Alum Research Articles

Exploration of the structural, spectroscopic and thermal properties of double sulfate monohydrate NaSm(SO4)2·H2O and its thermal decomposition product NaSm(SO4)2

Samarium-sodium double sulfate crystalline hydrate NaSm(SO4)2·H2O was obtained by the crystallization from an aqueous solution containing equimolar amounts of ions. The anhydrous salt of NaSm(SO4)2 was formed by a thermally induced release of the equivalent of water from NaSm(SO4)2·H2O. The kinetic parameters of thermal decomposition were determined (Ea = 102 kJ/mol, A = 9·106). The crystal structures of both compounds were refined from the X-ray powder diffraction data. Sulfate hydrate NaSm(SO4)2·H2O crystallizes in the trigonal symmetry, space group P3121 (a = 6.91820(3) and c = 12.8100(1) Å, V = 530.963(7) Å3). The anhydrous salt crystallizes in the triclinic symmetry, space group P-1 (a = 6.8816(2), b = 6.2968(2) and c = 7.0607(2) Å, α = 96.035(1), β = 99.191(1) and γ = 90.986(1)°, V = 300.17(1) Å3). The vibrational properties of compounds are mainly determined by the sulfate group deformations. The luminescence spectra of both sulfates are similar and are governed by the transitions of samarium ions 4G5/2 → 6HJ (J = 5/2, 7/2, 9/2 and 11/2). The anhydrous sulfate is stable up to 1100 K and undergoes an almost isotropic expansion when heated. After 1100 K, the compound decomposes into Sm2(SO4)3 and Na2SO4.

Suitability of water treatment chemicals in the remediation of produced water: a data-driven approach

There exist numerous counts of research works on produced water. We got to know about them because they made it to publishing probably by indicating a positive or promising result. Contrarily, there exist a hundred times unpublished, unreported works on produced water; works rejected based on not yielding desirable results or not being innovative enough. We might have encountered undesirable results but to what depths and time have we committed to mining out intricate details. The world is thinking and demanding sustainability. Is it sustainable for the future of water treatment, the ease and pace at which we transition to the next chemical or treatment option? In this data-centred approach, three common chemicals, aluminium sulphate, ferrous ammonium sulphate and calcium chloride, were used to treat produced water. The collected data (both initial and final analysis) were inferentially analysed. The first statistical analysis was the testing of 2 hypotheses using the Analysis of Variance test. This was done to reveal to compare the dependence of produced water properties on two categorical variables (sample type and treatment chemicals). The second was the test for relevance: correlation and regression analyses. The laboratory experimental analysis revealed that aluminium sulphate was most suitable for the alteration of physical effluent characteristics; ferrous ammonium sulphate for salinity concerns and calcium chloride for a particular heavy metal’s stability. The overall effluent characteristics indicated a greater dependency on ‘sample type’ than ‘treatment chemicals’. Certain produced water properties relationships were highlighted and quantified for instance iron(II) and chloride ion concentrations were dependent on total solids and indicated a significance F of 0.01.

Diets containing processed barley grain as a potential rumen bypass starch source enhance productive responses of lactating Holstein dairy cows.

Effect of diets containing untreated or processed barley grain [treated with sugar beet pulp extract (SBPE) or double sulphate of aluminium and potassium (ALUM)] and different levels of rumen undegradable crude protein (RUP) on production, rumen fermentation and blood metabolites of lactating Holstein cows were investigated. Untreated soybean meal (SBM) or xylose protected 'Yasminomax soy® (YAS)' was included to represent a low (LR, 4.2% DM) and high (HR, 5.4% DM) RUP diets, respectively. Experimental diet was as follows: (a) untreated barley grains with high RUP (HRCON); (b) untreated barley grains with low RUP (LRCON); (c) ALUM-treated barley grain with high RUP (HRAL; (d) ALUM-treated barley grain with low RUP (LRAL); (e) SBPE-treated barley grain with high RUP (HRSE); and (f) SBPE-treated barley grain with low RUP (LRSE). The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design with lactating dairy cows (n=36) averaging 215±18days in milk, milk yield 31.7±5.8kg/day, 620±61kg body weight. Diets containing processed barley grain increased feed intake, while decreased both rumination and eating (p<0.001). Feed intake of dairy cows on Low RUP and High RUP were 23 and 24kg/day, respectively (p<0.01). Daily production of milk fat, protein, lactose and total solids was improved when the processed barley grain was included in the diets (p<0.05). Present study pinpointed that the inclusion of the processed barley grain in diets might improve production indices of dairy cows.

Crystal Structure, Vibrational, Spectroscopic and Thermochemical Properties of Double Sulfate Crystalline Hydrate [CsEu(H2O)3(SO4)2]·H2O and Its Thermal Dehydration Product CsEu(SO4)2

Crystalline hydrate of double cesium europium sulfate [CsEu(H2O)3(SO4)2]·H2O was synthesized by the crystallization from an aqueous solution containing equimolar amounts of 1Cs+:1Eu3+:2SO42− ions. Anhydrous salt CsEu(SO4)2 was formed as a result of the thermal dehydration of the crystallohydrate. The unusual effects observed during the thermal dehydration were attributed to the specific coordination of water molecules in the [CsEu(H2O)3(SO4)2]·H2O structure. The crystal structure of [CsEu(H2O)3(SO4)2]·H2O was determined by a single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and the crystal structure of CsEu(SO4)2 was obtained by the Rietveld method. [CsEu(H2O)3(SO4)2]·H2O crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/c (a = 6.5574(1) Å, b = 19.0733(3) Å, c = 8.8364(2) Å, β = 93.931(1)°, V = 1102.58(3) Å3). The anhydrous sulfate CsEu(SO4)2 formed as a result of the thermal destruction crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c (a = 14.327(1) Å, b = 5.3838(4) Å, c = 9.5104(6) Å, β = 101.979(3) °, V = 717.58(9) Å3). The vibration properties of the compounds are fully consistent with the structural models and are mainly determined by the deformation of non-rigid structural elements, such as H2O and SO42−. As shown by the diffused reflection spectra measurements and DFT calculations, the structural transformation from [CsEu(H2O)3(SO4)2]·H2O to CsEu(SO4)2 induced a significant band gap reduction. A noticeable difference of the luminescence spectra between cesium europium sulfate and cesium europium sulfate hydrate is detected and explained by the variation of the extent of local symmetry violation at the crystallographic sites occupied by Eu3+ ions, namely, by the increase in inversion asymmetry in [CsEu(H2O)3(SO4)2]·H2O and the increase in mirror asymmetry in CsEu(SO4)2. The chemical shift of the 5D0 energy level in cesium europium sulfate hydrate, with respect to cesium europium sulfate, is associated with the presence of H2O molecules in the vicinity of Eu3+ ion.

Technical evaluation and economic optimisation of coagulation-flocculation process for the pre-treatment of over-reused effluent of paper mills in cardboard recycling industry

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of coagulation and flocculation (C/F) process and economic analysis for the advanced primary treatment in order to obtain a semi-closed water circuit in the pulp mills in the cardboard recycling industry. Since the high water quality level is not required in the pulpers, the dosages in this research were determined without pH changes or adjustment to decrease the capital and operational expenditures. The results showed that FeCl3 with the concentration of 2000 mg/L gave the best quality when coagulants were used solely. Moreover, using alum with the concentration of 1500 mg/L provided acceptable quality for the effluent re-circulation and the removal/reduction percentages of 42, 82, 71 and 97 were achieved for chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity and colour, respectively. It was also found that the combination of coagulants did not improve the process performance significantly. The best combination was ferric chloride (500 mg/L) and alum (2000 mg/L) with the efficiency of 47% and 98% in terms of COD and colour removal/reduction, respectively, while the best couple in TSS removal was FeCl3 (500 mg/L) and CaCO3 (500 mg/L) with the efficiency of 88%. The chemicals coupled with cationic polyacrylamide (C-PAM) did not enhance the quality of pre-treated solutions when the settling time reduced up to 15 minutes. The cost analysis also showed that alum is the most cost-effective coagulant with the costs in the range of 0.06–0.12 $/kg removed TSS, 0.06 to 0.11 $/kg removed COD and 0.06–0.1 $/m3·reduced NTU whereas calcium carbonate is the economic coagulant regarding colour reduction with the cost of 0.003 $/m3·reduced unit and more than the reduction efficiency of 90%.

Adsorptive performances of magnetic graphene oxide adsorbent for the removal of fluoroquinolones in the Langat River Basin, Malaysia

ABSTRACT The presence of pharmaceuticals in aquatic systems is a matter of great concern. As a result of their high solubility and low volatility, their removal has been very challenging. In this work, the synthesis, characterisation and adsorption study of graphene oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles (GO@Fe3O4) were explored for the removal of fluoroquinolones (FQs). GO@Fe3O4 adsorbent was synthesised by a one-step co-precipitation method using ammonium ferrous sulphate ((NH4)2FeSO4) and ferric chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3 · 6H2O) as iron sources and ammonium solution as precipitant. The removal of four FQs (ofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sparfloxacin. and gemifloxacin) by GO@Fe3O4 adsorbent was explored. The effect of contact time, initial pH of the solution, initial FQs concentration on the removal efficiency, and reusability were investigated. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model represented the adsorption process for GO@Fe3O4 adsorbent. The Freundlich isotherm model was a better fit with adsorption capacities of 44.4, 40.8, 64.0, and 51.8 mg/g for ofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sparfloxacin, and gemifloxacin, respectively. Under optimised conditions, GO@Fe3O4 adsorbent was successfully applied for the removal of FQs in water samples from the Langat River basin. The results showed enhanced sorption capacity and high removal efficiency towards for FQs removal from an aqueous solution and has the potential to be an alternative adsorbent.

Dyeing of Cotton Fabric with Natural Dye Extracted from Egyptian Cotton Leaves

Cotton leaves have been used to extract natural dye for dyeing of Egyptian cotton variety Giza 86 fabric and its blend with polyester 50:50, using different mordants such as iron (II) sulfate, copper (II) sulfate, and alum. The exhaust dyeing method was utilized using the pre-mordant technique. It is observed that both fabric samples can be dyed in different colors and depth of shades with Cotton leaves dye. Iron (II) sulfate ensures the best light fastness. Improved light fastness is obtained using abovementioned lower amounts of iron (II) sulfate and copper (II) sulfate. Alum is found to be less effective than iron (II) sulfate and copper (II) sulfate on the light fastness. As a novel alternative and potential natural dye, Cotton leaves extract solution can be used to get various colors and shades with satisfactory fastness properties. The mordanted and un-mordanted fabric samples were tested for their dyeing performance in terms of color parameters K/S, (L*), a*, b*, (C*) and (H*), and fastness properties (wash, perspiration, light and rubbing fastness) were studied. The samples showed high color strength, and high fastness properties. These results are very important for industrial application and with the production of a natural dye as an inexpensive source from cotton leaves as a by-product. Another objective is to increase the production of eco-textile garments with a good price for the Egyptian customers.

Accurate and Precise Protocol to Estimate the Activity of Peroxiredoxin Enzyme.

Accurate estimation of Prx activity poses many complications and interferences. The present protocol is free of interference and provides an effective alternative for the assessment of peroxide with high sensitivity. The assay can be used in clinical pathology laboratories since it is simple, rapid, and inexpensive. The systematic reagent consisted of AFS/ASA which acted as a sensitive probe for peroxide. Prx activity was estimated by incubating samples in suitable concentrations of 1,4-dithio-DL-threitol (DTT) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or t-Butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH), as the substrates. The enzymatic reaction was inhibited after incubation with a working reagent containing ammonium ferrous sulfate (AFS) and aminosalicylic acid (ASA). Residual peroxide reacted with the working solution to form a brown-colored ferriaminosalicylate (FAS) complex with a maximum absorbance (λmax) of 425 nm. This protocol used sodium azide (NaN3) to eliminate catalase interference and avoided using high concentrations of strong acid to inhibit the Prx reaction. We concluded that the new protocol produced the same efficacy as the reference method since a strong correlation coefficient of comparison (r> 0.99) was found between both the FAS and ferrithiocyanate method.

Studies on recovery of heavy metals from tannery wastewater

Heavy metal salts are widely used in the tanning process in the form of Chrome alum and Chromium[III] sulfate. It is a highly toxic metal and cannot be degraded thus deposited and incorporated in water, sediment and aquatic ecosystems which poses various respiratory, skin and other health issues to humans and also cause serious issues to microbial, plant and aquatic life. The cost of these heavy metal salts is high due to which the tanners need a lot of investment for the tanning process because of its abundant use. So, to overcome such issues numerous techniques have been developed for the recovery and reuse of these heavy metal salts from the wastewater of the tanneries to reduce the pollution in the wastewater streams and exempt the tanners from the high cost of these salts.&#x0D;

Neuroendocrine control of cocoon production in native earthworm Perionyx ceylanensis subjected to seasonal variation

Aim: The aim of the present study was to observe the role of cerebral ganglionic neurosecretory cells (NSCs) during cocoon production in native earthworm species Perionyx ceylanensis subjected to amputation and seasonal variations. Methodology: Histological studies (using Aldehyde Fuchsin and Chrome Alum Haematoxylin Phloxin stain) were carried out on brain NSCs in the two groups of earthworms (Group I and Group II) maintained in earthen culture pots (2L) with cowdung as food. Group I comprised of brain amputed earthworms was subjected to observe the role of brain NSCs in production of cocoon and Group II earthworms subjected to seasonal changes in the cerebral NSCs during cocoon production. Five replications were kept for Group I (1 individual per pot) and Group II (1 pair per pot). Results: Group I debrained earthworms started to lay cocoons from the 31st day following regeneration of cerebral ganglionic type A NSCs. In group II worms the highest neurosecretory activity was registered in the cerebral type A cells, especially during monsoon coinciding with the hike of cocoon generation. Interpretation: Appearance of type A NSCs in regenerated brain and peak of type A neurosecretory cell activity during peak reproductive period of earthworm species (as indicated by peak of cocoon production) indicates the possible role of cerebral type A NSCs in cocoon laying.

Perbandingan Efektivitas Ferric Carboxymaltose Dengan Ferrous Sulfate Sebagai Terapi Pasien Anemia Defisiensi Besi Pada Wanita Hamil

Background: Iron deficiency anemia is still a global problem, especially in pregnant women and causes maternal death due to bleeding. This is because the need for iron increases and the food supply decreases due to improper diet and nutritional patterns before pregnancy and during pregnancy. Iron supplements are an alternative in overcoming this problem, supplements are divided into two options, namely oral and parenteral. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of Ferric carboxymaltose with Ferrous sulfate as a treatment for iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women in terms of increased hemoglobin and ferritin levels. Method: Systematic Review, this research was sourced from online databases, namely: PubMed, Science direct, Garuda ristekbrin, Google scholar and Research gate with the keywords: ("iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy" OR "Anemia Pregnancy" OR "iron-deficient gravidas" ) AND ("Ferric carboxymaltose" OR "FCM" OR "iron dextri-maltose") AND ("Ferrous sulfate" OR "Ferrous Sulphate" OR "ammonium ferrous sulfate"). The data in this study were analyzed in a narrative manner with data extraction containing: name of journal, author, year, research design, sample and results with a search time limit of 2015-2020. Summary of results: this study found that Ferric carboxymaltose gave more improvement than Ferrous sulfate in terms of increasing hemoglobin and ferritin levels. Conclusion: The final result of this systematic review study is that Ferric carboxymaltose is more effective than Ferrous sulfate for the management of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women in terms of increasing hemoglobin and ferritin levels.

Heterogeneous Fenton Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water Enhanced by Combining Iron-type Layered Double Hydroxide and Sulfate.

Water pollution derived from organic pollutants is one of the global environmental problems. The Fenton reaction using Fe2+ as a homogeneous catalyst has been known as one of clean methods for oxidative degradation of organic pollutants. Here, a layered double hydroxide (Fe2+ Al3+ -LDH) containing Fe2+ and Al3+ in the structure was used to develop a "heterogeneous" Fenton catalyst capable of mineralizing organic pollutants. We found that sulfate ion (SO4 2- ) immobilized on the Fe2+ Al3+ -LDH significantly facilitated oxidative degradation (mineralization) of phenol as a model compound of water pollutants to carbon dioxide (CO2 ) in a heterogeneous Fenton process. The phenol conversion and mineralization efficiency to CO2 reached >99% and ca. 50%, respectively, even with a reaction time of only 60 min.

Chromium-doped titanium oxide nanotubes grown via one-step anodization for efficient photocathodic protection of stainless steel

Single-step anodization of titanium foils in ethylene glycol based electrolytes , which contain chrome alum (KCr(SO 4 ) 2 ) as the source of chromium, has been used to synthesize chromium doped TiO 2 nanotubes with efficient photocathodic protection of 403 stainless steel. Chrome alum is a non-toxic source of Cr 3+ ions. In addition, the effect of various chrome alum concentrations in the anodizing solution on the photocathodic protection behavior have also been investigated. Chrome alum concentration in the electrolyte affected the performance of the prepared photoelectrodes. The photocurrent density of the best chromium doped TiO 2 nanotube electrode was up to 2.4 times higher than the undoped sample. The open-circuit potential of the synthetic films coupled with 403 stainless steel was shifted to more negative values and provided efficient photocathodic protection of stainless steel under light irradiation. In addition, the light absorption and photoelectrochemical behavior of chromium doped TiO 2 nanotube samples was improved under light irradiation in comparison with undoped TiO 2 nanotubes. • Chromium doped TiO 2 nanotube films were prepared by one-step anodization of titanium. • Chrome alum was used as a non-toxic chromium ion (Cr 3+ ) source. • The effects of various Cr 3+ concentrations on photocathodic protection behavior was studied. • The photocurrent density of chromium doped TiO 2 electrodes was enhanced up to 2.4 times compared to the undoped sample

Mohr's salt assisted KOH activation strategy to customize S-doped hierarchical carbon frameworks enabling satisfactory rate performance of supercapacitors

The construction of heteroatom-doped hierarchical carbon frameworks has attracted significant research attention as high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors. Herein, a facile one-step Mohr’s salt-assisted KOH activation strategy has been developed for the production of S-doped hierarchical carbon frameworks with large specific surface area from sustainable spruce bark. We found Mohr’s salt plays multiple roles during the synthesizing process by simultaneously acting as an S source, the template to generate mesopores, and the co-activator beyond KOH. As the electrode for supercapacitors, the high specific capacitance of 281 and 156 F g−1 can be achieved in aqueous electrolyte and ionic liquid electrolyte at 1 A g−1, respectively. More importantly, the electrode also displays excellent rate capability where a high capacitance can be maintained at large charge-discharge operation. Moreover, the supercapacitor device also demonstrated an energy density is high up to 66.26 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 875 W kg−1 in ionic liquid electrolyte. These results acquired could offer a versatile way to convert renewable biomass into value-add porous carbon for electrochemical energy-storage applications.

Implementation of response surface methodology in physi-chemisorption of Indigo carmine dye using modified chitosan composite

A composite of chitosan with Mohr's salt was prepared by microwave irradiation method. This novel chitosan-ferrous ammonium sulphate composite was characterized using various techniques like FT-IR, SEM, EDX, TGA-DTA, XRD and pHpzc. The material was used for adsorptive removal of Indigo Carmine dye from aqueous solution using batch experiments as well as Response Surface Methodology. The screening experiments in accordance with Plackett-Burman design followed by Central Composite Design led to optimization of various operating parameters. When the batch adsorption experiments were carried out under the conditions predicted by Central Composite Design modelling, more than 98% dye adsorption was observed. The adsorption capacity was found to be 76.64 mg g−1 in accordance with Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The process was found to be feasible, endothermic and entropy driven as indicated by the thermodynamics studies.

Synthesis and long‐term stability of acrylic acid and N, N‐methylene‐bis‐acrylamide radiation grafted polypropylene fibers

AbstractNew carboxyl ion‐exchange fibers prepared by acrylic acid (AA) and N, N‐methylene‐bis‐acrylamide (MBAA) monomer grafting to polypropylene (PP) fibers based on the method of γ‐rays pre‐irradiation in air followed by a Mohr's salt redox initiation of grafting reaction were studied. Grafting degree, homopolymer quantity, monomer conversion and grafting efficiency were determined. FTIR spectroscopy was used to establish the nature of the grafted fibers. The thermal stability of the materials was investigated based on DSC analysis in N2/O2 mixture. The long‐term stability during 6–8 years of storage was examined by the measurement of the tensile strength and the elongation at break of the fibers, and the chemical oxygen demand in water extracts as well as in the oxygen uptake experiments. The influence of some factors on the useful life of the grafted fibers was studied: a MBAA cross‐linking, exposure to day light, the Fe (III) residue presence, a grafting reaction temperature. It was found that small amounts of the adsorbed Fe (III) ions increase the deterioration rate of the grafted fibers, while small amounts of MBAA delay this negative process.

Characterization of soy protein hydrolysates and influence of its iron content on monoclonal antibody production by a murine hybridoma cell line.

A challenging aspect with the use of protein hydrolysates in commercial manufacturing processes of recombinant therapeutic proteins is their impacts on the protein production due to a lack of understanding of batch-to-batch variability. Soy hydrolysates variability and its impact on fed-batch production of a recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) expressed in Sp2/0 cells were studied using 37 batches from the same vendor. The batch-to-batch variability of soy hydrolysates impacted cell growth, titer and product quality. Physicochemical characterization of batches confirmed that soy hydrolysates are mainly a source of amino acids and peptides containing lower amounts of other components such as carbohydrates and chemical elements in cell culture media. Soy hydrolysates composition of different batches was consistent except for trace elements. Statistical analyses identified iron as a potential marker of a poor process performance. To verify this correlation, two forms of iron, ferric ammonium citrate and ferrous sulfate, were added to a batch of soy hydrolysates associated to a low level of iron during cell culture. Both forms of iron reduced significantly cell growth, mAb titer and increased level of the acidic charge variants of the mAb. Consequently, trace element composition of soy hydrolysates or of all incoming raw materials might lead to significant impacts on process performance and product quality and therefore need to be tightly controlled.

Synthesis and characterization of Graphene Oxide-Ammonium Ferric Sulfate composite for the removal of dyes from tannery wastewater

The leather processing industry is currently facing numerous environmental pollution challenges. Dyes are known as one of the most significant causes for water pollution. Thus, the present work is designed to tackle this issue via preparation of different composite comprising both graphene oxide and ammonium ferric sulfate, donated as GO-AFS. Results obtained via FTIR, TGA, XRD and SEM tools confirmed the facile preparation of GO-AFS composite having good thermal stability and exhibited rough and porous surface with no clear edges. The adsorption efficiency of the as-prepared GO-AFS composite was successfully examined against two commercial dyes, namely anionic dye Basic Black 7 (BB7) and cationic dye Acid Black 210 (AB210) together with specific tannery dye wastewater. The findings also ascertained that the color removal for BB7 was noticed to be mostly 100% within 2 min by GO-AFS adsorbent at 10 mg (0.1 g/L), while the color removal concentration at pH~7 was up to 700 ppm. In addition, the color removal performance of AB210 was also detected at approximately 100% by 12 mg (0.12 g/L) of GO-AFS within 3 min when the dye concentration at pH~4 was up to 400 ppm. Regarding the removal of real tannery dye from wastewater, it was also observed that the efficacy of GO-AFS as adsorbent reached 100%. Within the second cycle, the adsorption potential of recycled GO-AFS was restored by nearly 100% and this percentage decreased to 95.4% in the third cycle. In view of these findings, it can be concluded that the prepared GO-AFS composite can be considered as an excellent candidate for eradication of pollutants or contamination from tannery wastewater instead of the conventional high-cost adsorbents.

Proteomics analysis of the bio-functions of Dregea sinensis stems provides insights regarding milk-clotting enzyme

Dregea sinensis (D. sinensis) stems have traditionally been used as milk coagulant in Dali of Yunnan Province, China. In this study, proteomics was used to investigate the bio-functions of D. sinensis stem proteins, leading to the purification and identification of the milk-clotting enzyme. A total of 205 proteins mainly involved in the catalytic and metabolic processes were identified, of which 28 proteins exhibited hydrolase activity. Among the 28 proteins, we focused on two enzymes (M9QMC9 and B7VF65). Based on proteomics, a cysteine protease (M9QMC9) with a molecular weight of 25.8 kDa and milk-clotting activity was purified from D. sinensis stems using double ammonium sulfate precipitation and was confirmed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The milk-clotting temperature using the purified enzyme was around 80 °C (specific activity at 314.38 U/mg), and it was found to be stable in the pH range of 6–9 in NaCl concentration of <0.8 mol/L. These findings indicated that the enzyme isolated from D. sinensis stems has potential in the dairy and food sectors, especially in the cheese-making industry.

Fluoride removal using Alum & PACl in batch & continuous modewith subsequent microfiltration

In this study, defluoridation efficiency by aluminium sulphate (alum) and polyaluminium chloride (PACl) were compared for recommended Nalgonda dose (100%) and 80 % of this dose in both batch and continuous modes. The residual turbidity was found to be higher in case of alum as compared to PACl with 80 % dose representing lesser efficient settling of suspensions, which primarily comprise alumino-fluoro complexes that result in high residual aluminium in the treated water and this was confirmed by TEM and Zeta analysis. Moreover, the application of PACl also resulted in much lesser addition to the TDS and also required lesser lime for pH compensation due to its lower acidity. Hence this reduced dose was recommended for defluoridation. It was also observed that in case of alum, residual aluminium in treated water was 0.88 mg/L (100% dose) & 0.72 mg/L (80% dose) and in case of PACl, it was 0.52 mg/L(100% dose) & 0.41 mg/L(80% dose). After subsequent microfiltration, residual aluminium was 0.28 & 0.21 mg/L for 100 % & 80 % dose respectively and in case of alum and in case of PACl, it was 0.16 & 0.11 for 100% & 80 % dose respectively, which conform to the Al standards(<0.2 mg/L).