Thermodynamic analysis of combined electric power generation and water desalination plants

The performance of three systems combining reverse osmosis (RO) to produce drinkable water and a steam power plant is modeled and calculated. The RO subsystem incorporates a power recovery unit: a hydraulic turbine in the first two cases and a pressure exchange unit (PES) in the third case. The coupling between the RO and power plant subsystems is only mechanical in the first case (the power plant provides mechanical power to the pumps of the RO subsystem) while in the two other cases the coupling is both mechanical and thermal (part of the heat rejected by the condenser of the power plant is transferred to the seawater). The effects of feed water flow rate and salinity, energy recovery system (hydraulic turbine or pressure exchanger) and operating pressures on the energy and exergy efficiencies and on the permeate quantity and quality are analyzed. Energy and exergy fluxes for all the components, as well as the quantity of drinkable water produced by each of these systems, are also compared for identical operating conditions.     

Olfactory responses of Stegobium paniceum to different Chinese medicinal plant materials and component analysis of volatiles

Stegobium paniceum (L.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) is among the major pests of stored products, causing great damage to stored Chinese medicinal plant materials (CMPMs) in China. Effective control strategies are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to explore the role of volatile organic compounds in the host preference of S. paniceum. First, the olfactory behavioral responses of S. paniceum adults to volatiles from four CMPMs (Panax notoginseng, Angelica sinensis, Gastrodia elata, and Peucedanum praeruptorum) were tested in Y-tube olfactometer experiments. Then, the volatile composition of these plant materials were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). S. paniceum showed significant preferences for volatiles from the four CMPMs, compared with clean air (CA). When S. paniceum was presented with choices among different CMPMs, it showed the strongest preference for P. notoginseng, followed by A. sinensis, then G. elata, and P. praeruptorum. GC-MS analysis identified 43, 34, 28 and 60 components in the volatile profiles of P. notoginseng, A. sinensis, G. elata, and P. praeruptorum, respectively. Falcarinol (14.4%), 3-n-butyl phthalide (78.7%), p-cresol (40.1%), and β-pinene (29.1%) were the most abundant components of the volatiles of P. notoginseng, A. sinensis, G. elata, and P. praeruptorum, respectively. The olfactory responses of S. paniceum to the four CMPMs demonstrated that host-related volatiles play an important role in the host-searching process by adult beetles. This information will be useful for the development of safe and effective trapping strategies for this pest.     

Improvement of biohydrogen production from brewery wastewater: Evaluation of inocula,support and reactor

This work explores the production of biohydrogen from brewery wastewater using as inoculum a culture produced by natural fermentation of synthetic wastewater and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from the environment. Klebsiella pneumoniae showed good performance as inoculum, as evaluated using assays of between 9 and 16 cycles, with durations of 12 and 24 h, carbohydrate concentrations from 2.79 to 7.22 g L⁻¹, and applied volumetric organic loads from 2.6 to 12.6 g carbohydrate L⁻¹ day⁻¹. The best results were achieved with applied volumetric organic loads of 12.6 g carbohydrate L⁻¹ day⁻¹ and cycle length of 12 h, resulting in mean volumetric productivity of 0.88 L H₂ L⁻¹ day⁻¹, maximum molar flow of 10.80 mmol H₂ h⁻¹, and mean yield of 0.70 mol H₂ mol⁻¹ glucose consumed. The biogas H₂ content was between 18 and 42%, while the mean organic compounds removal and carbohydrate conversion efficiencies were 23 and 81%, respectively. The inoculum produced by natural fermentation was not viable.     

Characterization and antimicrobial activity of Pediococcus species isolated from South African farm-style cheese

Pediococci are part of the non-starter lactic acid bacteria, LAB, contributing towards cheese ripening. This study was aimed at isolating, characterizing and evaluating the antimicrobial activity of Pediococcus species occurring among commercial and farm-style cheese. Logarithmic counts of LAB ranged from 6.9 to 9.4 cfu/g. Microscopic examination identified 110 (18%) of 606 isolates as presumptive pediococci distributed among farm-style cheese (pasteurized Gouda, young and matured; un-pasteurized aged Bouquet, aged and matured Gouda), in numbers of 33, 21, 28, 12 and 16, respectively. Pediococci were absent in commercial Cheddar cheese. Characterization of pediococci identified 49 Pediococcus acidilactici and 61 Pediococcus pentosaceus isolates. Fifty-two isolates from both species, 27 (24%) P. acidilactici and 25 (23%) P. pentosaceus, inhibited Lactococcus lactis NCDO 176 through the action of pediocins. Among these isolates, seven (6%) P. acidilactici and six (7%) P. pentosaceus inhibited Bacillus cereus ATCC 1178 while 17 (15%) P. acidilactici and 20 (18%) P. pentosaceus inhibited Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644. Inhibition levels were variable against L. monocytogenes ATCC 7644 and low against B. cereus ATCC 1178. Both Pediococcus species showed similar inhibition patterns; however, more isolates of P. pentosaceus inhibited L. lactis NCDO 176 and L. monocytogenes ATCC 7644 compared to P. acidilactici.     

Current major degradation methods for aflatoxins: A review

BackgroundAflatoxins are strong cancerogenic compounds predominantly produced by certain strains of the Aspergillus genus. Due to their extreme stability in different conditions, it is very difficult to remove them completely in human diet and animal feeds. In this way aflatoxins are triggering numerous healthy problems (such as liver cancer) and thus becoming a huge burden to the hygiene system and food industry worldwide.Scope and approachTherefore, seeking for an effective technique to degrade aflatoxins to a threshold level has been a “hot-topic” among researchers. Traditional methods to detoxify aflatoxins include physical and chemical treatments, such as an extrusion cooking process and ammoniation, respectively. Meanwhile a bio-degradation by microorganisms gains its popularity due to its friendliness to both environment and body health. Natural phytochemicals (plant extracts) which have great capability to remove aflatoxins without causing any damage on human and animals come out as an improvement.Key findings and conclusionHowever, a fully and systematically discussion of the methods of detoxification for aflatoxins is still not available. Therefore, in the present review we briefly enumerate several traditional strategies, update newly methods, particularly the potential use of natural phytochemicals, and discuss some mechanisms during the detoxification period, summarizing merits and demerits of these methods. We suggest that this important information and our humble opinions could help researchers to understand the degradation of methods for aflatoxins.     

Degradation kinetics of pirimiphos-methyl residues in maize grains exposed to ozone gas

This work investigates the kinetics of degradation of pirimiphos-methyl residues in maize grains exposed to ozone gas and evaluates the effect of ozonation on grain quality. The assays employed maize grains treated with the insecticide, namely Actellic 500 CE^® (pirimiphos-methyl), which were exposed for different periods to ozone gas at a concentration of 0.86 mg L⁻¹, provided at a continuous flow rate of 1.0 L min⁻¹. The insecticide residues were extracted from the grains using solid-liquid extraction with low temperature partitioning. The extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Ozone effectively degraded more than 91% of the pirimiphos-methyl residues, with the degradation efficiency increasing in direct proportion to the duration of exposure to the gas. A first order kinetic model provided the best fit to the degradation data. The use of ozone gas did not alter the qualitative characteristics of the maize.     

Stability of foams and froths in the presence of ionic and non-ionic surfactants

The thin film pressure balance (TFPB) technique was used to measure the kinetics of thinning of single foam films and disjoining pressures in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and electrolyte (NaCl). The results were analyzed in view of the Reynolds equation to determine the role of surface forces in film thinning. It was found that film thinning is controlled by surface forces at thicknesses below approximately 200 nm. It was found also that hydrophobic force plays an important role particularly at low SDS and NaCl concentrations. The values of the hydrophobic force constant (K₂₃₂) estimated from the film thinning experiments were used to predict the disjoining pressure isotherms using the extended DLVO theory, which were found to be in excellent agreement with experiment. The TFPB technique was also used to measure the equilibrium thicknesses (H_e) of the foam films stabilized by a non-ionic surfactant, n-octanol, in the presence of NaCl. At a given ionic strength, H_e increased noticeably with increasing octanol concentration at very low concentrations. This observation suggests that hydrophobic force is maximum in the absence of surfactant and decreases with increasing surfactant concentration. The results obtained with the single foam films were used to explain the stability of the three-dimensional foams.