Ex situ catalytic biomass pyrolysis using mesoporous Ti-MCM-41

Abstract

Biomass has attracted considerable attention as energy, economic, and environmental asset, as result of its abundance and range of properties. The use of mesoporous catalysts during fast pyrolysis has been a highly important route to improve efficiency as well adding value to biomass. The addition of titanium to molecular sieves increases the efficiency of the pyrolysis reaction by improving production and selectivity of products of interest. This study aims at analyzing the catalytic pyrolysis products of elephant grass using titanium catalysts prepared at different Si/Ti molar ratios, i.e., 25 and 50. The material was supported on MCM-41 for the catalytic pyrolysis of biomass. The biomass pyrolysis reactions were performed in a micropyrolyzer coupled to a GC/MS analyzer. The Ti-MCM-41 samples were characterized by XRD, BET-specific area, and UV-visible. The distribution of pyrolysis products depended on process parameters such as temperature and catalyst type. The highest yield for hydrocarbon production, such as styrene, benzene, methylbenzene, and naphthalene, was observed at 600 °C using Si/Ti equal to 50.

http://bit.ly/2SEwJv0

Effect of grape seed extract on maternal toxicity and in utero development in mice treated with zearalenone

Abstract

The aims of this study were to determine the polyphone content of grape seed extract (GSE) and to assess their protective effects against zearalenone (ZEN)-induced maternal toxicity and in utero development defects in mice. Five groups of pregnant mice were treated orally during days 6–13 of gestation as follows: control group, corn oil as vehicle (0.1 ml/mice)-treated group, ZEN-treated group (25 mg/kg b.w), GSE-treated group (150 mg/kg b.w.), and ZEN plus GSE-treated group. All animals were sacrificed on the 19th day of gestation and samples of bone marrow were collected for the micronucleus assay. The maternal and developmental toxicity were carried out. The HPLC analyses revealed that GES is rich in gallic acid, syringic acid, vanillin, quercetin, and coumaric acid. ZEN administration resulted in severe maternal and developmental toxicity which included an increase of micronuclei formation in bone marrow, decreased maternal weight gain, and litter weight. It also induces fetal growth retardation, increased number of the aborted dams and resorbed fetuses, abnormality of fetal bone ossification, and number of fetuses with a hematoma. GSE showed positive effects on the pregnant mice and the developing fetuses. Moreover, it counteracted the detrimental effects of ZEN in dams and fetuses. It could be concluded that polyphenols in GSE are a promising candidate to protect against ZEN toxicity in highly endemic areas.

http://bit.ly/2Ayiocu

Gas thermal remediation of an organic contaminated site: field trial

Abstract

This paper investigated the performance of in situ gas thermal remediation (GTR) technique for the remediation of organic contaminated soil and groundwater. The pollutants of the site are mainly benzene, chlorobenzene, and petroleum. To evaluate the effectiveness of GTR, 100-m² site soil with a depth of up to 18 m were installed with heating wells and extraction wells. The temperature in the GTR system was 100~200 °C, and the pressure was 0.5~2.0 kPa. It ran for 34 days. Later, soil and groundwater were sampled 7 days after treatment. The results show that the temperatures of the central remediation area and the heating well surrounding area were higher than that of the edge position. The average temperature of the surface soil was the lowest. The highest temperatures were found at depths of − 3 m and − 6 m. In addition, the removal rates of benzene, chlorobenzene, and petroleum in soil were up to 99.81%, 99.72%, and 98.23%, respectively. Meanwhile, those for groundwater were up to 98.77%, 97.70%, and 99.99%, respectively. The removal rate of pollutants in soil is affected by temperature and the nature of the soil. Although many GTR projects have been applied in the USA, this project is the first engineering application project of GTR technology in China. The results present the good in situ organic removal efficiency of GTR system in this study and therefore provide a guidance and technical support for similar projects in China.

http://bit.ly/2SEVkj4

Ecotoxicological assessment of Fluazuron: effects on Folsomia candida and Eisenia andrei

Abstract

The cattle production in Brazil has increased considerably in the last years, mainly due to the control of parasite infestation of the animals, which cause loss of productivity to the sector. Fluazuron is an active ingredient (a.i.) of the benzoylurea class used to control ticks in cattle. As this a.i. has been found unchanged in animal feces, which may present a risk to edaphic organisms, this study aimed to assess the effects of fluazuron on survival, reproduction, and behavior of the soil invertebrates Folsomia candida and Eisenia andrei, through ecotoxicological assays. We carried out bioassays in a tropical artificial soil (TAS) spiked with increasing doses of the insecticide. Earthworm mortality was found only at the highest tested fluazuron concentration (LOEC = 160 mg a.i. kg⁻¹ dry soil and NOEC = 80 mg kg⁻¹), while the reproduction of F. candida and E. andrei was reduced at lower fluazuron concentrations (EC₅₀ = 4.48 mg kg⁻¹ and EC₅₀ = 20.8 mg kg⁻¹, respectively). Avoidance behavior was detected for both species at lower concentrations than those that caused impacts on reproduction, indicating that the substance may affect the soil habitat function. Since the possible adverse effects of fluazuron on edaphic fauna are still unknown or neglected, this study also warns about the possible harmful effect of veterinary pharmaceutical products on edaphic fauna.

http://bit.ly/2AzYVYP

The impact of Bt maize expressing the Cry1Ac protein on non-target arthropods

Abstract

From 2014 to 2016, individuals of the principal non-target arthropod (NTA) species in a field of Bt maize expressing the Cry1Ac protein (Bt38) were compared to those in a control field of the corresponding non-transformed near isoline (Z58). For all 3 years, the population dynamics and biodiversity of NTAs were analyzed to determine if any differences might be attributable to the genetically modified (GM) maize being evaluated. The main NTAs in these fields were Aphidoidea, Pentatomidae,Araneae, and Coccinellidae. Temporal variation in NTA diversity across sample dates within a year showed no significant differences between the Bt maize and the non-Bt maize field in the total number of individuals of the dominant arthropod species per 25 plants, the Shannon index (H), Pielou index (J), Simpson index (D), and Bray-Curtis index. The cultivation of Bt corn failed to show any detrimental evidence on individuals, H, J, D, and Bray-Curtis index of NTAs, and these parameters were identical in Bt and non-Bt corn plots. These results provide further evidence of the lack of ecological impact of GM maize.

http://bit.ly/2SzM4wN

1 H NMR-based serum metabolomics analysis of the age-related metabolic effects of perinatal exposure to BPA, BPS, BPF, and BPAF in female mice offspring

Abstract

The widespread application of bisphenols (BPs) in the industry has made them ubiquitous in the environment, causing potential environmental risks. Its unknown impacts on human being have received more and more attention. In this study, we have assessed the metabolic effects of perinatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and its substitutes (bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol AF (BPAF)) in female mice adolescent offspring and female mice adulthood offspring. ¹H NMR-based serum metabolomics showed that metabolic profiles were disturbed with BPA and its three substitutes exposure in female mice adolescent offspring and female mice adulthood offspring. In addition, age-related metabolic effects were found based on changes in serum endogenous metabolites and metabolic pathways. Specifically, metabolic pathway analysis showed that major disturbed metabolic pathways in female mice adulthood offspring compare with female mice adolescent offspring also changed significantly. With the increase of age of the female mice offspring, changes in the metabolic pathways became more obvious in the BPA treatment group. Conversely, partially disturbed metabolic pathways were restored in the BPS, BPF, and BPAF treatment groups. In conclusion, perinatal exposure to BPA and its three substitutes significantly interferes with metabolic profiles and metabolic pathways, and this metabolic effects were age-related. These results offer more detailed information about the age-related metabolic effects of perinatal exposure to BPA, BPS, BPF, and BPAF in female mice offspring and provide data for systematic evaluation of the health risk assessment of BPA and its substitutes.

http://bit.ly/2AwMRYm

Strategic growth of limnic green microalgae with phycoremediation potential for enhanced production of biomass and biomolecules for sustainable environment

Abstract

The approach of combining the microalgae cultivation with wastewater provides a cost-effective and eco-friendly perspective in the production of microalgae-based bio-products. In the present investigation, microalgae Scenedesmus rubescens KACC 2 isolated from catchment region of River Noyyal was found to be efficient in removing nitrogen, phosphorus, and heavy metals from industrial and domestic effluents, which was optimized through central composite design matrix for higher biomass generation. Nutrient requirements for the growth were optimized and evaluated using Plackett–Burman design to check the effect of variables. Three variables, viz., nitrate, phosphate, and inoculums, were found to be significant among the 11 variables tested, and the interaction between these variables and its optimum concentrations were statistically studied using central composite design matrix. The optimized growth conditions of this strain were found to be as nitrate (0.2%), phosphate (0.018%), and inoculums (7.5%). These conditions yielded a higher biomass of 0.73 g/L from the optimized media which was 5.4 times higher than the regular growth media. FT-IR analysis showed the variations in the spectra and also in biomolecular composition with 2-fold increase in the lipid and protein region when grown in optimized culture conditions. Lipid profile showed the presence of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in the biomass accepting it as a source of energy feedstock. This study concludes that nitrate, phosphate, and inoculums play a significant role in biomass production of S. rubescens with phycoremediation potential that can be exploited for simultaneous wastewater treatment–coupled biomass production.

http://bit.ly/2SCGaen