Nutrient recovery from wastewater for hydroponic systems: A comparative analysis of fertilizer demand, recovery products, and supply potential of WWTPs.

Nutrient recovery from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for hydroponic cultivation holds promise for closing the nutrient loop and meeting rising food demands. However, most studies focus on solid products for soil-based agriculture, thus raising questions about their suitability for hydroponics. In this study, we address these questions by performing the first in-depth assessment of the extent to which state-of-the-art nutrient recovery processes can generate useful products for hydroponic application.

Raman spectroscopy in crop quality assessment: focusing on sensing secondary metabolites: a review.

As a crop quality sensor, Raman spectroscopy has been consistently proposed as one of the most promising and non-destructive methods for qualitative and quantitative analysis of plant substances, because it can measure molecular structures in a short time without requiring pretreatment along with simple usage. The sensitivity of the Raman spectrum to target chemicals depends largely on the wavelength, intensity of the laser power, and exposure time. Especially for plant samples, it is very likely that the peak of the target material is covered by strong fluorescence effects.

Cultivation of Lovage under Exposure of Light-Emitting Diode Illumination and Analysis of Rutin Produced by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis).

To meet the requirements of a sustainable agricultural economy such as quality, resource conservation, and efficiency, the interaction between the cultivation parameters of plants and the resulting plant ingredients are becoming more and more interesting, especially regarding secondary metabolites. Therefore, the cultivation of lovage under the influence of light-emitting diode illumination and controlled environment conditions was studied and data on the rutin concentrations obtained are presented. Different extraction agents and processes were tested for the treatment of the leaves and the rutin was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis spectroscopy).

Effects of Light on Secondary Metabolites in Selected Leafy Greens: A Review.

In contrast to the primary metabolism, responsible for essential synthesis mechanisms and mass balance in plants, the secondary metabolism is not of particular importance for each cell but for the plant organism as its whole. Most of these metabolites show antioxidant properties and are beneficial for human health. In order to affect accumulation of those metabolites, light is an essential factor.

Nanofiltration and nanostructured membranes--should they be considered nanotechnology or not?

Nanofiltration is frequently associated with nanotechnology - obviously because of its name. However, the term "nano" in nanofiltration refers - according to the definition of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) - to the size of the particles rejected and not to a nanostructure as defined by the International Organisation of Standardisation (ISO) in the membrane. Evidently, the approach to standardisation of materials differs significantly between membrane technology and nanotechnology which leads to considerable confusion and inconsistent use of the terminology.