Effects of temperature and inoculation ratio on methane production and nutrient solubility of swine manure anaerobic digestion.

This study investigated the effects of temperature and volatile solids (VS) ratio of feedstock to inoculum (F/I ratio) on methane (CH) production and the solubility of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), cooper (Cu), and Zinc (Zn) after anaerobic digestion (AD) of swine manure. The highest cumulative CH yield of 470 L/kgVS was obtained with F/I ratios of 2.0 and 3.

Development of Fast E-nose System for Early-Stage Diagnosis of Aphid-Stressed Tomato Plants.

An electronic nose (E-nose) system equipped with a sensitive sensor array was developed for fast diagnosis of aphid infestation on greenhouse tomato plants at early stages. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by tomato plants with and without aphid attacks were detected using both the developed E-nose system and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. Sensor performance, with fast sensor responses and high sensitivity, were observed using the E-nose system.

Techno-economic analyses of solid-state anaerobic digestion and composting of yard trimmings.

Solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) and composting are two potential alternatives to divert yard trimmings from landfills. This study aimed to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of commercial-scale SS-AD and composting systems (20,000 metric tons (MT)/year) that received both yard trimmings and liquid AD effluent using a modeling software, SuperPro Designer. Both the SS-AD and composting systems were shown to be economically feasible.

Plant Pest Detection Using an Artificial Nose System: A Review.

This paper reviews artificial intelligent noses (or electronic noses) as a fast and noninvasive approach for the diagnosis of insects and diseases that attack vegetables and fruit trees. The particular focus is on bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, and insect damage. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from plants, which provide functional information about the plant's growth, defense, and health status, allow for the possibility of using noninvasive detection to monitor plants status.

Comparison of sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide pretreatments of giant reed for enhanced enzymatic digestibility and methane production.

NaOH pretreatment with leachate reuse and Ca(OH) pretreatment were compared for improved enzymatic digestibility and biogas production from giant reed, a promising energy crop. The NaOH pretreatment with leachate reuse increased glucose yields during enzymatic hydrolysis by 2.6-fold, and methane yields during anaerobic digestion by 1.

Composting of waste paint sludge containing melamine resin and the compost's effect on vegetable growth and soil water quality.

Melamine resin (MR) is introduced to the environment from many industrial effluents, including waste paint sludge (WPS) from the automobile industry. Melamine resin contains a high nitrogen (N) content and is a potential N source during composting. In this study, two carbon sources, waste paper (WP) and plant residue (PR), were used to study their effects on composting of WPS.

Flow-through rates and evaluation of solids separation of compost filter socks versus silt fence in sediment control applications.

Soil loss rates from construction sites can be 1000 times the average of natural soil erosion rates and 20 times that from agricultural lands. Silt fence (SF) is the current industry standard used to control sediment originating from construction activities. Silt fences are designed to act as miniature detention ponds.