Adsorption efficiency of a continuous trapping system and its use for the collection of root exudates from cucumber

Root exudates comprising soluble low‐molecular‐weight organic compounds (LMWOCs) play a crucial role in the rhizosphere processes. Therefore, accurate determination of the composition and quantity of these compounds is of importance. A continuous trapping system (CTS) with XAD‐4 macroporous resin is widely used for collecting root exudates in hydroponics, and ion exchange resins are used in the separation of root exudates into neutral, acid and basic fractions. Here, we studied the adsorption equilibrium isotherms and dynamic adsorption properties of 27 standard LMWOCs on XAD‐4 resin. The adsorption isotherms of most LMWOCs matched the Langmuir isotherm equations. Furthermore, we investigated the adsorption efficiency of the CTS for LMWOCs and the recovery ratios during fractionation by ion exchange resins. The adsorption capacities of the CTS for LMWOCs which are non‐polar or having large non‐polar moieties were higher. The recovery ratios of most LMWOCs were larger than 80% during fractionation. The overall recovery ratios of LMWOCs were ca. 10, 20, and 30% for sugars, organic acids, and amino acids, respectively. Using this collection method, we present the composition and quantity of root exudates of cucumber (Cumumis sativus L.) at four different growth stages. The major components of root exudates were similar to previous works, whereas the quantities were different. The various collection methods may be the main reason for these differences. Therefore, it is necessary to study the overall recovery ratios when the compositions of root exudates via different collection methods are compared.     

Biocatalysis for the production of industrial products and functional foods from rice and other agricultural produce

Many industrial products and functional foods can be obtained from cheap and renewable raw agricultural materials. For example, starch can be converted to bioethanol as biofuel to reduce the current demand for petroleum or fossil fuel energy. On the other hand, starch can also be converted to useful functional ingredients, such as high fructose and high maltose syrups, wine, glucose, and trehalose. The conversion process involves fermentation by microorganisms and use of biocatalysts such as hydrolases of the amylase superfamily. Amylases catalyze the process of liquefaction and saccharification of starch. It is possible to perform complete hydrolysis of starch by using the fusion product of both linear and debranching thermostable enzymes. This will result in saving energy otherwise needed for cooling before the next enzyme can act on the substrate, if a sequential process is utilized. Recombinant enzyme technology, protein engineering, and enzyme immobilization are powerful tools available to enhance the activity of enzymes, lower the cost of enzyme through large scale production in a heterologous host, increase their thermostability, improve pH stability, enhance their productivity, and hence making it competitive with the chemical processes involved in starch hydrolysis and conversions. This review emphasizes the potential of using biocatalysis for the production of useful industrial products and functional foods from cheap agricultural produce and transgenic plants. Rice was selected as a typical example to illustrate many applications of biocatalysis in converting low-value agricultural produce to high-value commercial food and industrial products. The greatest advantages of using enzymes for food processing and for industrial production of biobased products are their environmental friendliness and consumer acceptance as being a natural process.     

玉米秸秆生物炭对Cd（Ⅱ）的吸附机理研究

以玉米秸秆为原料,在350℃和700℃热解温度下分别制备了两种生物炭（BC350和BC700）,并对其理化性质进行了表征。在700℃下制备的生物炭芳构化程度更高,疏水性更强,比表面积更大,孔结构发育更加完全。研究Cd（Ⅱ）在两种生物炭上的吸附发现,Two-site Langmuir吸附等温模型比One-site Langmuir吸附等温模型能更好描述Cd（Ⅱ）在生物炭表面的吸附。BC700对Cd（Ⅱ）的吸附容量大于BC350,解吸率远小于BC350,吸附效果更好;离子交换和阳离子-π作用两种吸附机理同时存在并共同作用,前者分别占BC350和BC700总吸附容量的13.7%和1.1%,后者分别占86.3%和98.9%,阳离子-π作用是最主要的吸附机理。红外光谱FTIR分析表明,生物炭表面的含氧官能团和π共轭芳香结构分别提供不同机理的吸附位点。由于具有更多的离子交换位点,BC350对Cd（Ⅱ）吸附受pH影响较BC700更大。     

等温微量热技术在土壤与环境科学中的应用

Isothermal microcalorimetry provides thermodynamic and kinetic information on various reactions and processes and is thereby a powerful tool to elucidate their mechanisms. Certain improvement in isothermal microcalorimetry with regard to the studies on soil and environmental sciences is briefly described. This review mainly focuses on the use of microcalorimetry in the determination of soil microbial activity, monitoring the toxicity and biodegradation of soil organic pollutants, the risk evaluation of metals and metalloids, the heat effect of ion exchange and adsorption in soil, and environmental researches. Promising prospects for the applications of the technique in the field are also discussed.     

红壤对铝锰离子的吸附特征 Ⅲ.铝锰离子对的交换吸附

对具有水解性质的铝、锰离子对交换吸附研究的结果是 ,两种离子既表现了离子交换的一般化学行为 ,又有明显的非等当量交换和非电性吸附的特征 ;非等当量交换和非电性吸附受制于固相的表面性质、离子对的相对交换能力和离子的加入量 ;对非电性吸附的有关参数k、K、1/n、r和ΔF进行了表述 ;根据铝离子交换锰离子的ΔF ,从热力学论证了红壤对铝离子的吸附是自发和不可逆的并趋向稳态的自然过程     

土壤改良剂在放射性污染植物修复中的研究与应用进展

土壤污染和退化问题日益突出,土壤改良剂的研究和应用在现代农业生产中越显重要。本文介绍了土壤改良剂的种类以及在植物固定技术和植物萃取技术方面的作用;总结了不同类型改良剂在放射性污染土壤改良中的应用和对植物修复效果的影响;并从吸附与离子交换、螯合与络合等方面阐述了土壤改良剂的主要修复机制。分析了常用改良剂在土壤放射性污染修复的研究现状和植物修复中的应用潜力,及其主要修复机制和存在问题,为将来开展深入研究提供有益的借鉴。     

Essential Oils and Antioxidants Derived From Citrus By-Products in Food Protection and Medicine: An Introduction and Review of Recent Literature

After a brief overview of the general production, market value, and uses of citrus by-products, this literature review will focus on the most highly refined “pharmaceutical grade” citrus oils and antioxidants that have been derived from peels or other fruit parts. Citrus oils have been used as a part of the perfume industry and in the practice of alternative medicine for a long time, but now there is a great deal of mainstream food processing and drug industry interest in them owing to the rediscovery or confirmation of some of their beneficial properties, as well their development for entirely new applications. Their roles as antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and cancer chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agents appear promising.     

Parameters of selective sorption of Co,Cu, Zn,and Cd by a soddy-podzolic soil and a chernozem

The adsorption and ion-exchange behavior of Co, Cu, Zn, and Cd were studied in two soils of different genesis. The sorption parameters and selectivity coefficients of the Me-Ca ion exchange were determined using the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms and two models of ion-exchange sorption based on the mass action law (a polyfunctional ion exchanger and a mixture of two ideal exchangers) for describing the relationships between the dissolved and sorbed metal forms. It was shown that simple models provided information for better understanding of the behavior of metals in sorption and ion-exchange processes, but the conclusions about the sorption of different metals in a specific soil or a specific metal in different soils based on these models can be different.     

Ion adsorption mechanisms in oxidic soils; implications for point of zero charge determinations

In order to clarify the adsorption mechanisms for various ions (e.g., P, K, Ca, Mg), ion adsorption studies were carried out on a range of soils of widely different mineralogical compositions. The soils were classified as: Hydrandept, Gibbsihumox, Eutrustox and Haplustoll and belonged, respectively, to the Honokaa, Halii, Wahiawa and Waialua soil series in Hawaii.Soils containing mostly hydrous Fe and Al oxides, thus colloids of the variable-charge type, retain ions through various types of adsorption mechanisms. As a result, certain interactions between cation adsorption and anion adsorption occur which affect the ion exchange processes and thereby the determination of the point of zero charge (PZC).In this study adsorbed phosphate increased the adsorption of cations and lowered the PZC and adsorbed Ca interfered with PZC determinations unless these were carried out with CaCl₂ as supporting electrolyte. It is likely that this latter interference will have influenced the results of many earlier studies because of the very strong adsorption of Ca by oxidic colloids. In this study only part of the adsorbed Ca could be recovered from the two most highly weathered soils, by repeated extractions with NH₄-acetate at pH 7.The results indicate that many soils of the tropics can be characterized effectively by their PZC's. One should be aware, however, of the effects of strongly adsorbed ions commonly present in these soils and thus use those supporting electrolytes for the PZC determinations which counteract these effects.     

镉砷复合污染土壤钝化材料研究进展

我国土壤重金属污染严重,尤以镉砷污染最为突出。镉砷复合污染土壤中各元素间表现为拮抗和协同等作用,其有效态含量受土壤pH变化和氧化还原电位等的影响,增加了镉砷复合污染土壤的修复难度,严重威胁我国粮食安全。综述了常见的镉砷复合污染土壤钝化修复材料的优缺点及其对镉砷复合污染土壤钝化修复效果和机理。常见的钝化材料有生物质炭类、磷酸盐类、金属及其氧化物类、含硅类材料、黏土矿物类、有机肥类和新型材料等。有大量研究表明生物质炭材料对镉有良好的吸附效果,为了同时钝化镉砷,通常使用改性生物质炭或与其他材料配合施用,常见的改性/配施材料有金属及其氧化物、黏土矿物、家禽粪便、复合肥等,其钝化反应机制包括离子交换、共沉淀和表面络合等;磷酸盐类主要与铁盐或铁粉配施,通过吸附和同晶替代钝化镉、点位竞争机制钝化砷;金属及其氧化物类多与生物质炭、石灰和黏土矿物等配施,通过专性吸附和共沉淀钝化镉、氧化还原和络合作用等钝化砷;铁硅肥、硅钙肥、硅钾肥等通过共沉淀钝化镉、专性吸附和点位竞争机制钝化砷;黏土矿物中多施用海泡石,主要与金属氧化物和钙镁磷肥等配施,通过离子交换、沉淀和络合反应钝化镉砷;污泥和动物粪便中含有腐殖化程度较高的有机质,主要通过吸附、氧化还原和有机络合以及微生物作用钝化镉砷;此外,富含巯基和氨基、谷聚多以及富含硫和硒的物质也可有效钝化镉砷。本文对镉砷复合污染土壤钝化修复材料进行总结,归纳了镉砷钝化材料特性,以期为镉砷复合污染土壤修复提供一定的指导。     

热带地区强风化土壤表面的化学反应以及土壤管理的合理建议

Highly weathered soils are distributed in the humid and wet-dry tropics, as well as in the humid subtropics. As a result of strong weathering, these soils are characterized by low activity clays, which develop variable surface charge and related specific properties. Surface reactions regarding base exchange and soil acidification, heavy metal sorption and mobility, and phosphorus sorption and availability of the tropical highly weathered soils are reviewed in this paper. Factors controlling surface reactivity towards cations and anions, including ion exchange and specific adsorption processes, are discussed with consideration on practical implications for rational management of these soils. Organic matter content and pH value are major basic factors that should be controlled through appropriate agricultural practices, in order to optimise favorable effects of colloid surface properties on soil fertility and environmental quality.     

Macromolecular and Micronutrient Profiles of Sprouted Chickpeas to Be Used for Integrating Cereal‐Based Food

Pulse flour may be used to improve nutritional traits of gluten and gluten‐free formulations in traditional food such as bread or pasta. However, owing to some intrinsic nutritional, textural, and sensory properties, the use of pulses as ingredients for production of enriched food remains limited. In this study, we investigated the modification in macromolecules and micronutrients in industrial‐scale flour from partially sprouted chickpeas to define its possible use as an ingredient in cereal‐based foods. Controlled sprouting resulted in significant decrease of antinutritional compounds (e.g., phytic acid and serine protease inhibitors) and in an increase of free minerals and vitamins. Sprouting also affected the overall structural organization of proteins (such as aggregate formation) and their thiol/disulfide balance, and it promoted release of peptides. All of these had a positive effect on dough mixing properties, in particular for dough development. Formulations with enrichment in sprouted chickpea flour (wheat/chickpea ratio = 100:20) were tested also as for their dough leavening properties, which improved with respect to flour from nonsprouted chickpeas. Taking into account the modifications induced by partial sprouting on an industrial scale, we can conclude that sprouted chickpea flour represents an interesting ingredient for production of enriched cereal‐based food with better nutritional and rheological characteristics.     

红壤对铝、锰离子的吸附特征 Ⅰ.铝、锰离子的非等当量交换

对铝、锰离子在红壤中的吸附特征进行了研究,结果表明:离子交换能（或吸附能）的次序为铝>锰>钙>钾,但同一离子在不同固相中的交换吸附能力有异。离子的代入量和代出量随其加入量而递增,而代入量占所加数量的百分数则递减,遵守一般的离子交换规律。非等当量性为铝或锰离子参与交换所出现的一种特殊现象,是由于其水解产物的非电性吸附叠加于电性吸附所致,尤以在砖红壤体系中者为甚;非电性吸附量与平衡溶液浓度的关系符合Freundlish方程。     

The Value and Utilization of Spice Plants in Tropical Africa

Even though agricultural produce such as roots and tubers, cereals and legumes are the main economic crops in Africa, the potential of spices to contribute to local and international sources of income generation are either neglected or not fully exploited. Spices have been known for centuries; they are high-value commodities mainly recognized for their flavoring properties. This article examines the contribution of spices to well-being as functional foods, antioxidants, and medicine; their importance to food safety as antimicrobial and preservative agents; their common usage as flavoring; and industrial applications, as well as their potential to contribute to the economy of Africa.     

镉砷复合污染水稻土原位钝化修复技术研究进展

随着工农业的发展,稻田土壤正面临严重的重金属污染问题,水稻作为南亚和东南亚的主要粮食作物,稻米安全问题显得尤为突出。镉和砷两者在生物地球化学循环上有明显差异,因此镉和砷复合污染水稻土的修复一直是一个棘手的问题。综述了镉砷复合污染水稻土原位钝化技术的研究现状,将钝化技术梳理为氧化还原型、微生物转化累积型、材料型和耦合钝化技术四类。氧化还原型钝化技术重点指出稻田水分调控驱动的氧化还原电位Eh和pH变化、不同元素的生物地球化学循环、有机质等对镉和砷的迁移转化机制;微生物转化累积型钝化技术重点阐明功能微生物对砷和镉的吸收、转化、区室化、菌表吸附等作用机制;材料型钝化技术重点分析现有钝化材料的分类及其与镉和砷的固定化机制;耦合型钝化技术重点总结上述三种技术综合体系下,镉和砷的协同钝化应用。同时对未来镉砷复合污染水稻土的原位钝化修复提出展望,进一步探讨了镉砷在稻田土壤生物地球化学循环过程涉及的新型机制研究方向、修复钝化技术的创新延展趋势;期望在稳产、增产的基础上,寻求一种深度融合现代农业生产模式、保障稻田安全利用的土壤钝化改良技术体系或模式。     

Substance Flow Analysis of Mercury Affecting Water Quality in the European Union

Knowledge concerning the main flows of priority substances (PSs) and the production systems and consumption structures in the society causing these flows is a prerequisite for any attempt to predict and understand their environmental fate as well as to efficiently minimize future environmental burdens. In this paper, a simple SFA diagram on mercury, including the main European Union (EU-27) source categories, flows and environmental endpoints which in turn affect the mercury concentrations in the EU-27 waters are illustrated. From trend analysis and future projections, it becomes obvious that emissions of mercury as a trace contaminant in fuels and minerals (primary anthropogenic emission sources) are becoming increasingly important to the environmental concentrations compared to emissions from mercury used intentionally (secondary anthropogenic sources). Additional future control strategies should therefore be targeted industrial sources and safe treatment of mercury-containing wastes, wastewater effluents, as well as residues collected from various combustion processes. It was found that knowledge on flows and emission sources on a large geographical scale is limited due to a lack of information on emission factors from various industrial processes and waste systems, especially for the mercury being discharges to water and land.     

Application of Biofilms and Biofilm Support Materials As A Temporary Sink and Source

Wastewater treatment plants are typically subjected to variable influent loading conditions. Extreme variations of flow, composition and substrate concentration may occur in the influent of industrial wastewater treatment plants, but also at plants serving tourist areas. High rate reactors of low hydraulic buffer capacity are particularly affected. Exploitation of internal equalization capacities are proposed to dampen the fluctuations of biomass loading. In this context, the biomass itself and — in case of biofilm reactors — the biofilm support media may be considered as a sink during peak loading situations, and as a source of substrate as soon as the influent loading drops. Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactors (SBBR) studies in laboratory and pilot scale were conducted to investigate the capacity of these internal sink and source terms. The reactors were packed with four types of biofilm carrier materials, blasted clay granules, granular activated carbon, zeolite and small size plastic rings (Kaldnes). Temporary storage of substrates was achieved by means of adsorption, ion exchange and absorption processes. As the react phase proceeded, the bulk liquid concentration dropped and desorption processes followed by metabolic reactions became dominant. From the results achieved it can be concluded that thick biofilms, and biofilm support media with sorptive capacities are favorable to counteract peak loading fluctuations, and to keep the effluent concentration from exceeding set discharge levels.     

根-土界面的微生态过程与有机污染物的环境行为研究

土壤-植物系统是地球生态系统中与人类生存与健康关系最为密切的亚系统。该系统中有机污染物的运移必须历经根-土界面多层次的微生态过程的控制。这些微生态过程涉及到系统中许多生物、生物化学和物理化学反应机理,与土壤中污染物迁移转化及其归宿等环境行为具有密切的关系。理解这些微生态过程及其对有机污染物环境行为的影响,对提高作物生长、改善土壤环境质量和提高农产品品质安全具有直接的理论和实践指导意义。     

Distribution of copper ions in waste and potable waters in Sri Lanka Cities

The concentration of free Cu ions in waste waters and in well waters used for drinking purposes has been studied in five main cities in Sri Lanka. There appears to be a correlation in the Cu ion contents between the well water and the industrial wastes in and around Colombo. The general distribution of Cu ions in well water in the entire island has been studied and the island divided into zones depending on the Cu ion concentrations. The higher Cu ion contents in the cities as compared to the average value of the zone in which they are situated probably indicate contamination from wastes. However, this is marked only in areas around the industrial centers of Colombo. In regions away from Colombo, with little or no major industries, natural environmental factors such as climate, topography and mineral occurrences are responsible for the observed distribution of Cu ions in water.[/p]     

Remediation Technologies for Arsenic Contaminated Drinking Waters (9 pp)

-  Arsenic is a toxic metalloid element that is now recognised to be an important contaminant of drinking water – particularly, but not exclusively, in poor regions of southern Asia. In effected regions, many millions are at risk of arsenic-induced disease and strategies are required to provide safe water for consumption. The main strategies available are mitigation (the provision of alternative arsenic-free water) and remediation (arsenic removal from extracted water). Consideration of local conditions suggests that for many areas remediation, at an affordable cost, is the only practical option. Remediation technologies are available, but most have been developed for industrial-scale arsenic removal at central water treatment plants. The options for local / personal treatment of water are less well developed. The available methods include arsenic removal by precipitation / co-precipitation and filtration, removal by adsorption onto artificial and natural sorbents, water softening with lime, ion exchange onto activated alumina, membrane processes and bioremediation. This review considers the technical aspects and the appropriateness of these options.