LCA of pork products & evaluation of alternative super-chilling techniques

This LCA study has two aims: 1) The environmental assessment of Danish pork products (Danish Landrace breed): The purpose is to put the pork production system into perspective and to identify the relative contribution of different life cycle stages; 2) The comparative assessment of alternative after cooling technologies, which affect the products’ shelf life: The purpose is to identify the technology leading to least environmental impacts in a life cycle perspective; also to facilitate a benchmarking of these technologies relative to existing after-cooling approaches i.e. freezing

Effet de la fertilisation à base des déjections de porc sur la production du zooplancton

L’effet de la fertilisation à base des déjections de porc sur la production du zooplancton a été testé dans des seaux en plastique pendant 21 jours. Les milieux fertilisés (T1) et témoins (T0) sont ensemencés en phytoplancton puis en zooplancton (52 ind/l). L’échantillonnage du zooplancton est fait tous les sept (07) jours. De même, les paramètres physico-chimiques et trophique (chlorophylle a) ont été estimés. Les résultats ont montré que les déjections de porc améliorent les propriétés chimiques (nitrite, nitrate, phosphate) et planctoniques des milieux de production (p < 0,05). Ainsi, les milieux fertilisés donnent la meilleure densité maximale zooplanctonique (1071 ind/l) par rapport aux milieux témoins (145 ind/l). La dynamique des peuplements zooplanctoniques indique la dominance des copépodes qui sont les prédateurs des rotifères et des cladocères.Mots clés: Déjections de porc, fertilisation, production du zooplancton, seau en plastique

Brachionus falcatus and Platyias patulus indicating organic pollution in Ouémé River’s basin, Republic of Benin

Zooplankton is a biological compartment widely used in the bio-monitoring of aquatic ecosystems. It allows early detection of environmental disturbances even before reaching the upper compartments of interest to humans. The present study evaluated the ability of two rotifer species Brachionus falcatus and Platyias patulus to indicate organic pollution in the Ouémé River basin. Sampling was done between October 2014 and September 2015. Plankton net of 20 μm mesh size was used. Parameters such as NH4+, NO2- and PO43- were measured in water and used for the calculation of the Organic Pollution Index (IPO). The results showed that the occurrence of B. falcatus and P. patulus was 96.66% and 81.11%, respectively. Both species were particularly abundant in sites such as Kaboua and Vossa as well as downstream of the basin (Agonlin-lowé and Bonou). These strong abundances are linked to a very strong organic pollution in Kaboua and Vossa then to a high organic pollution at downstream. The least organically polluted station (Kpassa) had the lowest abundance of both species. B. falcatus and P. patulus are therefore two indicator species of organic pollution in the Ouémé River’s basin in Benin

Composition and structure of phytoplankton community in Ouémé River basin, Republic of Benin

This study aimed to assess the composition and structure of floating phytoplankton assemblage in Ouémé basin. Phytoplankton samples were collected monthly from October 2014 to September 2015. Quantitative samples were taken with a horizontal Van-Dorn sampler and 20 μm mesh plankton net was used for additional qualitative sampling. Microscopic observation of phytoplankton allowed identification of 208 species including 70 Bacillariophyta species, 58 Chlorophyta species, 24 Charophyta species, 21 Euglenophyta species, 18 Cyanophytes species, 9 Phyrrophyta species, 5 Ochrophyta species and 3 Cryptophyta species. The Shannon diversity index varied from 2.4 bit.ind-1 and 3.1 bit.ind-1 showing a relatively good diversification of the community. The population appears largely dominated by 14 species which represent 83.8% of the total phytoplankton. Aulacoseira granulata and Euglena gracilis were the most predominant species with respectively 40.17% and 15.91% relative abundance. Regarding the horizontal pattern of phytoplankton abundance, downstream stations have the greatest abundances. So, the results suggest that downstream stations are richer in phytoplankton which structure differs from that in upper stations.

Evaluation de la bioaccumulation du plomb dans les espèces animales marines et identification des sources de contamination métallique par une analyse multiélémentaire en métaux (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb) dans les eaux côtières du Bénin

Différentes études complémentaires ont été menées sur le littoral de l’Océan Atlantique et l’estuaire du Chenal de Cotonou au Bénin, deux zones qui ont des profils et activités différents. La bioconcentration du plomb a été évaluée chez les poissons herbivores (Sphyraena afra, Lutjanus goreensis, Elops lacerta, Lutjanus goreensis et Decapterus rhonchus), les carnivores (Acanthurus monrovia et Pseudupeneus prayensis) et les crevettes (Penaus nottialis). Les concentrations les plus fortes de plomb (ANOVA,

Production of freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates from pig dung: fertilization effect and optimal dose research

Different pig dung doses were used to fertilize medium production of freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates in order to test the fertilization effect and determine the optimal dose. In fact, the experiment was carried out in triplicate, for 42 days in plastic buckets. These buckets were grouped in seven treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, and T7) which were fertilized (respective doses of 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% with pig dung in relation to the total substrate volume) and a control (T0) which was not fertilized (0% of pig dung). Each bucket was seeded in benthic macroinvertebrates with an initial density of 9 individual/dm3 (D0). The results revealed that the utilization of pig dung improved the water chemical properties in the production medium as well as the macroinvertebrates density (p < 0.05). The optimal production of the latter was obtained with the dose of pig dung applied to treatment T5 (50%), that is 150 g of dry dejections per dm3 of substrate (150 g/dm3) with a total average density of 742 ± 569 individual/dm3. The treatment T5 (50%) constitutes then the dry pig dung optimal dose to be recommended for benthic macroinvertebrates production.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Fertilization, macroinvertebrates, optimal dose, pig dung, productio