Optimization of Pellet Production from Agro-Industrial By-Products: Effect of Plasticizers on Properties of Pellets and Composite Pots

The present study aimed to optimize the pellets formulation (deoiled rice bran, potato peel powder and plasticizers) for the development of the injection molded pots. The maximum hardness and bulk density (desirable responses) were obtained for pellets having 100 g of deoiled rice bran, 100 g potato peel powder and 14 % of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) as well as 14 % of glycerol (GL) (on raw material basis). The optimized pellets and the pots developed from them were characterized for their physico-chemical, functional, rheological and morphological properties. Expansion ratio, pellet durability index and hardness of the pellets with 14 % CNSL were found to be 1.097, 98.647 % and 485.551 N, respectively. For pellets with 14 % GL expansion ratio, pellet durability index and hardness were found to be 1.150, 97.747 % and 462.949 N, respectively. The biodegradation analysis of the pots developed from optimized pellets with 14 % CNSL and GL degraded in 11 and 9 weeks, respectively. Porosity, puncture force, density and hardness of ‘AP’ pots were 27.473 %, 495.731 N, 1.549 g/ml and 542.641 N, respectively. However, for ‘BP’ pots, the porosity, puncture force, density and hardness were 32.548 %, 440.149 N, 1.191 g/ml and 507.841 N, respectively. Pots prepared from 14 % CNSL (AP) were better in physical and mechanical properties as compared to pots developed from glycerol.     

The influence of diesel—truck exhaust particles on the kinetics of the atmospheric oxidation of dissolved sulfur dioxide by oxygen

The automobile exhausts are one of the major sources of particulate matter in urban areas and these particles are known to influence the atmospheric chemistry in a variety of ways. Because of this, the oxidation of dissolved sulfur dioxide by oxygen was studied in aqueous suspensions of particulates, obtained by scraping the particles deposited inside a diesel truck exhaust pipe (DEP). A variation in pH showed the rate to increase with increase in pH from 5.22 to about ～6.3 and to decrease thereafter becoming very slow at pH?=?8.2. In acetate-buffered medium, the reaction rate was higher than the rate in unbuffered medium at the same pH. Further, the rate was found to be higher in suspension than in the leachate under otherwise identical conditions. And, the reaction rate in the blank reaction was the slowest. This appears to be due to catalysis by leached metal ions in leachate and due to catalysis by leached metal ions and particulate surface both in suspensions. The kinetics of dissolved SO₂ oxidation in acetate-buffered medium as well as in unbuffered medium at pH?=?5.22 were defined by rate law: k _obs ?=?k ₀?+?k _cat [DEP], where k _obs and k ₀ are observed rate constants in the presence and the absence of DEP and k _cat is the rate constant for DEP-catalyzed pathway. At pH?=?8.2, the reaction rate was strongly inhibited by DEP in buffered and unbuffered media. Results suggest that the DEP would have an inhibiting effect in those areas where rainwater pH is 7 or more. These results at high pH are of particular significance to the Indian subcontinent, because of high rainwater pH. Conversely, it indicates the DEP to retard the oxidation of dissolved SO₂ and control rainwater acidification.

     

A performance evaluation of the National Air Quality Forecast Capability for the summer of 2007

This paper provides a performance evaluation of the real-time, CONUS-scale National Air Quality Forecast Capability (NAQFC) that supported, in part, its transition into operational status. This evaluation focuses primarily on discrete forecasts for the maximum 8-h O₃ concentrations covering the 4-month period, June through September, 2007, using measurements obtained from EPA's AIRNow network. Results indicate that the 2007 NAQFC performed as well or better than previous configurations, despite the expansion of the forecast domain into the western half of the nation that is dominated by complex terrain. The mean, domain-wide, season-long correlation was 0.70. When examined over time, the domain-wide correlations exhibit a fairly consistent nature, with values exceeding 0.60 (0.70) over 90% (55%) of the days. The NAQFC systematically over-predicted the 8-h O₃ concentrations, continuing a trend established by earlier NAQFC configurations, though to a lesser degree. The summer-long mean forecast value of 53.2 ppb was 4.2 ppb higher than the observed value, resulting in a domain-wide Normalized Mean Bias (NMB) of 8.7%. Most of the over-prediction is associated with observed concentrations less than 50 ppb. In fact the model tends to under-predict when concentrations exceed 70 ppb. As with the bias, the error associated with the latest configuration was also lower. The summer-long Root Mean Square Error of 13.0 ppb (Normalized Mean Error (NME) = 20.4%) represented marked improvements over earlier forecasts. Examination of the spatial distribution of both the NMB and NME reveals that the NAQFC was generally within 25% for the NME and 25% for the NMB over a majority of the domain. Several areas of poorer performance, where the NMB and NME often exceed 25% and in some cases 50%, were noted. These areas include southern California, where the NAQFC tended to under-predict concentrations (especially on weekends) and the southeast Atlantic and Gulf coasts regions, where the model over-predicted. Subsequent analysis revealed that the incorrect temporal allocation of precursor emissions was likely the source of the under-prediction in southern California, while inaccurate simulation of PBL heights likely contributed to the over-prediction in the coastal regions.     

Air quality assessment along Dhanbad - Jharia road

Road ambient air pollution status along Dhanbad – Jharia road isstudied and presented in this article. The selection of this areais made considering the importance of the road in Dhanbad district and the nature of activities taking place along the road, which reflect that the portion of road upto Dhansar can be considered as having commercial areas on both sides and that from Dhansar to Jharia as having industrial areas on both sides.For the assessment of the ambient air quality along the road monitoring is done at the following five locations: Indian Schoolof Mines (ISM), main gate; Bankmore; Dhansar police check post; Dhansar opencast project agent office and a residential house beside the Rajapur opencast project. The location of ISM, maingate is specially chosen as this represents a commercial shoppingcomplexes and the situation can be compared with that at Bankmore. Monitoring of ambient air quality is done following thestandard procedure prescribed in IS: 5182. In addition the concentration of lead, zinc, copper, iron, manganese, cadmium metals in SPM is also monitored. The ambient air quality is monitored in the months of September and November 1999, respectively, to represent monsoon and winter seasons. The SPM concentration observed at all the five locations in the winterseason is more than the permissible limits for commercial andindustrial areas. However, in the monsoon season, the SPM concentration is higher than the permissible limit at the twocommercial locations, i.e., ISM gate and Bankmore, while it isless than the prescribed limit for industrial areas at the remaining three locations. At the ISM gate and Bankmore the SPM generation is mainly by vehicular traffic while at other three locations it was in addition due to mining and other activities.     

Multiresidue analysis of neonicotinoids by solid-phase extraction technique using high-performance liquid chromatography

For routine monitoring of pesticides, a multiresidue analysis through solid-phase extraction technique and using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in cotton seed cake (CSC) has been developed. Extraction of fortified samples was carried out with aqueous acetone under vacuum. The concentrated extract was loaded onto the solid-phase extraction units, preconditioned with acetonitrile. The extraction units were then washed with hexane and finally eluted with acetonitrile. The pesticide residues were determined using a multiresidue method by reversed-phase HPLC. The average percentage recoveries were found to range between 65.47% and 110% at spiking levels of 10 to 40 mg/kg. The method developed shows a healthy rate of recovery and can successfully be utilized for the extraction and screening of neonicotinoid residues in CSC. The detection limits for imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid using this method were found to be 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, respectively.     

Attenuation of divalent toxic metal ions using natural sericitic pyrophyllite

The present study investigated the effectiveness of an inexpensive and ecofriendly alumino silicate clay mineral, sericitic pyrophyllite, as an adsorbent for the possible application in the removal of some divalent toxic metal cations such as Pb(2+), Cu(2+)and Zn(2+) from aqueous systems. Batch scale equilibrium adsorption studies were carried out for a wide range of initial concentration from 24.1 to 2410mumolL(-1) for lead, 78.65 to 7865mumolL(-1) for copper and 76.45 to 7645mumolL(-1) for zinc solutions. The removal of Pb(2+) was almost complete at low concentration (maximum lead removal capacity, LRC, 32mg of lead/g of pyrophyllite) with 10gL(-1) of adsorbent in a 30min equilibration time. The effects of temperature on adsorption of heavy metal ions were studied. The applicability of the Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption models in each case of lead, copper and zinc adsorption was examined separately at different temperatures. The adsorption process was found to be endothermic and the Freundlich adsorption model was found to represent the data at different temperatures more suitably.     

226Ra, 232Th and 40K analysis in soil samples from some areas of Malwa region, Punjab, India using gamma ray spectrometry

The activity concentrations of soil samples collected from thirty different locations of Malwa region of Punjab were determined by using HPGe detector based on high-resolution gamma spectrometry system. The range of activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in the soil from the studied areas varies from 18.37 Bq kg⁻¹ (Sangrur) to 53.11 Bq kg⁻¹ (Sitoguno), 57.28 Bq kg⁻¹ (Dhanola) to 148.28 Bq kg⁻¹ (Sitoguno) and 211.13 Bq kg⁻¹ (Sunam) to 413.27 Bq kg⁻¹ (Virk Khera) with overall mean values of 35 Bq kg⁻¹, 80 Bq kg⁻¹and 317 Bq kg⁻¹ respectively. The absorbed dose rate calculated from activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K ranges between 8.47 and 24.48, 35.68 and 92.38, and 8.74 and 17.11 nGy h⁻¹, respectively. The total absorbed dose in the study area ranges from 58.08 nGy h⁻¹ to 130.85 nGy h⁻¹ with an average value of 79.11 nGy h⁻¹. The calculated values of external hazard index (H_ex) for the soil samples of the study area range from 0.35 to 0.79. Since these values are lower than unity, therefore, according to the Radiation Protection 112 (European Commission. Radiation Protection 112 1999) report, soil from these regions is safe and can be used as a construction material without posing any significant radiological threat to population.     

Metal Fractionation Studies in Surfacial and Core Sediments in the Achankovil River Basin in India

The Fractionation of Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Mn and Cd in the sediments of the Achankovil River, Western Ghats, India using a sequential extraction method was carried out to understand the metal availability in the basin for biotic and abiotic activities. Spatial distribution of heavy metals has been studied. Sediment grain size has significant control over the heavy metal distribution. The fluctuations in their concentration partly depend upon the lithology of the river basin and partly the anthropogenic activities. The sediments are dominated by sand and are moderately to strongly positively skewed and are very leptokurtotic in nature. The quartzite and feldspars are abundant minerals along with significant amount of mica with low clay content. The core sediments show increasing trend of heavy metal concentration with depth due to the recent addition of anthropogenic sources and post-diagenic activities. Significant amount of Cd (18%) was found in carbonate fraction, which may pose environmental problems due to its toxic nature. Small concentrations of metals, except Cd and Cu, are in exchangeable fraction, which indicate low bio-availability. Enrichment Factor (EF) for individual metals shows the contribution from terrregious and in part from anthropogenic sources. Selective Sequential Extraction (SSE) study shows the variation in specific metal distribution pattern, their distribution in different phases and their bio-availability. Maximum amount of the metals were bound to the non-residual fractions (mainly Fe-oxides). Overall, bio-availability of these micronutrients from sediments seems to be very less. Non-residual phase is the most important phase for majority of heavy metals studied. Among the non-residual fraction, maximum amount of the heavy metals bound to Fe-oxides. The study high lights the need for in-depth study of heavy metals distribution and fractionation in the smaller river basins to get precise information on the behavior and transport of heavy metals in the fluvial environment and their contribution to the world ocean.