Treating wastewater to armouring
eggs
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 Waste
to treat wastewater
Researchers working at the National Centre for Metallurgical
Research in Spain have found a way to treat wastewater with
steelmaking by-products.
Annually Spain alone generates 44 000 tonnes
of rolling mill scale that is extremely difficult to recycle
due to its oil content. Heavy metals are toxic pollutants
that can accumulate in animal tissues and can cause brain
and nerve damage. The researchers hoped that this by-product
could remove heavy metals from the wastewater of heavy industries.
The rolling mill scale was powdered and used
to treat wastewater contaminated with heavy metals. It was
shown to be successful at removing lead, zinc and cadmium
from wastewater. However, it cannot be recycled so would need
to be buried in a controlled landfill site making it a potential
environmental risk.
Adsorption of heavy metals from aqueous solutions with
by-products of the steelmaking industry, M Isabel Martín,
Félix A López, Carlos Pérez, Aurora López-Delgado,
Francisco J Alguacil, Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology,
DOI: 10.1002/jctb.1305.
Enhancing anti-bacterial plastics
The use of antimicrobial plastics has now become commonplace
in the food packaging and storage industry. Scientists at
the Institute of Polymer Materials, Germany, have been working
on new ways to increase the life of the antimicrobial plastics.
They have looked at polyamides impregnated with silver. These
polyamides, on interaction with water molecules, release silver
ions which can kill bacteria effectively at appropriate levels.
The higher the plastic’s affinity for water, the higher
the level of silver ions released. The researchers examined
how crystallinity of the polyamide structure affected its
bacteriocidal activity,as the structure of polyamides affects
its water uptake. They found that the more crystalline the
structure, the poorer its release of silver ions. This should
help manufacturers achieve a balance between effective anti-bacterial
action combined with long lasting protection.
Polyamide/silver antimicrobials: effect of crystallinity on
the silver ion release, Radhesh Kumar, Helmut Münstedt,
Polymer International, DOI: 10.1002/pi.1828.
Clover tackles slug damage
Sclimates and can result in up to a third of a lug damage
is a serious problem in temperate wheat crop being damaged,
severely reducing yields. Current methods to control slugs
involve the use of chemical pellets to kill them. However,
these are unreliable in wet conditions, when the pellets can
degrade, and kill non-target species such as earthworms and
wood mice.
Researchers in the UK may have a solution to the use of chemical
pellets – planting clover. The premise is that the clover
acts as an alternative and preferable source of food for the
slugs so the wheat is left undamaged. Clover, unlike other
possible alternative slug food sources, has the added benefits
of increasing mineral nitrogen in the soil along with microbial
activity and soil stability.
While chemical pellets provided better protection against
wheat seed damage, clover performed as well as pellets at
protecting wheat seedlings from damage. This raises the possibility
of reducing toxic chemicals used in wheat production, while
keeping yields at similar levels – something organic
agriculture strives to attain.
A laboratory-based comparison of a molluscicide and an
alternative food source (red clover) as means of reducing
slug damage to winter wheat, Andrew S Brooks, Andrew Wilcox,
Richard T Cook, Mitchell J Crook, Pest Management Science,
DOI: 10.1002/ps.1056.
Coats protect eggs
Millions of pounds are lost by the egg industry because of
poor egg and eggshell quality. Cengiz Caner, a researcher
at the University of Turkey, believes even a small decrease
in the percentage of eggs damaged could result in a significant
reduction in cost to industry.
Eggshells are covered in tiny pores that allow moisture
and carbon dioxide to exchange. This porosity shortens the
shelf-life of the egg as proteins degrade and water is lost.
To tackle this problem eggs were given an ‘edible coating’
made up of material such as polysaccharides, proteins and
lipids. These coatings increased shelf-life and egg protein
freshness and reduced weight loss. The coatings also improved
the surface smoothness and glossiness, making them more appealing
to consumers.
The effect of edible eggshell coatings on egg quality and
consumer perception, Cengiz Caner, Journal of the Science
of Food and Agriculture, DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.2185 (Available
on EarlyView).
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