in the current context of searches for Bioproducts from renewable sources and the concern with environmental conditions makes biofuels, which are produced from biomass, an alternative to the global dependence on petroleum products. In this way, there is a growing appreciation of wastes from agro-industry as a source of lignocellulosic feedstock for ethanol 2 g (second-generation ethanol). In this sense, the aim of this study was to evaluate the steps of hydrolysis and fermentation of straw and hydrolytic stock corn cob for second-generation ethanol production, testing various process conditions. For this purpose, the corn residues were pretreated with 0.5% H2SO4 at 121ºc for 15 minutes in enzymatic hydrolysis tests in table rotating type incubator shaker to 50ºc and 150rpm, using 20FPU/mL of enzyme Cellic Ctec 2 ®, varying the load of biomass hydrolysis time and type of biomass according to the experimental planning, which made the study of the best operation conditions of hydrolysis through observation of the effects and combinations of parameters, where the best ART index (g/L) was for straw with 5 g of biomass for 48 hours getting 30, 68 g/L, in the range investigated. Fermentation was conducted in shaker to 30ºc, 200 rpm for 24 hours with 90.97% fermentation efficiency, obtaining 3, 9 g/L of alcohol. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / No contexto atual da procura por bioprodutos a partir de fontes renováveis e a preocupação com as condições ambientais torna os biocombustíveis, que são produzidos a partir de biomassa, uma alternativa à dependência mundial por produtos derivados de petróleo. Desta forma, há uma crescente valorização de resíduos provenientes da agroindústria como fonte de matéria-prima lignocelulósica para obtenção de etanol 2G (etanol de segunda geração). Neste sentido, o objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar as etapas de hidrólise e fermentação do caldo hidrolítico da palha e do sabugo de milho para produção de etanol de segunda geração, testando diferentes condições de processo. Para tanto, foram utilizados resíduos de milho pré-tratados com H2SO4 0,5% a 121ºC por 15 minutos em ensaios de hidrólise enzimática em mesa incubadora rotativa tipo shaker à 50ºC e 150rpm, utilizando 20FPU/mL de enzima Cellic Ctec 2®, variando a carga de biomassa, tempo de hidrólise e tipo de biomassa de acordo com o planejamento experimental, o qual viabilizou o estudo das melhores condições de operação da hidrólise, através da observação dos efeitos e combinações dos parâmetros, onde o melhor índice de ART (g/L) foi para a palha com 5 g de biomassa por 48 horas obtendo 30,68g/L, na faixa investigada. A fermentação foi conduzida em shaker à 30ºC, 200rpm por 24hs com eficiência de fermentação de 90,97%, obtendo-se 3,9g/L de álcool.

With the State of Alagoas as the third largest citrus producer in the Northeast region of Brazil, specifically cultivating Laranja Lima, being of fundamental importance the study of the hydrolyzate of Laranja Lima albedo for the planning of bioethanol production. The characterization of the Lima Orange albedo from the Cooplal juice industry of the municipality of Santana do Mundaú was carried out at the Bioflex 01 Industrial Laboratory of GRANBIO. For the hydrolysis process of the biomass were used the acids: hydrochloric, nitric, phosphoric and sulfuric with concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0% and periods of 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. The experimental design was completely randomized in the 4 x 2 x 4 factorial scheme, with three replications. Comparisons of the acid type averages within the concentrations and within the evaluation periods were done through the Tukey test at 5% probability. The hydrolysis with sulfuric acid obtained the best results for all variables studied. It is concluded that the hydrolysis process makes fermentable sugars of cellulose and hemicellulose available for the fermentation process. / Tendo o Estado de Alagoas como o terceiro maior produtor de citrus da região Nordeste do Brasil, cultivando especificamente Laranja Lima, sendo de fundamental importância o estudo do hidrolisado do albedo de Laranja Lima para o planejamento da produção de bioetanol. A caracterização do albedo da Laranja Lima da indústria de suco da Cooplal do município de Santana do Mundaú, foi realizado no Laboratório Industrial Bioflex 01 da GRANBIO. Para o processo de hidrólise da biomassa foram utilizados os ácidos: clorídrico, nítrico, fosfórico e sulfúrico com concentrações de 0,5 e 1,0% e períodos de 30, 60, 90 e 120 minutos. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado no esquema fatorial de 4 x 2 x 4, com três repetições. As comparações das médias de tipos de ácidos dentro das concentrações e dentro dos períodos de avaliação foram feitas através pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. A hidrólise com o ácido sulfúrico obteve os melhores resultados para todas variáveis estudados. Conclui-se que o processo de hidrólise torna os açúcares fermentescíveis da celulose e hemicelulose disponíveis para o processo fermentativo.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Gilberto Martins / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Energia, 2016. / Em decorrência da necessidade de realização de tratamento e destinação final adequados de resíduos sólidos urbanos, faz-se necessário o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias. No Brasil, a principal forma de destino final é a disposição em aterros sanitários, porém, a escolha da forma de gestão e tecnologia a ser empregada dependerá das condições particulares de cada região. Considerando que mais de 50% do resíduo sólido urbano brasileiro é orgânico uma das alternativas é a digestão anaeróbia que no Brasil se encontra em desenvolvimento em escala de planta piloto e bancada. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar ensaios laboratoriais de digestão anaeróbia de resíduos alimentares do restaurante universitário da Universidade Federal do ABC com vistas à melhor compreensão do processo e otimização da produção de metano (CH4). Os ensaios foram divididos em quatro etapas (Etapas), sendo as Etapas 1, 2 e 3 realizadas para subsidiar com informações a Etapa 4 em seu planejamento e desenvolvimento. Os experimentos dessa etapa foram realizados de forma a avaliar a produção de metano utilizando diferentes proporções de substrato, submetidos a tratamento aeróbio prévio, em relação ao inóculo sendo 10% S_I (10%), 20% S_I (20%) e 30% S_I (30%), todas realizadas em em triplicata, além de se realizar também o monitoramento da produção de metano do inóculo sem mistura com substrato (I) também em triplicata. O monitoramento da produção de metano foi realizada de forma automática pelo AMPTSII No início e no encerramento foram realizadas análises de densidade, sólidos totais e voláteis, umidade, pH, alcalinidade, acidez, relação AI/AP e carbono/nitrogênio. No que se refere à estabilidade do processo, os resultados de pH, alcalinidade, relação AI/AP e acidez mostraram que ao final do período de monitoramento os reatores não se encontravam em condições desfavoráveis à atividade metanogênica, fato que pode indicar apenas o término do consumo do substrato presente. O monitoramento da produção de metano da triplicata de cada mistura foi encerrado quando se detectou variações muito baixas de produção sendo S_I (10%) monitorado por 47 dias, S_I (20%) monitorado por 53 dias e S_I (30%) e o Inóculo monitorados por 93 dias. No período de 47 dias registrou-se uma produção acumulada de 2.006 ± 277 NmL de CH4 para S_I (10%), sendo que os primeiros 10 dias foram responsáveis pela emissão de 85% do total. Para S_I (20%) que continha o dobro de substrato, no período de 53 dias foi registrado uma produção acumulada de 4.617 ± 359 NmL de CH4, sendo que os primeiros 10 dias foram responsáveis pela emissão de 62%. A mistura "S_I (30%)" continha o triplo de substrato que "S_I (10%)", no entanto, observando os primeiros 10 dias foram registrados apenas 23% do total de gás emitido no período de monitoramento e a resposta proporcional de substrato por volume de gás não ocorreu. No 8° ocorreu uma estagnação da produção de CH4 que estendeuse por aproximadamente 23 dias, retomando a produção após este período. Em relação à produção específica, nos primeiros 19 dias a produção de CH4 em "S_I (10%)" foi a maior dentre as misturas com 550 NmL de CH4/(gSV.dia). Ao final do período de monitoramento de S_I (10%) observa-se que a produção especifica de S_I (20%) foi a maior dentre as misturas com sendo 682 NmL de CH4/(gSV.dia) e 595 NmL de CH4/(gSV.dia) para S_I (10%). Apenas após 93 dias de monitoramento foi registrado em S_I (30%) uma produção específica próxima a S_I (10%) ao final de seu monitoramento, com 598 NmL de CH4/(gSV.dia), ou seja, foi necessário o dobro de tempo para que S_I (30%) atingisse a produção específica próxima a S_I (10%). / As a result of the need to carry out adequate treatment and final destination of solid urban waste, it is necessary to develop new technologies. In Brazil, the main form of final destination of the wastes is the disposal in landfills, however, the choice of management and technology to be used will depend on the particular conditions of each region. Considering that more than 50% of Brazilian solid urban waste is organic, one of the alternatives is the anaerobic digestion that is being developed in Brazil in a pilot scale and bench scale. The present work had as objective to carry out laboratory tests of anaerobic digestion of food waste from the university restaurant of the Federal University of ABC with a view to a better understanding of the process and optimization of the production of methane (CH4). The trials were divided into four stages (Stages), with Stages 1, 2 and 3 being carried out to inform Step 4 of their planning and development. The experiments of this step were carried out in order to evaluate the methane production using different proportions of substrate, submitted to previous aerobic treatment, in relation to the inoculum medium being 10% S_I (10%), 20% S_I (20%) and 30% S_I (30%), all carried out in triplicate, in addition to monitoring the methane production of inoculum (I) without mixing with substrate also in triplicate. Monitoring of methane production was performed automatically by the AMPTSII Density, total and volatile solids, moisture, pH, alkalinity, acidity, AI / AP and carbon and nitrogen were analyzed at the beginning and at the end of the study. Regarding the stability of the process, the results of pH, alkalinity, AI / AP ratio and acidity showed that at the end of the monitoring period the reactors were not in unfavorable conditions to the methanogenic activity, fact that can indicate only the end of the Consumption of the present substrate. The monitoring of the methane production of the triplicate of each mixture was terminated when very low production variations were detected, with S_I (10%) monitored for 47 days, S_I (20%) monitored for 53 days, and S_I (30%) and Inoculum monitored for 93 days. In the 47-day period, a cumulative production of 2,006 ± 277 NmL from CH4 to S_I (10%) was recorded, with the first 10 days occurring at 85% of the total. For S_I (20%) containing twice the substrate, during the period of 53 days an accumulated production of 4,617 ± 359 NmL of CH4 was recorded, and the first 10 days were responsible for the emission of 62%. The mixture "S_I (30%)" contained triple the substrate as "S_I (10%)", however, observing the first 10 days were recorded only 23% of the total gas emitted in the monitoring period and the proportional response of Substrate by volume of gas did not occur. At 8 °, there was a stagnation of CH4 production that extended for approximately 23 days, resuming production after this period. Regarding the specific production, in the first 19 days the production of CH4 in "S_I (10%)" was the largest of the mixtures with 550 NmL of CH4 / (gSV.dia). At the end of the S_I monitoring period (10%) it is observed that the specific production of S_I (20%) was the largest among the blends with 682 NmL of CH4 / (gSV.day) and 595 NmL of CH4 / ( GSV.day) for S_I (10%). Only after 93 days of monitoring was a specific production of the S_I (30%) it showed near to S_I (10%) at the end of its monitoring period, with 598 NmL of CH4 / (gSV.day), that is, it took twice as long to S_I (30%) reached the specific production near S_I (10%).

A cold atmospheric pressure plasma source was investigated as an alternative pre-treatment for carbon fibre reinforced epoxy substrates prior to bonding. For reference, common surface pre-treatments were also investigated (peel ply, manual abrasion, and grit blasting). In the aerospace industry, the peel ply, is usually added to one side of the composite surface during manufacture and peeled off prior to bonding. Peel ply can be used independently or in combination with other techniques. The strength of the bonded joints of the different pre-treatments was assessed through tensile lap shear tests. It was found that combining peel ply with plasma increased the joint strength by 10% whereas manual abrasion or grit blasting after peel ply improved the strength of the joints by 15% and 20% respectively. The effect of pre-treating the composite substrate side without peel ply (bag side) was also investigated. The strength of the joints produced without any pre-treatment was increased by 99% for manual abrasion, 134% for grit blasting and by 146% for plasma. Comparing both surfaces of the composite substrates, it was found that using peel ply improved the performance of the joints by 91%. In order to understand better the effects of the different pre-treatments, surface characterisation of the substrates (surface roughness, surface free energy, and analysis of chemical changes) was also conducted. The effect of roughness did little to affect the strength values (for both surfaces of the composite). The adhesive used in this research was very good at wetting the surface, regardless of the roughness. However, when the adhesive was able to wet the surface, the relationship between bond strength and surface free energy was unclear. Plasma was shown to increase levels of oxygen at the surface and reduce/eliminate the concentration of fluorine at the surface on the bag side of the composite.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T16:24:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cristiane Rodrigues.pdf: 1285829 bytes, checksum: 0464249290cff036dec4ff8f8273d004 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-07-30 / The knowledge about the physical properties of soil, including the levels of clay is of paramount importance to the environment and for agriculture. Soil apparently equal may have different behavior because of inherent characteristics, determined by the performance of different procedures for training and the nature of their material trainer. The objectives of this study were pre-check treatments and methods of dispersal or chemical dispersants, combined or not, more efficient for determination of clay of some classes of land, also assessing the texture of field determined by a group of ten Pedólogos experienced. We selected five mineralogical contrasting nature of soil, Oxisols, Argisols, Nitosol and Chernosoils. Thirteen different treatments were used: using chemicals as dispersants, hydroxides sodium hydroxide, lithium and hexametafosfato; pre - treatment with Ditionito for disposal of iron and crystal ammonium oxalate to amorphous iron and hydrogen peroxide for disposal of organic matter, such as action mechanics were tested using sand as abrasive, the use of ultrasound and shaker horizontal movement of ribbon. There are data that need different treatment for determination of clay, taking into consideration the nature mineralogical; The lithium hydroxide is not efficient to disperse soil eletropositivos and very efficient to disperse soil electronegative; The use of sand as abrasive and ultrasound increased levels of clay in all treatments. The method that most closely approximated the texture of the field was that traditional uses sodium hydroxide and dispersant / O conhecimento a respeito das propriedades físicas do solo, incluindo os teores de argila é de suma importância para o meio ambiente e para a agricultura. Solos aparentemente iguais podem apresentar comportamento diferente devido a características intrínsecas, determinadas pela atuação de processos de formação diferentes e pela natureza de seu material formador. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram verificar pré-tratamentos e métodos de dispersão ou mesmo agentes químicos dispersantes, combinados ou não, mais eficientes para determinação de argila de algumas classes de solos, avaliando também a textura de campo determinada por um grupo de dez Pedólogos experientes. Foram selecionados cinco solos de natureza mineralógica contrastante, Latossolos Ácricos e Acriférricos (oxídico), Argissolos e Nitossolos (cauliniticos) e Chernossolos (esmectiticos). Foram utilizados treze tratamentos distintos: usando substâncias químicas como dispersantes, hidróxidos de sódio, hidróxido de lítio e hexametafosfato; pré - tratamento com Ditionito para eliminação de ferro cristalino e oxalato de amônio para ferro amorfo e água oxigenada para eliminação de matéria orgânica; como ação mecânica foram testados o uso de areia grossa como abrasivo, o uso do ultra-som e o agitador horizontal de movimento helicoidal. Existe necessidade que sejam dados tratamentos diferenciados para determinação de argila, levando em consideração a natureza mineralógica; O hidróxido de lítio não é eficiente para dispersar solos eletropositivos e muito eficiente para dispersar solos eletronegativos; O uso de areia grossa como abrasivo e do ultra-som aumentaram os teores de argila em todos os tratamentos. O método que mais se aproximou da textura de campo foi o tradicional que usa o hidróxido de sódio como dispersante

Submitted by Rosangela Silva (rosangela.silva3@unioeste.br) on 2018-05-30T14:40:38Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Camila Ester Hollas.pdf: 1390526 bytes, checksum: fda6b2a6373f5f1f7bf0cf8b63022b1e (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-30T14:40:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Camila Ester Hollas.pdf: 1390526 bytes, checksum: fda6b2a6373f5f1f7bf0cf8b63022b1e (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The intensive animal production generates high volume of effluents, which is potentially damaging to the environment, when improperly managed. One of the production chains known for its high pollutant load is the swine production. An alternative of treatment is to remove ammoniacal nitrogen, which is one of the main pollutant, by nutrient biological removal processes. However, for this to occur properly the solid-liquid separation (SLS) becomes a fundamental step, due to the necessity to reduce total solids and its carbon/nitrogen ratio. Therefore, with the solids removal the discrete particles are removed thereby avoiding overload in subsequent treatment steps. In addition, besides the high nitrogen load, swine manure also presents high organic load when compared to sanitary sewage, which makes possible to use nitrification and denitrification processes to remove nitrogen without the need to add external carbon sources. The modified Ludzack-Ettinger system (MLE) is known as an efficient configuration to use this process for nitrogen and carbon removal from effluents. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of SLS process in swine manure for nitrogen removal using a MLE system. For such purpose, a MLE system was carried out with continuous feeding and aeration. The system was fed with effluent from a SLS in tapered decanter, with variable hydraulic retention time (HRT) as a function of volumetric organic matter concentration (volatile solids). The study was conducted in three stages (I, II and III), according to three different hydraulic retention times of the decanter (5, 10, and 30 minutes), pre-determined through tests of sedimentation. The system showed high nitrogen removal efficiency in the three phases under study, 99.6, 99.1%, and 96.5% in each respective phases I, II and III, with high total solids concentration reaching the value of 18.45 g L-1 in the third stage. In addition, the average of carbon removal efficiency was 74.8, 86.3, and 86.3% to phases I, II and III respectively. It was possible verify that the carbon (solids) increase has a detrimental effect on the MLE system, since there is an increase in the oxygen consumption and the sludge volume discarded, leading to an inhibitory effect observed in the kinetic data. It was possible to conclude that the proposed SLS technique used is efficient as a pre-treatment before the nitrogen removal from pig slurry in a MLE system. Moreover, settling times shorter than 30 minutes may cause reduction of nitrification and denitrification efficiency, as well as make the treatment system more expensive. / A produção intensiva de animais gera elevado volume de resíduos com potencial causador de impactos ambientais quando não gerenciados corretamente. Nesse sentido, a suinocultura é conhecida pela elevada carga poluente de seus dejetos. Uma das principais alternativas de tratamento do nitrogênio amoniacal, o qual é um dos principais poluentes, é a remoção biológica desse nutriente. Porém, para que esta ocorra corretamente, a separação sólido-líquido (SSL) torna-se uma etapa fundamental, devido à necessidade de reduzirem-se os sólidos totais e a relação carbono nitrogênio para que não haja comprometimento do processo supracitado. Com a remoção dos sólidos, as partículas discretas são removidas, evitando assim a sobrecarga nas etapas subsequentes de tratamento. Os dejetos de suínos, além da alta carga de nitrogênio apresentam elevada carga orgânica, quando comparados com esgoto sanitário, o que viabiliza a utilização do processo de nitrificação e desnitrificação para a remoção de nitrogênio, sem a necessidade de adição de fontes externas de carbono. O sistema Ludzack-Ettinger modificado (MLE) se caracteriza como uma configuração eficiente na remoção de nitrogênio e carbono de efluentes. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência das técnicas de separação sólido-líquido em dejetos suínos, na remoção de nitrogênio em sistema Ludzack-Ettinger modificado (MLE). Para isto, foi utilizado um sistema MLE com alimentação e aeração contínua. O sistema foi alimentado com efluente proveniente do processo de separação sólido-líquido, em decantador cônico, com TRH variável em função da carga orgânica volumétrica (sólidos voláteis) planejada. O estudo foi conduzido em três fases (I, II e III), em função de três diferentes tempos de retenção hidráulico no decantador (5, 10 e 30 minutos), pré-determinados por meio de testes de sedimentação. O sistema apresentou uma alta eficiência na remoção de nitrogênio nas três fases em estudo, em média de 99,6, 99,1 e 96,5% nas fases I, II e III, respectivamente, e suportou altas concentrações de sólidos, atingindo o valor de 18,45 g L -1, na terceira fase. Além disso, em média a eficiência de remoção de carbono foi de 74,8, 86,3 e 86,3% para as fases I, II e III, respectivamente. Foi possível verificar que o acréscimo de carbono (sólidos) tem um efeito prejudicial sobre o sistema MLE, visto que há um aumento no consumo de oxigênio e no volume de lodo a ser descartado, acarretando em um efeito inibitório, observado com base nos dados cinéticos. Diante desses resultados foi possível concluir que a SSL proposta é eficiente, como pré-tratamento para a remoção de nitrogênio de dejetos suínos em sistema MLE, sendo que tempos de decantação inferiores a 30 minutos podem causar redução na eficiência do processo de nitrificação e desnitrificação, além de encarecer o sistema de tratamento.

Abstract Weather conditions during the growing season are determining the size and quality of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seed crop in northern areas. Pathogens, fungi, and insects also have an effect on seed crops. The varying quality of seeds from forest stands and seed orchards does not full fill the germination requirements of tree nurseries. Multi-phase pre-treatment are therefore used in forest tree seed centres to improve seed lots quality. The main objectives of this study were to analyse long-term variation in the size and quality of Scots pine seed crops in Northern Finland. Determine the impact of fungal injuries on the structures of Norway spruce seeds. To detect changes in the germination capacity and rate of Norway spruce seeds during pre-treatment phases and to determine the impacts of short-term and long-term storage on the germination of treated seeds. The study found that in most years, regeneration of Scots pine in Northern Finland is limited by quantity as well as quality the seed crop. The long-term average of the Scots pine seed crop was 77seeds/m2 and the long-term average expected germination percentage was 61%. Aeciospores of the inlad spruce cone rust Chrysomyxa pirolata (Körnicke) Wint. were found to form inside Norway spruce seeds, destroying the nucellar layers and reducing germination of seeds. In general, the germination capacity and rate of Norway spruce seeds increased during pre-treatment phases. The germination capacity of seeds increased about 30% and the rate by more than 40% during pre-treatment. During long-term storage the germination capacity and rate of pre-treated Scots pine seeds were preserved better in frozen storage than in cool storage. It was found that pre-treated Scots pine forest stand seeds can be stored for several years in frozen conditions. The germination capacity and rate of pre-treated orchard seeds were effected significantly more than those from forest stands. It is therefore recommended that Scots pine seeds from orchards be stored without pre-treatment. The germination capacity and rate of treated Norway spruce seeds from orchards was not significantly different after one year of storage.

Persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) tend to accumulate in biota and are transferred through the aquatic food web, which result in a high accumulation in marine mammals. In recent years various novel flame retardants (nBFRs), which have replaced the banned PBDEs, have also started to occur in the environment. These nBFRs have similar properties as PBDEs, such as long-range transport and accumulation in biota. The purpose with this study was to evaluate a method by using pre-packed silica columns for quantification of PCBs, DDT, PBDEs and nBFRs in seal blubber, in order to facilitate the pre-treatment and decrease the time. To elute the different POPs from the pre-packed silica column; hexane, toluene and dichloromethane were used in different stages. By using this method levels of PCB and DDT were determined. For DDT the concentration was 8.28 ng/g lipid and 8.94 ng/g lipid for the two samples that was analysed, and the analysis of the PCBs showed a higher trend for the higher chlorinated PCBs. As the pre-packed silica columns are a relative new method. Further studies are therefore needed on these columns to further improve the sample clean-up and fractionation of the different POPs in environmental samples.

To increase profitability for biogas production, new innovative substrates and condition of operations needs to be implemented. At the current state, fats, oils and greases (FOGs) represent a promising substrate even though it brings operational challenges to the anaerobic digestion process. By utilizing hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) as a pre-treatment of the FOGs, the efficiency of FOGs’ co-digestion with wastewater sludge can be significantly improved. Preliminary experiments conducted on oil and water demonstrates that the HC pre-treatment improves the oil solubilisation as well as forms stable oil and water emulsion that last for several hours. The pre-treatment also improved the soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) of biosludge (BiSl) by up to 115% and the initial degradation rate by up to 35%. In a semi-continues system, this allowed a significant increment in the specific methane yield depending on the organic loading rate (OLR) applied1. With sufficient process optimization, the HC-pre-treatment may prove to be an energy efficient and effective pre-treatment of FOGs.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / Doubled Haploid (DH) Technology is an important tool for plant breeding and biotechnological applications as it accelerates the breeding cycle of plants by shortening the time required to attain homozygosity. Anther culture has become one of the most frequent and well-established methods for the induction of haploid embryogenesis and regeneration in barley. Anther culture is easily reproduced and workable for a wide range of genotypes. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal pre-treatment for barley anther culture. Three pre-treatments, 0.3 M Mannitol, 0.7 M Mannitol and a cold treatment with a moist cloth (CMC), were studied. The results suggest that CMC is the optimal pre-treatment to use for green plant regeneration. Anthers treated with CMC showed a higher response percentage than that of 0.7 M Mannitol and 0.3 M Mannitol. CMC also induced a significantly higher callus formation and green plant regeneration frequencies than 0.7 M Mannitol and 0.3 M Mannitol. Further research has to be conducted to further optimize green plant yields per treatment as well as reduce the number of albinos regenerated through barley anther culture.