Magdalena Zborowska

Analytical pyrolysis vs. classical wet chemical analysis to assess the decay of archaeological waterlogged wood.

The macromolecular complexity of wood limits the possibility of obtaining complete chemical information on its alteration in archaeological objects. This paper compares the results obtained in the characterisation of the components of archaeological wood by a classical wet chemical method and by an instrumental method based on pyrolysis in presence of hexamethyldisilazane coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, Py(HMDS)-GC/MS. We compare the results obtained with the two methods quantitatively. This enables us to evaluate the efficiency of Py(HMDS)-GC/MS in assessing the chemical composition and the state of conservation of degraded wood. The material analysed consisted of reference sound wood and waterlogged wood from the Żółte historical site, located on a small island on Lake Zarańskie in Poland. The samples are from the remains of settlements dating to a period between the 9th and the 12th centuries AD. The results obtained by Py(HMDS)-GC/MS analysis are consistent in the determination of the level of degradation of archaeological wood with the results obtained using traditional techniques. The pyrolysis method is faster, reproducible, and reveals not only the amount but also the quality of the wood constituents, needing a much smaller sample.

Treatment of dairy waste by anaerobic co-digestion with sewage sludge

Abstract The results of anaerobic digestion (AD) of buttermilk (BM) and cheese whey (CW) with a digested sewage sludge as inoculum is described. The substrate/inoculum mixtures were prepared using 10% buttermilk and 15% cheese whey. The essential parameters of the materials were described, including: total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), pH, conductivity, C/N ratio (the quantitative ratio of organic carbon (C) to nitrogen (N)), alkalinity, chemical oxygen demand (COD). The potential directions of biodegradation of the organic waste types, as used in this study, are also presented. Appropriate chemical reactions illustrate the substrates and products in each phase of anaerobic decomposition of the compounds that are present in buttermilk and cheese whey: lactic acid, lactose, fat, and casein. Moreover, the biogas and biomethane production rates are compared for the substrates used in the experiment. The results have shown that buttermilk in AD generates more biogas (743 m3/Mg VS), including methane (527 m3/Mg VS), when compared with cheese whey (600 m3/Mg VS, 338 m3/Mg VS for biogas and methane, respectively).

The importance of substrate compaction and chemical composition in the phytoextraction of elements by Pinus sylvestris L.

ABSTRACT Trees of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) are known for their effective phytoextraction capabilities. The results obtained in this study point to the significant role of substrate composition and chemical characteristics in the phytoextraction potential of this species. A multi-elemental (53 elements) analysis of pines from unpolluted (soil) and polluted (post-flotation tailings) sites was performed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The analyzed flotation tailings were characterized by alkaline pH (7.19 ± 0.06) and significantly higher conductivity (277.7 ± 2.9 µS cm−1) than the soil (pH = 5.11 ± 0.09; 81.3 ± 4.9 µS cm−1). The two substrates also differed with respect to the contribution of the clay fraction (0% in the unpolluted and 8% in the polluted substrate). The specimens of P. sylvestris growing on flotation tailings had significantly smaller height (381 ± 58 cm) and total aboveground biomass (4.78 ± 0.66 kg) than the trees growing in soil (699 ± 80 cm and 10.24 ± 2.10 kg). The biomass of the trunk, twigs and branches, and needles of the trees from polluted sites was between 40.0% and 48.7% of the biomass of the same organs of the control trees. Generally, the organs (trunk, twigs and branches, needles) of the P. sylvestris specimens from polluted sites had significantly higher concentrations of Au, Al, Ba, Cd, Co, La, Lu, Ni, Pd, Sc, Zn, and lower concentrations of B, Bi, Ca, Ce, Er, In, K, Mg, Na, Nd, P, Pr, Re, Se, Sr, Te than in the control plants, these metals being accumulated effectively in the whole of the aboveground biomass (BCF>1). Although the concentration of the majority of elements was significantly higher in the flotation tailings, significantly higher concentrations of these elements were observed in the tree organs from unpolluted sites, which points to the important role of substrate characteristics in the phytoextraction efficiency of P. sylvestris.

Transformation of Miscanthus and Sorghum cellulose during methane fermentation

The purpose of the paper is designation of the changes in the structure of cellulose after the methane fermentation process of Miscanthus and Sorghum harvested during the growing season and afterwards. The percentage and structure of cellulose before and after fermentation were studied. Investigations into changes of the cellulose structure were conducted by the SEC, FT-IR and XRD methods. The average percentage of cellulose after the growing season for Miscanthus varieties was higher and for Sorghum varieties was lower. As a result of the fermentation, the percentage of cellulose for both investigated species harvested in two growth seasons was lower. The degree of polymerisation for the plants harvested after the growing season was lower for the most feedstock. As a result of the fermentation process, the degree of polymerization increased for each of the investigated feedstock. However, crystallinity of cellulose remained at the same level for Miscanthus and decreased for Sorghum. It was shown that changes were different in the cellulose structure of the compared species.