High temperature water-gas shift step in the production of clean hydrogen rich synthesis gas from gasified biomass

The possibility of using the water-gas shift (WGS) step for tuning the H₂/CO-ratio in synthesis gas produced from gasified biomass has been investigated in the CHRISGAS (Clean Hydrogen Rich Synthesis Gas) project. The synthesis gas produced will contain contaminants such as H₂S, NH₃ and chloride components. As the most promising candidate FeCr catalyst, prepared in the laboratory, was tested. One part of the work was conducted in a laboratory set up with simulated gases and another part in real gases in the 100 kW Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) gasifier at Delft University of Technology. Used catalysts from both tests have been characterized by XRD and N₂ adsoption/desorption at ?196 °C.In the first part of the laboratory investigation a laboratory set up was built. The main gas mixture consisted of CO, CO₂, H₂, H₂O and N₂ with the possibility to add gas or water-soluble contaminants, like H₂S, NH₃ and HCl, in low concentration (0–3 dm³ m^?3). The set up can be operated up to 2 MPa pressure at 200–600 °C and run un-attendant for 100 h or more. For the second part of the work a catalytic probe was developed that allowed exposure of the catalyst by inserting the probe into the flowing gas from gasified biomass.The catalyst deactivates by two different causes. The initial deactivation is caused by the growth of the crystals in the active phase (magnetite) and the higher crystallinity the lower specific surface area. The second deactivation is caused by the presence of catalytic poisons in the gas, such as H₂S, NH₃ and chloride that block the active surface.The catalyst subjected to sulphur poisoning shows decreased but stable activity. The activity shows strong decrease for the ammonia and HCl poisoned catalysts. It seems important to investigate the levels of these compounds before putting a FeCr based shift step in industrial operation. The activity also decreased after the catalysts had been exposed to gas from gasified biomass. The exposed catalysts are not re-activated by time on stream in the laboratory set up, which indicates that the decrease in CO₂-ratio must be attributed to irreversible poisoning from compounds present in the gas from the gasifier.It is most likely that the FeCr catalyst is suitable to be used in a high temperature shift step, for industrial production of synthesis gas from gasified biomass if sulphur is the only poison needed to be taken into account. The ammonia should be decomposed in the previous catalytic reformer step but the levels of volatile chloride in the gas at the shift step position are not known.     

Growth and metabolic activity of a cheese starter in CO2-acidified and non-acidified refrigerated milk

 The growth and activity of two Lactococcus strains and one Leuconostoc strain in CO₂-acidified and non-acidified refrigerated milk were evaluated separately and as a mixed culture to determine their suitability for use as a starter in the manufacture of Afuega’l Pitu, an acid-coagulated Spanish cheese, from refrigerated CO₂-acidified milk. The growth of the strains studied and their production of organic acids were similar in CO₂-acidified and non-acidified refrigerated or fresh milk, indicating that CO₂ treatment does not affect the metabolic activity of the strains. However, refrigeration enhanced the production of acetaldehyde, ethanol and diacetyl in CO₂-acidified and non-acidified milk. The level of diacetyl was also greater in refrigerated CO₂-acidified milk than in refrigerated non-acidified milk. It was concluded that refrigerated milk acidified with CO₂ can be satisfactorily used in the manufacture of Afuega’l Pitu cheese, and that this technique can be also used in the production of other acid-coagulated cheeses. Received: 1 July 1997 / Revised version: 1 September 1997     

TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION OF AN OPTICAL FIBER TRAVERSING THROUGH A CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION REACTOR

A fundamental understanding of how reactor parameters influence the fiber surface temperature is essential to manufacturing high-quality optical fiber coatings by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In an attempt to understand this process better, a finite-volume model has been developed to study the gas flow and heat transfer of an optical fiber as it travels through a CVD reactor. This study showed that draw speed significantly affects fiber temperature inside the reactor, with temperature changes over 50% observed under the conditions studied. Other parameters affecting fiber temperature include fiber radius, fiber coating emissivity, and gas flow velocity at inlet. Multiple heat transfer modes contribute to these phenomena, with convection and radiation heat transfer dominating the process. The numerical model is validated against analytical cases.     

Rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of a series of alkylnaphthalenes with the nitrate radical

Naphthalene and its methyl-, ethyl-, and dimethyl-derivatives are semivolatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons expected to be in the gas phase in ambient atmospheres and are subject to nighttime degradation by gas-phase reactions with the nitrate (NO3) radical. Using a relative rate method, rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of NO3 radicals with a series of alkylnaphthalenes have been measured at 298 +/- 2 K and atmospheric pressure of air. The compounds studied were 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene (1- and 2-MN), 1- and 2-ethylnaphthalene (1- and 2-EN), and the 10 dimethylnaphthalene isomers (1,2-, 1,3-, 1,4-,1,5-, 1,6-, 1,7-, 1,8-, 2,3-, 2,6-, and 2,7-DMN). Sampling in Riverside, CA showed that these alkylnaphthalenes were readily detected in ambient air, with the exception of 1,8-DMN. The reactions of naphthalene and the alkylnaphthalenes with NO3 radicals proceed by initial addition of the radical to form an aromatic-NO3 adduct (with rate constant k(a)) which either decomposes back to reactants (with rate constant kb) or reacts with NO2 to form products (with rate constant k(c). Using naphthalene as the reference compound, the values of (k(a)k(c)/k(b)) obtained for the NO3 radical reactions (in units of 10(-28) cm(6) molecule(-2) S(-1), indicated errors are two least-squares standard deviations) were as follows: 1-MN, 7.15 +/- 0.37; 2-MN, 10.2 +/- 1.0; 1-EN, 9.82 +/- 0.69; 2-EN, 7.99 +/- 0.99; 1,2-DMN, 64.0 +/- 2.3; 1,3-DMN, 21.3 +/- 1.2; 1,4-DMN, 13.0 +/- 0.5; 1,5-DMN, 14.1 +/- 1.3; 1,6-DMN, 16.5 +/- 1.8; 1,7-DMN, 13.5 +/- 0.7; 1,8-DMN, 212 +/- 59; 2,3-DMN, 15.2 +/- 0.5; 2,6-DMN, 21.2 +/- 1.6; 2,7-DMN, 21.0 +/- 1.5.     

Inactivation of Salmonella during drying and storage of apple slices treated with acidic or sodium metabisulfite solutions

This study was undertaken to determine whether pretreating inoculated Gala apple slices with metabisulfite or acidic solutions enhanced the inactivation of Salmonella during dehydration and storage. Apple slices inoculated with a five-strain mixture of Salmonella (7.6 log CFU/g) were pretreated, dried for 6 h at 60 degrees C, and stored aerobically at 25 degrees C for 28 days. Predrying treatments included (i) no treatment, (ii) 10 min of immersion in sterile water, (iii) 10 min of immersion in a 4.18% sodium metabisulfite solution, (iv) 10 min of immersion in a 3.40% ascorbic acid solution, and (v) 10 min of immersion in a 0.21% citric acid solution. Samples were plated on tryptic soy agar with 0.1% pyruvate (TSAP), brilliant green sulfa (BGS) agar, and xylose lysine tergitol 4 (XLT4) agar for the enumeration of bacteria. Populations were not significantly (P > 0.05) reduced by immersion in water but were reduced by 0.7 to 1.1 log CFU/g by immersion in acidic solutions. Immersion in the sodium metabisulfite solution reduced populations by 0.4, 1.3, and 5.4 log CFU/g on TSAP, BGS agar, and XLT4 agar, respectively. After 6 h of dehydration at 60 degrees C, populations on untreated and water-treated slices were reduced by 2.7 to 2.8, 2.7 to 2.9, and 4.0 to 4.2 log CFU/g as determined with TSAP, BGS agar, and XLT4 agar, respectively. In contrast, populations on slices treated with sodium metabisulfite, ascorbic acid, and citric acid were reduced after 6 h of dehydration by 4.3, 5.2, and 3.8 log CFU/g, respectively, as determined with TSAP; by 4.7, 5.5, and 3.9 log CFU/g, respectively, as determined with BGS agar; and by 5.5, 5.7, and 5.6 log CFU/g, respectively, as determined with XLT4 agar. Bacteria were still detectable by direct plating after 28 days except on slices treated with ascorbic acid. Immersion in metabisulfite or acidic solutions prior to dehydration should enhance the inactivation of Salmonella during the dehydration and storage of Gala apple slices.     

Structure and Ordination of Epiphytic Invertebrate Communities of Four Coastal Wetlands in Green Bay,Lake Michigan

Epiphytic macroinvertebrate communities of four coastal wetlands of Green Bay, Lake Michigan were compared by taxonomic composition, feeding group composition, and environmental influences using Bray-Curtis ordination. Ordination scores from the most sheltered oligotrophic site, Portage Marsh, were distinct from the eutrophic, exposed sites located in middle and lower Green Bay— Seagull Bar, Little Tail Point, and Dead Horse Bay. Epiphyton chlorophyll a, phytoplankton chlorophyll a, and specific conductance strongly correlated to the ordination axes, indicating the trophic gradient within Green Bay was a primary environmental influence. The feeding group compositions at the sites were consistent with the type and abundance of food available. Portage Marsh is a scraper-shredder system, with macroinvertebrates feeding mainly on epiphyton and coarse particulate detritus. Dead Horse Bay and Little Tail Point are collector systems, sustained by phytoplankton and fine particulate organic matter. Seagull Bar is intermediate in trophic position along the ordination axes, but more closely resemble the latter two sites. The type and abundance of food resources available to these invertebrate communities are influenced by wave exposure, light attenuation, nutrient levels, and algae levels of the littoral and pelagial waters. Macroinvertebrate communities were sensitive to shifts in food resources, which generated shifts in trophic structure.     

Constraints on benthic algal response to nutrient addition in oligotrophic mountain rivers

Nutrient availability has long been considered one of the most important factors regulating production of benthic algae in oligotrophic rivers; yet, empirical relationships do not have as wide an application as similar models derived for lentic systems. The aim of this research was to derive empirical relationships between nutrient concentrations and benthic algal abundance and to identify commonalities with other studies to improve our understanding of constraints on algae in oligotrophic rivers. Surveys of physical, chemical and biological attributes of oligotrophic mountain rivers in spring, summer and autumn for 2 years confirmed that small amounts of anthropogenic phosphorus (0.1–5.6 µg/L total phosphorus (TP)) resulted in 4‐ to 30‐fold increases in abundance of benthic algae and benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs). Algal accrual along a gradient in nutrient availability was not masked by grazing pressure but was positively correlated with abundance of scrapers. Epilithic abundance was highest downstream of anthropogenic nutrient sources in autumn. We concluded that benthic algal abundance in these mountain rivers was weakly correlated with phosphorus availability if light was not limiting but ultimately controlled by temperature and river discharge. Therefore, we recommend more direct measures of nutrient limitation be used to predict changes in ecological integrity at the lower end of the resource gradient. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A multiplex RTi-PCR reaction for simultaneous detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus on fresh, minimally processed vegetables

In this work, a new multiplex single-tube real-time PCR approach is presented for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus, three of the more frequent food-borne bacterial pathogens that are usually investigated in a variety of food matrices. The study includes the design and specificity testing, of a new primer and probe specific for Salmonella spp. Reaction conditions were adjusted for the simultaneous amplification and detection of specific fragments in the beta-glucuronidase (uidA, E. coli) and Thermonulease (nuc, Sta. aureus) genes, and in the replication origin sequence (oriC, Salmonella spp.). Melting-curve analysis using a SYBR Green I RTi-PCR approach showed characteristic T(m) values demonstrating the specific and efficient amplification of the three fragments. Subsequently, a TaqMan RTi-PCR approach was settled, using FAM, NED and VIC fluorescently labelled specific probes for an automated detection. It was equally sensitive than uniplex RTi-PCR reactions in Sta. aureus and E. coli O157:H7, using same amounts of purified DNA, and allowed detection of 10 genome equivalents in the presence of 10(2) or 10(4) genome equivalents of the other two pathogens. Finally, it was tested in artificially inoculated fresh, minimally processed vegetables, revealing a sensitivity of 10(3)CFUg(-1) each of these pathogens in direct detection, following DNA extraction with DNeasy Tissue Kit (Qiagen). The multiplex RTi-PCR developed scored the sensitivity recognised for PCR in food and it allows a high-throughput and automation, thus it is promising as a rapid and cost-effective test for the food industry.     

Factors influencing microplastic abundances in nearshore,tributary and beach sediments along the Ontario shoreline of Lake Erie

Sediment samples were collected from nearshore, tributary and beach environments within and surrounding the northern part of Lake Erie, Ontario to determine the concentrations and distribution of microplastics. Following density separation and microscopic analysis of 29 samples, a total of 1178 microplastic particles were identified. Thirteen nearshore samples contained 0–391 microplastic particles per kg dry weight sediment (kg^?1), whereas 4 tributary samples contained 10–462?kg^?1 and 12 beach samples contained 50–146?kg^?1. The highest concentrations of nearshore microplastics were from near the mouths of the Detroit River in the western basin and the Grand River in the eastern basin, reflecting an urban influence. The highest microplastic concentrations in beach samples were determined from Rondeau Beach in the central basin where geomorphology affects plastics concentration. The Welland Canal sample in the eastern basin contained the greatest concentration of microplastics of the tributary samples, which is consistent with high population density and shipping traffic. The overall abundance of microplastic in northern Lake Erie nearshore, tributary and beach samples is 6 times lower than in sediment sampled from northern Lake Ontario. The nearshore and beach sample results potentially reflect the transport patterns of floating plastics modeled for Lake Erie, which predict that the majority of plastic particles entering the lake are transported to southern shoreline regions rather than northern areas.     

Relative importance of macrophyte community versus water quality variables for predicting fish assemblages in coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Fish have been shown to be sensitive indicators of environmental quality in Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Fish composition also reflects aquatic macrophyte communities, which provide them with critical habitat. Although investigators have shown that the relationship between water quality and fish community structure can be used to indicate wetland health, we speculate that this relationship is a result of the stronger, more direct relationship between water quality and macrophytes, together with the ensuing interconnection between macrophyte and fish assemblages. In this study, we use data collected from 115 Great Lakes coastal marshes to test the hypothesis that plants are better predictors of fish species composition than is water quality. First we use canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) to conduct an ordination of the fish community constrained by water quality parameters. We then use co-correspondence analysis (COCA) to conduct a direct ordination of the fish community with the plant community data. By comparing the statistic ‘percent fit,’ which refers to the cumulative percentage variance of the species data, we show that plants are consistently better predictors of the fish community than are water quality variables in three separate trials: all wetlands in the Great Lakes basin (whole: 21.2% vs 14.0%; n = 60), all wetlands in Lakes Huron and Superior (Upper: 20.3% vs 18.8%; n =  32), and all wetlands in Georgian Bay and the North Channel (Georgian Bay: 18% vs 17%; n =  70). This is the largest study to directly examine plant–fish interactions in wetlands of the Great Lakes basin.