Search

Purpose This paper investigates the composting recovery of different bio-wastes and the use of the composts produced as soil fertilizer and organic amendment.Method A composting process was carried out for 111 days using different organic wastes (fruits, vegetables, olive pomace, poultry, and cattle manure). The physicochemical properties of the generated compost were determined. The quality of the compost produced was evaluated by measuring pH, carbon/nitrogen (C/N), dry matter, and organic matter. A phytotoxicity test (germination test) was conducted to complete the analysis.Results The results of the physicochemical properties complied with AFNOR standards. The pH ranged between 7.3 and 8.7. The C/N ratio was between 10.05 and 18.46, and organic matter content varied between 33.6 and 72.7%. The phytotoxicity test showed that the safety of compost as a soil amendment is related to the applied dose and the type of crop.Conclusion The physicochemical parameters and phytotoxicity test showed that the compost obtained can be used as organic fertilizer due to its organic matter content and mineral elements.

Monitoring and measuring pharmaceutical pollutants in environmental samples is a vital and complex task due to their potential detrimental effects on human health, even at low levels. Using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), it was possible to separate and measure three commonly used antipsychotic drugs, chlorpromazine (CPZ), haloperidol (HAL), and risperidone (RIS), in wastewater of the pharmaceutical industry. The technique of solid-phase extraction (SPE) was developed and implemented as a very effective method for preparing samples prior to analysis. The settings of the capillary electrophoretic and chromatographic techniques were adjusted to obtain the most efficient separation profile for the medications being studied. The concentration of all the medicines being investigated ranged from 0.5 to 50 µg/mL. SPE was used to treat real wastewater samples after a thorough validation process that followed the rules set by ICH-Q2B. The developed assays were then effectively employed to identify the tested antipsychotic substances in the real wastewater samples. The provided methodologies may be efficiently utilized to monitor the extent of environmental contamination caused by the investigated pharmaceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a quasi-three-dimensional (3D) refined using a novel higherorder shear deformation theory is developed to examine the static bending with two different type porosity distribution of porous for advanced composite plates such as functionally graded plates. In this present theory, the number of unknowns and governing equations is reduced, takes into account the thickness stretching effect into transverse displacement, bending and shear, using a new shape function. The used plate theory approach satisfies the zero traction boundary conditions on the surfaces of the plate without using shear correction factor and the transverse shear strain and shear stress have a parabolic distribution across the thickness of the plates. The virtual work principle is used to obtain the equilibrium equations. An analytical approach based on the Navier solution is employed to obtain the solution for static bending of simply supported FGM plates. The proposed theory shows a good agreement for static bending of FGM plates with other literature results has been instituted of advanced composite plates. Numerical results are presented to show the effect of the material distribution, the power-law FG plates, the geometrical parameters and the porosity on the deflections and stresses of FG plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The powder of treated watermelon seeds (WST), obtained through hexane extraction, has proven to be a promising adsorbent for the environmentally friendly and cost-effective removal of Basic Yellow 28 (BY28) using adsorption techniques. By optimizing conditions through Central Composite Design (CCD), focusing on key factors such as temperature, adsorbent weight, and dye concentration, we aimed to enhance the efficiency of the adsorption process. Our study assessed the accuracy of the model and regression coefficients through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results revealed a strong agreement between the predicted values derived from the model and the experimental values for BY28, with a coefficient of determination (R2) equal to 0.92, indicating a high level of reliability and effectiveness of the developed model in predicting the adsorption behavior of BY28 on WST. Under optimal conditions, including a temperature of 35°C, an adsorbent weight of 2.45 g/L, and a dye concentration of 50 mg/L, the adsorption process demonstrated exceptional efficiency. This study highlights the remarkable potential of treated watermelon seeds for the removal of organic pollutants, emphasizing the importance of using sustainable and readily available agricultural materials for environmental remediation, thus contributing to both environmental conservation and cost-effectiveness in wastewater treatment processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the potential of treated avocado seed to remove azoic organic dyes (basic yellow 28 and tartrazine). The treated avocado seed was characterized, and batch adsorption studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of several removal dye parameters (contact time, ionic strength, initial concentration, adsorbent dose, and temperature). The adsorption kinetics of the dyes examined showed that the adsorption mechanism on the two selected catalysts followed pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 > 0.999). The adsorption process of each dye was reported to fit using five non-linear regressions. Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherms described well the adsorption of basic yellow 28, and Freundlich adsorption isotherms described well the adsorption of tartrazine on the Treated Avocado Seed. The results suggested that the maximum amount adsorbed was 49.30 mg/g for basic yellow 28 and 38.43 mg/g for tartrazine and a high removal rate of 89.93% for BY 28 and 93.22% for tartrazine and that a chemical, spontaneous and endothermic process of adsorption occurred. Boyd's expression demonstrated a mechanism of film diffusion for adsorption. Based on the findings, we suggest the application of activated avocado seeds for the removal of azoic dyes in aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retention of alkylphosphonic acids (MPA, EPA, PPA, and BPA) and inorganic anions ([Cl.sup.-], N[O.sup.-.sub.3] , and S[O.sup.2-.sub.4]) were studied on two anion exchangers, e.g., Dionex IonPac AS4A-SC (250 ± 4 mm I.D.) and Satisfaction P 4000-SAX (50 ± 4.6 mm I.D.) under isocratic elution conditions with evaporative light scattering detector. The plots of retention factors, k, of organic anions vs. the reciprocal of eluent ion concentration show good linearity. The major retention mechanisms are interpreted as ion exchange and some others interactions. The C effect of organic modifier added to the aqueous buffered mobile phase is also investigated. Keywords: alkylphosphonic acids, evaporative light scattering detector, retention mechanism. DOI: 10.1134/S106193481106013X, Alkylphosphonic acids, particularly methylphosphonic acid (MPA), ethylphosphonic acid (EPA), propylphosphonic acid (PPA) and butylphosphonic acid (BPA) are important compounds from verification point of view chemical weapons convention (CWC). Alkylphosphonic acids [...]