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The presence of microplastics (MPs) is increasing at a dramatic rate globally, posing risks for exposure and subsequent potential adverse effects on human health. Apart from being physical objects, MP particles contain thousands of plastic-associated chemicals (i.e., monomers, chemical additives, and non-intentionally added substances) captured within the polymer matrix. These chemicals are often migrating from MPs and can be found in various environmental matrices and human food chains; increasing the risks for exposure and health effects. In addition to the physical and chemical attributes of MPs, plastic surfaces effectively bind exogenous chemicals, including environmental pollutants (e.g., heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants). Therefore, MPs can act as vectors of environmental pollution across air, drinking water, and food, further amplifying health risks posed by MP exposure. Critically, fragmentation of plastics in the environment increases the risk for interactions with cells, increases the presence of available surfaces to leach plastic-associated chemicals, and adsorb and transfer environmental pollutants. Hence, this review proposes the so-called triple exposure nexus approach to comprehensively map existing knowledge on interconnected health effects of MP particles, plastic-associated chemicals, and environmental pollutants. Based on the available data, there is a large knowledge gap in regard to the interactions and cumulative health effects of the triple exposure nexus. Each component of the triple nexus is known to induce genotoxicity, inflammation, and endocrine disruption, but knowledge about long-term and inter-individual health effects is lacking. Furthermore, MPs are not readily excreted from organisms after ingestion and they have been found accumulated in human blood, cardiac tissue, placenta, etc. Even though the number of studies on MPs-associated health impacts is increasing rapidly, this review underscores that there is a pressing necessity to achieve an integrated assessment of MPs’ effects on human health in order to address existing and future knowledge gaps.

In order to explore the effects of citric acid (CA) and water glass (SS) on the corrosion behavior of steel bars in modified magnesium oxysulfide (MOS) cement-based materials under carbonization,the corrosion rate and degree of embedded steel bars under carbonization in MOS cementitious materials with CA, SS, and CS (CA and SS in a 1:2 mass ratio) added at 0.5% mass percent of magnesium oxide, respectively, were tested using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and steel bar corrosion tester. Results showed that under carbonization, the addition of CA reduced the corrosion rate and degree of passivated and depassivated steel bars in MOS cementitious materials. Among them, the single addition of CA had the best rust inhibition effect on the passivated and depassivated steel bars in MOS cementitious materials. The single addition of SS had no rust inhibition effect on the passivated steel bars in MOS cementitious materials, while the addition of CS had a general rust inhibition effect on the depassivated steel bars in MOS cementitious materials, and no significant rust inhibition effect on the passivated steel bars.

The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants and chemical additives on the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro gas production kinetics and digestibility of total mixed ration (TMR) silage. Total mixed ration (568 g/kg dry matter (DM)) was ensiled with six experimental treatments: (1) no additives (control); (2) Lactobacillus buchneri (LB; applied at 1 × 106 cfu/g fresh weight (FW)); (3) Lactobacillus casei (LC; applied at 1 × 106 cfu/g FW); (4) calcium propionate (CAP; applied at 0.5% FW); (5) sodium diacetate (SD; applied at 0.5% FW); (6) potassium sorbate (PS; applied at 0.1% FW). All silos (18 L) were opened for fermentation quality, in vitro gas production kinetics and digestibility analysis after 90 days of ensiling, and then subjected to aerobic stability test for 14 days. All the TMR silage was well-preserved with low pH (4.36 ∼ 4.66) and acceptable levels of butyric acid (1.02 ∼ 2.51 g/kg DM) and ammonia nitrogen (86.3 ∼ 107 g/kg total nitrogen). All the groups were steady during 14 days of aerobic exposure, while SD group was more stable with lower (p

In this study, three typical oil source asphalt binders, Karamay asphalt A, CNOOC 36-1 asphalt B, Qinhuangdao CNPC asphalt C, were selected to prepare asphalt binders together with the warm mix agent Evotherm M1. The effects of warm mix agents on asphalt from different oil sources were experimentally studied via dynamic shear rheological (DSR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and Raman spectroscopy tests. The asphalt binders with different oil sources exhibit different properties. The rheological test results indicate that the addition of warm mix agent can slow down the decrease of asphalt viscosity during the aging process and the aging of asphalt. The results of the thermogravimetric test showed that the residual mass of asphalt with the addition of a warm mix agent significantly decreased after aging. Warm mixing agents can slow down the conversion of lightweight components to heavy components during the aging process of asphalt. By calculating the reflectivity of asphalt in Raman spectroscopy, it can be concluded that the reflectivity of asphalt decreases after adding a warm mix agent. The warm mixing agent reduces the degree of thermal evolution of asphalt. Warm mixing agents can make the chemical components in asphalt relatively stable and less prone to further pyrolysis or cracking reactions.

Crude oil contains heavy paraffin molecules that cause the deposition of solid wax. Wax deposition is a critical problem in the petroleum industry, which results in various production problems. Pour Point Depressant (PPD) is a chemical additive that prevents wax deposition. PPD is employed to lower the pour point temperature allowing crude oil to flow at a significantly lower temperature. Several types of PPD include polymer, nano-composite and a natural organic compound. This review paper provides insights regarding different types of chemical additives to solve waxy crude oil issues. The effectiveness of these chemical additives is compared based on the changes in pour point value in degrees Celsius, as it is one of the physical properties of crude oil. Ultimately, this paper provides information regarding the performance of different PPDs in reducing pour point temperature to solve wax deposition issues.

Chemical additives have been widely used to restrain the growth of undesirable microorganisms, and they were ideal additives to well preserve silages. The work aimed at evaluating the effects of four chemical additives on fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro ruminal digestibility of the fermented total mixed ration (FTMR). The TMR was treated with: (1) no additive (control); (2) sodium diacetate; (3) calcium propionate; (4) sodium benzoate (SB); (5) potassium sorbate (PS) on a fresh weight (FW) basis. After 60 days of ensiling, the silos were opened and sampled to determine fermentation quality, in vitro rumen parameters, and then the 60-day FTMR were subjected to a 9-day aerobic stability test. Chemical additives significantly (p

This paper investigates the effect of subgrade soil stabilization on the performance and life extension of flexible pavements. Several variables affecting soil stabilization were considered, including subgrade soil type (CL or CH), additive type and content (3, 6, and 9% of hydrated lime, 5, 10, and 15% of class C fly ash (CFA), and 5, 10, and 15% of cement kiln dust (CKD)), three stabilization thicknesses (15, 30, and 45 cm), and four pavement sections with varying thicknesses. The effects of these variables were investigated using four different damage mechanisms, including the fatigue life of the asphalt concrete (AC) and stabilized subgrade layers, the crushing life of the stabilized subgrade soil, and the rutting life of the pavement, using a non-linear mechanistic-empirical methodology. The results suggest that the optimum percentage that maximizes the pavement life occurs at 3% of lime for subgrade soil type CL, 6% of lime for subgrade type CH, and 15% of CFA and CKD for both subgrade soil types. The maximum pavement life increase occurred in the section with the lowest thickness and the highest stabilization thickness, which was 1890% for 3% of lime in the CL subgrade and 568% for 6% of lime in the CH subgrade. The maximum increase in the pavement life of subgrade stabilization with 15% of CFA was 2048% in a CL subgrade, and 397% in a CH subgrade, and life extension due to subgrade stabilization with 15% of CKD was 2323% in a CL subgrade and 797% in a CH subgrade.

This experiment was aimed at comparing how a chemical additive or an inoculant would affect the dry matter (DM) losses, fermentation pattern, yeast and mold counts, and aerobic stability (AS) of the ensiled high-moisture barley grain (675 g kg−1 DM). Crimped barley grain was ensiled with or without chemical additive AIV Ässä Na and an inoculant SiloSolve FC, totaling three treatments (1 × 3 factorial scheme) for the fermentation periods lasting 7, 14, 28, 60, and 90 days. The application of a chemical additive showed higher pH levels, retained water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) better, lowered DM loss, and reduced concentrations of fermentation products. Barley grain treated with chemicals initially showed a marked reduction in yeast and fungal growth and a higher AS up to day 60 of storage but became less effective in later stages of storage, leading to decreased AS. Barley grain inoculated with homo- and heterofermentative strains had decreased silage pH; its WSC content was similar to control and had higher content of weak acids and 1,2 propanediol, reducing mold and yeast counts. With fermentation duration from 28 days and beyond (i.e., 90 days), the inoculant treatment achieved the longest AS and the lowest increase in pH and weight loss during the period of air exposure.

The research aims to comprehensively assess the impact of anti-stripping agents ZycoTherm and Evotherm M1 on Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA). The study employs a range of laboratory tests to investigate the rheological and chemical properties of modified asphalt. Conventional tests such as penetration and ring & ball softening points are employed alongside advanced techniques including Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), and Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) analyses to delve into the rheological properties. Chemical properties (SARA) were analyzed using thin-layer chromatography. Both short-term aging (STA) using The Rolling Thin-Film Oven (RTFO) and long-term aging (LTA) based on the Universal Simple Aging Test are simulated under controlled laboratory conditions. It was found in conventional tests that the value changed, but not significantly. In terms of rutting and fatigue performance, Zyc 0.05% showed positive results. Fatigue behavior shows Zyc has better resistance. The asphalt fractional composition test showed changes in each age condition.

This study addresses the challenge of mitigating ammonia and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stored pig slurry using chemical and biological additives. The research employs dynamic chambers to evaluate the effectiveness of these additives. Chemical agents (sulfuric acid) and biological additives (DAB bacteria) containing specific microbial strains are tested (a mixture of Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis, Nitrosomona europea, Nictobacter winogradaskyi, and nutritional substrate). Controlled experiments simulate storage conditions and measure emissions of ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide. Through statistical analysis of the results, this study evaluates the additives’ impact on emission reduction. Sulfuric acid demonstrated a reduction of 92% in CH4, 99% in CO2, and 99% in NH3 emissions. In contrast, the biological additives showed a lesser impact on CH4, with an 8% reduction, but more substantial reductions of 71% for CO2 and 77% for NH3.These results shed light on the feasibility of employing these additives to mitigate environmental impacts in pig slurry management and contribute to sustainable livestock practices by proposing strategies to reduce the ecological consequences of intensive animal farming.

A chemical ignition mathematical model was established based on the analysis of the process of chemical ignition and thermal ignition theory . Then, the model was solved by the method of nets on a computer to explore the mechanism for in-situ combustion ignition with chemical additives. Also, the development course of in-situ combustion ignition was reviewed. In addition, the ignition process by chemical methods was analysed. It was shown that the mathematical model was able to calculate some parameters such as the critical duration of the outer source action and critical energy for ignition. The heat flux that ignites an oil layer is greater than 2.35, when its dimensionless initial activation energy ɛ and initial temperature θ0are 0.026 and 11. Moreover, the ignition process and temperature distribution of oil sands were described with the model. The results are of great theoretical significance for understanding chemically assisted ignition mechanism in-depth, controlling ignition parameters and guiding chemical additives formulation design and optimization, etc.

This study evaluates the use of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) in self-leveling mortars (SLM) to obtain certain rheological characteristics for use in screed concrete. Mixtures were produced with 50% and 75% of RCA in substitution of natural fine aggregate (NFA) by varying the type of additive (polyfunctional plasticizer and combination of superplasticizer and viscosity modifier). In order to achieve a better distribution of water amid the grains in the residue, the RCA was pre-wetted by spraying for 10 min before mixing. The properties evaluated were: specific mass in the fresh stage, tensile strength, spreading, flow retention, regeneration time, and exudation rate. Regarding the variation of the type of chemical additive, all the mixtures had valid rheological aspects. The exudation rate values were less than 3% and the minimum curing time was 15 min. Also, all mortars achieved values above 2 MPa in the flexural strength tests, which was the minimum expected according to the literature. The use of RCA can be considered, and through the proper adjustments of chemical additives it can provide formulations with adequate rheological characteristics without losses on their mechanical properties.

Horses play an important role throughout the world, whether for work, culture, or leisure, providing an ever-growing significant contribution to the economy. The increase in importation and movement of horses, both nationally and internationally, has inevitably allowed for the global equine industry to grow. Subsequently, however, the potential for transmission of fatal equine bacterial diseases has also escalated, and devasting outbreaks continue to occur. To prevent such events, disease surveillance and diagnosis must be heightened throughout the industry. Current common, or “gold-standard” techniques, have shown to be inadequate at times, thus requiring newer technology to impede outbreaks. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has proven to be a reliable, rapid, and accessible tool in both diagnostics and surveillance. This review will discuss equine bacterial diseases of biosecurity relevance and their current diagnostic approaches, as well as their respective LAMP assay developments. Additionally, we will provide insight regarding newer technology and advancements associated with this technique and their potential use for the outlined diseases.

Plastic is commonly used in many applications for the cultivation of cannabis. This document provides a synthesis of available scientific literature on how plastic, particularly that used in cannabis cultivation, may detrimentally affect wildlife, fish, and associated ecosystems, including entanglement and ingestion, leaching of chemicals into the environment, and alteration of soil properties.

Background and Aim: The most important problem in the production of recombinant proteins in prokaryotic cells is the disruption of the function of these proteins due to their altered natural structure. The aim of present study is to identify the best chemicals dialysis buffer additives in order to improve the protein structure of recombinant Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Methods & Materials: In this experimental study, different chemicals additives were selected using relevant software. After adding these additives to the recombinant VEGF dialysis buffer, their effect on the refolding of recombinant proteins and the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into endothelial cells was assessed by flow cytometry method. Ethical Considerations: This study obtained its ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code: ARAKMU. REC.1394.199). Results: The results showed that the addition of arginine, cysteine and dithiothreitol (DTT) to dialysis buffer increases the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into endothelial cells. With the presence of sodium chloride (NaCl), cysteine, arginine and DTT in treated cells, the rate of specific Cluster Differentiation (CD) markers of endothelial cell (CD31/144) was at the highest level. Conclusion: Adding cysteine, arginine, DTT and NaCl to the dialysis buffer of recombinant VEGF had the greatest effect on the mesenchymal cell differentiation into endothelial cells.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feed quality of reconstituted corn grain silage (RCGS), treated with chemical additives and stored for 15, 30, or 60 d in 5-L plastic buckets. Dry ground corn was rehydrated to 350 g·kg−1 and treated with either polysorbate 80 (2 L·t−1) (POL), propionic acid 28% (2 L·t−1) (PRO), Mycoflake™ (2 L·t−1-blend polysorbate 80 and propionic acid) (MYC) or nothing (CON). The effect of the length of storage was combined in a factorial arrangement with the additives. Ammonia-N increased from d-15 of storage. A treatment × storage length interaction was observed for ethanol content at d-60 of storage, and all treatments had lower ethanol concentration than CON. There was an interaction for butyric acid content at d-30 and d-60 of storage; CON showed higher butyric acid concentration than treated silages. Aerobic stability increased from d-15 to d-30. At d-15 of storage, the PRO and MYC treatments decreased the DM losses. The length of storage increased the ruminal in situ degradability of starch, and DM and MYC increased the DM degradability in 3.6 percentage units at 12 h of incubation, compared with POL. In conclusion, increasing the length of storage of the RCGS from d-15 to d-60 improved the starch and DM degradability. Mycoflake increased the availability of nutrients, and the length of storage enhanced the aggregation of particles; further, polysorbate 80 (Tween 80) might be further studied as a potential antimicrobial agent in silages.

Natural gas extracted from tight shale formations, such as the Marcellus Shale, represents a significant and developing front in energy exploration. By fracturing these formations using pressurized fracturing fluid, previously unobtainable hydrocarbon reserves may be tapped. While pursuing this resource, hydraulic fracturing operations leave chemically complex fluids in the shale formation for at least two weeks. This provides a substantial opportunity for the hydraulic fracturing fluid (HFF) to react with the shale formation at reservoir temperature and pressure. In this study, we investigated the effects of the carbonates on shale-HFF reactions with a focus on the Marcellus Shale. We performed autoclave experiments at high temperature and pressure reservoir conditions using a carbonate-rich and a decarbonated or carbonate-free version of the same shale sample. We observed that carbonate minerals buffer the pH of the solution, which in turn prevents clay dissolution. Carbonate and bicarbonate ions also scavenge reactive oxidizing species (ROS), which prevents oxidation of shale organic matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Carbonate-free samples also show higher pyrite dissolution compared to the carbonate-rich sample due to chelation reactions. This study demonstrates how carbonate minerals (keeping all other variables constant) affect shale-HFF reactions that can potentially impact porosity, microfracture integrity, and the release of heavy metals and volatile organic contaminants in the produced water.

Chenopodium quinoa Willd. is a new plant in the conditions of Poland. At harvest, it has a low content of dry matter, which makes it difficult to ensile. For this reason, a study was undertaken on the effect of microbial and chemical additives on selected quality characteristics of quinoa silage. Traits determining the suitability of the green forage and the influence of silage additives were assessed. A microbial additive and a chemical additive were used. The microbial additive contained bacterial strains of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus acidilactici (concentration 1.25·1011 CFU·g-1) and was applied in the amount of 1 g·t-1 of fresh material. The chemical additive contained formic acid, propionic acid and ammonium formate, and was added in the amount of 5 l·t-1 of fresh material. The quality of the quinoa silage depending on the additive used was evaluated. The fresh material of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. contained only 6.42% water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) in dry matter (DM) and its fermentability coefficient was 29.2. Lactic acid was predominant in the silage, while the content of acetic acid was average. In the control silage (without additives), small amounts of butyric acid (0.04% DM) were noted, so its quality according to the Flieg-Zimmer scale was good. No butyric acid was found in the silage prepared with additives, and their quality was very good. The control silage contained more N-NH3 than the silage prepared with additives (P≤0.01). This indicated that the preservatives (silage additives) limited the process of protein degradation in the quinoa silage.

Abstract Background Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are a great achievement in implementation of parasite based diagnosis as recommended by World Health Organization. A major drawback of RDTs is lack of positive controls to validate different batches/lots at the point of care. Dried Plasmodium falciparum-infected samples with the RDT target antigens have been suggested as possible positive control but their utility in resource limited settings is hampered by rapid loss of activity over time. Methods This study evaluated the effectiveness of chemical additives to improve long term storage stability of RDT target antigens (HRP2, pLDH and aldolase) in dried P. falciparum-infected samples using parasitized whole blood and culture samples. Samples were treated with ten selected chemical additives mainly sucrose, trehalose, LDH stabilizer and their combinations. After baseline activity was established, the samples were air dried in bio-safety cabinet and stored at room temperatures (~ 25 °C). Testing of the stabilized samples using SD Bioline, BinaxNOW, CareStart, and First Response was done at intervals for 53 weeks. Results Stability of HRP2 at ambient temperature was reported at 21–24 weeks while that of PAN antigens (pLDH and aldolase) was 2–18 weeks of storage at all parasite densities. The ten chemical additives increased the percentage stability of HRP2 and PAN antigens. Sucrose alone and its combinations with Alsever’s solution or biostab significantly increased stability of HRP2 by 56% at 2000 p/µL (p

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and chemical additives (CA) are incorporated to modify the properties of concrete. In this paper, SCMs such as fly ash (FA), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), silica fume (SF), rice husk ash (RHA), sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA), and tire-derived fuel ash (TDFA) admixed concretes are reviewed. FA (25–30%), GGBS (50–55%), RHA (15–20%), and SBA (15%) are safely used to replace Portland cement. FA requires activation, while GGBS has undergone in situ activation, with other alkalis present in it. The reactive silica in RHA and SBA readily reacts with free Ca(OH)2 in cement matrix, which produces the secondary C-S-H gel and gives strength to the concrete. SF addition involves both physical contribution and chemical action in concrete. TDFA contains 25–30% SiO2 and 30–35% CaO, and is considered a suitable secondary pozzolanic material. In this review, special emphasis is given to the various chemical additives and their role in protecting rebar from corrosion. Specialized concrete for novel applications, namely self-curing, self-healing, superhydrophobic, electromagnetic (EM) wave shielding and self-temperature adjusting concretes, are also discussed.

Grout injection is used for sealing or strengthening the ground in order to prevent water entrance or any failure after excavation. There are many methods of grouting. Permeation grouting is one of the most common types in which the grout material is injected to the pore spaces of the ground. In grouting operations, the grout quality is important to achieve the best results. There are four main characteristics for a grout mixture including bleeding, setting time, strength, and viscosity. In this paper, we try to build some efficient grouting mixtures with different water to cement ratios considering these characteristics. The ingredients of grout mixtures built in this study are cement, water, bentonite, and some chemical additives such as sodium silicate, sodium carbonate, and triethanolamine (TEA). The grout mixtures are prepared for both of the sealing and strengthening purposes for a structural project. Effect of each above-mentioned ingredient is profoundly investigated. Since each ingredient may have positive or negative aspect, an optimization of appropriate amount of each ingredient is determined. The optimization is based on 200 grout mixture samples with different percentages of ingredients. Finally, some of these grout mixtures are chosen for the introduced project. It should be mentioned that grouting operations depend on various factors such as pressure of injection, ground structure and grain size of soils. However, quality of a grout can be helpful to make an injection easier and reasonable. For example, during the injection, a wrong estimated setting time can destroy the injected grout by washing the grout or setting early which prevents grouting. This paper tries to show some tests in easy way to achieve a desirable sample of grout.

Chromium (Cr) contamination in soil, especially Cr(VI), is a serious threat to the environment and human health. The electrokinetic remediation (EKR) is a promising technology to remediate the Cr(VI). Therefore, in this study, EKR coupled with a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) was used to treat the Cr(VI)-contaminated soil. The CTMAB-Z, a modified zeolite (prepared with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) alone and a mixture of CTMAB-Z and Fe(0) were used as PRB-1 and PRB-2 reactive media, respectively. The effect of chemical enhancers/additives, i.e. DL-tartaric acid and Tween 80 on EKR of Cr(VI) was also analysed in the contrasting experiments. While the effects of repair time, voltage gradient and DL-tartaric acid concentration on Cr(VI) remediation were investigated by using the multifactor orthogonal experiment which was based on contrasting experiments. The contrasting experiment results showed that the highest Cr(VI) removal rate (66.27%) and leaching efficiency (71.29%) were observed in the experimental group which had DL-tartaric acid and PRB-2. Furthermore, the multifactor orthogonal experiment results had depicted that the highest Cr(VI) removal rate (80.92%) and leaching efficiency (85.25%) were achieved after treating the samples at a voltage gradient of 2.5 V cm−1 for 8 days in the presence of 0.15 M concentration of DL-tartaric acid. This study demonstrated that Cr(VI) remediation through EKR process could be significantly enhanced by the use of PRB and additives.

Background: To date, there seems to be limited-to-zero emphasis about how consumers perceive crustacean products subject to either chemical and or non-chemical preservative treatments. In addition, studies that investigated price comparisons of crustacean products subject to either chemical or chemical-free preservative methods seem unreported. Objective: This study focused on providing some foundational knowledge about how consumers perceive traditionally harvested crustaceans that are either chemical-treated and or free of chemicals, incorporating price comparisons using a descriptive approach. Design: The study design employed a questionnaire approach via interview using a computer-assisted telephone system and sampled 1,540 participants across five key locations in Italy. To actualize consumer sensitivity, ‘price’ was the focus given its crucial role as a consumption barrier. Prior to this, variables such as demographic characteristics of participants, frequency of purchasing, quality attributes/factors that limit the consumption of crustaceans were equally considered. Results: By price comparisons, consumers are likely to favor chemical-free (modified atmosphere packaging) crustacean products amid a price increase of up to 15%. But, a further price increase such as by 25% could markedly damage consumers’ feelings, which might lead to a considerable number opting out in favor of either chemical-treated or other seafood products. Comparing locations, the studied variables showed no statistical differences (p>0.05). On the contrary, the response weightings fluctuated across the studied categories. Both response weightings and coefficient of variation helped reveal more about how responses deviated per variable categories. Conclusions: This study has revealed some foundational knowledge about how consumers perceive traditionally harvested crustaceans that were either chemical-treated or subject to chemical-free preservative up to price sensitivity using Italy as a reference case, which is applicable to other parts of the globe.

Microbial contamination affects beverages’ lifetime, quality, and safety. Cucumber crops are seasonally spoiled because of the overproduction. The current study aimed to maximize the importance of natural preservatives and reduce the usage of artificial ones to prolong the cucumber juice’s storage life, enhance flavor, and control the microorganisms after protein isolate and organic acids supplementation. The additions included control (no addition), citric, benzoic acid, sodium salts, kidney bean pepsin hydrolysate (KPH), chicken egg protein isolate (CEPI), duck egg protein isolate (DEPI), and quail egg protein isolate (QEPI) as J-Control, J-Citric, J-Benzoic, J-sod. Citrate, J-sod. Benzoate, J-KPH, J-CEPI, J-DEPI, and J-QEPI, respectively. The antioxidant activity of these additives and juices was evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging activity. The antimicrobial activity, including antibacterial and antifungal activities, was evaluated by using disc assay and the radial growth of fungal mycelium, respectively. The phenolic compounds and flavonoids were estimated by a spectrophotometer as Gallic acid equivalent (GAE) and quercetin equivalent (QE), respectively. Moreover, chemical parameters such as pH, total soluble solids (TSS), Titratable acidity (TTA), and Vitamin C were evaluated by AOAC. Finally, the color properties were estimated by a spectrophotometer, using the Hunter method. KPH had higher significant (p ≤ 0.05) antioxidant activity (88%), along with antimicrobial activity. It significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced the growth of G+ and G− bacteria by 71–97% and 58–66% respectively. Furthermore, it significantly (p ≤ 0.05) inhibited the tested fungi growth by 70–88% and the other additives less than that. During the storage of cucumber juice for an interval of zero, two, four, and six months, the phenolic compounds and flavonoids were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased. Consequently, the potential activity of the juice was reduced; in addition, pH and vitamin C were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased during the storage period. Meanwhile, the TSS and Titratable acidity were significantly raised. As for color and sensory properties, J-sod. Benzoate, J-KPH, J-CEPI, and J-DEPI had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) high scores in color, taste, and flavor against the control. Generally, the usage of natural additives extends the cucumber juice’s lifetime and increased the manufacture of high-quality and valuable juice.

The objective was to evaluate the fermentation parameters, chemical composition and fractionation of carbohydrates of sugarcane silages treated with urea and calcium oxide (CaO). Upon ensiling, the treatments applied to the sugarcane were: 1% urea; 0.5% urea + 0.5% CaO; and 1% CaO, in relation to a control silage, without additive. The chemical additives (urea and CaO) were added at ensiling, in an amount calculated based on the fresh matter (as is). A completely randomized design consisting of four treatments (silages) and nine replicates was adopted. The material was conditioned in PVC mini-silos for five months. At the end of the storage period, silos were weighed again and samples were collected to quantify the losses caused by fermentation, dry matter recovery, pH, and ammonia nitrogen (N-NH3) of the silages and to evaluate the chemical composition and fractionation of carbohydrates. The silage with 1% CaO showed the highest recovery of dry matter, and in terms of carbohydrate fractionation, it showed the highest levels of soluble and potentially soluble carbohydrates. Addition of 1% CaO during ensiling reduces the fermentation losses of sugarcane silages.

The basic idea for this research is summarized in preparing special formula consisting of cut hydrocarbon petroleum with pure water and a combination of surface tension materials and the formula prepared in the form of emulsion (diesel-water) which is being stabilized in storage temperature and at temperatures and colliding pressure during use .The prepared emulsion is used in the interior combustion engines to increase the efficiency of fuel and reducing of toxic gases emissions and contaminated particles. Iraqi diesel fuel product in" Daura Refinery” was selected and the emulsion was prepared by mixing with gradual addition of water to the diesel containing small amounts of (surface- tension) material. In this research variables and optimum conditions of preparation and their impact on stability were studied such as water/diesel ratio, concentration of surfactants, mixing periods and mixing speeds. The physical properties of formula prepared were measured such as density, viscosity and surface tension. The results show that the optimum conditions of preparation were: 5% water/diesel ratio; 0.2% concentration of surfactants; 3 min. mixing period and 4000 rpm mixing speed.

The objective of this study was to evaluate intake, performance and nutrient digestibility of sheep supplemented with sugarcane ensiled with four levels of calcium oxide (0.0, 0.8, 1.6 and 2.4%) and urea (1.5%), on a natural matter basis. Twenty castrated Santa Ines lambs with 24.09 kg average weight were housed in individual 1.5 m² pens, distributed in a completely randomized design. The diet supplied had a roughage:concentrate ratio of 70:30 and the experimental period lasted 77 days, of which 14 days were used for adaptation to the diet and three 21-day periods for data collection. No differences were observed for the average daily intake of dry matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein, total carbohydrates, hemicellulose and total digestible nutrients. The treatment with urea showed differences for the intake (kg/day) of crude protein, acid detergent fiber and non-fibrous carbohydrates. There was no effect of diets on the digestibility of dry matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber or total digestible nutrients, but there was a quadratic effect for total carbohydrates and increasing linear effect for non-fibrous carbohydrates. The calcium intake increased as the levels of calcium oxide in the sugarcane were elevated. The calcium:phosphorus ratio in the silage of calcium oxide was different from the silage with urea and control. No effect was observed for the performance characteristics of sheep. Sugarcane silages with calcium oxide levels of up to 2.4% or with urea do not improve the intake or weight gain of sheep.

Wood fibre cement (WFC) boards are well established commercially and widely used in many developed countries. The combination of the properties of two important materials, i.e., cement, and previously treated fibrous materials like wood or agricultural residues; which made up the board, contributed in the performance of the board as building material. In this work, the WFC matrix (WFCM) samples are produced to determine the physical properties of WFCM such as the density and water absorption. The wood fibres are incorporated/treated with three different chemical additives; calcium formate (Ca(HCOO)2), sodium silicate (Na2.SiO3) and magnesium chloride (MgCl2) prior to mixing with cement. The mechanical properties of the WFCM, with or without chemicals treatment of fibres, such as the compressive strength and flexural strength are evaluated. Three wood/cement ratios (50:50, 40:60, 30:70) are used and the percentages of water and accelerator were 80% and 3% based on the cement weight, respectively. Three moisture-conditioned samples; accelerated aging, dry and wet conditions are used for flexural test. The results reveal that the wood/cement ratio, chemical additives and moisture content had a marked influence on the physical and mechanical properties of the matrix. Finally, it has been shown that the 40:60 wood/cement ratio samples with prior chemicals treatment of the fibres that undergo accelerated aging conditioning achieve higher strength then dry and wet-conditioned boards.

The study was design to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of cement-bonded particleboards produced from Afzelia africana wood residues. The production variables investigated were three wood particle types (flakes, flake-sawdust mix and sawdust), three chemical accelerators (CaCl2, MgCl2 and AlCl3) and four wood-cement ratios (1:2.0, 1:2.5, 1:3.0 and 1:3.5). The accelerators were based on 2% by weight of cement used. The boards produced were subjected to physical tests such as density, percentage water absorption and thickness swelling. Mechanical properties evaluated were modulus of rupture, internal bonding strength and compressive strength. The results revealed that the type of particle used, wood-cement ratio and chemical additives had a marked influence on the physical and mechanical properties of the boards (p < 0.05). From quality view point, flake-sawdust composite ranked best while flake boards ranked least. Similarly, CaCl2 had the best influence on the setting of the boards followed by MgCl2 and AlCl3. Finally, it has been shown that particle boards that satisfied the BISON type HZ requirement and ISO 8335 can be produced from Afzelia africana particularly at wood-cement of 1:2.5 and above.

Production of hot mix asphalt (HMA) requires a lot of consumption of energy, exhaustion of CO2 and other environment unfriendly materials. The fumes of HMA are injurious for roadmen and asphalt plant workers. The use of warm mix asphalt (WMA) allows reducing the HMA production temperatures at which the material is mixed and laid on the road. WMA helps to reduce the working temperature of asphalt up to 30 °C. This article presents the overview of different technologies of WMA production, advantages and disadvantages of these technologies. The laboratory research includes research of physical and mechanical properties of WMA produced with different technologies and different amount of additives for temperature lowering. Two different kinds of asphalt where tested in the laboratory. The chemical additives and chemical and natural zeolite were used for WMA production in the laboratory.

The presence of salts in soil may cause severe problems to structures constructed on it, because of the high dissolution of salt particles when subjected to water from any source. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the behavior of single footing over different percentages of sabkha soil (5%, 10%, 20%, and 40%). A laboratory model, manufactured locally was used for this study. The sabkha soil is prepared by mixing ordinary soil with specified quantities of sodium chloride salt to have different percentages of salinity. The footing used is a 75mm diameter circular steel plate and 20mm thickness and holds fixed stress, with the aid of a loading frame which in turn is attached to a firm table. Dial gauges are attached to the fixed table and placed on the footing, to record settlement with time. The study includes also the effect of cement and lime addition with different percentages(1%, 3%, and 5%), on the collapsibility of sabkha soil. Mixing sabkha soil with 5% of cement will reduce collapse potential (S/B%)* upon wetting, by 97%. While mixing sabkha soil with 3% lime will reduce collapse settlement by 47%, On the other hand, mixing sabkha soil with 1% cement slurry increases the collapsibility by 3%. This study also shines the light on the effect of compaction on the properties of sabkha soil. The collapse potential (S/B%)* was reduced by 50% when increasing the compaction of sabkha soil model from 17.7 to 19 kN/m3.

This paper presents the results of studies employing Cuban pine oleoresin in its natural state, as a substitute for traditional rosin as raw material for obtaining specific chemical additives. The applications include three varieties of paper sizing, tensides and specialized lubricants. Technical-economical considerations related to the practical introduction of these products also are considered

Many modern technologies for treatment of soil polluted with oil products are developed through creation of new and efficient bio-agents that help to degrade oil products. Another trend in development of new technologies aims to speed up the growth of soil microorganisms, this way accelerating biodegradation of oil products without the help of introduced microorganisms. The biodegradation of diesel fuel and heavy fuel oil was tested in the soil using chemical additives (oxidizing agents). The tests aimed to ascertain the impact of H2O2, KMnO4 and MnSO4 on residual concentrations of heavy fuel oil and diesel fuel, and the total number of microorganism colonies, as well as the number of oil-oxidizing microorganism colonies in the soil. After the statistical analysis of the data obtained during the experiment, a statistically significant (p

ABSTRACT Guava is a tropical fruit that has a high potential for agroindustrial use, also known antioxidant property mainly attributed to vitamin C and carotenoids content. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of food preservatives, individually or combined, on the antioxidant properties of red guava nectar during storage. Nectars added of different additives were stored in the dark for 180 days and evaluated at the processing day and every 90 days for physico-chemical parameters, color, bioactive compounds content, total antioxidant activity (TAA), the microbiologica and sensory quality. Was not observed changes in quality parameters (P>0.05), since the guava nectars were presented in accordance with Standards of Identity and Quality required by Brazilian law. According to data for antioxidante compounds and total antioxidant activity (TAA), can conclude that nectars added sodium metabisulfite and sodium metabisulfite + sodium benzoate showed, after 90 days of storage, a lower reduction in total extractable polyphenols (TEP) and vitamin C content, being the TEP reduction directly correlated with TAA.