FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / Apesar da importÃncia do saneamento ambiental para o bem-estar do homem e para a conservaÃÃo dos recursos naturais, uma grande parcela da populaÃÃo mundial nÃo tem acesso aos serviÃos bÃsicos de saneamento. A disposiÃÃo no solo hà muitos anos mostra-se como opÃÃo para tratamento e pÃs-tratamento de efluentes domÃsticos, sendo que a recusa por grande parte da populaÃÃo reside da ignorÃncia e da falta de informaÃÃes adequadas quanto Ãs formas de reÃso que podem ser oferecidas. O escoamento superficial mostra-se simples quanto à construÃÃo e operaÃÃo, bem como a produÃÃo vegetal obtida com esse tipo de sistema. Foi testada a grama Tifton 85(Cynodon sp), pois possui grande adaptaÃÃo a condiÃÃes de altas concentraÃÃes de nutriente e umidade, mostrando-se como opÃÃo viÃvel para cultivo em rampas de escoamento superficial. O experimento foi realizaÃÃo no Centro de ReÃso da CAGECE localizado na EstaÃÃo de Tratamento de Efluentes da cidade de Aquiraz, CearÃ. Foram construÃdas trÃs rampas de escoamento superficial com inclinaÃÃes diferentes, 2%, 4% e 6% com 30 metros de comprimento e 10 metros adicionais na rampa de 6% de inclinaÃÃo. O lÃquido aplicado nas rampas era esgoto sanitÃrio tratado, proveniente de lagoa de maturaÃÃo. As taxas de aplicaÃÃo de esgoto testadas foram 0,2m3/m.h, 0,3 m3/m.h e 0,4 m3/m.h. Avaliou-se a capacidade do sistema em remover nutrientes, nitrogÃnio e fÃsforo, bem como matÃria orgÃnica. Com a realizaÃÃo de anÃlises quantitativas foi possÃvel determinar qual inclinaÃÃo permitia maior remoÃÃo e em qual vazÃo de operaÃÃo. Para taxas de 0,2m3/m.h, 0,3 m3/m.h a rampa com 2% de inclinaÃÃo alcanÃou 57,65% e 57,11% de remoÃÃo de matÃria orgÃnica respectivamente. Em termos de remoÃÃo de nitrogÃnio a rampa com 6% teve melhor desempenho. O sistema tambÃm apresentou remoÃÃes significativas de microalgas, avaliados em termos de clorofila-a. Em todos os aspectos analisados, o sistema melhorou a qualidade final do efluente, mostrando-se como alternativa viÃvel, com tÃcnica simples e barata compatÃvel com a realidade econÃmica do nordeste brasileiro

Orientador: Telma Teixeira Franco / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-09T23:18:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lopes_EduardoJacob_D.pdf: 2856802 bytes, checksum: 99aa69511cd3a23d2bb08b6d88de2a71 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: A conversão fotossintética de dióxido de carbono em fotobiorreatores foi investigada com o propósito do desenvolvimento de um sistema biológico para o seqüestro de carbono. O processo utilizado consiste na transferência de dióxido de carbono gasoso para a fase líquida de um reator, no qual este composto é convertido em produtos do metabolismo fotossintético pela atividade de microalgas. Em face disto, o trabalho teve por objetivos: (1) avaliar o cultivo fotossintético da microalga $SKDQRWKHFH_ PLFURVFRSLFD_ 1lJHOL em diferentes condições de temperatura, intensidade luminosa e concentração de dióxido de carbono; (2) avaliar a cinética de absorção/dessorção de dióxido de carbono em fotobiorreatores; (3) definir as condições operacionais apropriadas para a remoção biológica de carbono; (4) avaliar os efeitos dos ciclos de luminosidade na fixação de dióxido de carbono e (5) estudar diferentes configurações e modos de operação de fotobiorreatores para remoção de CO2. A capacidade de seqüestro de carbono do sistema foi considerada através de análises dos perfis de CO2 livre na fase líquida do sistema, medidas das concentrações da fase gasosa e conversão estequiométrica em biomassa. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram a importância dos parâmetros operacionais avaliados na fixação de carbono em biomassa, bem como na remoção de global de CO2. O uso da metodologia de superfície de resposta foi adequada na otimização do processo, a qual resultou em um acréscimo superior a 58% nas densidades celulares máximas. O efeito da duração do ciclo de luz foi determinante no desempenho do processo, resultando em reduções de eficiências máximas de até 99,69%. As configurações de reatores estudadas demonstraram o melhor desempenho dos sistemas air-lift, quando comparados aos reatores de coluna de bolhas. Quanto ao modo de operação, os sistemas com recirculação do ar contaminado demonstraram-se eficientes para o abatimento de reduzidas quantidades de dióxido de carbono, embora as séries de dois reatores ligados em série tenham maior eficiência e capacidade de eliminação de dióxido de carbono. O atual estágio de desenvolvimento deste trabalho evidenciou o potencial da aplicação deste tipo de reator em processos de seqüestro de carbono, devido às elevadas taxas de eliminação obtidas. Entretanto, apenas a caracterização parcial das rotas de conversão fotossintética de CO2 foi considerada / Abstract: The photosynthetic conversion of carbon dioxide in photobioreactors was investigated with the objective of developing a biological carbon sequestering system. The process used consisted of transferring gaseous carbon dioxide to the liquid phase of a reactor, in which this compound was converted into photosynthetic metabolism products by the activity of microalgae. Considering this, the objectives of the present work were: (1) evaluate the photosynthetic culture of the microalgae $SKDQRWKHFH_PLFURVFRSLFD_1lJHOL under different conditions of temperature, light intensity and carbon dioxide concentration; (2) evaluate the absorption/desorption kinetics of carbon dioxide in photobioreactors; (3) define the appropriate operational conditions for the biological removal of carbon; (4) evaluate the effects of light cycles on the fixation of carbon dioxide and (5) study different configurations and operational modes of photobioreactors for the removal of CO2. The carbon sequestering capacity of the system was considered from an analysis of the free CO2 profiles in the liquid phase of the system, measurements of the gas phase concentration and the stoichiometric conversion into biomass. The results obtained demonstrated the importance of the operational parameters evaluated in the fixation of carbon in biomass, as also in the overall removal of CO2. The use of response surface methodology was adequate to optimise the process, and resulted in an increase greater than 58% in the maximum cell density. The effect of the duration of the light cycle was determinant in process performance, resulting in reductions in maximum efficiency of up to 99.69%. The configurations of the reactors studied demonstrated the superior performance of airlift systems, as compared to bubble-column reactors. With respect to operational mode, the systems involving the recirculation of contaminated air were shown to be efficient in decreasing reduced amounts of carbon dioxide, although two reactors connected in series were more efficient and showed greater capacity in eliminating carbon dioxide. The current stage of development of this work is evidence of the potential for the application of this type of reactor in carbon sequestering processes, due to the elevated elimination rates. However, only the partial characterisation of the photosynthetic CO2 conversion routes was considered. / Doutorado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Químicos / Doutor em Engenharia Química

Neste trabalho é proposto o desenvolvimento de um processo para a biofixação do dióxido de carbono através do uso de microalgas. Para o cultivo desses microrganismos foram utilizados fotobiorreatores do tipo airlift. Nos cultivos foram avaliadas espécies de microalgas (Chlorella sp. e Chlorella minutissima), influência da intensidade luminosa (2.200 a 24.500 lx), concentração salina (28 a 40 g.L-1) e temperatura (25 °C a 35 °C) sobre a concentração de biomassa, velocidade específica de crescimento, produtividade de biomassa, biofixação de CO2, conteúdo lipídico e carotenoides totais. Também foi realizada a identificação dos carotenoides. A microalga escolhida para os testes em fotobiorreatores foi a C. minutissima. A intensidade luminosa que apresentou os melhores resultados foi a de 17.000 lx. A temperatura mostrou possuir influência significativa na concentração de biomassa, na velocidade específica de crescimento e na biofixação de carbono, mas a concentração salina influenciou apenas a velocidade específica de crescimento. A temperatura de 25 °C apresentou as maiores produtividade de biomassa (0,094 g.L-1.d-1) e concentração de biomassa (0,43 g.L-1), independente da concentração salina, e as maiores velocidade específica de crescimento (0,81 d-1) e biofixação de CO2 (12 gCO2.m-3.h-1), na concentração salina de 37 g.L-1. O conteúdo lipídico médio das microalgas foi de 13,2 % e os carotenoides totais apresentaram teor de 0,25 % do peso seco das microalgas em todas as condições de concentração salina e temperatura testadas. Foi possível identificar a produção dos carotenoides luteína, zeaxantina e β-caroteno. / The present study proposes the development of a process for carbon dioxide biofixation through the use of microalgae. Flat-plate airlift photobioreactors were used. Microalgaes species (Chlorella sp. and Chlorella minutissima) and the influence of light intensity (2,200 to 24,000 lx), salt concentration (28 to 40 g.L-1) and temperature (25 to 35 °C) over biomass concentration, specific growth rate, biomass productivity, CO2 biofixation rate, lipid content and total carotenoids content were evaluated. The identification of the carotenoids was performed. C. minutissima showed the best performance in shaker and was chosen for the tests in photobioreactor. The light intensity of 17,000 lx presented the best results. The temperature showed to have significant influence over biomass concentration, specific growth rate and CO2 biofixation rate, but the salt concentration only affected the specific growth rate. The temperature of 25 °C allowed the highest biomass productivity (0.094 g.L-1.d-1) and biomass concentration (0.43 g.L-1), independent of salt concentration, and the highest specific growth rate (0.81 d-1) and CO2 biofixation rate (12 gCO2.m-3.h-1) at the salt concentration of 37 g.L-1. The average lipid content of the microalgae was 13.2 % and the total carotenoids content were about 0.25 % of the cell dry weight at all temperatures and salt concentrations tested. It was possible to identify the production of the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene.

Alguns conceitos de biorrefinarias estão baseados em processos termoquímicos, sendo a pirólise rápida um dos mais promissores desses processos. Os produtos da pirólise rápida são: o bio-óleo, gases combustíveis e carvão, sendo a distribuição típica de 50:30:20 em base mássica. O bio-óleo é o principal produto, e pode ser diretamente usado como combustível, ou pós-processados para a obtenção de químicos de maior valor agregado. O aquecimento com micro-ondas, amplamente empregado na química verde, começa a ser estudado como uma alternativa de aquecimento. Entretanto os rendimentos alcançados em bio-óleo são inferiores aos obtidos pela pirólise rápida convencional, devido essencialmente às suas baixas taxas de aquecimento. Para resolver esse problema esta tese está propondo a utilização de absorvedores de micro-ondas para auxiliar no processo de aquecimento, e também permitir a alimentação semi-contínua e contínua de biomassa ao processo. O uso de leito fluidizado e catalisadores pode ser integrado a esse conceito. As condições de pirólise-rápida são alcançadas devido ao aumento da taxa de aquecimento da biomassa, que passa a ser aquecida de forma híbrida pelo mecanismo de condução de calor através das partículas de absorvedores de micro-ondas aquecidos, e diretamente através do aquecimento dielétrico por micro-ondas. O aumento das taxas de aquecimento resulta em maiores velocidades de reação, possibilitando um aumento de rendimento em bio-óleo. Esse conceito foi testado experimentalmente em uma unidade em escala de bancada para o processamento de biomassas residuais e microalgas, usando carbeto de silício (SiC) como absorvedor de micro-ondas. Foram verificadas elevadas taxas de aquecimento, sendo a biomassa aquecida e os voláteis removidos do reator quase instantaneamente. Foram obtidos 65% e 64% em rendimentos de bio-óleo para a serragem de madeira e farelo de sabugo de milho, respectivamente. O mesmo sistema foi utilizado para testar a pirólise rápida catalítica. Microalgas foram processadas com e sem a presença de HZSM-5. Rendimentos de 57% e 59% em bio-óleo foram alcançados para Chlorella sp. e Nannochloropsis, respectivamente. Verificaram-se maiores rendimentos comparados com a literatura. Esses resultados indicam que o conceito de pirólise rápida com aquecimento por micro-ondas é tecnicamente viável, necessitando de estudos complementares para evidenciar a sua viabilidade econômica. / Some concepts of biorefineries are based on thermochemical processes and fast pyrolysis is one of the most promising of these processes. The fast pyrolysis products are biooil, fuel gas and char, with typical distribution of 50:30:20 in weight basis. The bio-oil is the main product, and it can be directly used as fuel, or post-processed in order to obtain higher value added chemicals. The microwave heating, widely used in green chemistry, begins to be studied as an alternative heating. However the yields achieved in bio-oil are lower than those obtained by the conventional fast pyrolysis, mainly due to its low heating rates. To solve this problem this thesis is proposing the use of microwave absorbers to improve the heating process, and that also allow semi-continuous and continuous feeding of biomass to the process. The use of fluidized bed and catalysts can be integrated into this concept. The fast pyrolysis conditions are achieved due to increased heating rate of biomass, which becomes heated in a hybrid way by heat conduction mechanism from heated microwave absorbers, and directly through the dielectric heating from microwaves. The increase in heating rates results in higher reaction rates, allowing higher yields of bio-oil. This concept has been experimentally tested in a bench scale unit for processing waste biomass and microalgae using silicon carbide (SiC) as a microwave absorber. High heating rates were observed, the heated biomass and the volatiles were removed from the reactor almost instantaneously. A maximum bio-oil yield of 65% and 64% was obtained for wood sawdust and corn stover, respectively. The same system was used to test the catalytic fast pyrolysis. Microalgae were processed with and without the presence of HZSM-5. Yields of 57% and 59% of bio-oil were achieved for Chlorella sp. and Nannochloropsis, respectively. Higher yields of bio-oil were observed compared to the literature. These results suggest that the concept of fast microwave-assisted pyrolysis is technically feasible, requiring further studies to demonstrate its economic viability.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-04-19T15:54:36Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Emmanuel Bezerra D’Alessandro - 2017.pdf: 5468492 bytes, checksum: 142fd12ec077386e23484e261e25c7ea (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-04-19T15:55:07Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Emmanuel Bezerra D’Alessandro - 2017.pdf: 5468492 bytes, checksum: 142fd12ec077386e23484e261e25c7ea (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-19T15:55:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Emmanuel Bezerra D’Alessandro - 2017.pdf: 5468492 bytes, checksum: 142fd12ec077386e23484e261e25c7ea (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-31 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Global energy needs are steadily increasing, driven by the rise in both industrialization and population. The major sources of energy are non-renewable and highly polluting. Therefore, the demand for renewable fuels is increasing. One source of renewable fuels is biomass, such as that of microalgae. Microalgae biomasses are a source of lipids and antioxidant pigments and have great potential for biodiesel production and lutein, which have high commercial value. Therefore, in this study I tested the feasibility of producing biodiesel and lutein from microalgae of extremophile environmental of Central Brazil. The freshwater microalgae T. minimum, P.morum, D. communis, N. digitus, E. planctonicus and A. obliquus were collected, isolated, and cultivated in the laboratory, comparing their lipid productivity with that of soybean and lutein productivity with that of Marigold, which is the main raw material for this pigment . The percentage of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) of microalgae varied from 9.6 to 21.3%, being A. obliquus the species with the highest content of fatty acids, E. planctonicus with the highest content of lutein and D. communis the one with the highest productivity of biomass, biodiesel and lutein. The D. communis fatty acid profile was also suitable for biodiesel production, since it produced up to 21 times more biodiesel than soybean, but consuming up to 4.8% of the area and 42 times less water. Microalgae cultivation for biodiesel production can be done with less complex and low-cost culture media, including waste water from biodiesel plants. Thus, although the BBM medium had higher biodiesel productivity, the less nutritive media (DAF + OGR and DAF) also yielded adequate biodiesel amounts, being 72% cheaper than BBM. Thus, the biodiesel yield of A. obliquus grown in DAF + OGR was 46 times higher than that of soybeans, using 7.2% of water and 2.2% of the area. These results demonstrate the potential of microalgae in the biodiesel production chain / A demanda por energia aumenta continuamente em nível mundial, impulsionadas tanto pelo aumento da industrialização como também pelo aumento populacional, sendo grande parte dessas necessidades ainda supridas fontes não renovável e altamente poluente e, portanto, limitados às reservas existentes. Assim, a procura por combustíveis derivados de fontes renováveis vêm aumentando a cada dia, sendo intensa a busca por biomassa tais como as microalgas, as quais, por serem fontes de lipídios e pigmentos antioxidantes, vêm sendo estudadas com respeito a seu potencial para produção de biodiesel e luteína, que possui alto valor comercial. Dessa forma, este estudo buscou avaliar a viabilidade da utilização de microalgas de ambientes extremófilos do Brasil Central na produção de biodiesel e luteína. As microalgas dulcícolas T. minimum, P.morum, D. communis, N. digitus, E. planctonicus e A. obliquus foram coletadas em ambientes extremófilos, isoladas e cultivadas em laboratório, tendo sua produtividade lipídica comparada com a da semente de soja e a produtividade de luteína comparada com as flores de Marigold, que é a principal matéria-prima para tal pigmento. As microalgas extremófilas apresentaram potencial para biodiesel, gerando porcentagem de ésteres metílicos de ácidos graxos variando de 9,6 a 21,3%, sendo A. obliquus com maior teor de ácidos graxos, E. planctonicus com maior teor de luteína e D. communis com maior destaque na produtividade de biomassa, biodiesel e luteína. D. communis também apresentou perfil de ácidos graxos adequados para biodiesel, além de produzir até 21 vezes mais biodiesel que a semente de soja. Através das estimativas comparativas concluiu-se que D. communis consumiria até 4,8% da área e 42 vezes menos água do que a usada pelo cultivo de soja para produzir a mesma quantidade de biodiesel. Verificou-se que o cultivo de microalgas para a produção de biodiesel pode ser feito com o uso de meios de menor complexidade e custo, usando inclusive águas residuais que podem ser encontradas em usinas de biodiesel. Assim, apesar do meio de cultivo convencional BBM apresentar maior produtividade em biodiesel, os meios com menos nutrientes (DAF+OGR e DAF), também proporcionaram adequados rendimentos em biodiesel, sendo 72% mais econômicos que o meio BBM. Assim, verificou-se que para A. obliquus cultivada no meio de menor custo, DAF+OGR, a produtividade em biodiesel foi 46 vezes superior ao da soja, com uso de 7,2% de água e 2,2% da área usada no cultivo de soja para produção de mesma quantidade de biodiesel, mostrando o potencial das microalgas para a cadeia de produção e uso de biodiesel.

Orientador: Gonçalo Amarante Guimarães Pereira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T15:05:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida_GustavoPereirade_M.pdf: 7665145 bytes, checksum: 3fef8dc5d333834f8117015fea3b10ef (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: A produção de energia por meio de fontes renováveis é uma exigência atual para se atingir uma economia sustentável. Os organismos fotossintetizantes surgem nesse contexto como ferramentas importantes na produção de compostos carbônicos ricos em energia, com destaque para microalgas em que tais compostos podem atingir até 80% do peso seco. Entretanto, um fator ainda desfavorável para sua utilização é o seu baixo rendimento na produção de biomassa. A espécie Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, por exemplo, é capaz de duplicar apenas algumas vezes durante 24 horas. As vias que controlam o crescimento celular, portanto, são alvos promissores para modificação genética. Dentre essas vias, à via de sinalização sensível à rapamicina aparece como um controlador central. Com o intuito de entender melhor como esse controle é exercido ao nível da expressão gênica global, foi utilizado a ferramenta de sequenciamento de RNA em larga escala para obtenção dos transcriptomas de culturas (sincronizadas) sob inibição dessa via e na condição controle, em oito momentos ao longo de um ciclo celular de 24h. O controle exercido por essa via sobre o metabolismo e sobre o ciclo celular foi o foco das análises. Foi encontrado que a inibição da via da TOR é capaz de gerar uma resposta de direcionamento parcial do metabolismo para a produção de TAG em detrimento de moléculas complexas como proteínas. Esse direcionamento foi considerado parcial devido à ocorrência concomitante de reações catabólicas. Outros dados obtidos sugerem que a via da TOR, além de regular o metabolismo de uma maneira geral e diversas funções celulares, também exerce influência sobre o progresso do ciclo celular e sua inibição resulta no atraso do desenvolvimento das fases do ciclo. Diversos fatores reguladores da transcrição envolvidos no desenvolvimento, no crescimento e na regulação do ciclo celular, foram encontrados diferencialmente expressos e constituem possíveis genes chave no controle do crescimento. Eles representam alvos em potencial para modificação genética com intuito de otimizar as taxas de crescimento na primeira etapa do sistema de produção. Na busca de alternativas aos processos atuais de indução do acúmulo de cadeias carbônicas, os efeitos da combinação rapamicina e via da TOR representam uma abordagem interessante para pesquisas futuras para viabilização da utilização de microalgas como fonte de energia. Este estudo possibilitou um melhor entendimento da atuação da via da TOR no crescimento e progresso do ciclo celular em C. reinhardtii ao nível de expressão gênica / Abstract: The energy production through renewable sources is an actual demand for achieving a sustainable economy. In this context, photosynthesizing organisms come to light as important tools for the production of energy-rich carbonic compounds, especially the microalgae, in which these compounds can reach up to 80% of the dry weight. However, an unfavorable factor for its utilization is the low yield of biomass production. The species Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, for instance, is capable of achieving only some duplication after 24 hours. The pathways that control cell growth are therefore promising targets for genetic modification. Among them, the rapamycin-sensitive signaling pathway emerges as a central controller. With the aim of better understanding how this control is fulfilled by the means of global gene expression, the high throughput RNA sequencing technology was used. With it, the synchronized cultures transcriptome under the inhibition of this pathway and in the control condition, of eight points during a cellular cycle of 24 hours, were obtained. The metabolism and the cell cycle control by the TOR pathway was the main focus of the analysis. It was found that the inhibition of this pathway is capable to partially draw the metabolism towards TAG production to the detriment of producing more complex chains as proteins. This directing was considered partial due to the concomitant occurrence of catabolic reactions. Other data suggested that the TOR pathway, apart from the metabolism regulation in a general way and regulation of many other cellular functions, also influence the cell cycle progression and its inhibition retards the development of cell phases. Several transcription regulators involved in development, growth and cell cycle regulation were found out to be differentially expressed and are likely to constitute key genes in growth control. They represent potential targets for genetic modification aiming the optimization of growth rate in the first step of the production system. In the search for alternatives to the current process of inducing carbon chain accumulation, the effects of the combination between rapamycin and TOR pathway represent an interesting approach for future research intending to turn the utilization of microalgae as an energy source into a feasible option. This study enabled a better understanding of the role of the TOR pathway in growth and cell cycle progression of C. reinhardtii at the level of gene expression / Mestrado / Genetica de Microorganismos / Mestre em Genética e Biologia Molecular

High rate algae oxidation ponds (HRAOP) for domestic wastewater treatment generate biosolids that are predominantly microalgae. Consequently, HRAOP biosolids are enriched with minerals, amino acids, nutrients and possibly contain plant growth regulator (PGR)-like substances, which makes HRAOP biosolids attractive as fertiliser or PGR. This study investigated HRAOP biosolids as a starting material for a natural, cost-effective and readily-available eco-friendly organic fertiliser and/or PGRs. Various HRAOP extract formulations were prepared and their effect on plant growth and development was evaluated using selected bioassays. Initial screening included assessing the effect on change in specific leaf area, radish cotyledon expansion as an indicator of PGR-like activity, and seed germination index (GI). More detailed studies on fertiliser efficacy and PGR-like activity utilised bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants. Combined effects of sonicated (S) and 40% v/v methanol (M) extract (5:1 SM) had impressive plant responses, comparable to Hoagland solution (HS). Other potentially fertiliser formulations included 0.5% M, 1% M, 2.5% S and 5% S formulations. The 5:1 SM and 5% S showed greater PGR-like activity, promoting cotyledon expansion by 459 ± 0.02% and 362 ± 0.01%, respectively. GI data showed that none of the formulations negatively impacted germination. Further investigation showed that the 5% S formulation increased leaf length, width and area by 6.69 ± 0.24, 6.21 ± 0.2 mm and 41.55 ± 0.2 mm². All formulated fertiliser extracts had no adverse effect on chlorophyll content and plant nutrient balance as indicated by C:N (8-10:1) ratio. In addition, plants appeared to actively mobilise nutrients to regions where needed as evidenced by a shift in shoot: root ratio depending on C, N and water availability. Furthermore, 5% S caused a 75% increase in tomato productivity and had no effect on bean productivity. Whereas, 5:1 SM and 1% M formulation improved bean pod production by 33.3% and 11%, respectively but did not affect tomato production. Harvest index (HI) however indicated a 3% reduction in tomato productivity with 5:1 SM and little or no enhancement in bean productivity with both 5:1 SM and 5% S treatments. Bean plants treated with 5:1 SM and 5% S produced larger fruits, which could be an indication of the presence of a PGR effect. Overall, HRAOP biosolids extracts prepared and investigated in this study demonstrated both fertiliser characteristics and PGR-like activity with performances comparable and in some cases exceeding that of commercial products. However additional research is needed to confirm presence of PGR-like activities and fertiliser efficacy.

No description available.

An ecological reserve study by the Department of Water Affairs on the Great Brak Estuary stated that there was a need to determine how much nitrogen and phosphorus was flowing through the estuary as well as how effective the macroalgae were at removing N and P. The objective of this study was to investigate the physico-chemical characteristics in the estuary and the influence of these on the submerged macrophytes and macroalgae. A nutrient budget for the estuary was developed in order to quantify the contribution of the submerged macrophytes and macroalgae relative to other contributing sources. The Wolwedans Dam located 3 km upstream from the estuary has reduced the amount of freshwater flow to the estuary by as much as 56 percent. The estuary has been allocated 2 x 106 m3 per annum of freshwater (ecological reserve) that is used to breach the mouth once or twice a year in spring or summer. Even though this water has been made available it is not sufficient to flush the estuary. Reduced flushing has led to an accumulation of organic matter and degradation in the water quality. Physico-chemical measurements between September 2010 and July 2012 showed that dissolved oxygen values were generally below 6 mg l-1. The average NH4+ concentration in the estuary was 7 μM and increased with depth to 12 μM at 2 m depths. Concentrations >45 μM were found in February and April 2011 at the 5 m deep hole at 3.4 km upstream. Negative correlations between dissolved oxygen and NH4+ during November 2010, February 2011, April 2011 and July 2011 (r = -0.68; -0.67; -0.63; -0.96) indicated that remineralisation of organic matter had occurred. Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) followed a similar trend to the NH4+ and was generally below 1 μM in the water column for most months, and had peaks at 1.0 km and 3.4 km in the bottom water. The abundance of submerged macrophytes and macroalgae below the N2 bridge were mostly influenced by mouth state and river inflow. During the closed phase the dominant macroalga Cladophora glomerata had an area cover ranging from 3000 to 6000 m2 while Zostera capensis and Ruppia cirrhosa covered an area of 2000 to 3500 m2 and 1500 to 2900 m2, respectively. After an artificial breach in February 2011, water drained out of the estuary leaving the alga stranded on the marshes and as the flood tide entered the macroalga was once again redistributed in the lower reaches. The alga utilised the available nutrients in the water column and expanded its area cover from 35000 m2 in February 2011 to 64000 m2 in March 2011. However, after the floods in June 2011, Cladophora glomerata had been washed out of the system while the submerged macrophytes responded positively extending their area cover. By comparing the artificial breach with the natural breach, and the effect on the estuary, an important observation was highlighted. Increasing the current allocated ecological reserve, and using a larger volume of water to breach the mouth artificially, would result in better scouring of sediment and associated organic matter out of the estuary. This would enable better oxygenation of the water column, reduce remineralisation and minimise algal blooms.

The present study was undertaken in the temporarily open/closed Mngazi and permanently open Mngazana estuaries, located on the subtropical east coast of South Africa. The results from this research will assist decision makers in the freshwater management of these systems. Intertidal and subtidal benthic chlorophyll a concentrations, water column chlorophyll a, nutrients and several physico-chemical parameters were measured between June 2002 and November 2003. The objective of this study was to determine if the presence of freshwater in the estuaries had an effect on the microalgae of both estuaries. Five sites were sampled in the Mngazi Estuary and 14 sites were sampled in the Mngazana Estuary. The average water column chlorophyll a was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the Mngazana Estuary (surface 7.8 ± 0.7 μg.l-1, bottom 6.4 ± 0.7 μg.l-1) compared to the Mngazi Estuary (surface 4.9 ± 1.2 μg.l-1, bottom 7.3 ± 1.5 μg.l-1). There was no evidence of an REI (river-estuary interface) zone in areas where the water column chlorophyll a concentrations were high even during open mouth conditions in the Mngazi Estuary. The REI is that area where salinity is less than 10 ppt and is characterized by high water column productivity. Even though both systems received some freshwater during the summer periods, this was not enough to stimulate phytoplankton growth and nutrient availability seems to be the major factor limiting phytoplankton in these systems. Flagellates and diatoms were the dominant phytoplankton groups in both estuaries during the entire sampling session. The relative abundance of the different phytoplankton groups did not show differences between sites. The relative abundance of flagellates was in most cases greater than 60% and diatoms made up the remainder. The average benthic chlorophyll a was higher in the Mngazana Estuary (intertidal 24 ± 6 μg.g-1 subtidal 15.2 ± 3 μg.g-1) compared to the Mngazi Estuary (intertidal 15.3 ± 4.3 μg.g-1 subtidal 5.4 ± 1.6 μg.g-1). Regions with high benthic chlorophyll a concentrations had high sediment organic content. Sediment organic content was higher in the Mngazana Estuary (1 percent - 8 percent) compared to the Mngazi Estuary (4 percent – 6.8 percent). The sites situated on the Main Channel had on average significantly higher (p<0.05) benthic chlorophyll a biomass compared to Creek 1 and Creek 2 in the Mngazana Estuary. Peaks in benthic chlorophyll a concentrations occurred in the intertidal sediments in Creek 1 (50.4 ± 13.4 μg.g-1) and Creek 2 (57.4 ± 1.4 μg.g-1) in the Mngazana Estuary, the peaks occurred in winter during a period of low freshwater inflow into the estuary. Microphytobenthic biomass measured in the Mngazi Estuary is among the lowest values reported in the literature for temporarily open/closed estuaries. Statistical 4 analysis showed no significant difference between benthic chlorophyll a during the different mouth conditions and sampling sessions in the Mngazi Estuary. Microalgal responses in the Mngazana Estuary were similar to those observed in other permanently open marine dominated estuaries. In the temporarily open/closed Mngazi Estuary microalgal characteristics were different to that of other temporarily open/closed estuaries probably because the estuary was only sampled in the open and semi-closed state.