Sorption of ammonium and phosphate from aqueous solution by biochar derived from phytoremediation plants

The study on biochar derived from plant biomass for environmental applications is attracting more and more attention. Twelve sets of biochar were obtained by treating four phytoremediation plants, Salix rosthornii Seemen, Thalia dealbata, Vetiveria zizanioides, and Phragmites sp., sequentially through pyrolysis at 500 °C in a N2 environment, and under different temperatures(500, 600, and 700 °C) in a CO2 environment. The cation exchange capacity and specific surface area of biochar varied with both plant species and pyrolysis temperature. The magnesium(Mg) content of biochar derived from T. dealbata(TC) was obviously higher than that of the other plant biochars. This biochar also had the highest sorption capacity for phosphate and ammonium. In terms of biomass yields, adsorption capacity, and energy cost, T. dealbata biochar produced at 600 °C(TC600) is the most promising sorbent for removing contaminants(N and P) from aqueous solution. Therefore, T. dealbata appears to be the best candidate for phytoremediation application as its biomass can make a good biochar for environmental cleaning.     

Bread wheat varieties as influenced by different nitrogen levels

INTRODUCTION Dera Ismail Khan lies in Pakistan’s arid zone (71.07° longitude, 31.57° latitude and 500 m above sea level). This zone is in the extreme south of (NWFP) Pakistan at the bank of the River Indus. Dera Ismail Khan is bounded by Sulaiman Range to the West, the Indus River on the East, Marwat and Bhit- tani Ranges on the North and Vehowa Nala (Punjab) on the South. Besides certain local variability the area is comprised of four basic divisions viz mountains, a series …     

Peranan bahasa dalam kebudayaan

Bahawa “bahasa” dalam pengertian orang-orang Melayu tidaklah semata-mata bersifat lingual (yang hanya menjadi alat komunikasi antara dua pihak pengguna bahasa sahaja); tetapi bahasa itu adalah lebih kultural (yang menjadi pengilham dan pendorong manusia ke tahap lebih baik dalam hidupnya; sekaligus mempertinggi kebudayaan manusia itu).     

Swayed by the logo and name: does university branding work?

Over the last decade, many universities attempted to improve their public image by changing their corporate visual identity (CVI) and/or name. Despite the prevalence of such practices, little research has been conducted into their effectiveness. The research reported here focused upon one facet of the higher education branding debate, that of the effectiveness of CVI in influencing observers' perceptions of a university and, by association, its lecturers. A secondary question concerned the name. Photographs of two lecturers (M/F) were placed into controlled digital simulations of a university foyer featuring systematically varied CVI and name. Using a range of measures and a large-sample Internet survey of n?=?888, we found that CVI and name affected respondents' perceptions of university lecturers. However, the enhancement was exclusively upon perceptions of the male lecturer, and strongly favored traditional, heraldic CVI, with a secondary naming effect.