Effects of Intercropping Patterns on Cadmium Tolerance of Perilla Frutescens and Soybean

In this study, we intercropped hyperaccumulator Perilla frutescens with soybean to explore the effects of intercropping under cadmium stress based on the physiological growth indexes of plant, cadmium absorption capacity, and soil cadmium forms Experiments showed that compared with mono-cropping, intercropping soybean’s biomass, catalase (CAT) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, total chlorophyll and net photosynthetic rate were significantly increased by 1042%~10658%, 1578%~7381%, 1345%~2337%, 376%~1500% and 7121%~31278%, while P frutescens’s significantly decreased by 9387%~9507%, 1562%~2572%, 12056%~15331%, 715%~756% and 3056%~5076% Under 5 and 10 mg kg-1 Cd treatments, the Cd content in roots, stems, leaves, pods and grains of intercropping soybean decreased significantly by 1072%~3174%, 1488%~2168%, 1995%~3413%, 2222%~5270% and 791%~1786% along with enrichment coefficient decreasing by 1486%~2787%, while those of P frutescens significantly increased by 8700%~2141%, 948%~2155%, 2305%~3766% and 1818%~9412% along with enrichment coefficient significantly increasing by 2000%~7775% Additionally, citric acid, succinic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid worked importantly in heavy metal detoxification in plants Strikingly, the content of soil exchangeable Cd (EXC) under intercropping was the highest, even higher than that of mono-cropping soybean and P frutescens, which accounted for 37%~42% under the same stress condition Therefore, intercropping Perilla frutescens with soybean provide a potential strategy for Cd phytoremediation

Identifikasi Logam Berat dalam Biji Jagung Manis dan Kedelai pada Transisi Sistem Pertanian Organik

Heavy metals contaminants in land agriculture are environmental problems and to reduce the food safety, so that too needed for the research of Pb, Cd and Cu decrease absorption by plants using organic chelating agent i.e. substance of humus (humic and fulvic acid) in there manure. The research was done with completely block design, in Gagaksipat, Ngemplak, Boyolali; heavy metal analysis in manure, land and seeds use atomic absorption spectrophotometer-flame (AAS Jena Contr AA 300 German). It was aimed to identify contaminants of Pb, Cd, and Cu in sweet corn and soybean seeds. The research treatment were doses of cow manure: 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 kg per hectare. The results showed that's enrichment coefficient (EC) Pb and Cu in sweet corn seeds had low accumulator plants categories, whereas the EC plumbum soybean seeds had low accumulator plants categories, whereas the EC copper soybean seeds had moderately accumulator plants categories, and EC cadmium in the sweet corn and soybeans seeds were undetectable. Exposure of Pb and Cd in corn sweet and soybean seeds were undetectable, while of Cu in sweet corn and soybean seeds 2.03 and 12.39 ppm respectively. Contaminant of Pb, Cd and Cu exposure in land sweet corn post-harvested were 30.99; undetectable and 60.58 ppm respectively. While Pb, Cd and Cu exposure in land soybean post harvested were 33.24; undetectable and 56.26 ppm respectively.

Effect of flow-rate on ethanol separation in membrane distillation process

The separation of diluted ethanol solutions and fermentation broths by membrane distillation was investigated. The influence of stream flow-rate on the ethanol flux was studied. An evaluation of the process conditions on the separation degree of ethanol was performed with the application of hydrophobic capillary membranes composed of polypropylene. By removing the alcohol via membrane distillation, it is possible to achieve a higher content of ethanol in the permeate than that in the broth. The enrichment coefficient amounted to 4–6.5, and decreased with an increase of the ethanol concentration in the broth. It was found that the flow-rate affects the value of the enrichment coefficient. A positive influence of carbon dioxide on the ethanol transport through the capillary membrane was observed. The evolution of CO2 bubbles from the broth increases the stream turbulence, probably enhancing the alcohol concentration in the layer adjacent to the membrane surface.

Heavy Metal Accumulation Characteristics of 3 Pioneer Plants in Wasteland of Coalmine Tailing in Mingshan

Accumulation characteristics on 7 heavy metals of 3 indigenous pioneer plants (Ageratum conyzoides, Comnyza canadensis, Miscanthus floridulus) & their rhizosphere soil was investigated in wasteland of coalmine tailing in Mingshan. The chief results were as follows: (1) soil pollution was mainly due to the compound Cd-Mn-Cu, of which Cd average content of soil was 2.052 mg/kg (between 0.759 to 3.109mg/kg) and much higher than the national secondary standard of GB 15618-1995 (Environmental quality standard for soils in China), and of which Mn average content of soil was 421.215mg/kg (between 387.057 to 488.660 mg/kg) and serious pollution, and of which Cu content was 91.281mg/kg (between 39.522 to 270.308mg/kg) and had certain pollution but not so serious; (2) the absorption and accumulation ability to the Ni, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn and Cr of soil heavy metal among 3 indigenous pioneer plants & their different parts of the plant such like the root, stem, and leaf was not the same, on the whole had the synergistic and antagonistic effect for 7 ele-ments in 3 plants, of whom Ageratum conyzoides had an obvious synergistic action for Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn and Mn absorption and was beneficial to suck up further elements from the soil in wasteland of coalmine tailing, and of Comnyza canadensis and Miscanthus floridulus had different synergistic and antagonistic effect for 7 elements, especially Comnyza canadensis and Miscanthus floridulus were the Cd hyperaccumulator plants. (3) Heavy metal content of Miscanthus floridulus in the body was the lowest, and its enrichment coefficient, translocation factor was obviously lower than that of the other 2 plants too, so absorption mechanisms to heavy metal of Miscanthus floridulus could been believed as excluders, relatively Mn, Pb, Zn, Cu and Ni content in the over-ground parts of Comnyza canadensis and Miscanthus floridulus & their enrichment coefficient, translocation factor was rather high, and their absorption mechanisms to heavy metal belonged to accumulators.

Ethanol production in a bioreactor with an integrated membrane distillation module

Ethanol production in a bioreactor with integrated membrane distillation (MD) module has been investigated. A hydrophobic capillary polypropylene membrane (Accurel PP V8/2 HF), with an external/internal diameter ratio, d out/d in = 8.6 mm/5.5 mm and pore size 0.2 μm, was used in these studies. The products (mainly ethanol and acetic acid) formed during the fermentation of sugar with Saccharomyces cerevisiae inhibited the process. These products were selectively removed from the fermentation broth by the MD process, which increased the efficiency of the conversion of sugar to alcohol from 0.45 g to 0.5 g EtOH per g of fermented sucrose. The bioreactor efficiency also increased by almost 30 %. Separation of alcohol by the MD generates a higher yield of ethanol in the permeate than in the broth. The enrichment coefficient amounted to 4-8, and depended on the ethanol concentration in the broth. The separated solutions did not wet the membrane in use for 2500 h of the MD experiments and the retention of inorganic solutes was close to 100 %.