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Treatment of mixture of toluene and n-propanol vapours in a compost-woodchip-based biofilter
No full textThe present work describes the biofiltration of mixture of n-propanol (as a model hydrophilic volatile organic compound
(VOC)) and toluene (as a model hydrophobic VOC) in a biofilter packed with a compost–woodchip mixture. Initially,
the biofilter was fed with toluene vapours at loadings up to 175 gm−3 h−1 and removal efficiencies of 70%–99% were
observed. The biofilter performance when removing mixtures of toluene and n-propanol reached elimination capacities of
up to 67 gtoluene m−3 h−1 and 85 gn-propanol m−3 h−1 with removal efficiencies of 70%–100% for toluene and essentially
100% for n-propanol. The presence of high n-propanol loading negatively affected the toluene removal; however, n-propanol
removal was not affected by the presence of toluene and was effectively removed in the biofilter despite high toluene loadings.
A model for toluene and n-propanol biofiltration could predict the cross-inhibition effect of n-propanol on toluene removal
Influence of mercury from fly ash on cattle reared nearby thermal power plant
No full textCattle grazing nearby coal-fired power stations are exposed to fly ash. The present investigation aims to assess the environmental and health impacts of fly ash containing mercury emitted from thermal power plant. The health effect of fly ash were studied using 20 lactating cattle reared within a 5-km radius of s thermal power plant for the possible effect of fly ash such as the alterations in hematological and biochemical parameters of blood, milk, and urine. Results indicated that the hemoglobin levels (6.65 ± 0.40 g/dl) were significantly reduced in all the exposed animals. Biochemical parameters viz., blood urea nitrogen (27.35 ± 1.19 mg/dl), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (43.39 ± 3.08 IU/l), albumin, and creatinine were found to be increased, whereas serum glutamate pyruvic transaminase (29.26 ± 2.02) and Ca2+ were observed to be statistically insignificant in exposed animals. Mercury concentrations estimated in the blood, milk, and urine of exposed (n = 20) and control (n = 20) animals were 7.41 ± 0.86, 4.75 ± 0.57, 2.08 ± 0.18, and 1.05 ± 0.07, 0.54 ± 0.03, 0.20 ± 0.02 μg/kg, respectively. The significant increase (P < 0.01) in the levels of mercury in blood, milk, and urine of exposed animals in comparison to control indicated that the alterations of biochemical parameters in exposed cattle could be due to their long term exposure to fly ash mercury which may have direct or indirect impact on human populations via food chain
Alumina supported carbon composite material with exceptionally high defluoridation property from eggshell waste
No full textA new alumina supported carbon composite material called “Eggshell Composite” (EC) was synthesized
from eggshell waste as calcium source for selective fluoride adsorption from water. The effect of various
synthesis parameters like eggshell (ES): Eggshell membrane (ESM) ratio, aluminium loading, mixing time
and calcinations temperature to optimize the synthesis conditions for selective fluoride removal has been
studied. It was observed that the synthesis parameters have significant influence on development of EC
and in turn on fluoride removal capacity. EC synthesized was characterized for elemental composition,
morphology, functionality and textural properties. Results showed that EC obtained from eggshell modified
with alumina precursor is more selective and efficient for fluoride removal. Langmuir and Freundlich
isotherm were used to obtain ultimate fluoride removal capacity. The calcium and alumina species in EC
shows synergistic effect in fluoride adsorption process. Fluoride sorption studies were carried out in synthetic,
groundwater and wastewater. EC proved to be a potential, indigenous and economic adsorbent
for fluoride removal
Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenolics by N-Doped Mesoporous Titania under Solar Radiation
No full textIn this study, nitrogen-doped mesoporous titania was synthesized by templatingmethod using chitosan. This biopolymer chitosan
plays the dual role of acting as a template (which imparts mesoporosity) and precursor for nitrogen. BET-SA, XRD, UV-DRS,
SEM, and FTIR were used to characterize the photocatalyst. The doping of nitrogen into TiO2 lattice and its state was substantiated
and measured by XPS. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared N-doped mesoporous titania for phenol and o-chlorophenol
degradation was investigated under solar and artificial radiation. The rate of photocatalytic degradation was observed to be higher
for o-chlorophenol than that of phenol. The photodegradation of o-chlorophenol was 98.62% and 72.2%, while in case of phenol,
degradation to the tune of 69.25% and 30.58% was achieved in solar and artificial radiation. The effect of various operating
parameters, namely, catalyst loading, pH, initial concentration and the effect of coexisting ions on the rate of photocatalytic
degradation were studied in detail
Nanobiocatalysts for Carbon Capture, Sequestration and Valorisation
No full textExtensive efforts are being made to use biocatalysts
for addressing an important millennium development
goal i.e. global warming/climate change with
recourse to CO2 capture valorisation and storage (CCVS).
New advanced enzyme-based catalysts with significantly
improved catalytic properties and stability have been discussed
in detail with specific reference to carbonic anhydrase
for biomimetic CO2 sequestration
TRENDS IN LABORATORY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
No full textLaboratory information management systems (LIMS) is designed considering the need of analytical laboratories
to carry out the research in fast, efficient and transparent manner with better accessibility of the instruments.Its development started as an in-house project then moved to custom built solutions followed with open
source LIMS, first LIMS were developed in the pharmaceutical and related industries for use as a Quality
Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) tool in the early 1980's by in-house development departments or under contract by external software houses. Further, it is commercially developed by using the latest tools in information technology and based on the need of the laboratory it has gotmany varieties. Various sectors like agriculture, environmental and water, food and beverage, manufacturing, product quality and cyber forensic analysis etc. uses full-enterprise LIMS in their operations. It was found that the LIMS applications are not running properly due to its limitation such as improper installation, poor implementation,lack of technical access etc.
This paper highlights the review of developmental stages of LIMS and some shortcomings for attaining the total quality management in a laboratory that ensure efficiency, enhanced productivity, better utilization of resources and security measures etc. An effective management system totally depends on the laboratory infrastructure. Hence, proper study of the laboratory functionalities is required before going ahead with the solutio
Enhanced energy density in plants: scope and prospects
Get PDFThe advances in conversion technologies to make fuels from biomass have become more economically viable, although bioenergy production will primarily depend on biomass availability. However, as biomass availability becomes increasingly restricted, so too does the availability of biomass as a feedstock for bioenergy industry become questionable. Forest resources are the primary source of biomass that can not be further exploited due to a need for environment preservation and sustainable growth. Therefore, R&D strategies to regenerate sufficient feed stock for the bioenergy industry are a priority to make bioenergy production viable. In this context, enhanced biomass production of tree species is a valid R&D proposition which could play key role for foreseeable bioenergy production. This R&D proposition entails an understanding of the regulation of plant radial growth that underlies wood development. Strengthening our knowledge is quintessential to strategically plan the enhancement of tree biomass production. Phytohormones play a significant role in the regulation of wood development. Auxin is required for cell proliferation and cell differentiation during cambial development. Besides auxin, several other phytohormones, including cytokinin, gibberellin and ethylene, play regulatory roles in the control of cambial activity because of their stimulatory effect on cell division. The potential exploitation of these hormones to enhance biomass production should be explored. This paper outlines R&D approaches to exploit biotechnological tools for manipulation of physiological responses of select woody plants to enhance biomass production
NMR studies of carbon dioxide and methane self-diffusion in ZIF-8 at elevated gas pressures
No full textSelf-diffusion measurements with methane and
carbon dioxide adsorbed in the Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-
8 (ZIF-8) were performed by 1H and 13C pulsed field
gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR). The experiments
were conducted at 298 K and variable pressures
of 7 to 15 bar in the gas phase above the ZIF-8 bed. Via
known adsorption isotherms these pressures were converted
to loadings of the adsorbed molecules. The self-diffusion
coefficients of carbon dioxide measured by PFG NMR are
found to be independent of loading. They are in good agreement
with results from molecular dynamic (MD) simulations
and resume the trend previously found by IR microscopy
at lower loadings. Methane diffuses in ZIF-8 only
slightly slower than carbon dioxide. Its experimentally obtained
self-diffusion coefficients are about a factor of two
smaller than the corresponding values determined by MD
simulations using flexible framework
Ceramics in Environmental Catalysis: Applications and Possibilities
No full textEnvironmental catalysis has been steadily growing because of the advances in its scientific and engineering aspects, as well as
due to the new environmental challenges in the industrial era. The development of new catalysts and materials is essential for new technologies
for various environmental applications. Ceramics play important roles in various environmental applications including the identification,
monitoring, and quantification of pollutants and their control. Ceramics have important applications as sensors and photocatalysts,
and they are extensively used as catalyst carriers and supports. Many ceramics are being explored as catalysts for pollution control
applications. Their low cost, thermal and chemical stability, and capability of being tailored make them especially attractive for pollution
control applications. Although a wide variety of materials have been developed as catalyst supports, this area is still of interest with new or
modified catalyst supports being frequently reported. It is of equal importance to develop new or modified processes for the loading of
catalysts on specific supports. Applications like chemical looping combustion (CLC) and other catalytic combustion processes are raising
the demands to a new scale. We have been working on the development of both new and modified support materials, including mesoporous
materials without structural order for possible applications in CLC and other catalytic reactions. Successful attempts have been made in the
modification of conventiona
Functional and phylogenetic diversity of root-associated bacteria of Ajuga bracteosa in Kangra valley.
No full textPresent study investigates the cultivable diversity of root-associated bacteria from a medicinal plant Ajuga bracteosa in the Kangra valley, in order to determine their plant growth promoting (PGP) and biotechnological potential. The plant was found to exhibit a positive rhizosphere effect of 1.3-1.5. A total of 123 morphologically different bacteria were isolated from the rhizospheric soil and roots of the plant. Medium composition was found to have significant effect on the composition of isolated bacterial populations. Majority of the rhizospheric soil isolates belonged to α- and γ-Proteobacteria, with Pseudomonas constituting the most dominant species. Endophytic bacterial community, on other hand, consisted almost exclusively of Firmicutes. Majority of the isolates showed PGP activity by producing siderophores and indole acetic acid. Several isolates were found to exhibit very high antioxidant activity in the culture medium. A significant proportion of isolates also demonstrated other ecologically important activities like phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, and production of hydrolytic enzymes including amylase, protease, lipase, chitinase, cellulase, pectinase and phosphatase. Firmicutes were found to be metabolically the most versatile group and performed multiple enzyme activities. This is the first systematic study of culturable bacterial community from the rhizosphere of A. bracteosa, particularly in the Kangra valley region