Effect of mixed light emitting diode spectrum on antioxidants content and antioxidant activity of red lettuce grown in a closed soilless system.

BACKGROUND: Light spectra have been demonstrated to result in different levels of comfort or stress, which affect plant growth and the availability of health-promoting compounds in ways that sometimes contradict one another. To determine the optimal light conditions, it is necessary to weigh the vegetable's mass against the amount of nutrients it contains, as vegetables tend to grow poorly in environments where nutrient synthesis is optimal. This study investigates the effects of varying light conditions on the growth of red lettuce and its occurring nutrients in terms of productivities, which were determined by multiplying the total weight of the harvested vegetables by their nutrient content, particularly phenolics. Three different light-emitting diode (LED) spectral mixes, including blue, green, and red, which were all supplemented by white, denoted as BW, GW, and RW, respectively, as well as the standard white as the control, were equipped in grow tents with soilless cultivation systems for such purposes. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that the biomass and fiber content did not differ substantially across treatments. This could be due to the use of a modest amount of broad-spectrum white LEDs, which could help retain the lettuce's core qualities. However, the concentrations of total phenolics and antioxidant capacity in lettuce grown with the BW treatment were the highest (1.3 and 1.4-fold higher than those obtained from the control, respectively), with chlorogenic acid accumulation (8.4 ± 1.5 mg g- 1 DW) being particularly notable. Meanwhile, the study observed a high glutathione reductase (GR) activity in the plant achieved from the RW treatment, which in this study was deemed the poorest treatment in terms of phenolics accumulation. CONCLUSION: In this study, the BW treatment provided the most efficient mixed light spectrum to stimulate phenolics productivity in red lettuce without a significant detrimental effect on other key properties.

Co2P2O7 Microplate/Bacterial Cellulose-Derived Carbon Nanofiber Composites with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance.

Nanocrystalline Co2P2O7 and carbon nanofiber (Co2P2O7/CNFs) composites with enhanced electrochemical performance were obtained by calcination after a hydrothermal process with NH4CoPO4∙H2O/bacterial cellulose precursors under an argon atmosphere. SEM images showed that the CNFs were highly dispersed on the surfaces of Co2P2O7 microplates. The diagonal size of the Co2P2O7 plates ranged from 5 to 25 µm with thicknesses on a nanometer scale. Notably, with the optimal calcining temperature, the Co2P2O7/CNFs@600 material has higher specific micropore and mesopore surface areas than other samples, and a maximal specific capacitance of 209.9 F g-1, at a current density of 0.5 A g-1. Interestingly, CNF composite electrodes can enhance electrochemical properties, and contribute to better electrical conductivity and electron transfer. EIS measurements showed that the charge-transfer resistance (Rct) of the CNF composite electrodes decreased with increasing calcination temperature. Furthermore, the Co2P2O7/CNF electrodes exhibited higher energy and power densities than Co2P2O7 electrodes.

Combined effects of cations in fertilizer solution on antioxidant content in red lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

BACKGROUND: Red lettuce is consumed worldwide because it is a great source of natural antioxidants. To design a fertilizer formula to boost its nutritional value, this research simultaneously studied the effects of significant cations among the macronutrients for plant growth (K, Mg and Ca) and the effects of the electrical conductivity (EC) of the nutrient solution on phenolic compound production and mass productivity of hydroponically grown red lettuce. RESULTS: Red lettuce grown under the control treatment provided the highest mass productivity (under low-stress conditions). The highest antioxidant content, measured as milligrams of phenolic compounds per gram dry weight (at a high-stress condition) via both Folin-Ciocalteu and HPLC analyses, was observed in growth media containing 100 ppmK : 20 ppm Mg : 70 ppm Ca (with EC equal to 1241 µS cm-1 ). It was found that EC within the range of this examination had no significant effect on the mass productivity or on phenolic compound productivity. The phenolic compound productivity, defined as the amount of phenolic compounds produced per unit of planting area per unit of time, was optimized with the optimum formula for maximum phenolic compound productivity of 90 ppm K : 29 ppm Mg : 77 ppm Ca, or a corresponding EC of 1307 µS cm-1 . CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates that health-promoting nutrient production in red lettuce could be stimulated in a practical manner by adjusting the cation concentrations in fertilizer solution. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Biomass and lipid enhancement in Ankistrodesmus sp. cultured with reused and minimal nutrients media.

Microalgae are a promising feedstock for biofuel production. Lipid content in microalgae could be enhanced under nutrient depletion. This work investigated the effect of the nutrient on lipid accumulation in Ankistrodesmus sp. culture. Batch cultures were carried out using fresh BG11 medium, and after the harvest, the medium was reused for the next culture; this method was repeated two times. The maximum lipid productivity of 29.75 mg L(-1) day(-1) was obtained from the culture with the second reuse medium. In continuous cultures, Ankistrodesmus sp. was cultured in both fresh and modified BG11 mediums. The modified BG11 medium was adjusted to resemble the content of the first reuse medium. As a comparison between batch and continuous cultures, it was proven that the productivity in the continuous culture was better than in the batch, where the achievable maximum biomass and lipid were 188.30 and 38.32 mg L(-1) day(-1). The maximum lipid content of 34.22% was obtained from the continuous culture at a dilution rate of 0.08 day(-1), whereas the maximum saturated and unsaturated fatty acid productivities of 79.96 and 104.54 mg L(-1) day(-1) were obtained at a dilution rate of 0.16 day(-1.)

Effect of daytime CO2 supplement on productivity and biochemical composition of Scenedesmus armatus under outdoor cultivation.

The cultivation of Scenedesmus armatus was carried out under outdoor Thailand climate conditions. The highest actual growth rate occurred at around 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a wide pH range of 6.4 to 11. The supply of CO2 had slight influence on growth characteristics but did exert some observable effects on nutritional accumulations. Adding CO2 from 2 to 15% by volume in the aeration (0.2 vvm) caused an increase in lipid and protein from 19.8 to 25.6 and 37.8 to 48.2% w/w, respectively, whereas carbohydrate decreased from 42.5 to 26.2% w/w. Scenedesmus armatus cultivated with 2% CO2-enriched air provided the highest the average of the average biomass productivity of 91.25 mg L(-1) d(-1), which corresponded to a CO2 fixation of 165 mg CO2 L(-1) d(-1) with the average lipid, protein, and carbohydrate productivities of 22.24, 38.34, and 30.67 mg L(-1) d(-1).

Astaxanthin induction in Microalga H. pluvialis with flat panel airlift photobioreactors under indoor and outdoor conditions.

Astaxanthin was induced from Haematococcus pluvialis (NIES-144) under indoor and outdoor conditions using 17-, 50-, and 90-L flat-panel airlift photobioreactors (FP-APBRs). Preliminary experiments in 1.5-L bubble column photobioreactors (BC-PBRs) revealed that sterilized clean water with 3% CO2 aeration (1.47 cm(3) s(-1) CO2 loading) could best encourage astaxanthin accumulation at 18.21 g m(-3) (3.63% by weight). Operating 17-L FP-APBRs with these bubble column parameters under indoor conditions could further enhance astaxanthin to 26.63 g m(-3) (5.34% by weight). This was potentially due to the inherited up-lift force from the reactor that helped avoid cell precipitation by allowing the cells to be circulated within the reactor. In addition, the various sizes of FP-APBRs exhibited similar performance, implying a potential scale-up opportunity. However, similar operation under outdoor condition exhibited slightly poorer performance due to the light inhibition effect. The best outdoor performance was obtained with the FP-APBR covered with one layer of shading net, where 20.11 g m(-3) (4.47% by weight) of astaxanthin was resulted.

Synthesis of high-purity Na-A and Na-X zeolite from coal fly ash.

UNLABELLED: Coal fly ash (CFA) was used as a raw material for the synthesis of zeolite molecular sieve. The synthesis began with the pretreatment of CFA to remove impurities (e.g., Fe2O3, CaO, etc.) under various acid types (HCl, H2SO4, and HNO3) and acid/CFA ratios (5-25 mL(acid)/g(CFA)). High product purity (up to 97%) was achieved with HCl (20%wt), and acid/CFA ratio of 20 mL(HCl)/g(CFA). The treated CFA was then converted to zeolite by the fusion reaction under various Si/Al molar ratios (0.54-1.84). Zeolite type A was synthesized when the Si/Al molar ratios were lower than 1, whereas sodium aluminum silicate hydrate was formed when the Si/Al molar ratio were higher than 1. The highest water adsorption performance of the zeolite product, i.e., the outlet ethanol concentration of 99.9%wt and the specific adsorption capacity of 2.31 x 10(-2) g(water)/g(zeolite), was observed with the Si/Al molar ratio of 0.82. The zeolite was tested for its water adsorption capacity repeatedly 10 times without deactivation. IMPLICATIONS: This work evaluated the technical feasibility in the conversion of CFA to zeolite, which would help reduce the quantity of waste needed to be landfilled. This adds value to the unwanted material by converting it into something that can be further used. The synthesized products were shown to be quite stable as water adsorbent for the dehydration of ethanol solution.

Production of protein-rich fungal biomass in an airlift bioreactor using vinasse as substrate.

The potential for large-scale production of an edible fungus, Rhizopus oligosporus, on a liquid residue from sugar-to-ethanol production, vinasse, was investigated. An airlift bioreactor (2.5-L working volume) was used for cultivating the fungus on 75% (v/v) vinasse with nutrient supplementation (nitrogen and phosphorus) at 37°C and pH 5.0. Aeration rates were varied from 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 to 2.0 volume(air)/volume(liquid)/min (vvm). The fungal biomass yield depended on the aeration rate, and the highest fungal biomass obtained was 8.04±0.80 (g(biomass increase)/g(initial biomass)) at 1.5vvm. The observed reductions in organic content by 80% (as soluble chemical oxygen demand) suggest the potential of recycling treated effluent as process water for in-plant use or for land applications. The fungal biomass contained ~50% crude protein and the essential amino acids contents were comparable to commercial protein sources for aquatic feeds (fishmeal and soybean meal), with the exception of methionine and phenylalanine.

Microwave pretreatment of defatted rice bran for enhanced recovery of total phenolic compounds extracted by subcritical water.

Enhanced recovery of total phenolics (TP) from defatted rice bran (DRB) subjected to prior microwave pretreatment was achieved by subcritical water extraction (SWE). The effects of microwave pretreatment temperature (60-100°C) and duration (0-30 min) were determined at raw material:water ratios (1:2 and 1:5) for SWE under fixed conditions. Optimal extraction was observed at 80°C (for 10 min, at a ratio of 1:2). With pretreatment carried out under these conditions, a shorter extraction time of 10 min was required for SWE at 200°C. Combining both optimized conditions, a TP yield of 190.4±3.3 mg/g of DRB was achieved, some 55% more than was found to be extractable from un-pretreated samples. The antioxidant activity of the extract was also greater, as indicated by a corresponding decrease in IC(50) from 38.8±0.4 to 27.7±0.5 µg/ml.

Profiling and monitoring of DOM in brewery wastewater and treated wastewater.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in raw and treated wastewater from two breweries in Thailand was profiled and monitored for the purpose of water reclamation. The wastewater and the effluent from the use of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and activated sludge (AS) were collected and analyzed through a resin fractionation method using the fluorescent excitation-emission matrix (FEEM) technique. The results revealed that the major organic fractions in the brewery wastewater were hydrophobic acid (HPOA) and hydrophilic base (HPIB), accounting for 65% of total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) mass for brewery A and 56% of total DOC mass for brewery B. The FEEM results indicated that the organic matter in the wastewaters of both breweries were mainly composed of tryptophan-like substances, represented by peaks C (230 nm(Ex)/340-365 nm(Em)) and D (265-295 nm(Ex)/315-390 nm(Em)), and humic-like substances, represented by peaks E (290 nm(Ex)/400 nm(Em)), F (330-335 nm(Ex)/395-410 nm(Em)), and G (255-265 nm(Ex)/435-455 nm(Em)). The analysis revealed that the reduction of DOM occurred mostly during the UASB treatment where most of the DOM reduction resulted from the removal of the HPOA and HPIB fractions. The HPOA fraction, a group of humic-like substances, is of particular concern when reclaiming treated brewery wastewater, and although it was reduced by more than 80% of its initial amount, it was still a dominant DOM fraction in the effluents.

Zeolite formation from coal fly ash and its adsorption potential.

The possibility in converting coal fly ash (CFA) to zeolite was evaluated. CFA samples from the local power plant in Prachinburi province, Thailand, were collected during a 3-month time span to account for the inconsistency of the CFA quality, and it was evident that the deviation of the quality of the raw material did not have significant effects on the synthesis. The zeolite product was found to be type X. The most suitable weight ratio of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to CFA was approximately 2.25, because this gave reasonably high zeolite yield with good cation exchange capacity (CEC). The silica (Si)-to-aluminum (Al) molar ratio of 4.06 yielded the highest crystallinity level for zeolite X at 79% with a CEC of 240 meq/100 g and a surface area of 325 m2/g. Optimal crystallization temperature and time were 90 degrees C and 4 hr, respectively, which gave the highest CEC of approximately 305 meq/100 g. Yields obtained from all experiments were in the range of 50-72%.

Flat panel airlift photobioreactors for cultivation of vegetative cells of microalga Haematococcus pluvialis.

The novel flat panel airlift photobioreactor (FP-ALPBR) was proposed as an alternative system for the cultivation of Haematococcus pluvialis NIES-144. Changes in the efficiency of the system were tested in response to variations in two engineering parameters: the ratio between the downcomer and riser cross-sectional areas (A(d)/A(r)) and the size of the system (as determined by the length of the panel) and to one operating parameter: the superficial gas velocity (u(sg)). The best growth performance was obtained by operating the system at a superficial velocity of 0.4 cms(-1) and with a downcomer-to-riser cross-sectional area ratio of 0.4. The 17-l FP-ALPBR system was capable of giving reasonable growth characteristics with a maximum cell density of 4.1 x 10(5)cell ml(-1) and specific growth rate of 0.52 day(-1) being achieved. A similar level of performance was obtained from the 90-l FP-ALPBR system, i.e., cell density=40 x 10(4)cell ml(-1) but with a slight decrease in specific growth rate to 0.39 day(-1). The performances of these two differently sized FP-ALPBRs were compared with two conventional cylindrical airlift photobioreactors (C-ALPBRs) of different dimensions. The 90-l FP-ALPBR exhibited reasonably good performance when compared with the two 17-l systems (both C- and FP-ALPBRs); however, the best growth rate was observed using the 3-l C-ALPBR. Semi-continuous cultures, which could be periodically harvested at a reasonably high growth rate, were successfully created. Of all the systems investigated in this study, the 90-l FP-ALPBR was found to be the most cost-effective, as it could cultivate 18 g of alga for approximately US$ 21.

Dynamic and equilibrium studies of the RDX removal from soil using CMC-coated zerovalent iron nanoparticles.

Rapid chemical degradation of toxic RDX explosive in soil can be accomplished using zerovalent nanoiron suspension stabilized in dilute carboxymethyl cellulose solution (CMC-ZVINs). The effect of operating conditions (redox-potential, Fe/RDX molar ratio) was studied on batchwise removal of RDX in contaminated soil. While anaerobic conditions resulted in 98% RDX removal in 3 h, only slightly over 60% RDX removal could be attained under aerobic conditions. The molar ratio did not have any influence on the intermediate and final RDX degradation products (methylenedinitramine, nitroso derivative, N(2), N(2)O, NO(2)(-)), however, their distribution changed. Dynamic studies were conducted using a flow-through short column packed with RDX-contaminated soil and fed with CMC-ZVINs. The column was operated at two interstitial velocities (2.2 and 1.6 cm min(-1)), resulting in the 76.6% and 95% removal of the initial RDX soil contamination load (60 mg kg(-1)), respectively. While the column operating conditions could be further optimized, 95% of the RDX initially present in the contaminated soil packed in the column was degraded when flushed with a CMC-ZVINs suspension in this work.

Life cycle assessment of bagasse waste management options.

Bagasse is mostly utilized for steam and power production for domestic sugar mills. There have been a number of alternatives that could well be applied to manage bagasse, such as pulp production, conversion to biogas and electricity production. The selection of proper alternatives depends significantly on the appropriateness of the technology both from the technical and the environmental points of view. This work proposes a simple model based on the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of various alternatives for dealing with bagasse waste. The environmental aspects of concern included global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential and photochemical oxidant creation. Four waste management scenarios for bagasse were evaluated: landfilling with utilization of landfill gas, anaerobic digestion with biogas production, incineration for power generation, and pulp production. In landfills, environmental impacts depended significantly on the biogas collection efficiency, whereas incineration of bagasse to electricity in the power plant showed better environmental performance than that of conventional low biogas collection efficiency landfills. Anaerobic digestion of bagasse in a control biogas reactor was superior to the other two energy generation options in all environmental aspects. Although the use of bagasse in pulp mills created relatively high environmental burdens, the results from the LCA revealed that other stages of the life cycle produced relatively small impacts and that this option might be the most environmentally benign alternative.

Characterization of brewery wastewater with spectrofluorometry analysis.

The wastewater treatment systems from the three local breweries consist of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and activated sludge (AS) connected in series for which the influent and effluent from each treatment step were collected and determined for their dissolved organic matter (DOM) surrogate parameters including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), UV(254) and SUVA(254). The analyses suggested that the influent wastewater contained a high level of aromatic organic content classified as humic substances with high average molecular weight. Organic removal mostly occurred in the UASBs where DOC and UV(254) were reduced by 24-58% and 38-50%, respectively. Spectrofluorometry analysis (fluorescent excitation-emission matrix: FEEM) was reasonably accurate in evaluating DOM reduction during the treatment course. A total of eight fluorescent peaks were detected by the FEEM technique comprising (A) 230 nm(Ex)/315 nm(Em), (B) 275 nm(Ex)/315 nm(Em), (C) 230 nm(Ex)/365 nm(Em), (D) 285 nm(Ex)/365 nm(Em), (E) 290 nm(Ex)/400 nm(Em), (F) 335-355 nm(Ex)/405-465 nm(Em), (G) 255 nm(Ex)/455 nm(Em), and (H) 500 nm(Ex)/525 nm(Em). Peaks 'A and B' and 'C and D' were associated with tyrosine-like, tryptophan-like substances, respectively, whilst each individual peak E, F and G was associated with humic and fulvic acid-like substances. Peaks C, D, F and H were always found in the influent wastewater from all the breweries, whereas the effluents only exhibited Peak F. The origin of Peak H had not been recognized elsewhere and was not identified in this work. This suggested that FEEM could not only be used to monitor the reduction in DOM, but it could also provide details on the organic composition of the wastewater.

Influence of particle size and salinity on adsorption of basic dyes by agricultural waste: dried seagrape (Caulerpa lentillifera).

Green macroalga Caulerpa lentillifera was found to have reasonable adsorption capacity for basic dyes, Astrazon Blue FGRL (AB), Astrazon Red GTLN (AR), and Astrazon Golden Yellow GL-E (AY). The initial dye concentration was in the range of 100-1,800 mg/L. The dried algal sorbent was ground and sieved into 3 sizes: S (0.1-0.84 mm), M (0.84-2.0 mm), and L sizes (larger than 2.0 mm). For all conditions examined in this work (at 25 degrees C in batch systems), the adsorption reached equilibrium within the first hour. The kinetic data corresponded well with the pseudo second order kinetic model where the rate constant, k2, decreased as the sorbent size increased for all dyes. The adsorption isotherms followed both Langmuir and Freundlich models. Among three sorbent sizes, S size gave the highest adsorption capacity followed by M and L sizes. A reduction of sorbent size increased the specific surface area for mass transfer, and also increased the total pore volume, thus providing more active sites for adsorption. The adsorption of AB was adversely influenced by the protonation of algal surface at low pH. On the other hand, the adsorption of AR and AY could be due to weak electrostatic interaction, which was not significantly affected by pH. Increasing salinity of the system caused a decrease in adsorption capacity possibly due to the competition between Na+ and the dye cations for the binding sites on algal surface. Moreover, an increase in salinity generated a compressed electrical double layer on the algal surface which exerted repulsive force, retarding the adsorption of positive charged molecules such as the basic dyes.

Activated carbon from Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn bark using phosphoric acid activation.

The powdered activated carbon prepared by phosphoric acid activation was significantly affected by the carbonization temperature and the weight ratio between raw material and phosphoric acid. With an activation time of 1h and an impregnation ratio of 1:1, the activated carbons with better adsorption capacity were obtained at 500 degrees C. A reduction in the adsorption capacity of the carbon product at higher acid content than this was observed, possibly due to the collapse of the micropore structure. The properties of the resulting activated carbon were: bulk density 0.251gcm(-3), ash content 4.88%, yield 26.2%, iodine adsorption 1043mgg(-1), methylene blue adsorption number 427mgg(-1), and BET surface area 1239m2g(-1).

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis with vegetable oils as co-solvent.

Soybean oil and olive oil were investigated as continuous co-solvents for supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) extraction of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis. Without co-solvents, only 25.40+/-0.79% efficiency was achieved with SC-CO(2) extraction at 70 degrees C and 40 MPa at a continuous flow rate of 3 mL min(-1) for 5h. In the presence of soybean oil or olive oil as a co-solvent, the extraction efficiency was enhanced, with the most appropriate level of soybean oil in the solvent mixture being 10% by volume. At this concentration and the above extraction conditions, the highest extraction efficiency of 36.36+/-0.79% was obtained for soybean oil, a 30% increase in extraction efficiency compared with SC-CO(2) extraction without soybean oil, whereas the 10% olive oil increased the extraction efficiency further to 51.03+/-1.08%, which was comparable to that obtained using ethanol as co-solvent.

Batch studies of adsorption of copper and lead on activated carbon from Eucalyptus camaldulensis dehn. bark.

Powdered activated carbon (PAC) prepared from Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn. bark was tested for its adsorption capacity for Cu(II) and Pb(II). The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of pH, contact time, initial metal concentration, and temperature. The best adsorption of both Cu(II) and Pb(II) occurred at pH 5, where the adsorption reached equilibrium within 45 min for the whole range of initial heavy metal concentrations (0.1-10 mmol/L). The adsorption kinetics was found to follow the pseudo-second order model where equilibrium adsorption capacities and adsorption rate constants increased with initial heavy metal concentrations. The adsorption isotherm followed Langmuir better than Freundlich models within the temperature range (25-60 degrees C). The maximum adsorption capacities (qm) occurred at 60 degrees C, where qm for Cu(II) and Pb(II) were 0.85 and 0.89 mmol/g, respectively. The enthalpies of Cu(II) and Pb(II) adsorption were 43.26 and 58.77 kJ/mol, respectively. The positive enthalpy of adsorption indicated an endothermic nature of the adsorption.

Batch and column studies of biosorption of heavy metals by Caulerpa lentillifera.

The biosorption of Cu(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) by a dried green macroalga Caulerpa lentillifera was investigated. The sorption kinetic data could be fitted to the pseudo second order kinetic model. The governing transport mechanisms in the sorption process were both external mass transfer and intra-particle diffusion. Isotherm data followed the Sips isotherm model with the exponent of approximately unity suggesting that these biosorption could be described reasonably well with the Langmuir isotherm. The maximum sorption capacities of the various metal components on C. lentillifera biomass could be prioritized in order from high to low as: Pb(II)>Cu(II)>Cd(II). The sorption energies obtained from the Dubinin-Radushkevich model for all sorption systems were in the range of 4-6 kJ mol(-1) indicating that a physical electrostatic force was potentially involved in the sorption process. Thomas model could well describe the breakthrough data from column experiments. Ca(II), Mg(II), and Mn(II) were the major ions released from the algal biomass during the sorption which revealed that ion exchange was one of the main sorption mechanisms.