Low Water Consumption Research Articles

Present and Future Actions of CETYS University to Mitigate Climate Action

The strategic location of CETYS University, in Baja California state in the northwest of Mexico, gives it exceptional conditions for the use of renewable energies. With an installed photovoltaic solar energy capacity of 1.37 MW, it is the academic institution with the greatest generation potential in Latin America. The importance that CETYS University gives to the subject has stimulated the institution since 2015 to offer a degree and master's degree in renewable energy to have greater and better collaboration with solar and wind energy technology companies located in the state. With a vision of the future, in 2023 the CETYS Institute for Sustainability Studies (ISS) was created to promote and coordinate, among other actions, those related to energy and climate change. With a planning horizon until 2036, the ISS, looking forward, has proposed the following actions: a) an internal audit to increase the energy efficiency of their buildings and classrooms; b) support for research projects to build on-campus operational small-scale wind energy systems; c) the deployment of the 300 x 500 program, which seeks to plant at least 300 native trees in the region with low water consumption each year, to offset the atmospheric emissions of 500 vehicles; d) a policy to achieve 80% carbon neutrality, and e) the incorporation of CETYS to the network of Mexican universities for climate action. Among many others, these actions position CETYS as a leading institution in sustainable development at the regional level.

Fixing active sand dune by native grasses in the desert of Northwest China

BackgroundDesertification is the most severe environmental problem in arid and semi-arid regions and has caused great economic loss every year. However, artificial sand fixation barriers function on sand fixation for only 10–20 years. Searching for a native species with long-term sand fixation effect and strong environmental adaptive capacity, and low water consumption is needed. In this study, we investigated the environmental adaption and sand fixation effect of a grass from Poaceae family (Psammochloa villosa) that is indigenous to the desert of Northwest China.ResultsThe results showed that P. villosa has a streamlined leaf form, strong mechanical strength, and flexibility to adapt to wind. Leaf curling of P. villosa under drought decreased water loss rate through decreased evaporation area to adapt to drought. Significant negative relationship between adventitious root length and horizontal root burial depth indicates that adventitious roots help P. villosa absorb water and nutrients from soil under shallow sand burial condition, which enables P. villosa to adapt to different sand burial conditions. P. villosa fixed sand dunes through the distribution of the population at the top of the dune and the vertical relationship between the direction of windblown sand and the direction of growth of P. villosa, which stopped the expansion of the dune.ConclusionsGrowth characteristics of wind and drought tolerant leaf traits and adventitious roots under sand burial indicate that P. villosa is well adapted to dry sandy desert conditions and burial by sand. The distribution of the P. villosa population on the sand dune is a “brake” on its expansion. These findings provide new insight for active sand dune fixation and desertification control using native grass in the desertified regions.

Environmental impact of intravenous versus oral administration materials for acetaminophen and ketoprofen in a French university hospital: an eco-audit study using a life cycle analysis.

The combination of acetaminophen with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug is the cornerstone of perioperative multimodal analgesia. These drugs can be administered intravenously or orally as premedication, consistent with the concept of pre-emptive and preventive analgesia. We aimed to assess the environmental impact of their intravenous and oral administration in a French university hospital. We carried out a life cycle assessment to determine the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and depletion of water resources resulting from the oral vs intravenous administration of 1g acetaminophen and 50mg ketoprofen. We assessed two schemes of intravenous administration, depending on the use of the same or a different infusion set for each drug. At our centre, the intravenous administration of both drugs was associated with the emission of 444-556g CO2 equivalent (CO2e), and with 9.8-12.2 L of water waste. The oral administration of both drugs generated 8.36g of CO2e emissions and consumed 1.16 L of water. At a national level, the switch from intravenous to oral premedication of the drugs could avoid the emission of 2,900-3,700 tons of CO2e and the waste of 58,000-74,000 m3 of water each year. This eco-audit indicates that oral administration of acetaminophen and ketoprofen results in significantly lower carbon emissions and water consumption than intravenous administration. These findings highlight the importance of using the oral route for most patients, limiting intravenous administration for those with specific needs because of higher environmental impact and cost.

Prospective Analysis of Dietary Risk Factors Involved in the Occurrence of Irritable Bowel Sydrome among Students in Ivory Coast

This is a prospective cross-sectional study, with a descriptive and analytical aim, with the main objective of analyzing the dietary risk factors involved in the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome among students in Côte d'Ivoire. This investigation follows the work of Amoikon et al., (2016) who revealed among students an unbalanced, unstructured and poorly hydrated diet with a high prevalence of abdominal irritation syndrome. Thus, a new food and health consumption survey was carried out from October 15, 2016 to February 17, 2017, in a population of 1,228 student volunteers, with an average age of 22.5 years, dominated by males. It revealed a high prevalence of intestinal irritation syndrome (47.7%) and dietary imbalance. After analyzing the relationship between eating habits and pathology, it turned out that high consumption of red meat, soft drinks, non-alcoholic exciting products, spicy products and low water consumption were the factors risk of the occurrence of the pathology among the respondents. To this end, it would be important to carry out nutritional education sessions on university campuses across the country, with a view to improving their eating habits, their food security and their health conditions.

Understanding consumption and purchase of tap water and diverse tap-alternative drinking water sources in Detroit, Michigan

ABSTRACT Several gaps remain in understanding individuals' water consumption reliance outcomes in disadvantaged communities. We utilize a cross-sectional sample of household-level survey data from predominantly low-income, minoritized households in Detroit, MI, to examine the relationship between tap and tap-alternative drinking water consumption and purchase behavior. We collected survey data from one English-speaking adult per household in May–October 2021 (n = 259). Consistent with past studies, tap water consumption is negatively correlated with single-use bottled water consumption and consuming drinking water from multiple sources. We also find tap distrust is correlated with tap-alternative water consumption, yet there is a surprising positive relationship between tap and overall bottled water consumption levels. Very low-income households were more likely to rely on bottled water and multiple other water sources simultaneously. Female respondents reported lower levels of most types of water consumption. Black respondents reported lower tap water and bottled water consumption but had higher levels of other tap-alternative source consumption. Our results call into question whether higher tap water consumption is synonymous with tap trust or with reduced bottled water consumption. Public health interventions must further address high levels of bottled water consumption among low-income individuals, and low tap water consumption among Black individuals.

Enhanced Hydrophilicity of DAAQ-TFP COFs via Sulfonate Modification for Air Water Harvesting in Arid Environment.

The poor ability of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) based adsorbents at low relative humidity (RH) conditions limits their applications for air-water harvesting in arid environments. In the present work, the sulfonated COFs (DAAQ-TFP-SO3H@LiCl) composites are prepared through the functionalization of sulfonic acid and LiCl composite to improve its hydrophilicity. TheDAAQ-TFP-SO3H@LiCl composites exhibit a good adsorption performance, outperforming many other COF adsorbents developed so far. It can absorb 0.22±0.005g g-1 and 1.01±0.027g g-1 of water at room temperature under 20% RH and 90% RH, respectively while demonstrating good cyclic stability. Compared with the isotherm of the DAAQ-TFP, the introduction of the sulfonic acid group shifts the inflection point of the water isotherm toward low humidity, indicating that the sulfonic acid group effectively expends the working humidity range of the adsorbent and enables the effective water adsorption in an arid environment. Furthermore, the DAAQ-TFP-SO3H@LiCl composites display rapid kinetics during both the adsorption and desorption processes, reaching saturation within 60min in the equilibrium adsorption test and completing desorption within 12min at 50°C. This innovative approach provides a new method for designing adsorbent materials with low energy input requirements and high daily water consumption capabilities.

МЕХАНОАКТИВАЦІЯ ПОРТЛАНДЦЕМЕНТУ ТА ЇЇ ВПЛИВ НА ВЛАСТИВОСТІ БУДІВЕЛЬНИХ КОМПОЗИЦІЙ РІЗНОГО ПРИЗНАЧЕННЯ

The issues considered in the article are related to determining the effect of mechanical activation on the properties of cement-water compositions and building mortars based on them. The activation of cement in combination with the use of ground quartz sand and the superplasticizer Relaxol-Super PC is relevant for this study. The amount of quartz sand was adjusted in the range from 0 to 40% of the cement mass, and the superplasticizer (0,15 – 1,5%) of the binder mass. The use of this technology ensures acceleration of cement hydration processes, maintaining the required level of composition mobility with a lower consumption of mixing water, and intensification of exothermic heating. The presented experimental data made it possible to evaluate the effect of the binder activation period and the superplasticizer consumption on the flow of the aqueous cement-containing composition. It was found that the main contribution to the decrease in the water-solid ratio (provided that equiviscous compositions are obtained) is achieved by activating the cement-containing composition for 180 sec. with the addition of 1,5% superplasticizing additive. The water-solid ratio decreases by more than 50%. A further increase in the amount of plasticizer has low efficiency and has little effect on decreasing the water-solid ratio. Activation in combination with reduced water hardening of the cement-water composition contributes to both an increase in the heating intensity and an increase in its maximum temperature. After activation, the maximum temperature increased by 5-11% compared to the non-activated cement-water composition. The peak of the exothermic reaction for the mechanically activated cement-water composition occurs 3 hours earlier compared to the non-activated mixture. The increase in the strength of the mortar on mechanically activated cement with the addition of a superplasticizing additive reached 71% compared to the control.

Prospective Analysis of Dietary Risk Factors Involved in the Occurrence of Epigastralgia Among Students of Felix Houphouët Boigny University in Ivory Coast

This is a prospective cross-sectional study, with a descriptive and analytical aim, with the main objective of analyzing the dietary risk factors involved in the occurrence of epigastralgia among students of Felix Houphouët Boigny University in Ivory Coast. This is a food and health consumption survey carried out from October 15, 2016 to February 17, 2017, in a population of 1,228 students volunteers, with an average age of 22.5 years, dominated by males. It revealed a high prevalence of epigastralgia (24.5%) and imbalanced dietary. After analyzing the relationship between eating habits and the disease, it turned out that certain behaviors such as high consumption of carbonated drinks, sugary foods, foods containing eggs and/or milk, alcohol, flavor enhancer products, non-alcoholic exciting products, tubers, and low water consumption are responsible for the occurrence of epigastralgia in the population.

Comparative assessment of simple and detailed energy performance models for urban energy modelling based on digital twin and statistical typology database for the renovation of existing building stock

The renovation wave calls for an integrated, participatory, and neighbourhood to neighbourhood approach tailored to the local environments. This can be hindered by the lack of geometric and performance input data about the existing building stock. A parametric digital urban building energy modelling (UBEM) tool was developed for local municipalities to automate calculations for comprehensive renovation strategies utilizing public databases specifically at the neighbourhood level. This article compares the accuracy of two energy performance calculation models (seasonal heat balance method and hourly resistance–capacitance method) used within the tool to detailed energy simulation software and measured energy consumption data of existing group of residential buildings in a same neighbourhood. The accuracy for estimating the total primary energy demand was roughly below 10 % for both simplified models. The seasonal calculation method showed consistent overestimation of space heating, depending on building characteristics. Solar and internal heat gains significantly affect the accuracy of simplified heat balance calculations, particularly in well-insulated buildings, while the more detailed 5R1C lumped capacitance hourly method provides improved accuracy for space heating demand. The comparison of uniform (proportional) and project based window area distribution used in the calculation models showed only marginal difference. The study validated simple seasonal and 5R1C hourly calculation methods using data from an apartment building neighbourhood with 22 apartment buildings. Despite larger deviations in the case of individual buildings, the average deviation from measured heating demand was only around 3 %, the seasonal method slightly overestimating and the 5R1C hourly method slightly underestimating the measured values. The primary energy demand including typical values of domestic hot water and household electricity was overestimated by both simplified methods due to lower electricity and water consumption in reality although the difference was below 7 % for the entire district. This concludes that pooling the building envelope heat loss calculation on a district level improves accuracy on average allowing better assessment of comparative renovation strategies.

Modelling carbon capture from power plants with low energy and water consumption using a novel cryogenic technology

Global warming mitigation requires modern energy generation technology to integrate low-cost carbon capture techniques. Despite volumes of research on the latter, the significantly high unit energy (MWh) of capture and high water consumption, do not enable any current carbon capture techniques to be adopted at a scale. To address this problem, we theoretically explore a novel low-cost carbon capture technology (NLCCT). In this paper, a detailed thermodynamic analysis of the effects of the operating conditions and parameters of NLCCT, such as the initial feed gas concentration, compressor intercooler temperature, number of compressor stages, efficiencies of the compressors, and turbines, ambient temperatures on the energy consumption for CO2 capture (ECC) is carried out with a view to obtain costs much lower than current techniques. The study identifies the inlet feed concentration, turbine and compressor efficiencies, and compressor intercooler temperatures (heat transfer effectiveness) as the significant parameters. For a drop of 20 % efficiency, the ECC was found to increase by 40 %, and for an increase in inlet CO2 feed concentration from 4 % to 10 %, the ECC was found to decrease by 31 %. Considering the effect of intercooler temperatures, the ECC increases by 25 % when the intercooler temperature is raised by 6 K. The effect of ambient conditions was also analyzed and observed that for an increase of 27C in the ambient temperature, the ECC would rise by 15 %.

Correlation Mineral Water Consumption and Hemoglobin Levels in Adolescent Girls

Anemia is a global health issue that affects people of all ages, particularly adolescent girls. Adolescent girls require nutritional intake, both from food and water. According to the balanced nutrition guidelines, people (particularly adolescents and adults) require 2000 liters (or eight glasses) of water daily. Most adolescent girls barely consider their water consumption. A lack of water in the body affects the balance of minerals (salt and sugar), disrupting regular metabolic processes such as hemoglobin (Hb) level regulation. This study investigates the correlation between adolescent girls' water consumption and hemoglobin levels. This quantitative study uses a cross-sectional design to collect variable data at a certain time. The study used blood with anti-coagulants EDTA from 30 adolescent girls from Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang. The primary data for this study are water consumption and hemoglobin levels. Results of the research show that adolescent girls' water consumption was adequate (66.7%) and low (33.3%). The average Hb level among adolescent girls was 12.4 g/dL. Adequate water consumption resulted in 3 respondents with low Hb levels and 7 with normal Hb levels. In contrast, low water consumption resulted in 2 respondents with low Hb levels and 18 with normal Hb levels. The Rank-Spearman correlation test showed sig 0.177 (p>0.05). The study concluded that there was no correlation between adolescent girl water consumption and hemoglobin levels. Food fluid intake can compensate for a lack of water consumption.

Different supplemental irrigation methods result in discrepant water use efficiency and yield by changing steps of water use process in dryland wheat

Supplemental irrigation (SI) at critical growth stages is a practical way to mitigate water shortage of winter wheat in dryland. However, the yield performance after SI is unstable in different precipitation years. To obtain a better understanding about the applicability of SI in dryland, the utilization efficiency of precipitation and irrigation water (IUE) was divided into 5 sequential ratios: water storage ratio, water consumption ratio, water transpired ratio, transpiration efficiency and harvest index. In this study, those ratios were investigated under four SI methods: no irrigation (W0), SI once at jointing (Wj), SI once at booting (Wb) and SI twice at jointing and booting (Wj+b) throughout four years. Our results showed that water storage ratio was increased under all SI treatments, but water transpired ratio was only significantly increased under Wj and Wj+b, due to their greater development of plant population compared to W0. Thus, wheat yield was greatly improved by 7–12 % under Wj and Wj+b than that under W0 in dry and normal years. However, IUE was significantly decreased under Wj+b. Compared with W0, Wj+b had higher evaporation during the fallow period and lower water consumption ratio. Furthermore, 100–300 cm subsoil water utilization was decreased under Wj+b from jointing to harvest time due to the low root length density (RDL) in subsoil. Under Wj, evaporation, subsoil water utilization and RDL were not negatively affected and water use efficiency was increased compared to W0. Thus, SI once at jointing stage is a more suitable practice in dryland wheat farmland when considering the dual goal of effectively using water while increasing yields under worse precipitation year.

Enhanced capacitive deionization via modulating local electron of electro-adsorption sites in a Trace-Fe-modified carbon framework

In order to alleviate the crisis of freshwater resources, it is essential to explore a clean, efficient, and low-consumption water treatment technology. As a kind of electro-adsorption water purification technology, capacitive deionization (CDI) has drawn continuously growing attention because of its advantages. The ion adsorption capability of CDI is closely related to the electrodes. Unfortunately, the ion adsorption capacity of common carbon materials is limited and far from reaching the rapidly increasing requirements of fresh water treatment. In this study, Fe-N-HPC electrode materials with trace Fe uniformly dispersed in N-doped hollow carbon polyhedral frameworks were tactfully prepared by a simple in-situ growth and pyrolysis method. The structure and morphology of the heterostructure material were verified by various analysis. Electrochemical tests showed the Fe-N-HPC electrode had an enhanced performance with a higher specific capacitance and fast ions diffusion coefficient. The Fe-N-HPC showed excellent CDI performance, with an enhanced desalinization capacity (34.38 mg/g, 500 mg/L NaCl solution, 1.2 V), and regenerative stability after 100 adsorption–desorption cycles. In addition, it also exhibited higher charge efficiency, energy efficiency and lower specific energy consumption. The removal mechanism of Na+ on the electrode and the participation of trace Fe can modulate the local electron of the electro-adsorption sites were reasonably verified by ex-situ XRD, Raman, and XPS characterizations, which finally facilitated the electro-adsorption property. This work presents a promising scheme for the advance of high efficiency capacitive desalination system.

Electrothermal mineralization of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances for soil remediation

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent and bioaccumulative pollutants that can easily accumulate in soil, posing a threat to environment and human health. Current PFAS degradation processes often suffer from low efficiency, high energy and water consumption, or lack of generality. Here, we develop a rapid electrothermal mineralization (REM) process to remediate PFAS-contaminated soil. With environmentally compatible biochar as the conductive additive, the soil temperature increases to >1000 °C within seconds by current pulse input, converting PFAS to calcium fluoride with inherent calcium compounds in soil. This process is applicable for remediating various PFAS contaminants in soil, with high removal efficiencies ( >99%) and mineralization ratios ( >90%). While retaining soil particle size, composition, water infiltration rate, and cation exchange capacity, REM facilitates an increase of exchangeable nutrient supply and arthropod survival in soil, rendering it superior to the time-consuming calcination approach that severely degrades soil properties. REM is scaled up to remediate soil at two kilograms per batch and promising for large-scale, on-site soil remediation. Life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis demonstrate REM as an environmentally friendly and economic process, with a significant reduction of energy consumption, greenhouse gas emission, water consumption, and operation cost, when compared to existing soil remediation practices.

Enhancing protein extraction from soybean expeller: Exploring the impact of precipitating agents and flour-to-water ratios on functional properties

AbstractThis study investigates sustainable methods for producing protein from soybean expeller via pH-shifting processes, aiming to reduce water usage in alkaline extraction by adjusting solid-to-liquid ratios per cycle and employing isoelectric precipitants like lactic acid and lactic acid bacteria (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactococcus Lactis) to enhance functional and antioxidant properties over a wide pH range. Results indicate that the most efficient approach involves three 1:10 (w/v) extraction cycles with lactic acid bacteria as precipitants, demonstrating high productivity and low specific water consumption. Protein content and recovery yield showed no significant differences compared to alternatives with higher water consumption or less eco-friendly precipitants. Despite lower solubility, protein products precipitated with lactic acid bacteria formed stable emulsions, exhibiting superior free radical scavenging activity.

Evaluating negative emission technologies in a circular carbon economy: A holistic evaluation of direct air capture, bioenergy carbon capture and storage and biochar

The current study aims to develop an intelligent system incorporating various mitigation technologies. In this investigation, three technologies; Direct Air Capture (DAC), Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), and Biochar production from pyrolysis are evaluated for their capacity to mitigate one million tonnes of CO2. Process models are developed for each method, followed by techno-economic analyses and optimization to derive the most effective solution. The holistic approach considers objectives such as net energy gain, minimized water usage, and product sales. The results highlight BECCS as the most promising in terms of net energy gain, offering approximately 18.08 GJ, closely followed by Biochar, which offers about 15.08 GJ per 1 tonne of captured CO2. Biochar stands out for its lower water consumption of 2.3 m³ compared to BECCS water consumption of 3.03 m³, while DAC exhibits higher water usage and demands extensive energy consumption of 11.95 GJ per 1 tonne of captured CO2. Economic analysis reflects these scenarios, with Biochar, BECCS, and DAC presenting product sales of $756 million, $233 million, and $60 million, respectively. The optimization process revealed about 22 potential solutions based on energy, waste usage, and sales nexus. It suggests a system comprising 53% Biochar and 47% BECCS, considering the highest net energy gain, minimizedwater usage and cost and elevated technology maturity.

A Multicriteria Decision Analysis Model for Optimal Land Uses: Guiding Farmers under the New European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (2023–2027)

Focusing on sustainability, the new Common Agricultural Policy (2023–2027) sets ambitious goals for water management, as reducing irrigation water use is a vital issue. Cooperation among farmers, relevant authorities, and researchers plays a significant role in achieving these objectives. Therefore, this study applies a multicriteria mathematical programming model to optimize land use, considering water use, profit, labor, and cost. The model was applied to three farmer groups located in Greece and proved to be valuable in the implementation of irrigation water use. Using the same methodology, two additional cases of farmer groups that utilize drylands are presented in complementary ways to investigate how the new CAP affects non-irrigated land uses. Regarding the irrigated case, reducing water usage involves decreasing the land dedicated to crops characterized by high water demand, such as rice, corn, vetch, and clover. This adjustment stems from the necessity to replace irrigated land with non-irrigated land because climate change demands low water consumption for crops and underscores the importance of the new policy framework to promote sustainable agriculture. As for the non-irrigated case, achieving optimal farm planning entails reducing the cultivated areas of vetch, grassland, and sunflower. This result is driven by the need to increase crops receiving primary subsidies, highlighting the necessity for non-irrigated farms to enhance their profitability through the benefits provided by the Common Agricultural Policy. Lastly, it is important to note that this study significantly contributes to guiding decision-makers in achieving alternative agricultural land uses and farm plans while also aiding in the comprehension of the new cross-compliance rules.

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНЫЕ ОЦЕНКИ ПЕРСПЕКТИВНЫХ КАПЕЛЬНЫХ ПОИЛОК ДЛЯ СЕЛЬСКОХОЗЯЙСТВЕННЫХ ПТИЦ

The problem of watering poultry with water is analyzed. The aim of the study is to choose the design of a nipple drinker for poultry when they are with cage kept. In accordance with this, in order to develop a modern nipple drinker for poultry that meets the sanitary and technical requirements of the poultry housing, a comparative analysis of existing nipple drinker designs is carried out. A nipple drinker for poultry of cage keeping is developed. The tests conducted on broilers show that the nipple drinker meets the physiological needs of poultry in water and is reliable in operation while reducing the cost of its preventive maintenance. The nipple drinker has a low water consumption during batch feeding, is hygienic in use, improves the sanitary condition of the poultry room, increases the live weight of broilers by 3...5%. The developed nipple drinker for poultry in comparison with its closest analogues has a simple design, low labor intensity of manufacture, the possibility of self-purification from salt deposits on the inner surface of the device regulating the flow of water, increases reliability in operation and reduces water losses by its portion supply, improves the sanitary condition of the room for keeping poultry.

Effects of a blend of acidifiers added continuously to the drinking water of nursery piglets

Context Adding organic and inorganic acids to the drinking water is a potential alternative to improve production results in nursery piglets, and a strategy for reducing the use of antimicrobials. Aims To assess the effects of adding a blend of organic and inorganic acids to drinking water on the oxireduction potential (ORP) of water, and growth performance, biochemical, antioxidant and blood gas profiles, intestinal morphometry, biometry of organs, and intestinal microbiome of nursery piglets. Methods Experiment involved 1080 female piglets assessed over 30 days (Landrace × Large White, weaned at 26 days of age, weighing 6.8 ± 0.29 kg), randomly assigned to the following three treatments: (1) piglets received drinking water of natural pH of 7.39 (pH7.39), (2) piglets received drinking water of pH of 5.31 (pH5.31), and (3) piglets received drinking water of pH of 3.40 (pH3.40), with eight replicates and 45 piglets/stall. Piglets had ad libitum access to diet and water throughout the experiment, and received different diets in each phase. Key results Receiving drinking water of pH3.40 promoted a higher ORP, and a lower total water consumption was observed in Starter II piglets with pH5.31. There was no treatment effect on the performance, but mortality was lower in starter piglets in the pH3.40 treatment. Animals in the pH3.40 treatment had lower blood alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, differing from the result obtained for total cholesterol concentrations. Animals in the pH3.40 treatment showed a lower concentration of total protein than did piglets in the pH7.39 treatment. Piglets in the pH3.40 treatment had higher weights of empty stomach, spleen, and liver with gallbladder than did those in the pH7.39 treatment. Animals in the pH3.40 treatment showed a lower relative abundance of the Escherichia–Shigella genus and bacteria of Enterobacteriaceae family than did those in the pH5.31 treatment. Conclusions Acidification of drinking water to pH3.40 for nursery piglets can be used to partially increase the ORP of the water, and promote a greater weight of organs with metabolic and immune functions, while decreasing mortality. In addition, acidification of drinking water does not compromise performance or intestinal histology, but improves the profile of the intestinal microbiome in piglets. Implications This research has provided new information on the effects of acidifiers in the drinking water for nursery piglets and has shown their potential use for bolstering general health.

Bibliographic Review of Aquaponic Systems and their Relevance to Côte d’Ivoire, a Sub-Saharan African Country

Through a review of aquaponic techniques, the present work highlights the interest aroused by this practice in the world as well as different modes of exploitation. Aquaponics is defined as a coupling between a recirculated aquaculture compartment and an aboveground crop compartment. Since two decades, it has been the subject of a significant economic activity in Canada, the USA, Australia and induces numerous research activities. This system is subdivided into three (3) major techniques which are the culture techniques on bed of inert substrates, on nutritive film and that of rafts. Aquaponics is the subject of profitable industrial economic activity on both large and small scale in the USA and Canada. Given the benefits of low water consumption, then on-use of fertilizers and pesticides, aquaponics is unquestionably according to researchers and users, the system capable of revolutionizing livestock farming and agriculture around the world. Côte d'Ivoire is suffering not only from the consequences of climate change but also from rapid urbanization, with the consequent change in water resources. Aquaponics deserves to be mastered then popularized in this country, to help produce fish and plants of better quality while avoiding the waste of water caused by traditional livestock systems.