Environmental Science
M. Srichomphu; O. Phewnil; T. Pattamapitoon; Ratcha Chaichana; K. Chunkao; W. Wararam; N. Dampin; P. Maskulrath
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: As a producer within the ecological food chain, phytoplankton provides the base energy and oxygen to the environment through photosynthesis and higher tropic levels. These benefits can be applied in five consecutive nature-by-nature oxidation ponds for the treatment of community ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: As a producer within the ecological food chain, phytoplankton provides the base energy and oxygen to the environment through photosynthesis and higher tropic levels. These benefits can be applied in five consecutive nature-by-nature oxidation ponds for the treatment of community wastewater coming through a high density polyethylene pipeline from the Phetchaburi Municipality located at the King’s Royally Initiated Laem Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province (Universal Transverse Mercator 47P 1442725 North 617774 East). This study focuses on the vertical distribution of the phytoplankton Cylindrospermopsis sp. and its relationship with nitrogen compounds in oxidation ponds.METHODS: Samples were collected from a community wastewater treatment system at various depths (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 centimeters) below the water surface in April 2019 between 11:00 and 13:00 hours and analyzed for their chemical and physical properties. The analysis revealed a vertical relationship between Cylindrospermopsis sp. and wastewater. In the density of phytoplankton which were collected by measuring 20 liters of water and filtered using a 36-micron plankton net, calculated and counted under a high magnification microscope, as the species are classified according the taxonomy.FINDINGS: The results of the wastewater quality were as follows: the content of suspended solids was 65–81 milligram per liter, water temperature was 31.8–33.2°C, potential of hydrogen was 8.7–9.2, total nitrogen content was 4.0–5.3 milligram per liter, ammonium content was 0.03–0.06 milligram per liter, nitrate content was 0.09–0.12 milligram per liter, total phosphorus content was 0.9–1.3 milligram per liter, and phosphate content was 0.4–0.5 milligram per liter. In the density of phytoplankton, a significant correlation was observed between the population of Cylindrospermopsis sp. and water depth (R2 = 0.9324). The number of populations at the depths of 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 centimeters were 3.2 × 107, 1.6 × 107, 1.1 × 107, 5.5 × 107, and 1.1 × 108 cells per cubic meter, respectively.CONCLUSION: The different densities of Cylindrospermopsis sp. found at different depths throughout the treatment pond are related to the nitrogen dynamics of the water body. The results of this study revealed that organic nitrogen, including ammonium, was assimilated and converted to inorganic nutrients, which promoted the growth of other phytoplankton species. The correlation between Cylindrospermopsis sp. and total nitrogen and ammonium showed significance at R2 = 0.7268 and 0.797, respectively, with a confidence level of 0.05. Therefore, to ensure treatment effectiveness, the depth of wastewater treatment ponds should be considered during their construction because phytoplankton regulation plays an important role to maintain the overall treatment efficiency.
Environmental Science
K. Narozhnykh
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Elemental status is associated with the biochemical processes occurring in the body. Beef, consumed worldwide, is an excellent source of iron in terms of quantity and bioavailability, providing up to 18 percent of the daily requirement. The level of iron in muscle tissue affects ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Elemental status is associated with the biochemical processes occurring in the body. Beef, consumed worldwide, is an excellent source of iron in terms of quantity and bioavailability, providing up to 18 percent of the daily requirement. The level of iron in muscle tissue affects beef quality. Current methods used to assess iron content in cattle muscles are laborious and complex. Accordingly, the current study aimed to develop a fast and simple method to assess the elemental status of animals in vivo and in a minimally invasive way based on an effective model for iron-level prediction by using blood-analysis results toward ecological well-being. This method can overcome the shortcomings of currently used approaches.METHODS: Samples of diaphragmatic muscle weighing 100 grams, as well as blood samples, were obtained from Hereford cattle bred under typical conditions of an industrial complex in the south of Western Siberia, Russia. Elemental analysis was performed by atomic absorption method with electrothermal atomization. Regression analysis was conducted to estimate the relationships between iron level in the muscle tissue of Hereford cattle and independent values (blood parameters). An optimum model for predicting the iron level was established. The coefficients of regression models were calculated using the least squares method, and the values of the dependent variable corresponded with the Gaussian ones. A high correlation existed between independent variables.FINDINGS: An optimum model for predicting the iron level in the muscle tissue of Hereford cattle was established. It contained three predictors, namely, number of erythrocytes, color index, and globulin, as a result of selection based on internal and external-quality criteria. The model meets the necessary assumptions: the residuals are normally distributed, no autocorrelations exist, and the observations are influential. Furthermore, no signs of multicollinearity exist between the main effects of the model (variance-inflation factor = 1.2–1.7).CONCLUSION: The model can be used for the intravital analysis of iron level in the muscle tissue of cattle. In contrast to currently used methods, the approach proposed can be used for intravital analysis of the level of iron in muscle tissue, which is the most important advantage of the developed approach. The results can be used in ecology to assess ecological well-being and determine the allowable load of iron in animals. For veterinary medicine, the resulting model enables the evaluation of the iron level in the muscle tissue of Hereford cattle during their lifetime. Studying the effect of different factors on meat quality may allow to decrease or avoid useless measures used in farming, such as the excessive use of feed additives. In turn, these measures can decrease resource exploitation and increase farming productivity. Therefore, the results can guide the further development of sustainable farming.
Environmental Science
A.P. Luperdi; S.S. Flores-Calla; X.J. Barriga; V. Rivera; I. Salazar; P.L. Manrique; J.E. Reátegui
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the meat industry, inefficient management of organic waste exists, therefore the study aims to evaluate different bovine and poultry organic residues as food substrates during larval development of the black soldier fly, such as a sustainable alternative to obtain high protein ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the meat industry, inefficient management of organic waste exists, therefore the study aims to evaluate different bovine and poultry organic residues as food substrates during larval development of the black soldier fly, such as a sustainable alternative to obtain high protein meal.METHODS: The research evaluates the use of organic waste from cattle and poultry slaughterhouses, as food substrate for black soldier fly larvae, including raw beef blood T1, raw beef viscera T2, cooked beef blood T3, cooked beef viscera T4, raw chicken viscera T6 and cooked chicken viscera T7; further, as a control measure balanced feed (7 treatments and 5 replicates). Larvae were fed for 5 days and processed to make meal by drying and grinding; evaluating mortality, weight, size, proximal chemical composition, and apparent digestibility to determine the most viable substrate, analyzing effects and significance by multifactorial ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis.FINDING: The results show Mortality (F = 917,81, p < 0,0001): T1 y T3 with 76,40 ± 2,86 (%) (F = 917,81, p < 0,0001), following T6 with 69,67 ± 4,55%, T7 with 24,00 ± 3,48%, T2 with 4,60 ± 1,92 %, T5 y T4, both with 4,20 ± 2,00 %. Weight (F = 825,62, p < 0,0001): T2 with 1,78 ± 0,22 gram outperformed the control T5 (1,76 ± 0,50 gram), T4 with 1,45 ± 0,06 g and T7 with 1,66 ± 0,07 gram. Size (F = 248,95, p < 0,0001): T5 with 16,03 ± 0,34 mm, T2 with 15,86 ± 0,22 mm, T4 with 14,72 ± 0,35 mm and finally, 14,51 ± 0,14 millimeter in T7. Proximal chemical analysis of crude protein and fat: T2 resulted in the following results 50,81 % and 21,88 %, T4 with 53,90% y 15,04%, T7 with 42,63 % and 32,03%, and T5 con 41,1 % and 19.55%, respectively. Digestibility: T5 with 20,39%, T2 with 12,66%, T4 with 10,61% and T7 with 5,97%. T2 raw beef viscera were determined to be the most viable substrate, followed by T4 cooked beef viscera and T7 cooked chicken viscera.CONCLUSIONS: Testing the effectiveness of cattle viscera as substrate, the experimental data presented may help design a process for an effective treatment method for slaughterhouse waste, which might benefit developing nations in managing their waste effectively, generating high protein meal, with the potential for a circular bioeconomy.
Environmental Science
S. Arsad; Y.W. Mulasari; N.Y. Sari; E.D. Lusiana; Y. Risjani; M. Musa; M. Mahmudi; F.S. Prasetiya; L.A. Sari
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Biodiversity is the variety of life that exists on Earth, including all the organisms, species, and populations that come together in a complex manner to form communities and ecosystems. This study aimed to assess the diversity of microalgae in several different sub-habitats ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Biodiversity is the variety of life that exists on Earth, including all the organisms, species, and populations that come together in a complex manner to form communities and ecosystems. This study aimed to assess the diversity of microalgae in several different sub-habitats by identifying their types and abundance in sediments, mangroves, macroalgae, and water columns; additionally, this study analyses the environmental factors that affected the abundance of microalgae in several sub-habitats.METHODS: This study used a quantitative descriptive method with data collection techniques, incorporating the purposive sampling method. Data were analysed using non-metric multidimensional scaling.FINDINGS: The results showed that the composition of microalgae species found in the sub-habitats of sediments, mangroves, macroalgae, and water columns at Siwil Beach were the class of Bacillariophyceae (70%), Chlorophyceae (17%), and Cyanophyceae (13%) in all sub-habitats. In Sempu Island, microalgae were found only from Bacillariophyceae (100%) in the four sub-habitats. The highest abundance of microalgae on Siwil Beach was in the sub-habitat of mangroves, with a total of 5,423,073 cells/cm2, while the highest abundance in Sempu Island was in the sub-habitat of macroalgae, with a value of 1,986,252 cells/cm2. Moreover, based on non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses, there was no similarity of algae diversity between Siwil Beach and Sempu Island, with a high variation of microalgae.CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the class Bacillariophyceae dominated the communities of microalgae found both in Siwil Beach and Sempu Island. Moreover, factors that mainly affected the abundance of microalgae were environmental, which is already proven by the measurement of water quality in each sub-habitat at both locations. Siwil Beach and Sempu Island water quality was relatively still under the Indonesian national quality standard for seawater. This research is thought to be the first step in exploring the diversity of microalgae in several sub-habitats in East Java, Indonesia, and linking the type and availability of microalgae found in various sub-habitats with environmental water quality parameters and human activities around the waters. In addition, this paper provides the basic information of microalgae diversity based on sub-habitats, especially in the southern part of East Java Indonesia.
Environmental Science
D. Sivakumar; P. Srikanth; P. W. Ramteke; J. Nouri
Abstract
The amount of agricultural waste generated by agro-based industries such as palm oil, rubber, and wood processing plants have more than tripled. Selangor, Perak, and Johor account for 65.7 percent of the total number of recognised pollution sources in the manufacturing and agro-based sectors. Livestock ...
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The amount of agricultural waste generated by agro-based industries such as palm oil, rubber, and wood processing plants have more than tripled. Selangor, Perak, and Johor account for 65.7 percent of the total number of recognised pollution sources in the manufacturing and agro-based sectors. Livestock dung is another major cause of pollution, contributing significantly to increase pollution levels in the environment. Large portion of agro-industrial waste is untreated and unused, it is frequently disposed of by replicating or dumping then again off the cuff landfilling. These untreated wastes wreak havoc on natural change by releasing ozone-depleting chemicals. Aside from that, the usage of fossil fuels is also leading to an increase in ozone-depleting compounds. Agro-waste is a huge environmental hazard in the current epidemic situation. The management of agro-waste and the conversion of agro-waste into a usable product through the application of biotechnological technologies in agriculture are receiving a lot of attention in today''s world. Solid state fermentation is the finest approach for converting agro-waste into valuable bio products among biotechnological instruments. Various agro-wastes such as wheat straw, barley straw, cotton stalks, sunflower stacks, and oil cakes from various agriculture goods, as well as major horticulture wastes such as apple, mango, orange peels, and potato peels, were used to create beneficial products in this review. All aspects of the production of industrial products from various agro-waste by using microorganisms such as Amycolatopsis Mediterranean, Xanthomonas campestries, and Aspergillus niger producing biopolymers such as polysaccharides, similar to starch, cellulose, agar, hemi-celluloses, gelatin, alginate, and carrageenan are covered in the current revels. Yeasts and cyanobacteria are commonly employed to make bio-lipids, whereas Bacillus species are utilised to make proteins and bio-enzymes. Cucumber and orange strips, on the other hand, have recently been employed to create proteins and bio-enzymes. As a result, this review covers the many forms of agro-wastes and their by-products as well as biotechnological technologies used to treat them.
Environmental Science
S. Pourkarimi; A. Hallajisani; A. Alizadehdakhel; A. Nouralishahi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In this study, the characteristics of bio-oil samples produced through slow pyrolysis of two different macroalgae, i.e. Azolla filiculoides and Ulva fasciata, at optimized conditions were determined and compared.METHODS: For this purpose, the effects of temperature (300-500 ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In this study, the characteristics of bio-oil samples produced through slow pyrolysis of two different macroalgae, i.e. Azolla filiculoides and Ulva fasciata, at optimized conditions were determined and compared.METHODS: For this purpose, the effects of temperature (300-500 °C), carrier gas flow rate (0.2-0.8 L/min), and heating rate (10-20 °C/min) on the final bio-oil production were optimized using response surface methodology established by a central composite design.FINDINGS: The highest bio-oil yield from U. fasciata (34.29%) was obtained at the temperature of 500 °C, nitrogen flow rate of 0.2 L/min, and heating rate of 10 °C/min. As for A. filiculoides feedstock, the highest bio-oil yield (30.83%) was achieved at the temperature of 461 °C, nitrogen flow rate of 0.5 L/min, and heating rate of 20 °C/min. Both bio-oil samples contained saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons. However, the average hydrocarbon chain length was relatively shorter in U. fasciata bio-oil (C4-C16) than in bio-oil from A. filiculoides (C6-C24). Although both bio-oils had almost identical heating values, the U. fasciata bio-oil showed more appropriate properties, i.e. lower viscosity and density. Furthermore, the energy recovery from U. fasciata pyrolysis was calculated as 56.6% which was almost 1.5 times higher than the energy recovery from A. filiculoides pyrolysis.CONCLUSION: The results indicated that U. fasciata bio-oil, with its superior characteristics, could be proposed as a promising candidate for application in diesel-based automotive industries.
Environmental Science
Z. Mohebi; H. Mirzaei
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Assessment of biodiversity is a key factor in understanding of function and ecosystem management. Nevertheless, an operating procedure for assessing biodiversity and spatial pattern has not been established yet. Therefore, this empirical study was conducted to explore the role ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Assessment of biodiversity is a key factor in understanding of function and ecosystem management. Nevertheless, an operating procedure for assessing biodiversity and spatial pattern has not been established yet. Therefore, this empirical study was conducted to explore the role of diversity of species in the spatial patterning of tow shrub herbaceous communities. METHODS: First, the biodiversity analysis was performed by Past3 software to compare the relationship between the two communities. Secondly, the distance and quadrat indices were employed to explore the spatial relationship of dominant species with diversity. In this regard, 64 and 84 plant species recorded in two vegetation types were investigated. Distribution patterns were extracted by distance and quadrat indices and Ecological Methodology software.FINDINGS: The results showed that vegetation type 2 had more diversity and richness compared to vegetation type 1. Besides, the spatial distributions of dominant species (Astragalus gossipinus and Bromus tomentellus) in the two vegetation types were clumped and random with tendency to be clumped. The Scrophulariaceae, Malvaceae, Papaveraceae, and Euphorbiaceae families were not found in vegetation Type 1, and vegetation Type 2 had no species of the Boraginaceae, Rosaceae, Thumeliaceae, Capparidaceae, Oleaceae, Sistaceae, and Dispaceae families. The results showed significant differences in the number of Gaminae and Legominosea families between the two vegetation types. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that in communities with a dominant cover of shrub, the distribution pattern was clumped, and quadrat indices were less efficient than distance indices. While, in high-diversity communities with a predominant cover of gross, spatial distribution was random and distance and quadrat indices were more convergent.
Environmental Science
H. Nouri; J. Mohammadi Roushandeh; A. Hallajisani; A. Golzary; S. Daliry
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bioenergy is a phenomenon that has attracted humans’ attention for about a century. The desirable biological properties of chlorella sp.microalgae have turned it to one of the most ideal options for the production of biodiesel. However, the economic issues must be taken ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bioenergy is a phenomenon that has attracted humans’ attention for about a century. The desirable biological properties of chlorella sp.microalgae have turned it to one of the most ideal options for the production of biodiesel. However, the economic issues must be taken into account in its industrial scale production. The present study aims to investigate chlorella sp. biomass production and growth conditions by studying the influence of glucose concentration as a carbon source, nitrate concentration as a nitrogen source and pH, as three of the most important factors.METHODS: For this purpose, design of experiment was done by response surface methodology and each factor was investigated simultaneously under glucose concentration in 2-20 g/L, nitrate concentration in 0-1 g/L and 6FINDINGS: The results indicated that carbon concentration has maximum effect on growth and biomass production. The best results were obtained in glucose concentration of 2.6-6 g/L, nitrate concentration of 0.2-0.5 g/L and pH values 7-9. Moreover, the maximum biomass production (1.31 g/L), the highest specific growth rate (0.167 1/day), and the highest biomass productivity (0.085 g/L/Day) were obtained in the following conditions: glucose concentration of 2.6 g/L, nitrate concentration of 0.5 g/L, and pH = 8. The optimal C/N ratio was determined and significant correlation was observed between pH and growth rate change.CONCLUSION: It was concluded that Chlorella sp < /em>., if properly adjusted for both chemical and physical parameters could be a valuable source of biomass for biodiesel production in industrial scale.
