Pesticide removal from waste spray-tank water by organoclay adsorption after field application: an approach for a formulation of cyprodinil containing antifoaming/defoaming agents

Purpose  

Many reports on purification of water containing pesticides are based on studies using unformulated active ingredients. However, most commercial formulations contain additives/adjuvants or are manufactured using microencapsulation which may influence the purification process. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to develop and test a pilot scheme for decontaminating water containing pesticides formulated with antifoaming/defoaming agents.     

Petroleum hydrocarbon contamination of the Southern Black Sea Shelf, Turkey

Introduction  

In this study, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) contents and some aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations were analysed in coastal sediments of hot points collected from along the Southern Black Sea Shelf.     

An observational study on changes in biometry and generation time of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Odontophora villoti</Emphasis> (Nematoda,Axonolaimidae) related to petroleum pollution in Bizerte bay,Tunisia

Introduction  

We conducted a yearly polluted-reference sampling to assess the effects of petroleum pollution on life cycle characteristics of the meiobenthic nematode Odontophora villoti. Samples were taken every 15 days between 26 November 2004 and 25 November 2005 from two beaches of Bizerte bay (Tunisia), Rimel and Tunisian Refining Industries Company (TRIC). The latter site is located in front of the “Tunisian Refining Industries Company” runoff.     

Resolving the interactions between population density and air pollution emissions controls in the San Joaquin Valley, USA

The effectiveness of emissions control programs designed to reduce concentrations of airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 microm (PM2.5) in California's San Joaquin Valley was studied in the year 2030 under three growth scenarios: low, medium, and high population density. Base-case inventories for each choice of population density were created using a coupled emissions modeling system that simultaneously considered interactions between land use and transportation, area source, and point source emissions. The ambient PM2.5 response to each combination of population density and emissions control was evaluated using a regional chemical transport model over a 3-week winter stagnation episode. Comparisons between scenarios were based on regional average and population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations. In the absence of any emissions control program, population-weighted concentrations of PM2.5 in the future San Joaquin Valley are lowest undergrowth scenarios that emphasize low population density. A complete ban on wood burning and a 90% reduction in emissions from food cooking operations and diesel engines must occur before medium- to high-density growth scenarios result in lower population-weighted concentrations of PM2.5. These trends partly reflect the fact that existing downtown urban cores that naturally act as anchor points for new high-density growth in the San Joaquin Valley are located close to major transportation corridors for goods movement. Adding growth buffers around transportation corridors had little impact in the current analysis, since the 8-km resolution of the chemical transport model already provided an artificial buffer around major emissions sources. Assuming that future emissions controls will greatly reduce or eliminate emissions from residential wood burning, food cooking, and diesel engines, the 2030 growth scenario using "as-planned" (medium) population density achieves the lowest population-weighted average PM2.5 concentration in the future San Joaquin Valley during a severe winter stagnation event. Implications: The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most heavily polluted air basins in the United States that are projected to experience strong population growth in the coming decades. The best plan to improve air quality in the region combines medium- or high-density population growth with rigorous emissions controls. In the absences of controls, high-density growth leads to increased population exposure to PM2.5 compared with low-density growth scenarios (urban sprawl).     

Purification and Properties of Extracellular Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Depolymerase Produced by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus fumigatus</Emphasis> 202

An extracellular poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) depolymerase produced by a thermotolerant fungal soil isolate, Aspergillus fumigatus 202, was purified and characterized. Maximum PHB depolymerase production was obtained at the end of 48 h with initial medium pH 7.0 and 45 °C in Bushnell Haas Minerals medium containing PHB as sole source of carbon. The PHB depolymerase was purified using size exclusion chromatography to a fold purification of 20.62 and 61.62% yield. SDS-PAGE and isoelectric focusing revealed the molecular weight and pI of the purified enzyme as 63,744 Da and 4.2, respectively. N-terminal amino acid sequence of purified enzyme was HAXDAYLVK. This non-glycosylated enzyme was most active at pH 9.0 and 45 °C. Purified enzyme was inactivated by N-bromosuccinimide and dithiothreitol suggesting the involvement of tryptophan residues and disulfide bonds at its active site. Nonionic detergents like Tween 20, Tween 80 and Triton X-100 inhibited the enzyme activity. Ions like Ca⁺² and Mg⁺² (5 mM) increased the enzyme activity 1.5 times. Fe⁺² effectively inhibited the enzyme activity to 88% whereas Hg⁺² completely inhibited the enzyme.     

Development of Thixotropic Coatings Using Dimerized Soybean Oil Fatty Acids: The Case of Polyamide of 1,2-Phenylene Diamine

Soybean oil (SBO) was dimerized and the crude dimer acid product reacted with 1,2-phenylene diamine at 210 ± 5 °C under inert atmosphere to obtain fatty polyamide (FPA). The FPA was used to modify a commercial alkyd resin by reacting a mixture of the alkyd resin with 5 wt% of FPA at 120 °C for 80 min under inert atmosphere. The FTIR spectrum of the FPA modified resin showed evidence of higher degree of H-bonding than was found for the unmodified alkyd. White gloss coatings of 15, 20, 25, and 30% solids were formulated from the modified and unmodified resins and examined for performance with respect to: leveling, sag resistance, drying time, pigment settling, skinning tendency and film hardness. Results showed that the unmodified alkyd coatings exhibited good leveling but poor sag resistance at all solid contents. In contrast, FPA modified alkyd coatings combined good leveling with high sag resistance indicating their thixotropic nature. A strong tendency to pigment settling was observed for unmodified alkyd coatings but was not observed in the FPA modified alkyd coatings. The modified alkyd coatings showed skinning while the unmodified alkyd coatings did not skin. A 30% solids coating formulation of the FPA modified resin showed shorter surface dry time but longer hard dry time than the unmodified alkyd resin coating.     

Block Copolymers Containing (R)-3-Hydroxybutyrate and Isosorbide Succinate or (S)-Lactic Acid Mers

A new aliphatic block copolyester was synthesized in bulk from transesterification techniques between poly((R)-3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(isosorbide succinate) (PIS). Additionally, other two block copolyesters were synthesized in bulk either from transesterification reactions involving PHB and poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) or from ring-opening copolymerization of l-lactide and hydroxyl-terminated PHB, as result of a previous transesterification reactions with isosorbide. Two-component blends of PHB and PIS or PLLA were also prepared as comparative systems. SEC, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS), ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, WAXD, solubility tests, and TG thermal analysis were used for characterization. The block copolymer structures of the products were evidenced by MALDI-TOFMS, ¹³C NMR, and WAXD data. The block copolymers and the corresponding binary blends presented different solubility properties, as revealed by solubility tests. Although the incorporation of PIS sequences into PHB main backbone did not enhance the thermal stability of the product, it reduced its crystallinity, which could be advantageous for faster biodegradation rate. These products, composed of PHB and PIS or PLLA sequences, are an interesting alternative in biomedical applications.     

Annual nutrients budget for the grazed and ungrazed sites of an alpine expanse in North-West Himalaya,India

This work was undertaken to analyze nutrient contents of vegetation in an alpine meadow—Tungnath, North-West Himalaya, India. The study pertains to the uptake, transfer and release of four main macronutrients (organic carbon, total nitrogen, total potassium and total phosphorus) in grazed (exposed to extensive grazing by cattles) and ungrazed (grazing completely prohibited) communities. Mineral concentration was recorded higher for the ungrazed sites compared to the grazed sites, and maximum standing state of nutrients was found in roots. Belowground compartment (roots) contributed maximum share of mineral elements to soil. Litter nutrients release was low because of low microbial activity and continuous removal of phytomass. Observations reveal that there was very little amount of nutrient release from phytomass and vegetation in alpine are very poor source of mineral recycling. Low transfer rate of minerals from one compartment to other is adequate for greater amount of these minerals that are translocated back into the storage organs. A small proportion get removed through rain splash or through the removal of hay during grazing as relatively high release rates in ungrazed sites when compared to grazed sites was observed. This translocation can be considered as an important adaptation in alpine plants for survival during adverse environmental conditions, against all types of biotic pressures and also for regeneration in the forthcoming growing season.