Adsorption of Flagyl on Prepared Ash from Rice Husk

In recent years, it has been evident that searching for alternative methods with low-price and eco-friendly features that produce high-quality adsorbents is in high demand. In the present work, Rice husk from Iraqi rice named (Amber) had been used as the primary source to produce rice husk ash (RHA) for the removal of the antibiotic metronidazole (Flagyl) from water. After optimum drying of rice husk, rice husk ash (RHA) was obtained at 600 °C using an electric oven. RHA has been investigated for properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), porosity, and surface area (SA). The experimental work adsorption data were optimized to evaluate Langmuir and Freundlich constants. The thermodynamic parameters likely a change in Gipp's energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH), and entropy (ΔS). The impacts of increasing temperature on adsorption capacity were investigated, and the results indicate that the pseudo-second-order kinetics model could be presented the dynamic adsorption data that it has. The resultant values for the heat of adsorption and the free energy indicated that adsorption of Flagyl is preferred at low temperatures.

XYLANASE ACTIVITY OF ASPERGILLUS NIGER AT DIFFERENT ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

Maximization of xylanase activity at different media, temperature, pH and salt concentration has been presented in this paper. YpSs, Czapek dox and Malt extract medium were taken for evaluation of optimum growth and activity. Amongst all tested media, YpSs showed the highest growth. Three different natural carbon substitute i.e., wheat husk, rice husk and sugarcane baggase were used for xylanase activity. Maximum enzyme activity was observed in test fungus at rice husk. Production and maximum xylanase activity at rice husk has been observed at different temperatures, pH and Salt concentrations. The highest xylanase activity has been observed on day 5 at temperature 32° C, pH 6.5 and salt concentration of 2%.

Elemental Analysis of Popular Zinc Rich Rice Varieties using ESEM and ICP-OES

A comparative study was carried out for elemental composition of grains of eight popular rice genotypes. The Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) setup was used to explore type and quantity of surface elements in various layers of rice grains. The main constituents are carbon and oxygen, with elements like Al and Si being prominently found on the husk. Rice kernels serve as staple food. We found that the top surface layer of whole rice kernel is rich in carbon compared to oxygen, but oxygen content increased in the internal area of kernel (endosperm in broken kernel) in all test genotypes. Further, our ESEM results showed that the husk of grain consists of more elements than the seed part. Though most of the above rice varieties are Zn and/or Fe rich, the ESEM facility could not identify them. ICP-OES analysis revealed Nagina-22 and R-RHZ-7 as highly zinc and iron rich rice varieties respectively. The knowledge of elemental composition of husk and whole kernel may pave the way for their effective uses in biofortification programme and as such for use as food, animal feed and industrial purposes.

Manurial amendments and source of water for supplemental irrigation of sawah-rice system influenced soil quality and rice yield

Soil and water management research on adapting the promising sawah ecotechnology for lowland rice farming in West Africa has largely focused on the abundant inland valleys; floodplains which too represent a huge agricultural resource in the region have not been so involved. Sawah refers to a bunded, puddled and leveled basin for rice, with water inlets and outlets for irrigation and drainage, respectively. In conventional sawah, soil fertility is augmented using mineral fertilizers, with an option to harness lowland water resources for use in small-scale irrigation to create the so-called sawah typologies. In this study, we evaluated the effects of three manurial amendments (rice husk, rice-husk ash and poultry droppings, each at 10 t ha–1) and NPK 20:10:10 at 400 kg ha–1 interacting with source of water (spring or pond) used for supplemental irrigation of three sawah typologies in a floodplain in southeastern Nigeria. Plots amended with poultry droppings and supplemented with spring water recorded the overall best performance of the sawah-rice system; the control being the unamended non-supplemented (solely rainfed) plots recorded the worst. Rice-husk ash and rice husk enhanced soil pH and soil organic carbon, respectively. The three sawah typologies showed a consistent trend thus spring-supplemented ≥ pond-supplemented ≥ non-supplemented sawah. Rice grain yield was influenced by soil total nitrogen and the sum of the three plant-nutrient basic cations (K+ , Ca2+ and Mg2+), with the influence of K+ alone being the greatest. To enhance rice performance including grain yields in floodplain sawah, farmers should utilise poultry droppings as soil manure and spring water for supplemental irrigation.

Innovative Materials for Sustainable Construction

The construction industry has focused on trying to minimize and control the environmental impacts caused within the process of production and manufacture of fired bricks, for this reason the present research proposes five different alternative mixtures for the elaboration of ecological bricks, four of these based on soil-cement and one obtained through a geopolymerization process, using raw materials from the amazon region and the southern highlands of Ecuador, such as soil from the Centza mine (MC), sand from the Quiringue mine (MQ), organic correctors of husk rice (RH ), peanut shell (PS), natural gypsum (G) from the Malacatos sector and fired brick residues from the same sector. The raw materials were characterized (analysis: physicochemical and mineralogical); the soil-cement-based combinations used different percentages of substitution of organic correctors and gypsum, the optimum percentage of water and cement was determined through the compaction test and resistance to simple compression respectively, the samples were cured and tested at ages of 7, 14 and 28 days. In the geopolymerization process, an alkaline solution NaOH was used in different concentrations of molarity and solution contents, the specimens were cured at temperatures of 90 °C, 120 °C, 150 °C, 180 °C and 200 °C. The different combinations were subjected to indirect traction with the purpose to determine the optimal mixture and subsequent estimation of the compressive strength of bricks applying the Griffith criterion, the results were validated by the finite element method, obtaining strengths of 4 MPa in the combination soil-cement sand (SC_Ar1), in soil-cement rice husk (SC_RH2) and soil-cement peanut shell (SC_PS2) mixtures its resistance is 3 MPa, while in the soil-cement gypsum (SC_G4) mixture the resistance is 6.90 MPa and finally the resistance in geopolymeric mixture (GBW) is 13.75 MPa; In this way, the optimal combinations comply and increase the resistance to simple compression of bricks by 35% the SC_Ar1 mixture, 130% in the SC_G mixture with respect to the spanish standard and 129% the GBW mixture with respect to the ecuadorian standard.

ANALISIS PERBANDINGAN PENURUNAN FONDASI DANGKAL DI TANAH GAMBUT DENGAN STABILISASI KAPUR DAN ABU SEKAM PADI

The increase in housing needs is in line with the increase in the population. Residential buildings in Indonesia are only about 1-2 floors, which require shallow foundations to support. Land is one of the important aspects, where it supports the entire building that stands on it. One of the development constraints encountered in Kalimantan is the peat soil. The construction on peatland will cause problems such as low bearing capacity and large deformation, therefore it needs improvement before use. This study aims to find out the overview of shallow foundation settlement with a size of 2 m x 2 m with a depth of 1 m in untreated soils with a thickness of 6 m and in stabilized peat soils. Stabilization used by 10% of the dry weight of the soil with a content of 30% lime + 70% ash husk rice. Calculation of the settlement in stabilized peat soil, there’re 5 variations of stabilization thickness ranging from 2 m – 6m. Within 30 years, the total settlement of untreated peat soil by 1,25828 m, as well as for stabilizing peat soils with a thickness of 2 m - 6 m experienced a total settlement of 0,534587 m to 0,379714 m. Peningkatan kebutuhan rumah tinggal selaras dengan peningkatan jumlah penduduk. Pada umumnya bangunan rumah tinggal di Indonesia hanya berkisar 1- 2 lantai, dimana membutuhkan fondasi dangkal untuk menopang beban. Tanah merupakan salah satu aspek penting, dimana tanah menopang seluruh bangunan yang berdiri diatasnya. Salah satu kendala pembangunan yang ditemui di Kalimantan adalah lapisan tanah gambut. Pembangunan bangunan diatas tanah gambut akan menimbulkan masalah seperti daya dukung yang rendah serta penurunan yang besar, maka dari itu perlu perbaikan sebelum digunakan. Penelitian kali ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui sebuah gambaran mengenai penurunan fondasi dangkal dengan ukuran 2 m x 2 m dengan kedalaman 1 m pada tanah gambut asli (untreated soil) dengan ketebalan 6 m serta pada tanah gambut yang telah distabilisasi. Stabilisasi yang digunakan sebesar 10% dari berat kering tanah dengan kadar 30% kapur + 70% abu sekam padi. Perhitungan penurunan pada tanah gambut yang telah distabilisasi, ada 5 variasi ketebalan stabilisasi mulai dari 2 m – 6m. Dalam jangka waktu 30 tahun, penurunan total tanah gambut asli sebesar 1,25828 m, serta untuk tanah gambut stabilisasi dengan ketebalan 2 m – 6 m mengalami penurunan total sebesar 0,534587 m sampai 0,379714 m.

SYNTHESIS OF CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE FROM RICE HUSK

Objective: The purpose of this research was to produce carboxymethyl cellulose from rice husk (CMCRH) and used it as a raw material in food orhealth products.Methods: Cellulose was extracted from husk rice and converted to CMC (CMCRH) using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and monochloroacetic acid inisopropanol (C3H8O).Results: CMCRH was characterized for chemical composition and morphology by scanning electron microscopy. Microscopy analysis showed thatchemical composition changes with increasing sodium content (Na-). Likewise, morphology has changed. Physicochemical and viscosity tests showedthat were similar properties compare with commercial CMC.Conclusion: CMC is derived cellulose that is used in products for various applications. RH is an agricultural waste that is carried out to synthesize CMC(CMCRH). Finally, CMCRH has the potential to be used in raw materials in food or health products which biodegradable material.

Effect of NaOH on biogas production under SSAD conditions along with kinetics studies

Indonesia is a large rice producing country where from these activities it produces waste in the form of rice husk. Rice husk cannot be degraded by itself due to the lignin content contained in the rice husk. Therefore, treatment is carried out to destroy the lignin content and use it as alternative energy in the form of biogas. The study was conducted at a laboratory scale at room temperature, preliminary treatment using 3% NaOH under the SSAD conditions of 27.5% TS and then biogas production was measured once every two days for 90 days. Furthermore, the results of biogas production were observed between biogas with NaOH and without NaOH and carried out a study of the kinetics. The result is that biogas production with NaOH is higher, reaching 59.2 mL/grTS whereas without NaOH at 14.7 mL/grTS. The results of kinetic studies using mathematical modeling through the Gompertz equation, the variable with NaOH is known to have a maximum biogas production of 63.9 mL/grTS, a daily biogas production rate of 0.97 mL/grTS.day and the initial formation of biogas significantly on the 8th day.

Yield performance of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) on different substrate

Substrate type is an important factor determining growth and yield of oyster mushroom. Five different substrates namely rice straw, maize husks, banana leaves, fingermillet husk and mixture of rice straw and black gram pod shell (1:1) were evaluated for the yield and related attributes of Pleurotus ostreatus. Standard cultivation practice was followed with steam sterilization and spawning was done on 575 g of substrate in individual poly-bag. The data of three flushes were recorded. Our results revealed that full spawn run completed earlier (18.57 days) in fingermillet husk as compared to any other tested substrates. The highest total quantity yield was obtained in fingermillet husk (1024.57g/bag) and rice straw (956.14g/bag) with corresponding biological efficiency 178.19% and 166.29%, respectively which were significantly higher than all other treatments (Mandeel et al., 2005). The cropping duration was significantly higher in maize husks and banana leaves as compared to rest of three treatments viz., fingermillet husk, rice straw and mixture of rice straw and black gram pod shell (1:1). These three treatments were not statistically different for cropping duration with each other. Considering the biological efficiency and earliness of crop the performance of fingermillet husk, followed by rice straw was found to be better.