Abstract
Currently, the conversion of biomass to produce high-valued biofuels such as biodiesel and bio-jet fuel has attached booming interests, when used for partial replacement of petroleum fuels ...in different ratios is a promising solution due to the problem of depleting petroleum reserves and environmental purposes. Non-edible Jatropha oil can be transformed to biofuel when subjected to were hydrocracking at hydrogen pressure using an activated natural clay as a catalyst in a high pressure batch reactor. The type of product and its quality and quantity depend on the process conditions such as reaction time, temperature, and catalyst type, form, and amount. The present work aims to study the hydrocracking process of Jatropha oil at different operating conditions. The catalyst is characterized using SEM, FTIR, XRF, and XRD. The effect of process conditions variation have been studied and discussed. The results showed the highest yield of 40% bio-jet fuel was achieved at a temperature of 350 °C, H
2
pressure of 4 bar, and reaction time of 18 min. the bio-jet fuel products were tested and their specifications were conformed to ASTM D1655 specifications, viz the freezing point (−56 °C), the flash point (53 °C), and existent gum content (5.9 mg/100 ml).
The effective removal of heavy metals from aqueous wastes is among the most important issues for many industrialized countries. Removal of lead (II) and copper (II) from aqueous solutions were ...studied using pomegranate peel (raw), activated carbon prepared from pomegranate peel (AC
1) and activated carbon prepared from chemically treated pomegranate peel (AC
2 and AC
3). Batch adsorption experiments were performed as a function of pH, contact time, solute concentration and adsorbent dose. The optimum pH required for maximum adsorption were found to be 5.6 and 5.8, for lead and copper respectively. The experimental equilibrium adsorption data are tested for the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin equations. Results indicate the following order to fit the isotherms: Langmuir > Temkin > Freundlich in case of lead ions and Freundlich > Temkin > Langmuir in case of copper ions. Adsorption kinetics data were modeled using the pseudo-first and pseudo-second order, Elvoich equations and intraparticle diffusion models. The results indicate that the second-order model best describes adsorption kinetic data.
•Faster decolorization of AB-14 dye by AO and EC and follow pseudo-first order kinetic.•Faster and similar decolorization by EC and AO due to the generation of strong oxidant OH in the bulk.•Current ...density (j), Initial dye conc. (Co), NaCl conc. (CN), and pH affect the oxidation efficiency.•Synergy between coagulation and oxidation by OH and active chlorine species.
In this study, a laboratory scale for the treatment of a recalcitrant and toxic synthetic wastewater containing diazo dye, acid brown 14 (AB-14) has been comparatively performed by two electro-catalytic treatment processes, namely anodic oxidation (AO) and electrocoagulation (EC) using a new batch electrochemical cell. Additionally, the influence of several operating parameters such as; current density (j), initial dye concentration (Co), NaCl concentration (CN), and pH on the color removal efficiency and chemical oxygen demand (COD) are evaluated. The powerful capability of the AO and EC of AB-14 which related to the mechanistic reaction pathway is shown. The poor degradation is ascribed to higher Co and pH, while the enhancement of j and CN is responsible for better degradation of AB-14 dye. The results indicate that the EC is more effective than AO under the same operational condition. A kinetic model is developed for evaluation of the pseudo-first-order-rate constant (kapp) as a function of various operational parameters. The results emphasize the high efficiency of AO and EC and the clean processes which are hopeful alternative for the treatment of the large volume wastewater of the textile industry.
This study explores the possibility of using electrocoagulation to remove phenol from oil refinery waste effluent using a cell with horizontally oriented aluminum cathode and a horizontal aluminum ...screen anode. The removal of phenol was investigated in terms of various parameters namely: pH, operating time, current density, initial phenol concentration and addition of NaCl. Removal of phenol during electrocoagulation was due to combined effect of sweep coagulation and adsorption. The results showed that, at high current density and solution pH 7, remarkable removal of 97% of phenol after 2
h can be achieved. The rate of electrocoagulation was observed to increase as the phenol concentration decreases; the maximum removal rate was attained at 30
mg
L
−1 phenol concentration. For a given current density using an array of closely packed Al screens as anode was found to be more effective than single screen anode, the percentage phenol removal was found to increase with increasing the number of screens per array. After 2
h of electrocoagulation, 94.5% of initial phenol concentration was removed from the petroleum refinery wastewater. Energy consumption and aluminum Electrode consumption were calculated per gram of phenol removed. The present study shows that, electrocoagulation of phenol using aluminum electrodes is a promising process.
Exceptionally long-lived species, including many bats, rarely show overt signs of aging, making it difficult to determine why species differ in lifespan. Here, we use DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles ...from 712 known-age bats, representing 26 species, to identify epigenetic changes associated with age and longevity. We demonstrate that DNAm accurately predicts chronological age. Across species, longevity is negatively associated with the rate of DNAm change at age-associated sites. Furthermore, analysis of several bat genomes reveals that hypermethylated age- and longevity-associated sites are disproportionately located in promoter regions of key transcription factors (TF) and enriched for histone and chromatin features associated with transcriptional regulation. Predicted TF binding site motifs and enrichment analyses indicate that age-related methylation change is influenced by developmental processes, while longevity-related DNAm change is associated with innate immunity or tumorigenesis genes, suggesting that bat longevity results from augmented immune response and cancer suppression.
•The functionalized lignin (FL) successfully fabricated from industrial black liquor.•High quality FL was deeply characterized.•FL was effective for the unprecedented adsorption ...characteristics.•Results were verified by classical kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamic studies.•Strong chemical interaction occurred between FLA and Reactive Green 19 dye.
The availability of lignin in significant quantities as a byproduct from the paper industry from industrial black liquor is still an issue. On the other hand, its potential for use as a green, low-cost adsorbent for the efficient removal of harmful organic dye from industrial effluent has attracted attention, although the challenge remains difficult. In this way, the goal of this study was to see if it was possible to remove the reactive green dye from the functionalized lignin-based adsorbent (FLA) using an acidic approach. The kinetic analysis revealed that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model with intra-particle diffusion. The FLA also demonstrated multi-layer adsorption, according to the isotherm data. Meanwhile, FTIR and SEM studies revealed that electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, - stacking, and physical adsorption were the RG-19 adsorption processes. Thermodynamic characteristics were also examined, and the results revealed that RG-19 adsorption on FLA is an exothermic and spontaneous process. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in the atomic aspect have proven the response behind the higher adsorptive of FLA toward RG-19 under the force of interaction. FLA has the potential to be employed as a promising sustainable and economic use of biomass as a renewable, low-cost, and natural biomass material, inspiring more researchers to explore solutions to the problem of polluted rivers and streams.
Electrochemical treatment of organic pollutants is a promising treatment technique for substances which are resistant to biodegradation. In this study an electrochemical treatment based on the ...principle of anodic oxidation was used to treat paper mill effluent from Rakta's Pulp and Paper Company where rice straw is used to produce paper pulp. Experiments were carried out in a cylindrical agitated vessel lined with lead sheet as anode while a concentric cylindrical stainless steel sheet screen was placed as a cathode. The effect of current density, pH, NaCl concentration, impeller rotational speed and temperature on the rate of color and COD removal was studied. The results showed that the use of electrochemical technique reduces the COD from an average value of 5500 to 160. The percentage color removal ranged from 53% to 100% depending on the operating conditions. Energy consumption calculation shows that energy consumption ranges from 4 to 29
kWh/m
3 of effluent depending on the operating conditions. The experimental results proved that the electrochemical oxidation is a powerful tool for treating paper mill effluents where rice straw is used as a raw material.
Little is known about the effect of retail light-emitting diode (LED) exposure on consumer acceptance of milk. The study objective was to determine effects of fluorescent and LED lighting under ...retail storage conditions on consumer acceptance of milk. Consumer acceptance of milk stored under retail conditions was determined through sensory evaluation (2 studies; n=150+ each) and analytical measures (dissolved oxygen, secondary oxidation products, riboflavin retention). Study 1 evaluated milk stored in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packages for 4h under LED light (960 lx). Commercially available HDPE package treatments included translucent HDPE (most commonly used), white HDPE low concentration (1.3%) TiO2, and yellow HDPE; in addition, HDPE with a higher TiO2 concentration (high white; 4.9% TiO2) and a foil-wrapped translucent HDPE (control) were tested. Translucent and control packages also were tested under fluorescent light. Study 2 evaluated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packages for 4h under fluorescent and LED light (1,460 lx). The PET packaging included 2 treatments (medium, 4.0% TiO2; high, 6.6% TiO2) as well as translucent HDPE (exposed to fluorescent), clear PET (fluorescent and LED), and light-protected control. Overall mean acceptability of milk ranged from “like slightly” to “like moderately” with significantly lower acceptability for milk exposed to fluorescent light. Milk in HDPE and PET packages had comparable overall acceptability scores when exposed to LED light. Only the fluorescent light condition (both PET and HDPE) diminished overall acceptability. Fluorescent light exposure negatively influenced flavor with significant penalty (2.0–2.5 integers) to overall acceptability of milk in translucent HDPE and clear PET. The LED also diminished aftertaste of milk packaged in translucent HDPE. Changes in dissolved oxygen content, as an indication of oxidation, supported the observed differences in consumer acceptance of milk stored under fluorescent and LED light. Consumers like the flavor of fresh milk, which can be protected by selecting appropriate packaging that blocks detrimental light wavelengths.
The use of cheap, high efficiency and ecofriendly adsorbent has been studied as an alternative source of activated carbon for the removal of dyes from wastewater. This study investigates the use of ...activated carbons prepared from pomegranate peel for the removal of direct blue dye from aqueous solution. A series of experiments were conducted in a batch system to assess the effect of the system variables, i.e. initial pH, temperature, initial dye concentration adsorbent dosage and contact time. The results showed that the adsorption of direct blue dye was maximal at pH 2, as the amount of adsorbent increased, the percentage of dye removal increased accordingly but it decreased with the increase in initial dye concentration and solution temperature. The adsorption kinetics was found to follow pseudo-second-order rate kinetic model, with a good correlation (
R
2
>
0.99) and intra-particle diffusion as one of the rate determining steps. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Dubinin–RadushKevich (D–R) and Harkins–Jura isotherms were used to analyze the equilibrium data at different temperatures. In addition, various thermodynamic parameters, such as standard Gibbs free energy (Δ
G°), standard enthalpy (Δ
H°), standard entropy (Δ
S°), and the activation energy (
E
a) have been calculated. The adsorption process of direct blue dye onto different activated carbons prepared from pomegranate peel was found to be spontaneous and exothermic process. The findings of this investigation suggest that the physical sorption plays a role in controlling the sorption rate.
Diabetes mellitus (DM), an endocrine syndrome characterized by high blood glucose levels due to abrogated insulin activity. The existing treatments for DM have side effects and varying degrees of ...efficacy. Therefore, it is paramount that novel approaches be developed to enhance the management of DM. Therapeutic plants have been accredited as having comparatively high efficacy with fewer adverse effects. The current study aims to elucidate the phytochemical profile, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-diabetic effects of methanolic extract D. salicifolia (leaves) in Alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Alloxan was injected intraperitoneally (150 mg kg-1, b.w), to induced diabetes in mice. The mice were divided into three groups (n=10). Group 1 (normal control) received normal food and purified water, Group II (diabetic control) received regular feed and clean water and group III (diabetic treated) received a methanolic extract of the plant (300 mg kg-1) for 28 days with a typical diet and clean water throughout the experiment. Blood samples were collected to checked serum glucose and concentration of LDL, TC, TG. The extract demonstrated significant antihyperglycemic activity (P<0.05), whereas improvements in mice's body weight and lipid profiles were observed after treatment with the extract. This study establishes that the extract has high efficacy with comparatively less toxicity that can be used for DM management.
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