Treatment Chemicals Research Articles

Investigation of the change in the characteristic properties of epoxy and silane coated natural stone surfaces

Travertine is a natural stone with macro and micropores; these pores are connected by capillary means. Their visual appearance and porous structure add a different style and diversify their usage areas. However, the large pore structure of travertine brings some limitations in determining the usage areas. In the study, protective solutions called silane and epoxy, which provide protection against water, were used to prevent and/or minimize decomposition in areas of use, depending on the porosity of the travertine, and their effects on travertine were compared. Treatment of both chemicals separately on the travertine surface was carried out by spraying, applying with a brush, and dipping into chemicals. With the findings obtained from the physical examinations after curing, the work continued using the applying and dipping method. The dipping method was evaluated with the chemical's 10, 20, and 40-minute waiting times. The study found that the best application conditions were chemical immersion for 10 minutes. However, in SO2 wear experiments, it was understood that surfaces treated with epoxy were more durable due to the high viscosity of the chemical. As a result, it has been determined that silane application provides more effective surface protection results than epoxy.

Effectiveness of Integrated Management on Fusarium-Nematode wilt Complex Disease of Banana cv. Ney Poovan (AB): Insights from a Field Study

Banana (Musa spp.) belongs to the family Musaceae is the most important fruit crop in the world, serving as a staple food and source of income in many developing countries. There are several diseases recorded on Banana causing serious losses. Wilt complex disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense and Radopholus similis is considered as a serious threat Banana cultivation. A field experiment was conducted in a randomised complete block design with susceptible Banana variety Nay Poovan (AB) to manage the fungal-nematode wilt complex using treatments of bioagents, organic amendments and chemicals in individual as well as in integrated approach. The experiment results revealed that, Carbendazim (262.73 cm) treated plants had good plant height and it was on par with combined treatments. Among combination treatments, T11 (Neem cake + FYM +T. viride + + P. fluorescens +P. lilacinus + Carbofuran + stem injection of Carbendazim at 5,7,9 months) gave maximum plant height (118.00, 195.27 and 262.60 cm). The least plant height was recorded in control 89.60 cm, 140.00 cm and 188.00 cm at 90, 180 days after planting and at harvest respectively. The final population of R. similis in soil was lowest in T11 (Neem cake + FYM, T. viride+P. fluorescens+P. lilacinus + Carbofuran + stem injection of Carbendazim at 5,7,9 months) (6.33 /200 cc soil), followed by T6 (T. viride + P. lilacinus) (26.33 /200 cc soil), whereas control treatment has maximum (1382.00 /200 cc soil). Regarding wilt incidence, the plants treated with Neem cake + FYM, T. viride+P. fluorescens+P. lilacinus + Carbofuran + stem injection of Carbendazimat 5, 7, 9 months (T11) recorded less incidence (11.12%) as compared to the maximum wilt incidence of 88.89 per cent in control treatment. The next best treatment was T10 (Carbendazim 17.67 %). Individual application the maximum number of hands per bunch, bunch weight and total yield per hectare was recorded in T10(Carbendazim) 13.80, 12.75 kg and 45.75 t/ha), T2(P. Fluorescens) (9.67, 9.73 kg and 36.05 t/ha) and least was recorded in T9 (Carbofuron) (8.75, 8.25 kg and 32.50 t/ha) compare to control. Among the combined treatments, the maximum number of hands per bunch (19.75), bunch weight (16.80 kg) and total yield per hectare (26.33 t/ha) was recorded in treatment T11 (Neem cake + FYM, T. viride+P. fluorescens+P. lilacinus + Carbofuran + stem injection of Carbendazim at 5, 7, 9 months). The economic analysis revealed that, the T11 had recorded a maximum benefit cost ratio of 4.26 followed by T10 – Carbendazim (3.96) percent incidence and the least benefit cost ratio was recorded by control (1.23).

Ammonia Recovery from Manure Wastewater and Simultaneous Electrosynthesis and Wastewater Treatment Using Ion Selective Redox Material

The environmental pressure due to greenhouse gas emissions and water contamination generated by livestock manure motivates the development of new approaches to reduce their environmental impacts and improve sustainability. Effective approaches to recover nutrients, especially ammonia, from manure wastewater to produce fertilizer are needed. Here we develop a new electrochemical strategy to achieve simultaneous ammonium (NH4 +) ion recovery and electrochemical synthesis using potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate as the ammonium ion-selective redox material to mediate the process. Our approach is built on our recent advances in designing modular electrochemical synthesis mediated using redox active materials (which we call redox reservoirs). Specifically, NH4 + (and K+) can be spontaneously uptaken from manure wastewater with a nutrient (NH4 + and K+) selectivity of ~100% driven by the oxidation of organic matter. Subsequently, NH4 +-rich fertilizers are released electrochemically together with the electrosynthesis of value-added chemicals, such as H2O2 as a disinfectant, without expensive ion-exchange membranes. We will also discuss our preliminary results on simultaneous advanced oxidation processes to improve the treatment of PFAS chemicals in wastewater. These results provide a new conceptual strategy for distributed electrochemical resource recovery and on-demand electrochemical manufacturing that can improve the sustainability of agricultural and wastewater treatment processes

Synergic mechanisms of electricity generation and bisphenol a degradation in a novel photocatalytic-microbial fuel cell equipped with a TiO2-C-BiVO4 photo-anode and a biofilm-anode

To provide a promising strategy for coping with the issues of energy shortage and wastewater treatment, a novel single-chamber photocatalytic-microbial fuel cell (PC-MFC) equipped with a photo-anode and a biofilm-anode was firstly established to degrade bisphenol A (BPA). The results showed that due to the ex-situ dual-anode configuration, the output voltage increased rapidly and maintained for three cycles with the maximum voltage of 0.55 V. In addition to the electrochemically-active bacteria (EAB) including Geobacter and Pseudomonas, TiO2-C-BiVO4 with Z-scheme was induced into PC-MFC as photoanode, which not only contributed the photoelectrons to electricity generation, but also functioned as redox mediator to regulate extracellular electron transfer (EET) processes. Within 12 h, the degradation and mineralization efficiency of BPA achieved 96.98% and 82.80%, respectively. Under the simulated solar irradiation, extra reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by TiO2-C-BiVO4 and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the biofilm contributed primarily to BPA degradation, assisted by the biodegradation of the functional bacteria and algae. The degradation routes of BPA were revealed based on the degradation intermediates detected by UPLC-MS and DFT calculation. Moreover, the toxicity of BPA was almost eliminated according to ECOSAR procedure, since the toxic intermediates can be fixed onto EPS as the microbial protective layer, and further degraded by ROS into the products with relatively high bioavailability, which enhanced the electricity generation. Thus, this study provided a novel way for advanced treatment of organic chemicals and power recovery from the wastewater to boost carbon neutralization.

Differential Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide and L-Lysine Treatments on the Growth of Freshwater Cyanophyta and Chlorophyta

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms of the toxin-producing Microcystis have become a growing problem for Southwest Florida freshwater bodies. Recently, a 2016 bloom in Lake Okeechobee and a 2018 bloom in the Caloosahatchee River both led to the declaration of a state of emergency for the state of Florida. Fast-acting suppression methods are needed to protect residents and wildlife. Hydrogen peroxide and L-lysine have shown promising results in selectively inhibiting the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and are more ecologically friendly due to fast degradation in water or the biological enhancement of nontarget organisms, respectively. We further explored the use of hydrogen peroxide, L-lysine, and combined treatments of both chemicals, which have never been tested before, for the rapid suppression of Microcystis. We assessed the susceptibility of seven M. aeruginosa strains and six other phytoplankton (Cyanobium spp., Synechococcus sp., Dolichospermum planctonica, Mychonastes homosphaera, and Chromochloris zofingiensis) commonly found in Florida, and revealed that susceptibility was diverse. All three treatments were effective at inhibiting the growth of M. aeruginosa, mixed treatments (16.7 mg/L hydrogen peroxide: 8 mg/L L-lysine) were most effective with a median growth inhibition ratio of 94.2% on the last day of the experiment, while hydrogen peroxide (16.7 mg/L) (83.8%) and L-lysine (8 mg/L) (78.5%) were less so. We found axenic M. aeruginosa to be significantly more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide when compared with nonaxenic strains (p < 0.01, n = 18). L-lysine was found to be significantly more toxic to M. aeruginosa than other examined cyanobacteria and chlorophyte strains at the end of the experiment (p < 0.001, n = 33), demonstrating its specificity to this cyanobacterium, while hydrogen peroxide and mixed treatments had varying effects on the other tested phytoplankton.

The use of immobilised bacteria cross-linked within magnetic alginate beads enhances the treatment of benzophenone-type UV filter chemicals by the SBR system

Benzophenone-n compounds (BPs) are applied in a broad spectrum of commercial products, one of which is sunscreen. These chemicals are frequently detected in a variety of environmental matrices worldwide, especially water bodies. BPs are defined as emerging contaminants as well as endocrine-disrupting contaminants; thus, it has become necessary to develop aggressive and green treatments to remove BPs. In this study, we used immobilised BP-biodegrading bacteria linked to reusable magnetic alginate beads (MABs). The MABs were added to a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system to enhance the removal of 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP-1) and oxybenzone (BP-3) from sewage. The BP-1 and BP-3 biodegrading bacteria in the MABs consisted of strains from up to three genera to allow for efficient biodegradation. The strains used were Pseudomonas spp., Gordonia sp., and Rhodococcus sp. The optimal composition of the MABs consisted of 3% (w/v) alginate and 10% (w/v) magnetite. The MABs resulted in 60.8%–81.7% recovery by weight after 28 days, and there was a continuous release of bacteria. Moreover, the biological treatment of the BPs sewage improved after adding 100 g of BP1-MABs (1:27) and also 100 g BP3-MABs (1:27) into the SBR system at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 8 h. Compared with the SBR system without MABs, the removal rates of BP-1 and BP-3 increased from 64.2% to 71.5% and from 78.1% to 84.1%, respectively. Furthermore, the COD removal increased from 36.1% to 42.1%, and total nitrogen increased from 30.5% to 33.2%. Total phosphorus remained constant at 29%. The bacterial community analysis showed that the Pseudomonas population was <2% before the MAB addition, but increased to 56.1% by day 14. In contrast, the Gordonia sp. And Rhodococcus sp. Populations (<2%) remained unchanged throughout the 14-day treatment period.

Comprehensive treatment of aroma chemicals industrial effluent with substantial COD content by a novel PVP/polyamide composite hydrophilized RO membrane

A hydrophilized polyvinyl pyrrolidone/polyamide composite high rejection reverse osmosis (HPA-HR RO) membrane was used for the treatment of aroma chemicals containing effluent coming as multiple effect evaporators (MEE) condensate at UK Aromatics Pvt. Ltd., Boisar, Maharashtra. The unique membrane has an active composite layer of polyamide prepared by interfacial polymerization of high diamine (3%) and acid chloride (0.2%) monomer concentrations, which is further coated with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) to enhance hydrophilicity and chemical inertness. The plant provides removal of total dissolved solids (TDS) from 2500 to 3500 ppm in the feed to a value of 50–100 ppm in the permeate water indicating a rejection of more than 95% of the dissolved solids, with a high water recovery of 80% in permeate. Similarly, complete rejection of color was observed from dark brown to colorless (transparent), whereas the COD content was brought down from 3000 to 5000 mg/L in the MEE condensate to around 1000 mg/L indicating removal of 60 % to 80% depending upon the pressure applied to overcome the high osmotic pressure of the effluent. Physicochemical interactions between the PVP and polyamide skin layers of the composite membrane make the separating barrier durable and highly hydrophilic. Water would have greater sorption due to high affinity with the membrane and higher diffusion coefficient from its smaller size, while the less polar esters that constitute most of the COD would have low interaction and their larger molecular sizes make them less diffusive. The recovered permeate water has been reused in various internal industrial applications like cooling towers, cleaning, etc. at UK Aromatics.

The Treatment of Endocrine-Disruptive Chemicals in Wastewater through Asymmetric Reverse Osmosis Membranes: A Review

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) present in aquatic environment have been regarded as detrimental organic pollutants that pose significant adverse impacts on human health and the aquatic ecosystem. The removal of EDCs is highly desired to mitigate their harmful effects. Physical treatment through membrane-based separation processes is an attractive approach, as it can effectively remove a wide range of recalcitrant organic and nonorganic EDCs. In particular, the reverse osmosis (RO) process has shown promise in removing EDCs of various concentrations and from different sources. Recently, the development of innovative asymmetric RO membranes has become the forefront in this field. Various membrane modification strategies have been commenced to address the limitations of commercial membranes. This review provides an overview of the recent advances in asymmetric RO membranes for EDC removal from water and wastewater system. The potential areas of improvement for RO processes and RO membranes are also highlighted. Based on the existing literature using RO for EDC removal from water, the most investigated EDCs are bisphenol A (BPA) and caffeine in the concentration range of 200 ppb to 100 ppm. Polyamide RO membranes have been shown to remove EDCs from water bodies with a removal efficiency of ~30 to 99%, largely depending on the type and concentration of the treated EDCs, as well as the properties of the RO membranes. It has been demonstrated that the performance can be further heightened by tailoring the properties of RO membranes and optimizing the operating conditions of the RO process.

Relationships between Rhizosphere Environments and Growth of 10-Year-Old Wild-Simulated Ginseng

Wild-simulated ginseng (WSG, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) must be cultivated in mountainous forests without installation of artificial facilities or treatment of chemicals. Because cultivation of these medicinal plants requires a long-term period, soil properties and rhizobacteria are known as major factors affecting their growth. This study was aimed to investigate correlations of soil bacterial community with soil chemical properties and growth of 10-year-old WSG. Most of the growth characteristics of WSG were higher in southern region than in northern regions, while leaflet length and leaflet width of WSG were higher in northern regions. In all WSG cultivation sites, the most dominant phyla were Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria in the bacterial community. In Principal component analysis (PCA), soil bacterial community was affected by exchangeable cations (calcium, magnesium), soil pH, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and organic matter. Soil pH was the most effective factor in this study because all studied sites were acidic soils. In spearman’s coefficient analysis, 9 of 13 growth characteristics of WSG showed significantly positive correlation with the relative abundance of Actinobacteria, while rhizome length and number of rootlets showed significant negative correlations with population of Acidobacteria. Therefore, growth characteristics of WSG in different cultivation sites can be affected by various soil environmental factors. These results can help foresters find suitable cultivation sites for WSG.

Valorization of fabric wastes through production of recycled cotton yarns by compact ring and open-end rotor spinning

This study aims to determine the appropriate methods and parameters for the eco-friendly and sustainable production of finer yarns from recycled cotton fibers with acceptable quality and high recycled fiber ratios to transform pre-consumer textile wastes into better-quality products with value-added in the ready-made clothing industry. Cotton fibers were mechanically recycled from dyed fabric wastes. Mélange 100% cotton yarns were produced with different recycled/virgin fiber blend ratios (80/20, 72/28, 64/36, and 56/44) at different yarn counts (30 and 20 tex) and by different spinning methods (compact and open-end spinning) without any chemicals treatment. The yarn properties were tested and compared to determine the best production parameters. As a result of the study, it was seen that the yarn properties improved when the proportion of virgin cotton fiber in the yarn increased in parallel with previous studies. Besides, the yarn hairiness and unevenness of open-end yarns were better than compact yarns. On the other hand, using the compact spinning method led to higher yarn tenacity. The results indicated that the compact spinning method is advantageous in achieving the target of increasing the ratio of recycled fiber use with good tenacity for the production of %100 cotton yarns.

Recent progress of applied TiO2 photoelectrocatalysis for the degradation of organic pollutants in wastewaters

Photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) is a promising powerful electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP) that combines photocatalysis and electrolysis. Upon light irradiation over a semiconductor photocatalyst, electrons of its valence band are promoted to its conduction band giving rise to positively charged holes. The external bias potential applied to the photoanode extracts the photoexcited electrons toward the cathode of the electrolytic cell. Organics can then be oxidized directly by the holes or with hydroxyl radical formed by their reaction with H2O/OH−, and at lesser extent with other reactive oxygen species formed. The extensive study of TiO2 photoanodic nanomaterials and their applicability in environmental remediation makes necessary a further analysis of the state of the art and the actual understanding of potentials and shortcomings. This paper presents a comprehensive and critical review on the application of PEC with TiO2 photoanodes to remove organic pollutants from wastewaters from 2017 to May 2022. Fundamentals of this technique with pristine TiO2 photoanodes are explained, with special emphasis on the understanding of ROS origination mechanisms and the analytical techniques used for their characterization. Typical PEC systems and key operating variables related to the effectiveness of the process are examined. Recent advances obtained by TiO2 and TiO2-based photoanodes treatment of chemicals, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides are described and discussed. The preparation of TiO2 nanocomposites and their heterojunction mechanism, as well as the application of hybrid processes are detailed. Finally, prospects are proposed for the future research of PEC with perspectives to industrial application at higher technology readiness level.

Visible-light induced photocatalytic degradation of estrone (E1) with hexagonal copper selenide nanoflakes in water

Steroid hormones, being potent endocrine-disruptors, are a menace to human health and aquatic life. Herein, visible-light induced photocatalytic degradation of estrone (E1) by hexagonal copper selenide (CuSe) nanoflakes has been reported. CuSe was synthesised by a facile and low-temperature (100 oC) co-precipitation method and was characterised. The nanocrystals were of stoichiometric Cu:Se ratio with Se2- and Cu in the + 1/+ 2 mixed-valence state and exhibited laminar, flake-like morphology with a preferred hexagonal close-packed structure (P63/mmc) having average particle size and thickness of 0.229 ± 0.146 µm and 0.05 ± 0.02 µm, respectively. The adsorption isotherms of E1 were linear and the adsorption process was exothermic. The reactivity of E1 under aqueous suspensions of CuSe exposed to visible light exhibited pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant, k, that varied with initial E1 concentration, light power, catalyst dose, and pH. Particularly, k was almost constant over the range pH5–9 but substantially increased as pH rose to 11, while light power and catalyst dose increased k up to a maximum, and the initial concentration reduced k. Surprisingly, CuSe oxidised E1, even in the absence of light, and leached species that were identified and their time-dependency was determined. We concluded that the disappearance of E1 by CuSe is attributed to synergetic effects of adsorption, oxidation by CuSe, and photocatalytic degradation. Supported by liquid-mass spectrometry analysis and molecular chemistry calculations, we also suggested a possible mechanism for E1 degradation. Thus, hexagonal CuSe nanocrystals can be a promising candidate for the treatment of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC)-contaminated wastewaters.

SG-APSIC1146: Reducing bacterial contamination in the dental unit waterline (DUWL) in dental clinics

Objectives: We evaluated the effectiveness of using appropriate chemical(s) to treat the dental unit waterline (DUWL), and we recommended appropriate strategies to manage the DUWL system to maintain bacteria concentration below minimum recommended levels. Methods: Initial water samples were collected aseptically from the handpieces of the DUWL in dental clinics to assess the bacterial load prior to treatment of the dental unit. The dental staff were educated on the management and treatment of the DUWL. Appropriate chemicals were introduced to the DUWL system. Following the treatment, samples of water from the DUWLs were collected to assess the bacterial load. Results: The US CDC recommends a safe level of bacterial load of &lt;500 CFU per mL of heterotrophic bacteria in the standard for drinking water by the US EPA. Initial results for the DUWL water showed unacceptably high levels of bacterial load between 1,930 and 35,000 CFU per mL prior to treatment. Subsequent sampling of DUWL water with treatment of appropriate chemicals showed vast reductions of the bacterial loads in all the dental units, with bacterial counts between &lt;1 and 72 CFU per mL. Conclusions: It is important to ensure ongoing education and regular treatment with appropriate chemical and effective management and monitoring of all DUWLs from dental chairs to ensure that the water produced meets safe drinking standards.

Effect of pre-sowing treatment of chemicals on sprouting of newly harvested potato at Kavre, Nepal

The experiment was carried out to study the effect of different chemical treatments on the sprouting of newly harvested potato tuber at Banepa, Kavrepalanchowk, Nepal. The experiment was carried out in CRD (Completely Randomized Design) in a room with seven treatments and four replications. Janakdev variety of potato was treated with seven different treatments i.e., control, cytokinin (2ml/lit, 3ml/lit), hydrogen peroxide (20mM, 40mM), and gibberellic acid (40 ppm, 50ppm). The research was conducted from March to June 2022. Different chemicals with different concentrations were used in this experiment. Tubers were soaked in treatment solution for 2 hours, allowed to dry in shade, and kept in a dark room on plastic trays. The dormancy breakage, first emergence of sprout, number of sprouts per tuber, and sprout length per tuber were recorded and analysed. Among the different chemical treatments used in the experiment, gibberellic acid 50 ppm showed the first emergence of sprout at 13.38 days compared to the control (28.28). It has decreased the dormancy period by 31.96 days compared to the control. Also, 50 ppm gibberellic acid showed the highest number of sprouts per tuber and sprout length per tuber in comparison to other treatments followed by 40 ppm gibberellic acid. In the overall result, it is found that an increase in the concentration of different treatments increases the sprout’s number and decreased the dormancy period. However, an increase in concentration increases the sprout length in GA3 but decreases the sprout length in cytokinin and hydrogen peroxide.

Effect of Pseudomonas fluorescens in manganese uptake by chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars infected by root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita)

Chickpea (Cicer arientinum L.) is one of the most dominant pulse crops in India, which contributes 38 percent of the area and 50 percent production of pulses compare to the total pulse production of India. Chickpea contains protein-2.1%, carbohydrates-61.5%, and fat-4.5% and more iron, calcium and niacin content. The main constrain of chickpea production due to parasitic nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) is about 14% of total global production in annual yield loss. Pseudomonas fluorescens is a bacterial bio-agent that can help in nematode suppression in chickpea plants. This experiment was conducted to experience the differences, if any, in manganese content concerning chickpea inoculated with M. incognita with a combination of Pseudomonas fluorescens as a bioagent, where different treatments of nematode, bacteria, and chemicals are used sustaining the enhancement of disease resistance in chickpea cultivars RSG 974, GG 5, GNG 2144. The total manganese content of chickpea variety GNG 2144 was found highest in treatment, where only bacteria (P. fluorescens) was inoculated, i.e., 6.44 mg/100g of a root, followed by GG 5, i.e., 5.63 mg/100g of root and RSG 974 was, i.e., 4.14 mg/100g of root respectively. Application of Pseudomonas fluorescence combined or alone gradually increased the manganese concentration in roots of chickpea plants i.e., RSG 974 (4.14 mg/100g), GG 5(5.63 mg/100g), GNG 2144 (6.44 mg/100g) compared to the health check.

Hydroxyl-radical based advanced oxidation processes can increase perfluoroalkyl substances beyond drinking water standards: Results from a pilot study

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are popular technologies employed across the U.S. for wastewater reclamation and drinking water treatment of recalcitrant chemicals. Although there is consensus about the ineffectiveness of AOPs to treat perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs; not polyfluoro compounds by definition here), there is a lack of field data demonstrating their impact on the transformation of unknown PFAS precursors during groundwater treatment. In this study, the fate of PFASs in seven pilot-scale AOPs, including four different technologies (UV/H2O2, UV/Cl2, UV/TiO2, and O3/H2O2), was assessed at four drinking water systems across New York State (NYS), USA. Seven of 18 PFASs were detected in the influent at concentrations ranging from below method detection to 64 ng/L. Across all systems, all detected PFASs showed an increase in concentration after treatment presumably due to unknown precursor transformation with specific increases for perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) averaging 405 (range: 0 – 1220) %, 1.0 (-7 – 9) %, 3.8 (0 – 9.5) %, 3.3 (-11 – 13) %, 14 (0 – 48) %, 13 (3 – 25) %, and 2 (0 – 5.2) %, respectively. The increase in PFAS concentration was dependent on UV and oxidant dose, further confirming that transformation reactions were occurring due to AOPs similar to a total oxidizable precursor assay. At one of the sites, PFOA levels exceeded the current NYS drinking water standard of 10 ng/L after, but not before treatment, highlighting the importance of considering the potential impact of AOP on treated water quality when designing treatment systems for regulatory compliance. The increase in PFAS concentration in the AOP systems positively correlated (r = 0.91) with nitrate levels in groundwater, suggesting that onsite septic discharges may be an important source of PFAS contamination in these unsewered study areas. Results from this pilot-scale demonstration reveal that hydroxyl radical-based AOPs, although ineffective in treating PFASs, can help to reveal the true extent of PFAS contamination in source waters.

Pre-sowing Seed Treatment of Chemicals, Botanicals, Plant Growth Regulators on Growth, Yield and Yield Attributing Traits of Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) under Late Sowing Conditions var. Uma

The experiment was conducted at Field Experimentation and Farm Research Centre, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, (Rabi season, 2020-21) Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (U.P.). The experimental material for present experiment comprised of thirteen priming treatments on linseed seed. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Linseed seeds of variety Uma was subjected to various pre sowing treatments like MnSO4,FeSO4 Pongamia leaf powder, Arappu leaf powder, Notchi leaf powder, Kinetin at various concentrations along with distilled water control. The study revealed that linseed seeds treated with Pongamia leaf powder T6 (5%) showed maximum field emergence (97.48%), plant height 60 days (77.46cm) and 90 days (92.69cm) no of primary branches per plant (5.97),no of seeds per capsule (8.95),no of capsules per plant (25.91), test weight (9.43), seed yield per plant (4.78g), seed yield per plot (128.4g), biological yield (8.26), harvest index (79.53) and reduced days to 50% flowering (65.89), days to maturity (115.89), followed by kinetin T12 50(ppm), in comparison to control T0.

Effect of Agave americana fibers used as reinforcement in the preparation of composites based on recycled PVC

AbstractThis work deals with the preparation and the study of a new composite obtained from a thermoplastic polymer and a vegetal fiber. The polymer used is a recycled polyvinylchloride (PVC) and the fiber used was extracted from Agave americana, a plant which grows easily under Mediterranean type climates. Prior chemical treatment of the extracted fiber was necessary to modify the surface of the fiber in order to optimize the adhesion between this fiber and the recycled PVC during the preparation of composites from these materials. For this purpose, our investigations led us to attempt various reactions modification of the surface fiber. The method that gave the best results consists of an alkaline treatment followed by a reaction with acetic anhydride. Once completed chemicals treatments of fiber, the material is mixed with the recycled PVC which serves as a matrix to prepare composites at varying rates from 5% to 30% by weight of agave modified fibers. The effects of the incorporation of raw and processed agave fibers on the mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of PVC/agave fiber composites were examined and discussed.

Pre-sowing Seed Treatments of Magnetic field, Electric field and Chemicals on Seedling Characters of Okra (Abhelomoschus esculentus) variety- Super green

The experiment was conducted in post graduate Seed Testing Laboratory Department of Genetics andPlant Breeding, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (U.P)during Rabi season 2020-2021, in order to standardize the suitable Pre-sowing seed treatment for Okra(VNR-Super Green). Different Pre-sowing seed treatments viz., T0-Control (Untreated), T1- Magnetic Field@ 100mt -15 Minutes, T2- Magnetic Field @200mt- 20 Minutes, T3- Electric Field @250mA-10 minutes, T4-Electricfield@300mA-15 minutes,T5-Nacl@0.2% -12 hours, T6 Nacl @0.3%-14hours, T7- Mgso4@0.3% for 4hours, T8- Mgso4@0.4%-8 hours, T9-zno @0.2%-6 hours, T10 Zno@0.4%-12 hours, T11- Ascorbic acid@0.3%-6hours, T12-Ascorbic acid @0.3%-8 hours. It was found that all the Pre-sowing seed treatments recorded thesignificant difference with that of control. In lab condition highest germination percentage, shoot length,root length, seedling length, fresh weight, dry weight, seed vigour index-I, seed vigour index-II was foundin T3-Electric @250mA-10 minutes. Pre-sowing seed treatment with electric @ 250mA-10 minutes followedby T12@0.3%-8 hours, Nacl@0.2%-12 hours significantly increased the germination percentage, shoot length,root length, seedling length, seed vigour index-I, seed vigour index-II of Okra seeds and found to be lowestin control seeds. Pre-sowing seed treatment leads to a physiological condition that allows the seed togerminate more effectively and no costly equipment and chemical requirements could be used. Hence it isa simple method for overcoming weak germination and seedling establishment and helps to preserveagriculture and economical, non-toxic, eco-friendly sources.

Rare earth elements mobility, leaching and recovery by different chemicals treatment on coal samples and calcined samples of Sohagpur Coalfield, Madhya Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT Coal and its by-product are considered a promising resource for the critical elements and rare earth elements (REEs). Due to the increasing criticality of REEs, recovering REEs from alternative resources has become essential. This research work identifies the importance of REEs and their extraction from coal, shaly coal and calcined material by leaching method. This work aims to understand the REEs recovery from raw samples (containing coal samples and shaly coal samples) and calcined material by acidic or basic solution leaching. The acid was taken in experimental leaching is Sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The base was taken here in experimental work is Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) in leaching. Highest recovered element is Cesium which has a concentration of 73,000 ppb in collected solution after leaching, and the average concentration of REEs is 12,711 ppb after leaching. The calcined samples have given 1.5 times more recovery of REEs than normal samples in the leachate of acidic leaching. Experimental results showed that the recovery of REEs, especially LREEs, can be improved by using acidic leaching. It also depicts that the most effective recovery of REEs was from calcined coal material by acidic leaching.