Slow Pyrolysis of Sugarcane Bagasse for the Production of Char and the Potential of Its By-Product for Wood Protection

Sugarcane bagasse was pyrolyzed using a laboratory fixed bed reactor to produce char and its by-product(pyrolysis liquid).The pyrolysis experiments were carried out using different temperatures(400℃ and 500℃),heating rate(1℃/min and 10℃/min),and holding time(30 min and 60 min).Char was characterized according to its thermal properties,while the pyrolysis liquid was tested for its anti-fungal and anti-termite activities.Pyrolysis temperature and heating rate had a significant influence on the char properties and the yield of char and pyrolysis liquid,where a high-quality char and high yield of pyrolysis liquid can be obtained at a temperature of 500℃ and a heating rate of 10℃/min.The yield of char and pyrolysis liquid was 28.97%and 55.46%,respectively.The principal compounds of pyrolysis liquid were water,acetic acid,glycolaldehyde,1-hydroxy-2-propanone,methanol,formic acid,levoglucosan,furfural,followed by some phenol compounds and guaiacol derivatives.Pyrolysis liquid at a concentration of 0.20%and 0.25%(v/v)caused a 100%inhibition of Coniophora puteana and Trametes versicolor,respectively,when performing inhibition growth tests in Petri dishes.Filter paper treated with 10%of pyrolysis liquid caused 100%of termite mortality,while only 5.65%–7.03%of the treated filter papers consumed by termites at such concentration.Pyrolysis liquid is potentially effective to be used in the formulation of wood protection against fungi and termites.

Perceptions of the Role Played by Aquaculture and the Services It Provides for Territories: Complementarity of Survey Types

This article discusses the perception of ecosystem services for French and Brazilian pond fish farming. Its aim is to study the extent to which the industry and its stakeholders are aware of the existence of such services in order to be able to prioritize them with respect to social well-being. This identification phase is seldom discussed. It requires that survey questionnaires be designed so as to improve understanding of these perceptions. The surveys undertaken combined both open questions where the interviewees expressed their perceptions spontaneously and closed questions where they were invited to rank a pre-established list of the relevant services. These surveys involved 133 fish farmers and 93 stakeholders. The results show that perceptions differ by question type, and confirm the significance of the questionnaire design and the importance of combining several kinds of approach.

On the effectiveness of dry drainage in soil salinity control

Dry drainage is thought to be a potential approach to control soil salinity. This study took the Hetao Irrigation District as an example and evaluated the effectiveness of dry drainage by using remote sensing, a conceptual model and a field experiment. Archived remote sensing images from 1973―2006 were used to delineate the temporal and spatial change of soil salinity. The conceptual water and salt balance model was used to evaluate the role of dry drainage in removing excess salt from the irrigated land. The field experiment was performed to get field validation and give more accurate estimation. The results show that dry drainage did contribute to remove excess salt from the irrigated land and succeed in controlling soil salinity in the Hetao Irrigation District. It can be taken as an alternative approach in (semi-)arid area where artificial drainage is not applicable.

Effect of physiological harvest stages on the composition of bioactive compounds in Cavendish bananas

The combined influence of maturation,ripening,and climate on the profile of bioactive compounds was studied in banana(Musa acuminata,AAA,Cavendish,cv.Grande Naine).Their bioactive compounds were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and high-performance thin layer chromatographic(HPTLC) method.The polyphenol content of bananas harvested after 400 degree days remained unchanged during ripening,while bananas harvested after 600 and 900 degree days exhibited a significant polyphenol increase.Although dopamine was the polyphenol with the highest concentration in banana peels during the green developmental stage and ripening,its kinetics differed from the total polyphenol profile.Our results showed that this matrix of choice(maturation,ripening,and climate) may allow selection of the banana(M.acuminata,AAA,Cavendish,cv.Grande Naine) status that will produce optimal concentrations of identified compounds with human health relevance.