Production of Biodiesel from Candlenut Oil Using a Two-step Co-solvent Method and Evaluation of Its Gaseous Emissions.

Candlenut oil (CNO) is a potentially new feedstock for biodiesel (BDF) production. In this paper, a two-step co-solvent method for BDF production from CNO was examined. Firstly, esterification of free fatty acids (FFAs) (7 wt%) present in CNO was carried out using a co-solvent of acetonitrile (30 wt%) and HSO as a catalyst.

Seasonal variation of δO and δH in leaf water of Fagus sylvatica L. and related water compartments.

The study aims to assess variability in leaf water isotopic enrichment occurring in the field under natural conditions. We focused on seasonal variation and difference between sun-exposed and shaded leaves. Isotopic composition (δO, δH) of leaf water was monitored in a beech tree (Fagus sylvatica L.

Nd/TiO Anatase-Brookite Photocatalysts for Photocatalytic Decomposition of Methanol.

Neodymium enriched TiO anatase-brookite powders were prepared by unconventional method via using pressurized hot fluids for TiO crystallization and purification. The photocatalysts were tested in the CHOH photocatalytic decomposition and they were characterized with respect to the textural (nitrogen adsorption), structural (XRD, XPS, and Raman spectroscopies), chemical (XRF), and optical (DR UV-Vis spectroscopy) and photoelectrochemical measurement. All prepared materials were nanocrystalline, had biphasic (anatase- brookite) structure and relatively large specific surface area (125 m.

Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction by Mesoporous Polymeric Carbon Nitride Photocatalysts.

In this paper, a sol-gel derived mesoporous polymeric carbon nitride has been investigated as a photocatalyst for CO2 photocatalytic reduction. Noble-metal Pt nanoparticles were deposited on carbon nitride (sg-CN) in order to investigate the performance of both Pt-sg-CN and sg-CN for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Physicochemical properties of prepared nanocomposites were comprehensively characterized by using powder XRD, N2 physisorption, UV-Vis DRS, ICP-AES, FTIR, solid-state NMR, SEM, TEM and photoelectrochemical measurements.

Effect of Porous Structure and Acidity of ZSM-5/SBA-15 Catalyst on 1,3,5-Triisopropylbenzene Cracking Catalytic Activity.

ZSM-5/SBA-15 composite materials with different acidities and mesoporous system formations were successfully synthesized by three-step method. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, HR-TEM, BET, EDX and TPD-NH3 methods. It showed that the Si/Al molar ratio had effect on the formation and property of materials.

Impact of anthropogenic activities on water quality and plankton communities in the Day River (Red River Delta, Vietnam).

Planktons are a major component of food web structure in aquatic ecosystems. Their distribution and community structure are driven by the combination and interactions between physical, chemical, and biological factors within the environment. In the present study, water quality and the community structure of phytoplankton and zooplankton were monthly investigated from January to December 2015 at 11 sampling sites along the gradient course of the Day River (Red River Delta, northern Vietnam).

Data on DNA gel sample load, gel electrophoresis, PCR and cost analysis.

The data presented in this article provide supporting information to the related research article "Comparison of ten different DNA extraction procedures with respect to their suitability for environmental samples" (Kuhn et al., 2017) [1]. In that article, we compared the suitability of ten selected DNA extraction methods based on DNA quality, purity, quantity and applicability to universal PCR.

Improved HPLC-method for estimation and correction of amino acid losses during hydrolysis of unknown samples.

Amino acid analysis, commonly done by acid hydrolysis of proteins and HPLC analysis, faces one major problem: incomplete hydrolysis of stable amino acids and degradation of unstable amino acids are causing amino acid losses. As a result, amino acid recovery of unknown samples cannot be estimated. Some methods have been reported for correction of these factors in the past.

Photocatalytic decomposition of NO over g-CN/WO photocatalysts.

Although the nitrous oxide belongs among three of the most contributing greenhouse gases to global warming, it is quite neglected by photocatalytic society. The g-CN and WO composites were therefore tested for the photocatalytic decomposition of NO for the first time. The pure photocatalysts were prepared by simple calcination of precursors, and the composites were prepared by mixing of suspension of pure components in water followed by calcination.

Ammonium removal from aqueous solutions by fixed-bed column using corncob-based modified biochar.

This study investigated the potential of removing ammonium ([Formula: see text]) from aqueous solutions using corncob based on modified biochar (MBCC) in the fixed-bed column. Corncob biochar was soaked in a mixture of HNO 6.0 M and NaOH 0.

Bioturbation effects on bioaccumulation of cadmium in the wetland plant Typha latifolia: A nature-based experiment.

The development of efficient bioremediation techniques to reduce aquatic pollutant load in natural sediment is one of the current challenges in ecological engineering. A nature-based solution for metal bioremediation is proposed through a combination of bioturbation and phytoremediation processes in experimental indoor microcosms. The invertebrates Tubifex tubifex (Oligochaeta Tubificidae) was used as an active ecological engineer for bioturbation enhancement.

Comparison of ten different DNA extraction procedures with respect to their suitability for environmental samples.

DNA extraction for molecular biological applications usually requires target optimized extraction procedures depending on the origin of the samples. For environmental samples, a range of different procedures has been developed. We compared the applicability and efficiency of ten selected DNA extraction methods published in recent literature using four different environmental samples namely: activated sludge from a domestic wastewater treatment plant, river sediment, anaerobic digestion sludge and nitrifying enrichment culture.

Photocatalytic decomposition of methanol over La/TiO materials.

Lanthanum-modified TiO photocatalysts (0.2-1.5 wt% La) were investigated in the methanol decomposition in an aqueous solution.

The occurrence of toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and its toxin cylindrospermopsin in the Huong River, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam.

This research reports the presence of species Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and cylindrospermopsin (CYN) in the Huong River and the relationship between species with environmental factors to find a scientific basis for predicting the risk of pollution of the species and CYN in waters. Strains of C. raciborskii isolated from the river were also identified as potentially toxin-producing through the determination of the presence of toxins in the cultures by ELISA; the presence of the genes involved by PCR confirms the CYN-producing ability of species C.

Sources for isolation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) producing bacterial strains which are capable of using wastewater sludge as solo substrate.

Isolation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) producing bacterial strains capable of using sludge as low-cost growth substrate was carried out in this study. A total of 110 EPS-producing strains were isolated from different sources, which include sludge of beer and winery wastewater treatment plant (WWTP); young, 2-month-old and 10-year-old leachate. Thirty-seven isolated strains showed good growth in sludge medium with cell count varying from 10 to 10 most probable number (MPN)/mL and total EPS concentration from 2737 to 6639 mg/L.

Disposal of household pharmaceuticals in insular communities: social attitude, behaviour evaluation and prevention activities.

The increase in medicine and drug consumption have resulted in identifying these emerging pollutants in all aquatic compartments, ranging from surface water and groundwater resources to the marine environment. Pharmaceuticals are an indispensable part of life today. A large number of pharmaceuticals are used in a daily basis in the treatment, prevention, cure or diagnosis of diseases or to otherwise enhance people's physical or mental well-being.

The contribution of component variation and phytoplankton growth to the distribution variation of chromophoric dissolved organic matter content in a mid-latitude subtropical drinking water source reservoir for two different seasons.

The distribution variation in chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) content in mid-latitude subtropical drinking water source reservoirs (MDWSRs) has great significance in the security of aquatic environments and human health. CDOM distribution is heavily influenced by biogeochemical processes and anthropogenic activity. However, little is known regarding the impact of component variation and phytoplankton growth on CDOM distribution variation in MDWSR.

Effect of a dam on the optical properties of different-sized fractions of dissolved organic matter in a mid-subtropical drinking water source reservoir.

The presence of a dam on a river is believed to have a key role in affecting changes in the components of the chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in reservoirs. However, questions remain about the mechanisms that control these changes. In this study, we used tangential ultrafiltration, fluorescence spectrum and phytoplankton cell density detection to explore the impacts of a dam on the CDOM components in the Shanzai Reservoir, a source of drinking water.

Stomatal function, density and pattern, and CO assimilation in Arabidopsis thaliana tmm1 and sdd1-1 mutants.

Stomata modulate the exchange of water and CO between plant and atmosphere. Although stomatal density is known to affect CO diffusion into the leaf and thus photosynthetic rate, the effect of stomatal density and patterning on CO assimilation is not fully understood. We used wild types Col-0 and C24 and stomatal mutants sdd1-1 and tmm1 of Arabidopsis thaliana, differing in stomatal density and pattern, to study the effects of these variations on both stomatal and mesophyll conductance and CO assimilation rate.

Effectiveness of waste prevention program in primary students' schools.

Even though reducing waste is at the top of the waste hierarchy, no real decoupling between waste generation and consumption has been demonstrated. Several waste directives had been published from EU, but they have only brought minor changes within the key objective of reducing waste generation. Most efforts have been targeted towards greater amounts of recycling and better management of waste disposal.

Biosorption of neodymium on Chlorella vulgaris in aqueous solution obtained from hard disk drive magnets.

In recent years, biosorption is being considered as an environmental friendly technology for the recovery of rare earth metals (REE). This study investigates the optimal conditions for the biosorption of neodymium (Nd) from an aqueous solution derived from hard drive disk magnets using green microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris). The parameters considered include solution pH, temperature and biosorbent dosage.

Comparison of batch cultivation strategies for cost-effective biomass production of Micractinium inermum NLP-F014 using a blended wastewater medium.

Two competitive strategies, fed-batch and sequencing-batch cultivation, were compared in cost-effective biomass production of a high lipid microalgae, Micractinium inermum NLP-F014 using a blended wastewater medium. For fed-batch cultivations, additional nutrient was supplemented at day 2 (FB1) or consecutively added at day 2 and 4 (FB2). Through inoculum size test, 1.

Electrochemical degradation and mineralization of glyphosate herbicide.

The presence of herbicide is a concern for both human and ecological health. Glyphosate is occasionally detected as water contaminants in agriculture areas where the herbicide is used extensively. The removal of glyphosate in synthetic solution using advanced oxidation process is a possible approach for remediation of contaminated waters.

Screening of inorganic and organic contaminants in floodwater in paddy fields of Hue and Thanh Hoa in Vietnam.

In the rainy season, rice growing areas in Vietnam often become flooded by up to 1.5 m water. The floodwater brings contaminants from cultivated areas, farms and villages to the rice fields resulting in widespread contamination.