Nanostructured (Bio)sensors for smart agriculture Antonacci, Amina; Arduini, Fabiana; Moscone, Danila ...
TrAC, Trends in analytical chemistry (Regular ed.),
January 2018, 2018-01-00, Letnik:
98
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Intense farming represents one of the main sources causing detriments to vital resources as lands and water, due to unsustainable agricultural practices and the resulting environmental pollution. ...Furthermore, the increasing world population and the impact of climate change contribute to worsen these constraints. To these regards, several attempts have been completed to provide pioneering technologies for facing against these challenges, including nanostructured (bio)sensors. Indeed, nanotechnology-based (bio)sensors, thanks to the exploitation of fascinating properties of functional materials at the nanoscale, can support farmers in delivering fast, accurate, cost-effective, and in field analyses of i) soil humidity, ii) water and soil nutrients/pesticides, and iii) plant pathogens. Herein, we report a glance of the nano nanostructured (bio)sensors developed to support smart agriculture, reporting representative examples form the literature of the last 10 years.
•The use of custom-made nanotechnologies is encouraged to foster a sustainable farming.•Nanostructured (bio)sensors can support farmers in delivering fast, accurate, cost-effective, and in field analyses.•A glance of nanostructured (bio)sensors in support of smart agriculture was reported form the literature.
The biodiversity of pool ecosystems is nowadays fully dependent on building of new ones or reconstructing the damaged ones. Among the factors influencing the potential of being colonised are the ...habitat's local characteristics including abiotic and biotic factors. One of the most important key roles in the food chains of freshwaters play zooplankton and its high dispersal rate makes them successful colonists of new habitats. Together with phytoplankton and nutrient content development, the state and following evolution of pool ecosystem can be assessed. The aim of this study was to survey initial zooplankton succession of newly built pools and to assess the main influencers on its colonisation success. Two newly built pools (Pool 1 and Pool 4) with different morphometric characteristics were monthly sampled for zooplankton, phytoplankton and physico-chemical characteristics. Zooplankton individuals were sorted according to taxa and stage as cladocerans, copepods (adults), nauplii and rotifers; and according to size structure as follows: < 0.5 mm, 0.5-1 mm, 1-2 mm and > 2 mm. Phytoplankton species were sorted in five categories: cyanobacteria, cryptomonads, green algae, diatoms and other algae. Basic physico-chemical parameters were measured and nutrient analysis were carried out. In Pool 1, first colonists were rotifers, followed by various cladoceran taxa. Rapid increase of large cladoceran species occurred in late spring. Till the end of the survey, rotifers together with nauplii predominated. Larger copepods were constantly present since late spring. In Pool 4, first colonists were rotifers, followed by copepod nauplii which predominated till the end of survey. Larger zooplankton species peaked in summer. In the first season after inundation, the presence of a massive biomass of charophytes and subsequently green filamentous algae was crucial for the development of the communities in both pools - significantly reduced the development of phytoplankton, caused high water clarity and affected the development of zooplankton. Because there were nutrients released from the sediment nutrient pool inflicted by fertilisation of intensively farmed field, significant fluctuations in pool ecosystem were observed. Also the morphometric characteristics of the pool, such as size, shape, depth and slope of the shores indicated the suitability of the habitat for successful zooplankton colonisation.
Abstract Environmental stress caused by pollution is often assessed by diversity of macro-invertebrate species in specific aquatic habitat. To find out seasonal fluctuations in various ...macro-invertebrates communities and different water quality parameters of River Zhob, a research trial was conducted on River Zhob, Balochistan. Samples of macro-invertebrates and water were taken from four different stations of River Zhob. A total 18 taxa of various macro-invertebrates were identified from the area. Phylum Arthropoda constitute 94.8% of the total population followed by Mollusca (3.6%) and Annelida (1.4%). A large number of arthropods were belonged to order Diptera (1148), while the order Trichoptera was stood second with respect to macro-invertebrate´s number (441). The maximum numbers of macro-invertebrates were observed in the month of January. All physico-chemical parameters of River Zhob such as air temperature, water temp, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) and total dissolved solids (TDS) were within the range, suitable for the healthy growth of macro-invertebrates. Diversified populations of various macro-invertebrates confirm good ecological condition of environment and water in the studied site especially ample concentration of DO in River. The documented data on macro-invertebrates in studied site will provide a baseline for future research.
Resumo O estresse ambiental causado pela poluição é frequentemente avaliado pela diversidade de espécies de macroinvertebrados em habitats aquáticos específicos. Para descobrir as flutuações sazonais em várias comunidades de macroinvertebrados e diferentes parâmetros de qualidade da água do rio Zhob, foi realizado um teste de pesquisa no rio Zhob, Baluchistão. Amostras de macroinvertebrados e água foram retiradas de quatro estações diferentes do rio Zhob. Um total de 18 táxons de vários macroinvertebrados foram identificados na área. O filo Arthropoda constitui 94,8% da população total, seguido por Mollusca (3,6%) e Annelida (1,4%). Um grande número de artrópodes pertencia à ordem Diptera (1148), enquanto a ordem Trichoptera ocupava o segundo lugar em número de macroinvertebrados (441). Os números máximos de macroinvertebrados foram observados no mês de janeiro. Todos os parâmetros físico-químicos do rio Zhob, como temperatura do ar, temperatura da água, pH, oxigênio dissolvido (OD) e sólidos dissolvidos totais (TDS), estavam dentro da faixa, adequada para o crescimento saudável de macroinvertebrados. Populações diversificadas de vários macroinvertebrados confirmam boas condições ecológicas do ambiente e da água no local estudado, especialmente a ampla concentração de DO no rio. Os dados documentados sobre macroinvertebrados no local estudado fornecerão uma linha de base para pesquisas futuras.
The current study aims to know the WasitPower Planteffluents (WPP) effect on the Tigris River's physical and chemical factors. Samples were collected monthly for the period from January to December ...2021. The water temperature ranges from 1.4-6.1°C compared with the high temperature at WPP. The water was classified as low salinity, oligohaline, low turbidity, very hard and high alkalinity, with an increased pH value of approximately 0.8-0.9 compared with the first site. The study also showed that high conductivity values, salinity, turbidity, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, nitrate and phosphate increased near WPPefflunts. The results showed a negative effect of WPP on the physicochemical properties, especially on the site near WPP effluent. Keywords: - Physico-chemical parameters, Tigris River, ThermalPower Plant.
A complete study on the microbiological and physico-chemical properties of yateí honey (Tetragonisca fiebrigi) was carried out, focusing on the quality standards that are necessary for its ...commercialization. The results showed that physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of T. fiebrigi honey differed from standard values of Apis mellifera, but not from other stingless bees honey from South America. Yateí honey showed the presence of fecal contamination (Escherichia coli), and a seasonal influence in microbiological parameters, acidity, pH, sucrose and diastase activity. On the other hand, three preservation treatments were carried out and evaluated for 90 days in T. fiebrigi honey: refrigeration, pasteurization and dehumidification. Pasteurization and dehumidification of yateí honey eliminated fecal contamination while in refrigerated honey E. coli survived in time (8–90 days), unlike the samples kept at room temperature (<3 days). Physico-chemical parameters of yateí honey changed in time after the treatments, specifically, HMF was present after 90 days in honey treated with heat or dehumidified, making it a key parameter of yateí honey quality.
•Honey standard criteria for Tetragonisca fiebrigi differed from the standard values of Apis mellifera honey.•Microbiological parameters showed differences in the season of harvesting.•Diastase activity, pH, acidity and sucrose depended on the season of harvesting.•Dehumidification and pasteurization treatments prevented E. coli growth.•pH, acidity, reducing sugars and HMF changed with the preservation treatments.
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•The influence of the ultrasonic assisted freeze drying (US + FD) is reviewed.•Thermally sensitive compounds and physic-chemical properties retained in the final dried product.•US ...pre-treatment improves the drying rate during FD.•US is a potential pretreatment to reduce drying time and energy consumption.
Freeze drying (FD) is an important and highly effective technology in food industry for retaining the quality in final dried product. This drying technique is performed at lower temperatures, restricting the damage suffered by thermally sensitive ingredients. However, FD consumes large amount of energy and required more time than conventional drying methods. The utilization of ultrasonic technology (US) as pre-treatment before FD represents a promising alternative in accelerating the drying process, decreases energy consumption and maintaining quality as compared to the non pre-treated sample. This review summarizes research progress and current studies in ultrasonic as pre-treatment for freeze drying (US + FD) technique. The impact of US + FD on phytochemical, color, texture and micro-structure of food are well summarized. The review also suggests that the optimised US treatment parameters are required to improve heat and mass transfer in food samples which help in speed up the drying process and reduction of drying time.
The aim of the present work is to find the quality of water in and around the Nagapattinam region and geochemical study of water and its chemical composition with qualitative and quantitatively ...assessed from the period of post monsoon ( January) in the year 2020. Therefore, ten underground water sample were taken from different areas in Nagapattinam region and analysed for the following qualities such as Color, odour, temperature, Electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid, Hydrogen ion Concentration, calcium, magnesium, chloride, potassium, sodium, nitrate, and sulphate and trace metals like manganese, lead, chromium, copper, iron, arsenic, cadmium and zinc. The physico chemical parameters indicate the quality of ground water varies from bore well to bore well. Higher values of any parameter in a borehole indicate that the water is not fit for drinking. Therefore, the public is advised that the groundwater source in the study area should be monitored before it is used for domestic and drinking water purposes and that the government should adopt some treatment technology in the current study regions to minimize the hardness and salinity for provide safe water to the public.
The combined effects of pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and Ca2+/Mg2+ on the dissolution and aggregation kinetics of zero valent copper engineered nanoparticles (Cu0 ENPs) were investigated. The ...dissolution and aggregation of the particles were studied in (a) synthetic aqueous media, similar in chemistry to natural surface waters, and (b) natural surface waters samples, for up to 32 or 24 h. The DOC stabilized the particles and prevented aggregation, and thus increased the available surface area. The higher available surface area in turn accelerated the dissolution of the particles. The presence of Ca2+/Mg2+, however, changed the aggregation and the dissolution of the DOC-stabilized particles. The influence of Ca2+/Mg2+ on DOC-stabilized particles was different at different pH's. In the absence of DOC, 10 mM of Ca2+/Mg2+ induced charge reversal on the particles and caused particle stability against aggregation. This subsequently increased particles dissolution. The results obtained with regard to dissolution and aggregation of the particles in natural surface waters were compared with those determined for the synthetic waters. This comparison showed that the behavior of the particles in the natural surface waters was mostly similar to the behavior determined for media at pH 9. Overall, the current study provides some novel insights into the simultaneous effects of physicochemical parameters of water on particle stability against aggregation and dissolution, and provides data about how the processes of aggregation and dissolution of Cu0 ENPs interact and jointly determine the overall particle fate.
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•DOC accelerate the dissolution of Cu0 ENPs.•10 mM Ca2+/Mg2+ increase the dissolution of Cu0 ENPs due to particle stability.•5 mg/L DOC block the 10 mM Ca2+/Mg2+ induced dissolution to Cu0 ENPs.•Dissolution/aggregation behavior of Cu0 ENPs is different at different pH's.
Abstract Small-scale fish farmers in developing countries are faced with challenges owing to their limited information on aquaculture management. Nile tilapia farmers in Teso North Sub-County ...recorded lower yields than expected in 2009 despite having been provided with required inputs. Water quality was suspected to be the key factor responsible for the low yields. This study sought to assess the effects of earthen pond water physico-chemical parameters on the growth of Nile tilapia in six earthen fish ponds under semi-intensive culture system in Teso North Sub-County. The study was longitudinal in nature with pond water and fish being the units of analysis. Systematic sampling was used to select five ponds while a control pond was purposively selected based on its previously high harvest. Four ponds were fed by surface flow and two by underground water. Each pond was fertilized and stocked with 900 fry of averagely 1.4 g and 4.4 cm. Physico-chemical parameters were measured in-situ using a multi-parameter probe. Sixty fish samples were randomly obtained from each pond fortnightly for four months using a 10 mm mesh size and measured, weighed and returned into the pond. Mean range of physico-chemical parameters were: dissolved oxygen (DO) 4.86–10.53 mg/l, temperature 24-26 °C, pH 6.1–8.3, conductivity 35–87 μS/cm and ammonia 0.01–0.3 mg/l. Temperature (p = 0.012) and conductivity (p = 0.0001) levels varied significantly between ponds. Overall Specific Growth Rate ranged between 1.8% (0.1692 g/day) and 3.8% (1.9 g/day). Ammonia, DO and pH in the ponds were within the optimal levels for growth of tilapia, while temperature and conductivity were below optimal levels. As temperature and DO increased, growth rate of tilapia increased. However, increase in conductivity, pH and ammonia decreased fish growth rate. Temperature and DO ranging between 27 and 30 °C and 5–23 mg/l, respectively, and SGR of 3.8%/day and above are recommended for higher productivity.