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Amending croplands with forest residues may help in restoring soil properties in fields subject to intensive land management. Despite their known benefits when applied separately, co-application of wood biochar with paper mill biosolids (PB) has seen little investigation under field conditions. A study was initiated in Québec, QC, Canada, to determine the effect of a single application of wood biochar with and without PB on the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability of two pH-neutral to alkaline loamy soils. Biochar at 0, 10, and 20 Mg dry weight·ha−1 and PB at 30 Mg wet weight·ha−1 were applied before planting of corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in 2018. Residual effect of this co-application was determined under soybean and corn in the subsequent year. In both years, corn received supplemental N and P from mineral fertilizers according to local agronomic recommendations. Co-applying biochar and PB reduced soil NO3-N availability in the year of application and decreased corn yield by 1.0 Mg·ha−1 compared with biochar or PB applied alone, but these amendments did not affect soybean yields. In the following year, the previous biochar addition increased soybean yield by 0.6 Mg·ha−1 but had little effect on corn. For both years, biochar addition induced a large increase in soil Mehlich-3 P. This study revealed that wood biochar positively impacted P status of these soils but was not a source of N to crops even when co-applied with PB.

Mitigation of global warming, energy security and industrial competitiveness urge the energy-intensive pulp and paper industry (PPI) to transform energy use practices. This study investigates how the PPI has responded to the need for the energy transition in the 2000s. Finland and Sweden as forerunners of energy-efficient operation and decarbonization of the PPI are used as target countries. Understanding of changes in energy consumption is complemented using decomposition analysis (Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index Method) and the energy efficiency index approach. Analysis of companies’ investments in energy technologies is used for explaining changes in energy production. Evidence of significant development towards the more sustainable operation of the PPI was found. Energy consumption per produced unit has decreased, i.e., energy efficiency has improved. Fossil fuels have been partially replaced with bio-based alternatives. Thus, the CO2 intensity has decreased substantially. The generation of renewable electricity has increased in both countries. Examples of Finland and Sweden indicate that the PPI has great potential to contribute to CO2 emission reduction worldwide in the future as energy efficiency can be further improved, and the share of fossil fuels can be decreased increasing the use of biofuels and self-generated green electricity at least in kraft pulp mills.

The construction industry had approached a critical limit which led to the increase of cement production. The production of cement would cause a broader environmental implication. Cement production is a major source of carbon dioxide emission. Carbon dioxide gas contributes about 63.33% of global warming since the production of one ton of cement would emit about one ton of carbon dioxide to the environment. To mitigate this issue, the research community has investigated the use of waste materials that possess similar chemical properties with cement content as a material for partial cement replacement. The use of rice husk ash has shown to be a contending candidate in the literature. Therefore, this paper attempts at reviewing the performance of rice husk ash as partial cement replacement. It could be observed from the literature that concrete with 5% up to 15% of rice husk ash showed an equivalent performance to ordinary concrete in compressive, flexural, and tensile strength. Thus, rice husk ash can be used as a material replacement in concrete and reduces pollution that originates from cement production and open burning of rice husk.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:31:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-10-01 Organization and planning of reverse logistics networks make sustainable processes more efficient. Thus, an important sector for connecting the collection and waste paper recycling echelons is the intermediate center. In this study, a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model, which is multi-objective, multi-product, multi-level and multi-period, was developed to optimize the waste paper logistics processes of intermediate centers. The formulation includes the following echelons: collection, considering vehicle routing with different capacities; inventory of non-baling materials; baling sorted waste and inventory of bales; selling bales; disposal of non-recyclable waste. The aims of the model include: maximizing the collected waste; minimizing distances; maximizing both the production and sale of bales, and minimizing costs. According to research carried out in the literature, the developed model is a new proposal and to implement it, the Weighted Goal Programming and Revised Multi-Choice Goal Programming approaches were used to deal with multiple objectives and incorporate uncertainty into the quantity of waste available for collection. To analyze the proposed model, computational tests were executed with instances based on real data from a Brazilian company in the sector. For all performed tests, General Algebraic Modeling System 23.6.5 modeling language and CPLEX 12.2.0.2 solver were used for modeling and optimization. The results show that this study presents formulation and technological approaches that represent real situations and provide competitive solutions to the problem. Sáo Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” [Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho] School of Engineering of Guaratinguetá [Faculdade de Engenharia de Guaratinguetá] Production Department, Av. Ariberto Pereira da Cunha, 333, Portal das Colinas Agulhas Negras Military Academy [Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras] Rodovia Presidente Dutra, km 306, s/n Escola Preparatória de Cadetes do Exército Avenida Papa Pio XII 350 Jardim Chapadão Campinas - SP Brazil, Avenida Papa Pio XII, 350, Jardim Chapadão, Campinas - SP Sáo Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” [Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho] School of Engineering of Guaratinguetá [Faculdade de Engenharia de Guaratinguetá] Production Department, Av. Ariberto Pereira da Cunha, 333, Portal das Colinas

Graphene-based nanomaterials possess broad applications because of their excellent multi-functional properties. In this work, a facile self-assembling method was presented for preparing one kind of graphene oxide-based paper/hollow microspheres hybrid. It was found that most of the hollow microspheres can strongly anchored on the surface of graphene oxide paper (GOP) by an in-situ scanning electron microscope peeling testing combining with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In addition, the uniform distribution of hollow microspheres on the surface of GOP cannot only provide a better surface wettability, but also can effectively improve the interfacial stress-transfer capability between such hybrid and polymer matrix. Our work provides a guidance for the structural designs of graphene-based nanomaterials and broaden their applications.

We employed a microwave-assisted two-pot in-situ deposition technique to incorporate zinc oxide particulates in the structure of filter paper to produce antimicrobial paper. The process involved successive immersion of filter paper samples in ZnSO4 (precursor solution) and NaOH (precipitating agent) to form Zn(OH)2, which transformed into ZnO during microwave treatment. Successful deposition of ZnO particles on the filter paper was confirmed via X-ray diffraction and the corresponding morphologies were observed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The ZnO-deposited papers were tested for antimicrobial activity and were found to be more effective against Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) than Escherichia coli (gram-negative). Bacterial populations were reduced by up to 92 ± 2% and 57 ± 4% for S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. Also, it was found that the samples prepared using higher concentrations of ZnSO4 and NaOH exhibited better antimicrobial properties.

Free-standing flexible supercapacitive electrodes have practical application for wearable energy storage devices. In this paper, graphene paper (GP), a flexible electrode substrate, was prepared by one-step reduction of graphene oxide (GO) using HI solution. GP can be used independently as a flexible electrode with specific capacitance of 227 F/g. In order to make up for the shortage of GP specific capacitance storage, polyaniline (PANI) with high specific capacitance and good electrical conductivity was selected to composite with GP by electrochemical polymerization approach. This method to fabricate electrode material by direct electrochemical polymerization avoids the use of conductive binder and organic solvent. Owing to the specific capacitance contribution of PANI and GP, the PANI/GP composites exhibit higher specific capacitance when the polymerization time is 30 s and the polymerization voltage is 0.8 V. At 1 A/g current density, the specific capacitance of composite is up to 759 F/g, which is 3.34 times of neat GP.

High per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations have been detected in agricultural soils in Southwest Germany. Discharges of PFAS-contaminated paper sludge and compost are suspected to be the cause of the contamination. Perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) have been detected also in groundwater, drinking water, and plants in this area. Recently, previously unknown compounds have been identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Major contaminants were polyfluorinated dialkylated phosphate esters (diPAPs) and N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide ethanol–based phosphate diester (diSAmPAP). In this study, HRMS screening for PFAS was applied to 14 soil samples from the contaminated area and 14 impregnated paper samples which were from a similar period than the contamination. The paper samples were characterized by diPAPs (from 4:2/6:2 to 12:2/12:2), fluorotelomer mercapto alkyl phosphates (FTMAPs; 6:2/6:2 to 10:2/10:2), and diSAmPAP. In soil samples, diPAPs and their transformation products (TPs) were the major contaminants, but also FTMAPs, diSAmPAP, and their TPs occurred. The distribution patterns of the carbon chain lengths of the precursor PFAS in soil samples were shown to resemble those in paper samples. This supports the hypothesis that paper sludge is a major source of contamination. The presence of major degradation products like PFCAs, FTSAs, or PFOS and their distribution of carbon chain lengths indicate the activity of biotic or abiotic degradation processes and selective leaching processes from the upper soil horizons. Graphical abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00216-021-03463-9.

With the increased awareness of reusing solid wastes for higher sustainability and the concern of water pollution associated with phosphorus over-emission, there are strong interests in developing solid waste based adsorbents for purifying phosphorus-containing wastewater. As a rich calcium resource, paper mill sludge (i.e., a major solid waste from pulping industry) can be used as phosphorus removal adsorbent after calcination. Thus, in this work, a simple and clean thermally treating route has been proposed for preparing calcium-containing biochar from paper mill sludge. The effect of the physicochemical properties of paper mill sludge and its carbonization condition on phosphorus adsorption has been analyzed. Moreover, the influence of some key adsorption parameters, e.g., biochar dosage, initial pH of solution, co-existing anions, initial phosphorus concentration and contact time has also been investigated. The results showed that the phosphorus adsorption data could be fitted well with pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isothermal models. The calculated maximum adsorption capacity of the as-prepared optimal calcium-containing biochar could reach to 68.49 mg·g−1 at 25 °C. Combined with the characterization results, it can be reasonably inferred that the adsorption process was chemisorption-dominated. Lastly, the application of this spent adsorbent in agriculture field has also been discussed. In brief, this work provided a feasible strategy for converting paper mill solid waste to an environmental functional material (i.e., calcium-rich biochar) for remediation of eutrophic water.

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) can reduce nitrogen at ambient pressure and temperature. In this study, we treated effluent from a paper mill in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and monitored the abundance and activity of NFB with a view to producing a sludge that could work as a biofertilizer. Four reactors were inoculated with activated sludge enriched with NFB and fed with a high C/N waste (100:0.5) from a paper mill. Though the reactors were able to reduce the organic load of the wastewater by up to 89%, they did not have any nitrogen-fixing activity and showed a decrease in the putative number of NFB (quantified with qPCR). The most abundant species in the reactors treating high C/N paper mill wastewater was identified by Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing as Methyloversatilis sp. (relative abundance of 4.4%). Nitrogen fixation was observed when the C/N ratio was increased by adding sucrose. We suspect that real-world biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) will only occur where there is a C/N ratio ≤100:0.07. Consequently, operators should actively avoid adding or allowing nitrogen in the waste streams if they wish to valorize their sludge and reduce running costs. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Efficient biological wastewater treatment of low nitrogen paper mill effluent was achieved without nutrient supplementation. The sludge was still capable of fixing nitrogen although this process was not observed in the wastewater treatment system. This high C/N wastewater treatment technology could be used with effluents from cassava flour, olive oil, wine and dairy industries.

The potential of alkaline cellulo-xylanolytic enzymes from non-pathogenic Bacillus subtilis strain was tested for deinking of photocopier waste paper. Cellulase and xylanase play a crucial role in deinking of different types of waste paper. Partial purification of cellulo-xylanolytic enzymes was carried out using ultrafiltration followed by ammonium sulfate precipitation. The ultrafiltered enzyme was used for deinking the photocopier waste paper along with chemical deinking. An enzyme dose of 0.6 IU/g and reaction time of 60 min for ultrafiltered cellulo-xylanolytic enzyme significantly increased deinking efficiency, tear index (9.52%) and folding endurance (5±2%) as compared to chemical deinking. There was improvement in strength properties such as tear index and double-fold along with freeness of pulp (18%). There was slight decrease in tensile index (0.6%) and burst index (16%) while ISO brightness remained unaffected. Enzymatic deinking (74.3%) by ultrafiltered cellulo-xylanolytic from Bacillus subtilis was found significant over conventional chemical deinking.

Cellulose based nanomaterials have the great potential to be applied to paper as bulk additive or coating material to improve overall final properties, especially in secondary fiber. In the present work, the effect of applying different kinds of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) to papers obtained from recycled fibers using size press on physical, mechanical and barrier properties was investigated and compared with the sole use of starch as coating material. The coating process of CNF was carried out by the addition of size press grade starch to coating suspension. As a cellulose source, wheat straw was evaluated and CNF was obtained through oxidative and enzymatic pretreatments. Results indicate that starch/CNF suspension improves the overall paper properties. As a result of the deposition of coating suspension contains of 4 % wt. periodate-oxidized CNF onto paper surface, tensile and burst indices of papersheets increased as 52.2 % and 194.4 %. Significant decreases were observed in air permeability as 69.8 %. Compression tests also have been conducted to evaluate papersheets end-use properties. In comparison to the other pretreated CNF, due to is lower viscosity, applying periodate-oxidized CNF as size press significantly increased the mechanical properties of the papers fabricated from the recycled pulps. TUBITAK-TEYDEBTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [1505]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Technology and Innovation Funding Programs Directorate [1505, 5180044] This work was supported by TUBITAK-TEYDEB 1505 (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Technology and Innovation Funding Programs Directorate 1505), Project No. 5180044. WOS:000703585400013 2-s2.0-85108063350

This study optimizes a novel surfactant-assisted green liquor dregs (GLD) pretreatment of paper mill sludge (PMS), both of which are wastes from the kraft pulping industry, using a combined Response Surface Methodology (RSM) design. Optimized conditions give a maximal reducing sugar release of 16.38 g/L. A substantial reduction in heavy metals aluminum, chromium, cobalt, arsenic, lead, and copper after pretreatment illustrates the enhancement of substrate digestibility by reducing toxic elements. Separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) for hydrogen production are assessed. SSF produced a hydrogen yield of 3.72 mL/g, displaying a 36.26% increase from pretreated PMS compared to SHF. These findings provide insights into possible methods of reducing process duration, energy input, and costs incurred with waste disposal within the paper industry. Furthermore, improved hydrogen yield using an SSF process demonstrates the potential beneficiation of pulp and paper GLD and PMS wastes.

The aim of this study was to identify the nature and cause of foxing spots in a historical manuscript. This manuscript was a Holy Quran from the beginning of the Qajar period and the end of the 18th century. Samples were incubated for 14 days and were evaluated for the presence of fungal activity. UV fluorescence photography, micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were also used to investigate the characteristics and causes of foxing spots. The results showed that there was no fungal activity in the foxing spots of this manuscript. Based on the morphology of the stain in UV fluorescence photography, these foxing stains are of the Bullseye type, usually associated with metal ions. µXRF spectroscopy also showed a high accumulation of iron and copper at the site of these spots. This indicates abiotic foxing in this manuscript. Based on FTIR spectroscopy and peak deconvolution and fitting by Gaussian function, abiotic foxing increases the cellulose oxidation rate. Intensification of cellulose oxidation in foxing stains can be considered as one of the reasons for paper discoloration.

Lignin/tannin/ZnONP composite coatings were designed for paper-based green packaging. Multiple functions, such as high strength, moisture resistance, low air permeance, heat endurance, UV aging resistance, and antibacterial/mold properties, were successfully integrated into one biobased coating. Prepolymerization improved the physical properties of coatings at high lignin contents. The best ingredient ratio was: 40% lignin, 15% tannin, and 10% ZnONPs (based on tannin weight), and the as-prepared biocoating was labeled LTZn-10. After coated with LTZn-10, the tensile strength and bursting strength of the packaging were efficiently enhanced by more than 3 times and were dramatically increased by 51.6 and 5.6 times at the wet state, respectively, which reveals that the packaging has favorable moisture resistance and it can be used in high humidity environments. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) proved that most of the pores on the paper were blocked by the coatings, which helped to decrease the air permeance by 10.3 times. Meanwhile, ZnONPs were evenly spread on the coatings, which endowed the packaging with excellent antibacterial/mold performance. No colony or mycelium was found in the test against Gram-negative/positive bacteria and eight common molds. Besides, antibacterial activity is only available while the bacteria come in contact with the coating and no active substances were released into the culture medium, which is a good property that can keep the cargo from contamination of antibacterial agents. In addition, the coated paper presented an improved Tg and thermal degradation temperature, indicating that the coated package has favorable thermostability and can maintain its outstanding physical properties in a wider temperature range. Lignin and tannin promoted the UV stability and service life of the coated paper, as a rare physical decrease was observed after UV aging for 72 h. The function-integrated biobased coating with favorable sustainability is a good candidate to be widely used in paper-based green packaging fields.

The impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odor on indoor environment and people has attracted much attention. To reduce this problem of odorous compounds contained in wood panel, this study focused on identifying odorant compounds and exploring the influence of moisture content factors on VOCs and odor emissions. Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera (L.)Vent.) was investigated using the technology of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactory (GC–MS/O). Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and characteristic odor-active compounds were studied, and the emission of heartwood and sapwood of paper mulberry was compared at the same time. It was found that the main components from heartwood and sapwood were aromatics, alkanes, alkenes, aldehydes ketones, alcohols and esters. Totally, 23 kinds of odor-active compounds were identified from heartwood and sapwood of paper mulberry, among which, aromatics and aldehydes ketones were the main odorant compounds. Seven kinds of key odorant compounds were identified in this process. With the decrease in moisture content, the TVOC and total odor intensity of heartwood and sapwood generally decreased. The moisture content had a great effect on VOC release when the moisture content decreased from 70 to 50% and reduced from fiber saturation point (30%) to air saturation point (10%). The main odor impressions of paper mulberry were aromatic, fresh fruit fragrance, sweet scent and special pungent. In the whole process of moisture content decrease, the TVOC, concentration of odorant and odor intensity of sapwood were higher than that of heartwood.

The fiber of paper mulberry, which is mostly grown in the East Asian region, varies in both length and width—even if from the same species—depending on the country, soil, and climate where it is grown. This accounts for differences in the quality of handmade paper between domestic and imported products. Once handmade paper is manufactured as sheets, its origin cannot be determined from a morphological perspective, regardless of macroscopic and microscopic observations. Therefore, this study attempted to determine the origin of Korean and imported products using mulberry bast fiber and handmade paper from a chemometrics perspective. The inorganic components of wood are absorbed from the soil and exist in the bark of trees; thus, metal and rare-earth elements in the bast fibers and handmade papers were quantitatively analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy/mass spectrometry (ICP-AES/MS). Following this, a prediction model of their origin was constructed by applying multivariate statistical analysis, i.e., a partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) loading plot was constructed, which helped in identifying the discrimination factors resulting from their origin. According to the ICP-AES results, Pb was only detected in the Gyeongbuk Mungyeong dak sample of the Korean bast fibers. The Chinese bast fiber sample had high contents of Ca, and B and Zn were detected only in the Chinese bast fiber samples. Bast fiber samples from China, Japan, and Thailand showed relatively high contents of Al, Ca, and Na. Meanwhile, Cu and Zn were detected in the handmade paper manufactured from the imported materials. According to the ICP-MS results, among the Korean handmade papers, the products from Gyeongbuk Mungyeong, Andong, and Chungbuk Goesan exhibited a high U content and that from Gapyeong had high Sc, Rb, Sr, and Ba contents. Thus, the elemental analysis employed in this study effectively identified the origin of the papers. The origin prediction by PLS-DA for the domestic and imported products revealed an accuracy of 86.4% and 72.7% for ICP-AES and ICP-MS methods, respectively, which is deemed acceptable to assess the origin. We believe this method significantly contributes to determining the origin of paper mulberry bast fiber and handmade paper manufactured in East Asia.

Micro-cracks are inherently present in concrete, leads to debilitation of structures. Methods used for managing micro-cracks have a certain degree of toxicity and also possesses certain drawbacks that made them not completely efficient. Bacterial technique when used in fresh concretes results in calcite precipitation in voids and consequently improves the strength and lowers permeability of concrete. Bio- cement is the combination of Bacillus pasteurii 5% and nutrients Urea, Calcium Lactate 95%. In this study by adding 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% Bio- cement by weight of cement and observed compressive strength, flexural strength values after 7 and 28 days of curing for M25 grade of concrete.

Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) are a class of varied compounds that mimic the effects of natural cannabinoids found in cannabis. Because they have a wide range of diverse structures, they vary widely in their potency. The abuse of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in prisons was reported in many European countries and in the USA. In the present study, we have described the identification of SCRAs in 56 infused paper sheet samples, seized mainly in Brazilian prisons between 2016 and 2020. The materials were seized by local or federal law enforcement and analyzed by Sao Paulo State Police or Brazilian Federal Police using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry or nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Most of these samples (87.5%) were seized in 2019–2020; seven different SCRAs were identified in samples, and the most frequently identified substances were MDMB-4en-PINACA (23.6%) and 5F-MDMB-PICA (36.4%), the newest SCRAs emerging recently. As observed in Europe and the USA, Brazil also shows the prevalence of indazole-3-carboxamides and indole-3-carboxamides among SCRAs seizures in the prison system. This phenomenon is spreading all over the world at this moment. These data on the prevalence could help to alert judicial authorities to shutting down the introduction of NPS, including SCRAs, into prisons to ensure safety and security for avoiding health risks of prisoners and staff, leading to positive effects in this population. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of SCRAs smuggling into prisons in Latin America.

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is one of the coinhibitory checkpoints upon T cell activation, the abnormal expression of which severely threatens host immune modulatation for chronic infection. Thus, fast and sensitive monitoring of PD-1 is of vital importance for early diagnosis and cancer treatment. The current detection methods largely based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) require time-consuming incubation and complicated washing steps. Herein, we designed a simple and portable nanofiber paper (NFP)-based fluorescence "off-on" immunosensor for PD-1 rapid determination. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets modified NFP (MoS2-NFP) was employed for adsorbing and immobilizing CdSe/ZnS quantum dots-antibody (QDs-Ab) complex to construct a ready-to-use fluorescent immunosensor. The fluorescent signal of QDs-Ab was initially quenched by MoS2 under the Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) effect. When the PD-1 target was specifically captured onto NFP by immunization, the QDs-Ab-PD-1 complex was promptly desorbed from the MoS2-NFP surface, resulting in FRET impediment and fluorescence recovery. As an alternative quenching agent, graphene oxide (GO) served as a contrast to investigate NFP-based sensing performance. Owing to superior quenching and desorption efficiency, the MoS2-NFP-based fluorescence immunosensor exhibited nearly 2-fold lower detection limit (85.5 pg/mL) than GO-NFP-based sensor (151 pg/mL) for PD-1 monitoring. Excellent selectivity and satisfactory recovery in PD-1 mouse cell culture supernatant samples were confirmed as well. In addition, the comparable detectability of the MoS2-NFP-based immunosensor was accurately evaluated by a standard PD-1 mouse ELISA kit. This study displayed a simple, rapid, low-cost, and portable point-of-care PD-1 assay, indicating its broad application prospect toward clinical diagnoses.

By continuously varying the structure of graphene oxide paper (PRGP) using Joule heating annealing, we are able to tune its electrical conductivity (σ) and thermal diffusivity (α) in a very wide range: more than three orders of magnitude for σ (186–503009 S/m) and 10-fold for α (8.31 × 10−7 m2/s to 9.31 × 10−6 m2/s). Excellent coherency-linear relationship between σ and α is discovered although they are sustained by different carriers: electrons and phonons. Such coherency exists over two sections: σ > 2 × 104 S/m, and 103

Superhydrophobic surfaces have high potential in self-cleaning and oil-water separation applications. We developed a three-step method for the preparation of superhydrophobic filter paper. It involved citric acid (CA) pretreatment to activate cellulose fibers, coating with cellulose nanofibrils/functionalized silica (CNFs/m-SiO2) slurry to increase surface roughness, and grafting of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) to enhance water resistance. The water contact angle (WCA) and siding angle (SA) of the prepared filter paper reached 151.5° and 7.5°, respectively. The results showed that, compared to the coated filter paper without the added CNFs, the coated paper with CNFs had higher retention of m-SiO2, thus roughness required for superhydrophobic surface was achieved. Further test under frequent abrasion and acid or alkali conditions showed that CA pretreatment improved the durability of superhydrophobic filter paper due to chemical crosslinking between the modified substrate and m-SiO2. Besides, the prepared superhydrophobic filter paper had outstanding self-cleaning property and high oil-water separation efficiency for various oil-water mixtures. Therefore, it is expected to be used for the treatment of oily wastewater.

Graphical abstract Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is widely used for the detection of disease biomarkers. However, it utilizes time-consuming procedures and expensive instruments, making it infeasible for point-of-care (POC) analysis especially in resource-limited settings. In this work, a multicolorimetric ELISA biosensor integrated on a paper/polymer hybrid microfluidic device was developed for rapid visual detection of disease biomarkers at point of care, without using costly equipment. This multicolormetric ELISA platform was built on multiple distinct color variants resulted from the catalytic oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and the etching of gold nanorods (AuNRs). The vivid color changes could be easily distinguished by the naked eye, and their red mean values allowed quantitative biomarker detection, without using any sophisticated instruments. When this multicolorimetric ELISA was integrated on a paper/polymer hybrid analytical device, it not only provided integrated processing and high portability but also enabled fast assays in about 50 min due to the unique advantages of paper/polymer hybrid devices. The limit of detection of 9.1 ng/μL of the hepatitis C virus core antigen, a biomarker for hepatitis C, was achieved using this multicolorimetric ELISA platform. This multicolor ELISA analytical device provides a new versatile, user-friendly, affordable, and portable immunosensing platform with high potential for on-site detections of various viruses, proteins, and biomarkers for low-resource settings such as at home, public venues, rural areas, and developing nations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00216-021-03359-8.

"Moringa oleifera (drumstick) wood was evaluated in terms of its chemical composition, morphological features, Kraft pulping behavior, ECF bleaching and mechanical strength properties – important parameters for pulp and paper making – in comparison with Acacia mangium. Moringa oleifera was found to have the following composition: holocellulose 65.5%, lignin 20.5%, pentosan 11.6%, -cellulose 40.5% and extractives content of 5.15%, which made it comparable with the Acacia mangium wood sample. The alkali prehydrolysis of Moringa oleifera was carried out using 2% NaOH at 150 °C. The prehydrolysis liquor (PHL) was found to contain 50.9 mg/kg of calcium, 5140 mg/kg of potassium and 312 mg/kg of iron content. The prehydrolysis step was followed by Kraft pulping in order to obtain chemical grade pulp of kappa number 15-16 under optimized conditions. The Moringa oleifera pulp was bleached using the DEpD bleaching sequence to reach 85% brightness (ISO). The bleached pulp had an average fiber length of 1.21 mm, which was higher than that of Acacia mangium – 0.782 mm. The mechanical strength properties of the unbleached and bleached pulps, such as tear, tensile and burst indices, were also determined to show their suitability for pulp and paper production."

The in-situ synthesis of calcium silicate in the fiber can not only meet the requirements for high loading of paper, but also make up and improve the reduction of paper performance caused by filling. In this investigation, the effects of pulp type, beating degree, fiber ratio, reaction time, rotational speed, dosage of lime milk and dispersant on calcium silicate loading and paper properties were investigated. The results showed that when the beating degree was 40 °SR, the ratio of softwood and hardwood pulp was 1:1, the reaction time was 60 min, the rotation speed was 600 r·min−1, the dosage of lime milk was 1.33 times of the theoretical amount, and the dosage of cationic polyacrylamide was 0.3 % (absolutely dry pulp), the ash content of hand-made sheet was 41.2 %, and the loading amount of calcium silicate was 26.3 %. Under this condition, the comprehensive performance of paper was the best.

The study aimed at the use of char produced during pyrolysis of mix plastic waste. It further focused on producing activated carbon from char and also found its efficacy as efficient adsorbent for treatment of pulp and paper mill wastewater. The activated carbon was characterized in comparison with raw char for their physical, surface and adsorptive properties. Batch type adsorption experiments were carried out using 100 ml wastewater to observe the individual effectiveness using five different variables such as adsorbent dose (0.25–2.0 g), pH (6–10), time (5–24 h), agitation speed (100–200 rpm) and temperature (30–50 °C) by keeping other variables constant which helped to find out the effective range of all the variables. The competency was evaluated on the basis of colour and lignin content of pulp and paper industry wastewater. Once the effective range of different variables was identified, the statistical analysis was conducted to monitor the mutual impact on the reduction in colour and lignin contents in wastewater. From the statistical design applied, the best result was obtained at activated carbon dose (1.25 g), pH (8.0), contact time (7 h), agitation speed (184 rpm) and temperature (40 °C). The study resulted in reduction of 96.48% in colour and 94.25% in lignin at optimized condition in comparison with 87.37 and 80.44%, respectively, at unoptimized conditions. A potential increase in reduction of 9.0% in colour and 14.0% in lignin content was achieved after optimization through statistical design that confirmed its usefulness.

A simple electrochemical approach has been strategically developed for in situ generations of ZnO nanoparticles using Zn rods as electrodes and hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant without the formation of any by-product. These ZnO nanoparticles were extended for remediation of pollutants present in paper mill effluents, and separation efficiency was found to be above 90% for hydrocarbons, 92% for lignin, 99% for phenol, and 93% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), as confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and COD analysis. It was also observed that the experimental setup could successfully remove 99% of the color from the sample. These ZnO nanoparticles have been proven in the past to be antibacterial and were explored for its ability to inhibit the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the effluent samples after the removal of toxic pollutants. Therefore, we proposed an electrochemical reaction for the in situ synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles for remediation of paper mill effluent as well as inhibit the bacterial growth in the treated effluent sample.

Due to their unique properties, paper-based biosensors have attracted attention as inexpensive devices for on-site analysis. To achieve fast and sensitive detection of analytes, immobilization of enzymes with high apparent activities on paper is highly desirable; however, this is challenging. Herein, we report an improved approach to attach a malathion degrading enzyme, PoOPHM9, on paper via an interlocking network of Pluronic F127 (PF127)–poly(acrylic acid)–enzyme conjugates. The addition of PF127 improved retention of enzymatic activity as the apparent kinetic constant Vmax of the immobilized enzyme increased two-fold compared with the paper prepared without PF127. The PF127–poly(acrylic acid)–PoOPHM9 papers provided rapid colorimetric detection of malathion at 0.1–50 mM. The detection was completed within 5 min using a smartphone and image analysis software. As a proof-of-concept, malathion-contaminated water, plant, and apple samples were analyzed with the papers successfully. This material is promising for on-site rapid analysis of malathion-contaminated samples.

In this study, Taguchi experimental design was used to the optimize operating parameters for the degradation of paper mill effluent using electrochemical (EC) process with two-dimensional concentric aluminum tube electrodes (CATE). For this purpose, four significant experimental factors were used in four levels pH (6–9), electrolysis time (10–40 min), voltage (6–12 V) and surface area (357–624 cm(2)). The process parameters were optimized, through performing L16 orthogonal array of Taguchi technique, for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity. The percent COD and turbidity reductions were transferred into an accurate S/N ratio for a larger value is the better (LBT) response. The study presents a unique method of finding optimum combination of process parameters to illustrate their effect on the turbidity and COD reduction. The treatment conditions for the maximum elimination of the pollutants were second level of pH (7), third level of ET (30 min), fourth level of voltage (12 V) and second level of surface area (446 cm(2)). The confirmation experiment results were within the confidence intervals (CI) indicating an acceptable agreement between predicted and observed values. Based on the p-values, the electrolysis time and voltages were found to be the most significant factors for both COD and turbidity reduction. The findings of research indicated, that the Taguchi method can be used successfully for the treatment of paper industry effluent by electrochemical technique.

In this research, simultaneous quantification of cysteine (Cys) and histidine (His) using a paper-based sensor was investigated for the first time. A microfluidic paper-based sensor is a promising amino acid determination tool due to its low cost, low sample consumption, and fast analysis and is easy to make. We used SBA-15 as porous materials that are crystalline compounds formed with surfactants and TEOS as a silica source. The SBA-15 sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscope techniques. The microfluidic paper-based sensors were fabricated using a wax pen, and the mesoporous SBA-15 modified filter paper. The fabricated sensors for Cys and His determination are operated based on an indicator-displacement assay. A comparative determination study of Cys and His on the sensors was carried out. The results illustrated that the addition of silica nanoporous material led to an immediate and uniform color change. The sensors were successfully exploited in the simultaneous determination of urinary Cys and His levels, thus providing the potential opportunity for clinical diagnosis. The linear range of 1.0 to 90.0 μM and 1.0 to 100 μM for His and Cys was obtained from the calibration data. The detection limits were also calculated (S/N = 3) for His and Cys of 0.5 μM and 1.5 μM, respectively. The proposed method showed a good agreement with the results achieved by a standard method.

This study focused on the applying endo-xylanases to reduce the use of bleaching agent, coupled with the production of xylooligosaccharides (XOs), in mulberry paper making. Paper mulberry pulp (PMP) was consecutively prepared from paper mulberry bark by traditional NaOH-treatment, and two types of thermostable endo-xylanase from Streptomyces thermovulgaris TISTR1948 (wild-type and recombinant endo-xylanases) were employed in the biobleaching of PMP. This process was optimized to achieve maximum XOs yields and the highest PMP quality. The optimal condition was an enzyme dosage of 125 U/g PMP at 12 h of reaction time, both in a 500 mL laboratory bottle and a 150 L reactor. The mixture obtained from the reactor was separated as liquid of XOs derived from PMP (PMP-XOs) and solid biobleached PMP. The PMP-XOs from wild-type endo-xylanase were composed of 31.6% xylopentaose (X5), 30.9% xylohexaose and higher-degree XOs (X ≥ 6), and 11.7% xylobiose (X2), whereas 76.6% of X5 and 8.6% of X2 were the main products from recombinant endo-xylanase. The PMP-XOs derived from both endo-xylanase types exhibited high antioxidant activities, reducing power, phenolic contents, and prebiotic efficacy. In addition, the application of both endo-xylanases enhanced the brightness of PMP by 5.1% and 3.5%, and reduced the kappa number by 9.1% and 3.6%, respectively. Biobleached PMP was subsequently subjected to the NaOCl bleaching step to produce the mulberry paper. This approach could reduce NaOCl consumption by 20–25%, making it an environmentally friendly alternative. The production of valuable prebiotics, such as PMP-XOs, further enhances the economic viability of this approach.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an essential technology for wastewater management, resource recovery and biogas production, and it is considered as an efficient and reliable treatment method for many wastewaters. Operating parameters have been shown to directly affect the stability and treatment performance of AD, especially temperature. For 180 days, the AD of recycled paper mill wastewater (RPMW) was carried out in a modified anaerobic inclining-baffled (MAIB) reactor under various temperature conditions, i.e. 29 °C (low mesophilic), 37 °C (mesophilic) and 55 °C (thermophilic). It was found that total COD removal of 94, 96 and 76%, and methane yields of 0.125, 0.196 and 0.256 L CH4/g CODremoved were attained at temperatures of 29, 37 and 55 °C, respectively. Throughout the three transition periods, the pH level in the MAIB reactor fluctuated slightly within the range of 5.8–6.5 without affecting the system stability. The results concluded that thermophilic condition strongly influenced the MAIB reactor performance, leading to lower COD removal, higher methane yield and gradually recovered pH level. Highlights Novel modified anaerobic inclining-baffled (MAIB) reactor, which combines the development of attached and settled microorganisms, was operated for the treatment of recycled paper mill wastewater (RPMW).; The operational temperature intensive analysis of MAIB was investigated at thermophilic and mesophilic conditions.; The system compartmental characteristics were also analyzed and discussed.

A high-barrier, strong, and antibacterial paper was fabricated by coating the acetylated cellulose solution with different contents of cinnamaldehyde (CIN) on Kraft paper. The antibacterial, antioxidant, mechanical, and barrier properties of coated paper were investigated. When the amount of CIN added in coating reached 6% v/v, the coated paper exhibited excellent antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Notably, the dry and wet tensile strength of paper after coating was increased by 26.4 and 10.6 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, the coated papers' barrier properties against oil, water, water vapor, and oxygen were dramatically improved, especially for the water barrier rate up to 96.4%. Our coated papers with over 6% v/v CIN could extend beef's shelf-life for at least 4 days, which exhibited a promising prospect in eco-friendly antibacterial packaging.

A newly developed research topic, fabricated paper-based microfluidic sensors, was discussed in the field of low-cost environmental detection. Distinguished with the traditional dipstick or lateral-flow setups, these paper-based microfluidic sensors can serve as a tool for onsite quantitative and semi-quantitative measurements, without risks to cause environmental pollution. They have attracted increasing interest since the first easy-fabricated paper-based setup reported by Whitesides group in 2007. Most of the publications utilized paper-based sensors in clinical detection. In recent years, some groups started to use these sensors in environmental measurement, leading to precise, easy operation, low-cost, and eco-friendly methods for onsite detection. In this review, paper-based microfluidic sensors were briefly introduced, followed by literatures review and discussion for future perspectives.

In the tourism industry, the sales of local specialties is an important part, and the package design and integrity of the specialties are very important. This paper first introduced the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm that was used for detecting defects on the surface of paper packages. Then, the design of red wind packages was briefly described, and the simulation experiment was carried out on SVM algorithm using red wine packages with different degrees of surface defects. Proper parameters were tested using the k-fold cross-validation method. The results demonstrated that the properties of paper improved the value of packages and the SVM algorithm had better accuracy than artificial recognition in recognizing different degrees of defects on the surface of packages. In conclusion, this paper describes the application of paper in packages and provides an effective method for the defection of defects on the surface of packages. This study provides an effective references to the improvement of package values and the enhancement of package integrity.

Rewritable paper is meaningful to the recyclable and sustainable utilization of environmental resources and thus has been extensively investigated for several decades. In this work, we demonstrated an efficient and convenient strategy to fabricate rewritable paper based on reversible hydrochromism of donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs). The kinetics and efficiency of isomerization could be well-controlled by adjusting the surrounding temperature and humidity. Monocolored rewritable paper was prepared by coating cyclic DASA·xH2O on the paper surface. Writing, printing, stamping and patterning were realized on the rewritable paper. The information could be controllably erased by treatment in a humid atmosphere. More importantly, the rewritable paper was upgraded to multicolored by combination of two DASA materials. The color of chirography was switched by controlling the writing speed.

COVID-19 first appeared in December of 2019 in Wuhan, China. Since then it has become a global pandemic. A robust and scalable diagnostics strategy is crucial for containing and monitoring the pandemic. RT-PCR is a known, reliable method for COVID-19 diagnostics which can differentiate between SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. However, PCR is location dependent, time consuming and relatively expensive. Thus, there is a need for a more flexible method which may be produced in an off-the-shelf format and distributed more widely. Paper-based immunoassays can fulfill this function. Here we present the first steps towards a paper-based test which can differentiate between different between the Spike protein of various coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 and CoV-HKU1 with negligible cross reactivity for HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-229E in a single assay which takes less than 30 minutes. Furthermore, our test can distinguish between fractions of the same Spike protein. This is done by an altered assay design with four test line locations where each antigen builds a unique, identifiable binding pattern. The effect of several factors, such as running media, immunoprobe concentration and antigen interference is considered. We find that running media has a significant effect on the final binding pattern where human saliva provides results while human serum leads to the lowest signal quality.

The salivary glands are closely associated with stress conditions and the neuroendocrine system. The concentrations of these salivary biomarkers fluctuate with a person’s disease status. Until now, salivary diagnostics have been promising; however, the analytical tools for detecting salivary biomarkers have remained burdensome due to the lack of user-friendly and cost-effective equipment. In this study, we used a microfluidic starch-coated paper-based chip to isolate ɑ-amylase from human saliva. The concentration of ɑ-amylase on the head and tail sections of the paper-based chip was compared in the presence or absence of starch. We found that ɑ-amylase was highly concentrated only in the head section of the starch-coated paper-based chip through Western blotting (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We expect our designed paper-based chip will aid in α-amylase detection technologies using saliva and small amounts of other biofluids including blood, tears, pancreatic juice, and urine.

Organic dyes are used in many industries, e.g., textile, cosmetics and food. Hence, contamination of organic dyes to water sources is a critical issue. To reduce water pollution by organic dyes, we propose a paper-like adsorbent with a practical and economical production procedure. Subsequently, a flexible adsorbent was produced using a one-step approach by vacuum filtration of graphene oxide (GO) and iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs) containing dispersion through a membrane and quoted as GO/Fe3O4 paper. For comparison, GO paper was also prepared using the same procedure. Both papers were characterized using UV–VIS absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron diffraction X-ray analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction techniques. At the steady-state conditions, GO/Fe3O4 and GO papers were performed as adsorbent for cationic dyes of methylene blue, neutral red, and anionic dyes of methyl orange and fluorescein. In general, the removal efficiency of GO/Fe3O4 paper was higher than that of GO paper for adsorption of all dyes and this adsorbent revealed satisfactory adsorption properties for cationic dyes when compared to anionic dyes.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a significant role in the pathophysiological process of many diseases, highlighting their values in medical diagnosis and disease monitoring. However, the current EV isolation methods are time-consuming, inconvenient to operate, and incompatible with downstream analyses. Here, we present a novel isolation method employing anionic polysaccharide-modified filter papers for the isolation of EVs (AppiEV) via electrostatic adsorption. A disc of glass fiber-based filter modified with sodium alginate was assembled into a spin column to function as the solid capture phase. In the acidic condition, EVs were induced to carry more positively charged ions, which enable the capture of EVs by the negatively charged filter paper. After a wash, the EVs were released from the spin column using an alkaline elution buffer, which induces the EVs to carry more negative charges. The EVs isolated by AppiEV from cell culture supernatants, plasma, and urine are similar to or even better than those isolated by ultracentrifugation in terms of EV size distribution, protein distribution, and nucleic acid contents. Due to the interference removal of the EV-free RNA and DNA attributed to the negatively charged capture medium, the eluate of AppiEV could be directly used for genetic analysis, including the stem-loop RT-PCR analysis of miR-21 and the allele-specific PCR analysis of mutation genes of EGFR p.L858R and EGFR p.T790M. We believe that AppiEV offers a simple and efficient approach for the isolation of high-quality EVs from various liquid specimens.

In this elucidation, we synthesized novel molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPOH1-4) that were used as organic fillers on bagasse pulp to form cellulosic paper sheets, the formation of MIPOH1-4 from the reaction of enaminone 3 with methyl methacrylate monomer in the presence of ethylene glycol dimethyl acrylate and 2,2’-azobisisobutyronitrile. The obtained MIPOH1-4 was confirmed via FT-IR and SEM with different pore sizes. And we noticed that the increase of template 3 increases the hydrogen bond between monomer and template and gave sponge surface of MIPOH4. Furthermore, the computational energies of the template with different monomers utilize DFT/B3LYP/6-31G (d) level to know the stability of polymers and hydrogen bonding between them. So that we applied that in paper manufacture through the adsorption of MIPOH4 as an organic filler on bagasse pulp to form novel cellulosic paper sheets with different concentrations and these sheets which characteristic through FT-IR, SEM, sizing test, tensile strength, and elucidation their antimicrobial activity with theoretical and docking studies. The MIPOH4 and cellulosic paper sheets showed the thermal stability and high tendency of sizability of these paper sheets and concluded the interaction between cellulose fibers of pulp with MIPOH polymer with physical hydrogen bonding.

One of the most cited limitations of biochemical detection is its poor sensitivity, owing to the relatively high complexity of micro-samples. Moreover, some samples cannot be easily self-replicated and their abundance cannot be increased through traditional technologies. Therefore, the preconcentration of low-abundance samples is a key requirement for microfluidic biological analysis. In recent years, the ion-concentration polarization phenomenon has aroused widespread interest in the application of microfluidic technology. In addition, paper-based materials are readily available, easy to modify, and exhibit good hydrophilicity. The study of the ion-concentration polarization preconcentration of micro-samples in paper-based microfluidic chips is of considerable significance. In this review, we discuss the development and applications of ion-concentration polarization paper-based preconcentrator in the past 5 years, with emphasis on key progresses in chip fabrication and performance optimization under different conditions. The current needs and development prospects in this field have also been discussed.

This paper is aimed to develop a hybrid model (PCA-ANN) to predict the extractive content in eucalyptus wood clones. The input variables to the virtual analyzer are planting parameters available from the forest inventory, therefore the prediction does not rely on laboratory analysis of the wood samples, affording a quick estimate of the extractive contents. This study further bridges the literature gap on the investigation of the cause of variability of extractive content in eucalyptus wood. The PCA-ANN was identified from experimental data to predict and monitor the extractive content, since laboratory measurements can take several days and become available only after wood processing. The experimental data contained information on ten species of eucalyptus clones from five regions in the extreme south of Bahia, Brazil. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) firstly assessed the impact of planting variables on the extractives content. The variability of the data was represented by eight principal components and the variables that mostly contribute to the extractive content are: potential acidity, iron, saturation of aluminum, magnesium, pH, base saturation, remaining phosphorus, zinc, manganese and copper. The artificial neural network (ANN) with the 8 principal components in the input layer showed that the PCA could effectively reduce the dimensionality of the data. For practical purposes, though, the ANN with 10 input variables and 16 neurons in the hidden layer, presenting an average relative deviation of 1.5%, is recommended. The prediction of the extractive content is essential to allow preventive management practices toward the improvement of yield and quality of the cellulosic pulp.

The growth of (bio)sensors in analytical chemistry is mainly attributable to the development of affordable, effective, portable, and user-friendly analytical tools. In the field of sensors, paper-based devices are gaining a relevant position for their outstanding features including foldability, ease of use, and instrument-free microfluidics. Herein, a multifarious use of filter paper to detect copper ions in bodily fluids is reported by exploiting this eco-friendly material to (i) synthesize AuNPs without the use of reductants and/or external stimuli, (ii) print the electrodes, (iii) load the reagents for the assay, (iv) filter the gross impurities, and (v) preconcentrate the target analyte. Copper ions were detected down to 3 ppb with a linearity up to 400 ppb in standard solutions. The applicability in biological matrices, namely, sweat and serum, was demonstrated by recovery studies and by analyzing these biofluids with the paper-based platform and the reference method (atomic absorption spectroscopy), demonstrating satisfactory accuracy of the novel eco-designed analytical tool.

Industrial effluent Management is one of the major environmental concerns, especially in developing countries under rapid industrialization. The grossly polluting industries recognized by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), such as Pulp and Paper Industries, poses even bigger environmental threats, owing to quantity and quality of effluent generated. This paper aimed at analyzing effluent management practices in pulp and paper industries in India, and asses the performance variability of a paper mill effluent treatment plant (ETP), as a Case Study. Majority of pulp and paper industries found to still employ conventional methods of effluent treatment. Although, most of the parameters of treated effluent are commonly reported within CPCB’s permissible discharge limits, the treatment is usually cost and energy intensive, and produce high amount of solid residuals as sludge. For the case study paper mill ETP, the treatment efficiencies of the ETP units were analyzed under variable inlet pH, TSS, TDS, BOD and COD loads. The pH variations in the range of 6.5 to 9 had little effect of COD or TSS removal, however removal efficiencies were higher for larger inlet COD or TSS loads. The results of the study could be helpful in optimizing operation of the existing ETPs, as well as, guiding on upgrading ETPs with more cost-effective and efficient units.

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) have developed rapidly in recent years, because of their advantages, such as small sample volume, rapid detection rates, low cost, and portability. Due to these characteristics, they can be used for in vitro diagnostics in the laboratory, or in the field, for a variety of applications, including food evaluation, disease screening, environmental monitoring, and drug testing. This review will present various detection methods employed by μPADs and their respective applications for the detection of target analytes. These include colorimetry, electrochemistry, chemiluminescence (CL), electrochemiluminescence (ECL), and fluorescence-based methodologies. At the same time, the choice of labeling material and the design of microfluidic channels are also important for detection results. The construction of novel nanocomponents and different smart structures of paper-based devices have improved the performance of μPADs and we will also highlight some of these in this manuscript. Additionally, some key challenges and future prospects for the use of μPADs are briefly discussed.

Plant fiber classified as environmentally friendly material is a promising renewable engineering material rich in lignocellulose that can be employed in the pulp and paper industry as a substitutio...

Thermochemical parameters of A4-sized printing paper (AP), filter paper (FP), newspaper (NP), writing paper (WP), and reed pith (RP) samples were estimated using standard protocol to identify its fuel characteristics, and thermal degradation of the same was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermogravimetric (DTG) techniques in the temperature range of 30–800 °C at the heating rates of 10, 15, and 20 °C/min under nitrogen atmosphere. The curves of TGA and DTG exhibited four significant stages. Maximum weight loss was found to be in the second stage. Kinetic analysis was carried out in the conversion range of 0.1 to 0.7 using iso-conversational models of Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Vyazovkin, and Vyazovkin AIC (V.AIC). The average activation energies were found to be 139.90, 115.93, 212.52, 257.41, and 241.63 kJ/mol using FWO; 129.73, 103.06, 202.46, 248.38, and 231.55 kJ/mol using KAS; 145.57, 134.00, 195.29, 256, and 241.63 kJ/mol using Vyazovkin; and 140.71, 133.86, 193.14, 247.57, and 190.14 kJ/mol using Vyazovkin AIC model. Thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy change (ΔH), Gibbs free energy change (ΔG), and entropy change (ΔS)) using these models have been evaluated.

All-cellulose paper-based composites with underwater superoleophobicity and high-wet-strength were developed by casting a barrier layer of bacterial cellulose (BC) on a filter paper substrate. To optimize the pore structure of barrier layer, slow gel process of BC dispersion was conducted via acidification and solvent exchange. 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid was used to improve the wet strength and surface hydrophilicity through the crosslinking reaction between fibers. The underwater oil contact angles are higher than 150° in neutral environment, and slightly decrease under acid and alkali conditions. Combined with the micron-sized pore structure of BC barrier layer, the composite papers show good separation performance of oil-in-water emulsion. A denser BC layer can significantly improve the separation efficiency, but also lead to the reduction of flux. During the gelation of BC barrier layer, the increase in the ethanol/water ratio of the dispersion medium is able to increase the flux without obvious negative impact on the separation efficiency. When the ethanol/water ratio is 80%, the separation efficiency and water flux reach 99.2% and 1320 L m−2 h−1·bar−1 for the emulsified soybean oil with the average size of 13 μm, respectively. This type of all-cellulose composite papers provides a new idea for the fabrication of membrane materials for oil–water separation.

The 14th edition of the Workshop on Recent Issues in Bioanalysis (14th WRIB) was held virtually on June 15-29, 2020 with an attendance of over 1000 representatives from pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, contract research organizations, and regulatory agencies worldwide. The 14th WRIB included three Main Workshops, seven Specialized Workshops that together spanned 11 days in order to allow exhaustive and thorough coverage of all major issues in bioanalysis, biomarkers, immunogenicity, gene therapy and vaccine. Moreover, a comprehensive vaccine assays track; an enhanced cytometry track and updated Industry/Regulators consensus on BMV of biotherapeutics by LCMS were special features in 2020. As in previous years, this year's WRIB continued to gather a wide diversity of international industry opinion leaders and regulatory authority experts working on both small and large molecules to facilitate sharing and discussions focused on improving quality, increasing regulatory compliance and achieving scientific excellence on bioanalytical issues. This 2020 White Paper encompasses recommendations emerging from the extensive discussions held during the workshop, and is aimed to provide the Global Bioanalytical Community with key information and practical solutions on topics and issues addressed, in an effort to enable advances in scientific excellence, improved quality and better regulatory compliance. Due to its length, the 2020 edition of this comprehensive White Paper has been divided into three parts for editorial reasons. This publication covers the recommendations on (Part 2A) BAV, PK LBA, Flow Cytometry Validation and Cytometry Innovation and (Part 2B) Regulatory Input. Part 1 (Innovation in Small Molecules, Hybrid LBA/LCMS & Regulated Bioanalysis), Part 3 (Vaccine, Gene/Cell Therapy, NAb Harmonization and Immunogenicity) are published in volume 13 of Bioanalysis, issues 4, and 6 (2021), respectively.