofiber (ACC-CNF) sheets were fabricated by casting followed by drying. The CNF shows underwater superoleophobic mimicking fish skin properties and slippery surface mimicking Nepenthes pitcher. The underwater superoleophobic properties of CNF was evaluated theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical calculation and experimental results of contact angle showed a large deviation. The roughness, zeta potential, and water absorption at different concentrations were key factors that determine the deviation. Antifouling investigation revealed that CNF was a good candidate for antifouling material.

Drying and storage methods are fundamental for maintaining the grain quality until processing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of the drying temperature with storage systems and conditions as a strategy for preserving the quality of maize grain postharvest on laboratory and field scales. An increase in temperature accelerated the reduction in grain moisture, but increased the deterioration. The wetting during the storage period reduced the grain quality. Hermetic and aerated storage systems maintained the chemical quality of the grains. The control with healthy and whole corn dried at 80 °C and stored in silos with natural aeration provided a satisfactory quality, equivalent to those of controlled drying and storage under airtight conditions and at low temperatures. Different conditions of drying and storage of corn on the laboratory and field scales were evaluated, which provides an appropriate management of these operations to maintain the grain quality.

Although often regarded a childhood toy, the design of paper airplanes is subtly complex. The design space and mapping from geometry to distance flown is highly nonlinear and probabilistic where a single airplane design exhibits a multitude of trajectory forms and flight distances. This makes optimization and understanding of their behavior challenging for humans. By understanding the behavior of paper airplanes and predicting flight behavior, there is a potential to improve the design of aerial vehicles that operate at low Reynolds numbers. By developing a robotic system that can fabricate, test, analyze, and model the flight behavior in an unsupervised fashion, a wide design space can be reliably characterized. We find there are discrete behavioral groups that result in different trajectories: nose dive, glide, and recovery glide. Informed by this characterization we propose a method of using Gaussian mixture models to extract the clusters of the design space that map to these different behaviors. This allows us to solve both the forward and reverse design problem for paper airplanes, and also to perform efficient optimization of the geometry for a given target flight distance.

Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) with high crystallinity has great mechanical stiffness and strength. However, its length is too short to be used for fibers of environmentally friendly structural composites. This paper presents a fabrication process of cellulose long fiber from CNF suspension by spinning, stretching and drying. Isolation of CNF from the hardwood pulp is done by using (2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-yl) oxidanyl (TEMPO) oxidation. The effect of spinning speed and stretching ratio on mechanical properties of the fabricated fibers are investigated. The modulus of the fabricated fibers increases with the spinning speed as well as the stretching ratio because of the orientation of CNFs. The fabricated long fiber exhibits the maximum tensile modulus of 23.9 GPa with the maximum tensile strength of 383.3 MPa. Moreover, the fabricated long fiber exhibits high strain at break, which indicates high toughness. The results indicate that strong and tough cellulose long fiber can be produced by using ionic crosslinking, controlling spinning speed, stretching and drying.

Ag-LaFeO3 molecularly imprinted polymers (ALMIPs) were fabricated, which provided special recognition sites to methanol. Then ALMIPs fiber 1, fiber 2 and fiber 3 were prepared using filter paper, silk and carbon fibers template, respectively. Based on the observation of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Nitrogen adsorption surface area analyzer (BET), the structure, morphology and surface area of the fibers were characterized. The ALMIPs fibers (fiber 1, fiber 2 and fiber 3) show excellent selectivity and good response to methanol. The responses to 5 ppm methanol and the optimal operating temperature of ALMIPs fibers are 23.5 and 175 °C (fiber 1), 19.67 and 125 °C (fiber 2), 17.59 and 125 °C (fiber 3), and a lower response (≤10, 3, 2) to other test gases including formaldehyde, acetone, ethanol, ammonia, gasoline and benzene was measured, respectively.

In this paper, α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs)-reduced graphene oxide (RGO), α-FeOOH nanorods (NRs)-RGO and porous α-Fe2O3 NRs-RGO could be selectively synthesized by hydrothermal method. The investigations indicated that the obtained α-Fe2O3 NPs, α-FeOOH NRs and porous α-Fe2O3 NRs were either attached on the surface of RGO sheets or coated uniformly by the RGO sheets. And the as-prepared nanohybrids exhibited excellent microwave absorption performance, which was proved to be ascribed to the quarter-wavelength matching model. The optimum reflection loss (RL) values for α-Fe2O3 NPs-RGO, α-FeOOH NRs-RGO and porous α-Fe2O3 NRs-RGO were ca. −32.3, −37.4 and −71.4 dB, respectively. Moreover, compared to the obtained α-Fe2O3 NPs-RGO and α-FeOOH NRs-RGO, the as-prepared porous α-Fe2O3 NRs-RGO nanohybrids exhibited enhanced microwave absorption properties because of their special structure and synergetic effect. The possible enhanced microwave absorption mechanisms were discussed in details. Our results confirmed that the geometrical morphology had a great influence on their microwave absorption properties, which provided a promising approach to exploit high performance microwave absorbing materials.

Whisky, as a high value product, is often adulterated, with adverse economic effects for both producers and consumers as well as potential public health impacts. Here we report the use of DAPCI-MS to analyse and chemically profile both genuine and counterfeit whisky samples employing a novel ‘direct from the bottle’ methodology with zero sample pre-treatment, zero solvent requirement and almost no sample usage. 25 samples have been analysed from a collection of blended Scotch whisky (n = 15) and known counterfeit whisky products (n = 10). Principal component analysis has been applied to dimensionally reduce the data and discriminate between sample groups. Additional chemometric modelling, a partial least squares regression, has correctly classified samples with 92% success rate. DAPCI-MS shows promise for simple, fast and accurate counterfeit detection with potential for generic aroma profiling and process quality monitoring applications.

To conserve freshwater resources, domestic and industrial wastewater is recycled. Algal systems have emerged as an efficient, low-cost option for treatment (phycoremediation) of nutrient-rich wastewater and environmental protection. However, industrial wastewater may contain growth inhibitory compounds precluding algal use in phycoremediation. Therefore, extremophyte strains, which thrive in hostile environments, are sought-after. Here, we isolated such an alga - a strain of Synechocystis sp. we found to be capable of switching from commensal exploitation of the nitrogen-fixing Trichormus variabilis, for survival in nitrogen-deficient environments, to free-living growth in nitrate abundance. In nitrogen depletion, the cells are tethered to polysaccharide capsules of T. variabilis using nanotubular structures, presumably for nitrate acquisition. The composite culture failed to establish in industrial/domestic waste effluent. However, gradual exposure to increasing wastewater strength over time untethered Synechocystis cells and killed off T. variabilis. This switched the culture to a stress-acclimated monoculture of Synechocystis sp., which rapidly grew and flourished in wastewater, with ammonium and phosphate removal efficiencies of 99.4% and 97.5%, respectively. Therefore, this strain of Synechocystis sp. shows great promise for use in phycoremediation, with potential to rapidly generate biomass that can find use as a green feedstock for valuable bio-products in industrial applications.

Oak barrels have been used by humans for thousands of years to store and transport valuable materials. Early settlers of the United States in Kentucky began charring the interior of new white oak barrels prior to aging distillate to create the distinctively flavored spirit we know as bourbon whiskey. Despite the unique flavor and cultural significance of “America’s Spirit”, little is known about the wood-distillate interaction that shapes bourbon whiskey. Here, we employed an inverse method to measure the loss of specific wood polysaccharides in the oak cask during aging for up to ten years. We found that the structural cell wall wood biopolymer, cellulose, was partially decrystallized by the charring process. This pyrolytic fracturing and subsequent exposure to the distillate was accompanied by a steady loss of sugars from the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of the oak cask. Distinct layers of structural degradation and product release from within the barrel stave are formed over time as the distillate expands into and contracts from the barrel staves. This complex, wood-sugar release process is likely associated with the time-dependent generation of the unique palate of bourbon whiskey.

This study investigates the influence of inoculated and uninoculated aeration pretreatment on nutrients and phytotoxicity of anaerobic digestion (AD) effluent. Swine manure AD effluent was inoculated with activated and anaerobic sludge, respectively. Our results show that aeration with the addition of activated sludge could reduce the phytotoxicity of AD effluent. Compared to the control treatment without any sludge addition, the addition of activated sludge resulted in a more significant reduction in the AD effluent salinity, NH4+ content, and organic matter (indicated by the chemical oxygen demand) when AD effluent was aerated for less than 8 hours. As a result, a much higher seed germination index (GI) was observed for the treatment with activated sludge addition, particularly when aerated for 4–5 hours, contributing the gas/water ratio of 20:1–30:1. On the other hand, no significant differences in the nutrient contents and GI value were observed for the control treatment and that with the addition of anaerobic sludge. Results from this study shed light on optimizing the management of AD effluent for agricultural application.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is formed during wastewater nitrogen removal processes. It is a strong greenhouse gas, however, if properly captured it can also be used as a renewable energy source. In this study, a nosZ-deficient strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was constructed. During growth under denitrifying conditions, the nosZ-deficient strain was more highly transcribing other genes from the denitrification pathway (narG, nirS, and norB) than the wild-type strain. This strain could also convert 85% of NO2−-N to N2O when it was grown with acetate compared to 2−-N concentrations (700 mg/L) was inoculated with this strain, the N2O conversion efficiencies were >73% and N2O comprised 73~81% of the biogas being generated. The energy yield from wastewater in bioaugmented reactors also reached levels as high as 1260 kJ/m3. These results are significant and show that bioaugmentation of reactors during denitrification treatment processes with nosZ-deficient strains of Pseudomonas or other core denitrifying bacteria might be an effective way to enhance N2O recovery.

Polyphenols based bioactive compounds from vegetables and fruits are known for impressive antioxidant activity. Ingestion of these antioxidants may promote human health against cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Mango is a popular tropical fruit with special taste, high nutritional value and health-enhancing metabolites. The aim was to investigate the diversity of phytochemicals between two mango cultivars of china at three stages of fruit maturity. We used ESI-QTRAP-MS/MS approach to characterize comprehensively the metabolome of two mango cultivars named Hongguifei (HGF) and Tainong (TN). HPLC was used to quantify selected catechin based phenolic compounds. Moreover, real-time qPCR was used to study the expression profiles of two key genes (ANR and LAR) involved in proanthocyanidin biosynthesis from catechins and derivatives. A total of 651 metabolites were identified, which include at least 257 phenolic compounds. Higher number of metabolites were differentially modulated in peel as compared to pulp. Overall, the relative quantities of amino acids, carbohydrates, organic acids, and other metabolites were increased in the pulp of TN cultivar. While the contents of phenolic compounds were relatively higher in HGF cultivar. Moreover, HPLC based quantification of catechin and derivatives exhibited cultivar specific variations. The ANR and LAR genes exhibited an opposite expression profile in both cultivars. Current study is the first report of numerous metabolites including catechin-based derivatives in mango fruit. These findings open novel possibilities for the use of mango as a source of bioactive compounds.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:15:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-12-01 The adoption of dicamba-tolerant soybean varieties has increased the concern and demand for new drift and volatility reduction technologies. Potential spray nozzles and adjuvants should be studied to determine its effects on drift and volatility of dicamba tank-mixtures. The objective of this study was to evaluate physicochemical characteristics of spray solutions containing dicamba; to analyze droplet size effect with air induction nozzles; and to assess dicamba volatilization on soybean plants with a proposed methodology. Treatments included dicamba only and mixtures with herbicides and adjuvants. Dicamba mixed with lecithin + methyl soybean oil + ethoxylated alcohol adjuvant had the greatest efficacy potential among treatments considering tank-mixture pH, surface tension, contact angle and droplet size. The MUG11003 nozzle produced the coarsest droplet size and was better suited for drift management among nozzle types. The proposed volatilization methodology successfully indicated dicamba volatilization in exposed soybean plants and among the evaluated treatments, it showed greater volatilization for dicamba with glyphosate + lecithin + propionic acid adjuvant. Departamento de Ciências da Produção Agrícola UNESP Jaboticabal Campus Departamento de Ciências da Produção Agrícola UNESP Jaboticabal Campus

Residues from the wine industry constitute an abundant feedstock for biodiesel production in wine-producing countries. The use of grapeseed oil, together with bioethanol obtained from distillation of wine surplus or grape skins and stalks and wine lees, as reagents in the transesterification reaction, results in a mixture of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE), which is a fully renewable, autochthonous, and waste-derived biofuel. In this work, a blend of FAEE produced from grape seed oil with diesel fuel was selected based on a study of fuel properties, and the optimal blend, with 30% v/v of FAEE, was tested in a Euro 6 engine following the Worldwide harmonized Light-duty Test Cycle (WLTC) and a Real Driving Emissions Cycle (RDE), as required in the new certification procedures. Engine performance and emissions from this blend and a commercial diesel fuel were compared. The FAEE blend showed a significant potential to reduce particle emissions, both in mass and number (from 23% in number to 46.5% in mass for WLTC, and from 56% in number to 61% in mass for RDE), and CO (25.5% for WLTC and 39% for RDE) but penalized NOx (32% higher in WLTC and 26.4% higher in RDE).

Fuels and their components accumulate in soil, and many soil organisms are exposed to this pollution. Compared to intensive research on the effect of conventional fuel on soil, very few studies have been conducted on soil ecotoxicity of biofuels. Considering the limited information available, the present study evaluated the changes caused by the presence of biodiesel and diesel fuel in soil. The reaction of higher plants and soil organisms (microbial communities and invertebrates) was analysed. Conventional diesel oil and two types of biodiesel (commercial and laboratory-made) were introduced into the soil. Two levels of contamination were applied—5 and 15% (w/w per dry matter of soil). The plate method was used to enumerate microorganisms from soil contaminated with biodiesel and diesel fuel. Phytotoxicity tests were conducted by a 3-day bioassay based on the seed germination and root growth of higher plant species (Sorghum saccharatum and Sinapis alba). Fourteen-day ecotoxicity tests on earthworm were performed using Eisenia fetida. Based on the results of the conducted tests it was found out that the organisms reacted to the presence of fuels in a diverse manner. As to the microorganisms, both the growth and reduction of their number were noted. The reaction depended on the group of microorganisms, type of fuel and dose of contamination. The lipolytic and amylolytic microorganisms as well as Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria were particularly sensitive to the presence of fuels, especially biodiesel. Fuels, even at a high dose, stimulated the growth of fungi. Monocotyledonous sugar sorghum plants were more sensitive to the presence of fuels than dicotyledonous white mustard. There was also a significant negative impact of contamination level on plant growth and development. Biodiesel, to a greater extent than conventional fuel, adversely affected the survival and volume of earthworms.

Cellulose nanofibers were obtained from the Colombian fique (Furcraea bedinghausii) and Acrylic hydrogels (H) and reinforced acrylic hydrogels with fique nanofibres (HRFN) were synthesized, using the solution polymerization method. The extraction was carried out using a combined extraction method (chemical procedures and ultrasound radiation). The raw material (NAT-F), bleached fibers (B-F), hydrolyzed fibers and fibers treated with ultrasound (US-F) were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal stability analysis; also, in order to have a comparison criterion, a commercial microcrystalline cellulose sample (CC) was analyzed, which demonstrated the extraction of fique cellulose. The surface morphology of the NAT-F and the B-F was determined by scanning electron microscopy and the average particle size of the nanofibers was made through transmission electron microscopy. In H y HRFN the strain percent and compression resistance (Rc) were measured. The fique nanofibers showed diameter and length averages of 25.2 ± 6.2 nm and 483.8 ± 283.2 nm respectively. Maximum degradation temperature was 317 °C. HRFN presented higher compression resistance (16.39 ± 4.30 kPa) and this resistance was 2.5 greater than the resistance of H (6.49 ± 2.48 kPa). The results indicate that fique lignocellulosic matrix has potential application for obtaining polymeric type composite materials.

Accumulation of the Municipal Sewage Sludge (MSS) is considered as one of the most harmful renewable ecological and human health problems. MSS is a renewable resource that could be used as a soil organic amendment. This study aims to reduce the Heavy Metals (HMs) from the sludge content and sludge compost. Furthermore, this study is considered the first to assess the mycotoxins content in sludge and sludge compost via a new biological treatment using the fungus Serendipita indica or a mixture of lactic acid bacteria, thus providing safer nutrients for the soil amendment for a longer time and preserving human health. The HMs and mycotoxins were determined. The results exhibited that the biotic remediation of bio-solid waste and sewage sludge compost succeeded; a new bio-treated compost with a very low content of heavy metals and almost mycotoxins-free contents was availed. Also, the results indicated that the Lactobacilli mixture realized the best results in reducing heavy metals contents and mycotoxins. Afterward, S. indica. biotic remediation of bio-solid waste and sewage sludge compost minimized the health risk hazards affecting the human food chain, allowing for the different uses of sludge to be safer for the environment.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is a simple way to accelerate the treatment of the oily sludge which is a major problem affecting the quality of oil fields and surrounding environment while generating electricity. To investigate the oil removal and the characteristics of changes in the composition of bacteria, sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) supplemented with oily sludge was constructed. The results showed that the degradation efficiency of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) of SMFC treatment was 10.1 times higher than the common anaerobic degradation. In addition, the degradation rate of n-alkanes followed the order of high carbon number > low carbon number > medium carbon number. The odd–even alkane predominance (OEP) increased, indicating that a high contribution of even alkanes whose degradation predominates. The OUT number, Shannon index, AEC index, and Chao1 index of the sludge treated with SMFC (YN2) are greater than those of the original sludge (YN1), showing that the microbial diversity of sludge increased after SMFC treatment. After SMFC treatment the relative abundance of Chloroflexi, Bacteroidia and Pseudomonadales which are essential for the degradation of the organic matter and electricity production increased significantly in YN2. These results will play a crucial role in improving the performance of oily sludge MFC.

Lipids in sewage sludge are considered to be high-class raw materials for biodiesel or other valuable products. We profiled the characteristics and assessed the reutilization potential of lipids from different sludge sources, including sludge from the primary sedimentation tank (PST sludge) and sludge from the secondary sedimentation tank in a conventional activated sludge system (CAS sludge), as well as sludge from ultrashort-sludge retention time (SRT) activated sludge systems with different SRTs (USAS sludge, with SRTs of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 d). The results showed that the lipids in the sludges were mainly composed of cellular lipids, free fatty acids (FFAs), wax and gum. The highest lipid content was found in the PST sludge (156.8 ± 11.9 mg/g, dry basis), followed by the USAS sludges (67.9 ± 11.0–132.2 ± 11.8 mg/g) and the CAS sludge (46.0 ± 16.5 mg/g). Lipid species such as Cer, So, PE, PC, and TG were abundant, comprising over 80% of the cellular lipids in the sludges. With higher lipid contents, the PST sludge and USAS sludge (0.5 d SRT) were suggested to have a higher reutilization potential for use in producing biodiesel. In addition, the CAS sludge was promising for resource reutilization and energy recovery due to the large amount of excess sludge.

The behaviour of ash of fuel affects its thermal efficiency when in use. The ash analyses of bio-coal briquettes developed from lean grade coal and torrefied woody biomass have received limited intensive study. Therefore, the present study aims at analysing the ashes of briquette made from lean grade coal and torrefied woody biomass using blended coal tar pitch and molasses as the binder. Bio-coal briquettes were produced from coal and torrefied biomass in various hybrid ratios. Ashing of various briquettes was done in a muffle furnace at 850 °C for 3 h. Mineral phases of the ash were identified using an X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), while the mineral oxides were obtained using an X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer. The AFT700 Furnace was used with its AFT700 software to evaluate the ash fusion temperatures of the ashes. The XRD patterns look similar, and quartz was found to be the dominant mineral phase present in the raw coal and bio-coal briquettes. The SiO2 (57–58%), Al2O3 (19–21%), and Fe2O3 (8–9%) were the major oxides observed in the ashes. The final fusion temperatures of the ashes range from 1300–1350 °C. The compositions of the ashes of the bio-coal briquettes are classified as detrital minerals. It was concluded that the addition of torrefied biomass (≤ $$10\%)$$ 10 % ) and blended binder ($$\le $$ ≤ 15%) to coal gave a negligible impact on the ashes of the resultant bio-coal briquettes.

A biochemical system was used for electricity generation from food waste (FW) and spent animal beddings (SAB). The wastes were blended and fermented anaerobically to produce fermentation liquids used as fuels for running a catalytic fuel cell. The fermentation liquids were analyzed for their components. The results show the organic contents i.e. volatile solids of both FW and SAB to be 23.4 and 20.9 g/L while the carbon contents were 6.5 and 6.1 g/L respectively. The media were however very rich in volatile fatty acids (VFAs). When used, the fermentation liquids from FW and SAB generated mean open-circuit voltages of 0.64 and 0.53 V and mean maximum power densities (Pmean) of 1.6 and 1.3 mW/cm2 respectively. The fuel cell showed very high efficiency in the conversion of all VFAs especially butyric acid with the highest been 97% for FW and 96% for SAB.

Sensor data can be wirelessly transmitted from simple, battery-less tags using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). RFID sensor tags consist of an antenna, a radio frequency integrated circuit chip (RFIC), and at least one sensor. An ideal tag can communicate over a long distance and be seamlessly integrated onto everyday objects. However, miniaturized antenna designs often have lower performance. Here we demonstrate compact, flexible sensor tags with read range comparable to that of conventional rigid tags. We compare fabrication techniques for flexible antennas and demonstrate that screen and stencil printing are both suitable for fabricating antennas; these different techniques are most useful at different points in the design cycle. We characterize two versions of flexible, screen printed folded dipoles and a meandered monopole operating in the 915 MHz band. Finally, we use these antennas to create passive sensor tags and demonstrate over the air communication of sensor data. These tags could be used to form a network of printed, flexible, passive, interactive sensor tags.

Agricultural wastes, such as wheat bran and swine wastewater, were used for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil. Two optimised strains that could degrade oil efficiently were selected. The result showed that the best ratio of strain A to strain B was 7:3. Swine wastewater could be a replacement for nitrogen source and process water for bioremediation. Next, the Box-Behnken design was used to optimise the culture medium, and the optimal medium was as follows: microbial dosage of 97 mL/kg, wheat bran of 158 g/kg and swine wastewater of 232 mL/kg. Under the optimal medium, the oil degradation rate reached 68.27 ± 0.71% after 40 d. The urease, catalase, and dehydrogenase activities in oil-contaminated soil all increased, and the microbe quantity increased significantly with manual composting. These investigations might lay a foundation for reducing the pollution of agricultural wastes, exploring a late model for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil.

Two-stage anaerobic digestion of palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a promising method for converting the waste from the largest agricultural industry in Southeast Asia into a clean and sustainable energy. This study investigates the degradation of acid-rich effluent from the dark fermentation stage for the production of biomethane (BioCH4) in a 30-L continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR). The continuous methanogenic process was operated with varied HRTs (10 - 1 day) and OLRs (4.6–40.6 gCOD/L.d−1) under thermophilic conditions. Methanothermobacter sp. was the dominant thermophilic archaea that was responsible for the production rate of 4.3 LCH4/LPOME.d−1 and methane yield of 256.77 LCH4kgCOD at HRT of 2 d, which is the lowest HRT reported in the literature. The process was able to digest 85% and 64% of the initial POME’s COD and TSS, respectively. The formation of methane producing granules (MPG) played a pivotal role in sustaining the efficient and productive anaerobic system. We report herein that the anaerobic digestion was not only beneficial in reducing the contaminants in the liquid effluent, but generating BioCH4 gas with a positive net energy gain of 7.6 kJ/gCOD.

The methods of separation of microalgae has a significant impact in the economic aspects of their cultivation. In this study, pine bark was used as a substrate for immobilization of microalgal biomass cultivated in raw municipal sewage. The experiment was conducted in cylindrical photobioreactors (PBRs) with circulation of wastewater. Biomass was cultivated for 42 days. After that time, abundant growth of the biofilm with microalgae on the surface of pine bark as well as improvement of the quality of treated sewage were observed. The efficiency of removal of nutrients from wastewater was 64–81% for total nitrogen and 97–99% for total phosphorus. Moreover, the concentration of suspended solids in sewage was reduced, which resulted in a decrease in turbidity by more than 90%. Colorimetric analysis and Volatile Matter (VM) content in the substrate showed a decrease in the Higher Heating Value (HHV) and concentration of VM due to the proliferation of biofilm.

The industrial wastewater disposal has been growing attention for environmental protection and resource substitution, current decades. Similarly, the durability enhancement of concrete has increased attention by microbial induced CaCO3 precipitation (MICP) process (biocalcification). However, ecofriendly utilization of industrial wastewater in concrete formation is unstudied so far. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of industrial wastewater on the formation of cement mortar, compressive strength and water absorption. The biocement mortar strength (y) increased (y = 0.5295×2 + 1.6019×+251.05; R2 = 0.9825) with increasing percentage of organic wastewater (x) (BM0 – BM100) by MICP, where highest strength (280.75 kgf/cm2) was observed on BM100 (100% wastewater), compared to control (252.05 kgf/cm2). The water absorption (y) of biocement mortar decreases (y = −0.0251×2–0.103× + 15.965; R2 = 0.9594) with increment of wastewater (x) (%) (BM0 – BM100), where a minimum-water-absorption (14.42%) observed on BM100, compared to control (15.89%). SEM micrograph and XRD shows the formation of most-distinctive CaCO3 crystallization (aragonite/calcite) (acicular, brick shape, massive and stacked structure) inside biocement mortar (BM100), which fills the pores within cement mortar to form a denser structure, by microbial organic wastewater. Thus, present findings implied a cost-effective of MICP technology to improve the concrete properties along with the mitigation of industrial wastewater pollution, which goes some way towards solving the problem of industrial wastewater pollution.

Phytoremediation is one of the environmental-friendly and cost-effective systems for the treatment of wastewater, including industrial wastewater such as palm oil mill effluent final discharge (POME FD). However, the effects of the wastewater on the phytoremediator plants, in term of growth performance, lignocellulosic composition, and the presence of nutrients and heavy metals in the plants are not yet well studied. In the present work, we demonstrated that POME FD increased the growth of P. purpureum. The height increment of P. purpureum supplied with POME FD (treatment) was 61.72% as compared to those supplied with rain water (control) which was 14.42%. For lignocellulosic composition, the cellulose percentages were 38.77 ± 0.29% (treatment) and 34.16 ± 1.01% (control), and the difference was significant. These results indicated that POME FD could be a source of plant nutrients, which P. purpureum can absorb for growth. It was also found that the heavy metals (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni and Pb) inside the plant were below the standard limit of the World Health Organization (WHO). Since POME FD was shown to have no adverse effects on P. purpureum, further research regarding the potential application of P. purpureum following phytoremediation of POME FD such as biofuel production is warranted to evaluate its potential use to fit into the waste-to-wealth agenda.

Respiratory protection is key in infection prevention of airborne diseases, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic for instance. Conventional technologies have several drawbacks (i.e., cross-infection risk, filtration efficiency improvements limited by difficulty in breathing, and no safe reusability), which have yet to be addressed in a single device. Here, we report the development of a filter overcoming the major technical challenges of respiratory protective devices. Large-pore membranes, offering high breathability but low bacteria capture, were functionalized to have a uniform salt layer on the fibers. The salt-functionalized membranes achieved high filtration efficiency as opposed to the bare membrane, with differences of up to 48%, while maintaining high breathability (> 60% increase compared to commercial surgical masks even for the thickest salt filters tested). The salt-functionalized filters quickly killed Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria aerosols in vitro, with CFU reductions observed as early as within 5 min, and in vivo by causing structural damage due to salt recrystallization. The salt coatings retained the pathogen inactivation capability at harsh environmental conditions (37 °C and a relative humidity of 70%, 80% and 90%). Combination of these properties in one filter will lead to the production of an effective device, comprehensibly mitigating infection transmission globally.

Mining is an essential human activity, but results in several environmental impacts, notably the contamination of ground and surface water through the presence of toxic substances such as metals and sulfates in mine drainage. Permeable reactive barriers (PRB) have been applied to remediate this environmental impact, but the high costs associated with the maintenance of this system are still a challenge. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the use of kraft pulp mill alkaline residues, known as dregs and grits, as material for PRB, and to determine their capacity for retaining copper and sulfate. The work was carried out in laboratory adsorption kinetics assays, batch assays and column tests. Tests for elemental characterization, point of zero charge, acid neutralization capacity, total porosity, bulk density and moisture of the dregs and grits were conducted. The results showed high retention of Cu due to a chemical precipitation mechanism, notably for dregs (99%) at 5 min in adsorption kinetics. The grits presented similar results after 180 min for the same assay. Sulfate retention was effective at pH below 5, with an efficiency of 79% and 89% for dregs and grits, respectively. Dregs presented the best results for acid drainage remediation, notably with a solid:liquid (S:L) ratio of 1:10.

Vegetable Market have become major sources of organic waste. Some of such waste when being diverted to landfills not only increase the landfill loading but also contribute to increase greenhouse gas emission. Of the many technologies available in handling such hugely generated waste, composting has proven very effective for decades. Enzyme and non-enzyme mediated aerobic composting of vegetable market complex waste (VMCW) have been investigated. Conventional composting technique though being capable of handling large quantum of waste are found to consume more time. Proven to be disadvantages factor. In the present investigation, the pre-cultured seed inoculums used for vegetable market complex waste, shortened the typical composting period from 45 to 9 days for the first time. Also, rapid size and volume reduction of VMCW was witnessed. The organic degradation of VMCW was observed as 42% (82 ± 2.83% to 40.82 ± 0.61%), with a volume reduction from 0.012m3 to 0.003 m3 within 9 days. An enriched nutrients NPK level of compost bio-fertilizer was recorded as 0.91% w/w, 0.5% w/w and 1.029% w/w respectively. Compost maturity observed through the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the manure confirmed the conversion of the crystal structure of the compost particle to amorphous form and the mineralization of organic matter during the composting. Thus, the fermented pre-cultured seed inoculums favored an enhanced nutrients level with shortened composting time.

Cannabidiol (CBD) has become a buzzword in many products that have bloomed on the market. The scientific community and some authorities have recently raised concerns on the quality of these products. In particular, the discrepancy between the labelled and the real content of cannabidiol in liquids for e-cigarettes seems to be emerging as a major issue. Furthermore, to-date no studies have been carried out on the chemical stability upon storage of these type of products. The aim of this work was to investigate the accuracy in labelling of thirteen commercially e-liquids containing CBD and the effects of different storage conditions on their quality. The results showed that only 38% of samples were labelled within a ±10% variance from their labels. Stability tests showed a maximum degradation of CBD when samples were stored at 37 °C for 30 days with average values up to 20%. The effect of light was lower but still significant with averages values up to 15% degradation after 30 days. In conclusion, we believe that health authorities should regulate and control this market more stringently to protect customers and their health. Furthermore, our stability tests have shown that if clear indications are provided on the best storage conditions, the quality of these products can be mostly preserved.

Ineffectiveness of the chemicals applied so far for waterlogged wood conservation created the need to develop new more, efficient and reliable agents. As an alternative, a new method with the use of organosilicon compounds differing in chemical composition and molecular weight has been investigated. The results obtained show the potential of organosilicons as consolidants in waterlogged wood conservation able to effectively stabilise wood dimensions upon drying. The best wood stabilisers were low-molecular organosilicons enable to penetrate the cell wall as well as chemicals with functional groups capable of interacting with wood polymers and forming stabilising coatings on the cell wall surface. The best anti-shrink efficiency values were obtained for (3-Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane, (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, 1,3-Bis(3-aminopropyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane, reaching 98, 91 and 91%, respectively. Most of the applied organosilicons reduced wood hygroscopicity, which limits the risk of further dimensional changes of wood exposed to a variable air moisture content and potentially reduces wood biodegradation. In the light of our studies, the proposed method of waterlogged wood conservation with organosilicons is potentially reversible in the case of siloxanes and amino-silanes as well as retreatable, which complies with the requirements of the conservation ethics.

The management of large amounts of eggshell waste annually produced in the world is problematic as generally this material is only disposed at landfills with odor production and microbial growth. On the contrary, significant environmental and economic advantages could be obtained transforming this biowaste into new value-added products. Eggshell biowaste was the starting material for the synthesis of hydroxyapatite by a simple and sustainable procedure and applied for the removal of Co2+ from aqueous solutions. The effects of contact time and initial metal concentration were investigated in batch experiments. Eggshell-based hydroxyapatite (ESHAP) before and after Co2+ removal was characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The process was rapid and reached equilibrium within 80 min. The removal efficiency was in the range 70–80% which is generally higher than other waste-derived adsorbents. Adsorption of Co2+ on the surface of ESHAP particles and ion exchange with Ca2+ resulting in the formation of a Co-phosphate are the main mechanisms of the metal removal. The conversion of eggshell waste to a low-cost adsorbent for the treatment of metal contaminated waters could contribute to a more sustainable and effective management of this biowaste.

The enhancement of composting technology to stabilize sludge pretreated by ozonation and ultrasonic was tested for 35 days. Secondary sludge produced by biological process are characterized with endogenous residue and inert solid matter which inhibit fully degrade bacterial cell walls. The composting process was performed with sludge pretreated with ozonatian and ultrasonics and green waste in a ratio of 2:1. The composting characteristics was evaluated for different physico-chemical and microbiological parameters in five different reactors. A high degree of composting quality was achieved with respect to significant reduction in volatile solids (VS) (32%), total organic carbon (TOC) (35.0%), C/N ratio (23.74), total coliform (TC) (168) along with the substantial increase in availability of nutrients like N (1.2%) and P (8.77%). High removal efficiency of TC and Fecal Coliform (FC) were observed in composting results, where simultaneous ultrasonic and ozonation were considered as primary-stabilization process. Therefore, applying integrated ultrasonic/ozonation with composting system for sludge stabilization is potentially useful technology in sustainable land restoration practices to meet standards and produce soil conditioner.

The present work investigates biomass wastes and their ashes for re-use in combination with mineralised CO2 in cement-bound construction products. A range of biomass residues (e.g., wood-derived, nut shells, fibres, and fruit peels) sourced in India, Africa and the UK were ashed and exposed to CO2 gas. These CO2-reactive ashes could mineralise CO2 gas and be used to cement ‘raw’ biomass in solid carbonated monolithic composites. The CO2 sequestered in ashes (125–414 g CO2/kg) and that emitted after incineration (400–500 g CO2/kg) was within the same range (w/w). The CO2-reactive ashes embodied significant amounts of CO2 (147–424 g equivalent CO2/kg ash). Selected ashes were combined with raw biomass and Portland Cement, CEM 1 and exposed to CO2. The use of CEM 1 in the carbonated products was offset by the CO2 mineralised (i.e. samples were ‘carbon negative’, even when 10% w/w CEM 1 was used); furthermore, biomass ashes were a suitable substitute for CEM 1 up to 50% w/w. The approach is conceptually simple, scalable, and can be applicable to a wide range of biomass ashes in a closed ‘emission-capture’ process ‘loop’. An extrapolation of potential for CO2 offset in Europe provides an estimate of CO2 sequestration potential to 2030.