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The layer structure of the Khokhloma painting which is used for decorating wood objects was investigated by the optical coherence microscopy method. 3,D-tomograms, 5-scans for "upper" and "background" painting and for the areas that create the effect of meccatura are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of cultural Heritage objects is often technically challenging. When analyzing micro-fragments, the amount of matter is usually very tiny, hence requiring sensitive techniques. These samples, in particular painting fragments, may present multi-layered structures, with layer thickness of ∼10 μm. It leads to favor micro-imaging techniques, with a good lateral resolution (about one micrometer), that manage the discriminative study of each layer. Besides, samples are usually very complex in term of chemistry, as they are made of mineral and organic matters, amorphous and crystallized phases, major and minor elements. Accordingly, a multi-modal approach is generally essential to solve the chemical complexity of such hybrid materials. Different examples will be given, to illustrate the various possibilities of synchrotron-based micro-imaging techniques, such as micro X-ray diffraction, micro X-ray fluorescence, micro X-ray absorption spectroscopy and micro FTIR spectroscopy. Focus will be made on paintings, but the whole range of museum objects (going from soft matter like paper or wood to hard matter like metal and glass) will be also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sludge generated from water treatment plant in two different paint and pigment manufacturing industries were used for culturing earthworms (Eisenia foetida Savigny) and possibility of getting a quality vermicompost was also explored. The sludges were collected from the sludge drying beds of two industries, one manufacturing CPC Green (Copper pthalocyanine green) and the other manufacturing acrylic (pure and styrene) washable distempers, synthetic enamels, fillers and putties. The sludges were used pure and mixed with rotten and a month old cowdung at 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 and 3:1 ratios (sludge: cowdung). In pure sludges and in 3:1 ratio earthworms did not survive. Sludges were alkaline, non-saline, but had appreciable Ca, Al, Pb, Zn, Mn while CPC green particularly had high Cu (12930 mg kg-1) and the other had high total Cr (156 mg kg-1). High Ca and Al in both came from water treatment chemicals lime and alum while CPC green itself is a copper based pigment. The sludges were suitable for land application as regard to their metal contents except for Cu in CPC green. CPC green did not support proper growth of plants (green gram, Vigna radiata (L). R. Wilcz.) while the acrylic paint sludge supported growth in pure form and mixtures with soil. Earthworms had very low survival in CPC green sludge and its mixtures although mixtures were microbially active and the acrylic paint sludge was very efficient in supporting worm growth and worm castings were generated in quick time. Castings were nutritionally acceptable but the original colour of the raw materials remained unchanged in the castings indicating no conversion of the paint/pigments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ethanolic extracts of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) hairy root were used to investigate the removal of color and improvement of biological activity for better in its industrial application. The extracts were exposed to gamma-ray ranged from 2.5 to 30 kGy. The red beet hairy root is composed of two major red-colorants such as betanin and isobetanin. The gamma irradiation at 5 kGy remarkably reduced major colorants of red beet by 94% and reddish color was completely disappeared by doses greater than 10 kGy. This color removal was likely due to the effects of gamma radiolysis of ethanol. Although the details of the decay mechanism of chromophore by gamma-ray has not entirely explained, results of the present study suggest that the free radicals produced are capable of demolishing the chromophore group in all (iso)betanin, resulting in the bleaching of the substrate solution. In spite of degradation of major colorants, the biological activities such as DPPH radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibition were negligibly affected by gamma irradiation up to 20 kGy. Antioxidant activity is retained from 92.7% in control to 90.0-92.0% in irradiated samples (2.5-20 kGy), together with slight decrease as an 87.5% at 30 kGy. In addition, tyrosinase inhibition activity has also the same pattern that is, the activity is slightly increased from 50.7% of control to 49.1-52.8% of irradiated samples (2.5-20 kGy) with a 46.8% at 30 kGy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]