Impact of the biomass pyrolysis parameters on the quality of biocarbon obtained from rape straw, rye straw and willow chips

In the article the results of studies conducted regarding the thermal processing of rape straw, rye straw and willow chips applying various parameters of the pyrolysis process are presented. Samples of biomass were subject to thermal processing at various temperatures and process durations, assessing the impact of the applied conditions on physicochemical parameters of the obtained pyrolysis products. The contents of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, carbon and nitrogen were analysed. The studies have indicated that the pyrolysis process can be used to refine biomass, among others obtained from straw and chips, in the context of using it for fertilization. Modification of the pyrolysis process parameters (temperature, time) significantly impacted the concentration of the analysed macroelements. It has been stated that the highest content of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium in biocarbon (rape straw, rye straw and willow chips) can be obtained performing pyrolysis at the temperature of 5000C for 10 minutes. A significant impact of the pyrolysis parameters – temperature and time on the total content of macroelements in the obtained biocarbon was observed. The highest contents of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium were observed in the case of biocarbon obtained at the temperature of 5000C during 10 minutes, while the temperature of 4000C and duration of 10 minutes allowed to obtain the maximum content of carbon and nitrogen

Study of nutritional value of dried tea leaves and infusions of black, green and white teas from Chinese plantations

Background. The processing of tea leaves determines the contents of bioactive ingredients, hence it should be expected that each variety of tea, black, red or green, will represent a different package of compounds of physiological importance. Taste and aroma, as well as price and brand are the main factors impacting consumers’ preferences with regard to tea of their choice; on the other hand consumers less frequently pay attention to the chemical composition and nutritional value of tea. Objective. The purpose of the study was assessment of the nutritional value of black, green and white high-quality tea leaf from Chinese plantations based on the chemical composition of the dried leaves as well as minerals and caffeine content in tea infusions. Material and methods. The research material included 18 high-quality loose-leaf teas produced at Chinese plantations, imported to Poland, and purchased in an online store. The analyses included examination of the dried tea leaves for their chemical composition (contents of water, protein, volatile substances and ash) and assessment of selected minerals and caffeine contents in the tea infusions. Results. High-quality Chinese green teas were found with the most valuable composition of minerals, i.e. the highest contents of Zn, Mn, Mg, K, Ca and Al and the highest contents of protein in comparison to the other products. Chinese black teas had the highest contents of total ash and caffeine and white teas were characterized with high content of volatile substances, similar to the black teas, and the highest content of water and the lowest content of total ash. Conclusions. The three types of tea brews examined in the present study, in particular green tea beverages, significantly enhance the organism’s mineral balance by providing valuable elements.Wprowadzenie. Proces przetwarzania liści herbaty ma decydujący wpływ na zawartość składników bioaktywnych, zatem należy oczekiwać, że każdy rodzaj herbat, czarne, czerwone, zielone będzie reprezentował inny pakiet związków o znaczeniu fizjologicznym. Walory smakowe, cena oraz marka to główne czynniki kształtujące preferencje konsumenckie w kwestii wyboru herbaty, rzadziej jednak konsumenci zwracają uwagę również na skład chemiczny i właściwości zdrowotne. Cel badań. Celem badań była ocena wartości odżywczej czarnych, zielonych i białych wysokogatunkowych herbat liściastych z chińskich plantacji na podstawie składu chemicznego suszu a także zawartości minerałów i kofeiny w naparach herbat. Materiał i metody. Materiałem badawczym było 18 wysokogatunkowych, liściastych pochodzących z plantacji chińskich, importowanych do Polski, zakupionych w sklepie internetowym. Zakres analiz obejmował badania składu chemicznego suszu herbacianego (zawartość wody, białka, substancji lotnych i popiołu) oraz analizę zawartość wybranych składników mineralnych i kofeiny w przyrządzonych naparach herbacianych. Wyniki. Wysokogatunkowe chińskie herbaty zielone były produktami o najcenniejszym składzie mineralnym dotyczącym najwyższej zawartości Zn, Mn, Mg, K, Ca oraz Al i najwyższej zawartości białka spośród badanych produktów. Chińskie herbaty czarne wyróżniały się w zakresie najwyżej zawartości popiołu oraz kofeiny a herbaty białe charakteryzowały wysoką zawartością substancji lotnych podobnie jak herbaty czarne oraz najwyższą zawartością wody i najniższą zawartością popiołu ogólnego. Wnioski. Analizowane napary z trzech typów herbat, zwłaszcza herbat zielonych, w znacznym stopniu dostarczają organizmowi cennych pierwiastków

Distribution system for generating slowly varying magnetic fields

The presented system describes a concept for generating slowly varying signals to stimulate biological objects with magnetic field. The system enables independent control of up to 10 induction coil and it generates changeable signal inducing magnetic fields in the range from 0.1 to 150μT and the frequencies from 0.1 to 100 Hz. The proposed system was applied to investigate the influence of magnetic fields with the aforementioned parameters on physical and chemical properties in selected types of fruits

Influence of biochar and biomass ash applied as soil amendment on germination rate of Virginia mallow seeds (Sida hermaphrodita R.)

The paper presents findings showing the influence of amending soil with biochar and biomass ash on the germination rate of Virginia mallow. Comparative analyses examined the relationship between the applied dosage of the natural fertilizers and the effectiveness of seed germination as well as mass of the plants at the initial stage of growth. The obtained plant material was also examined for the contents of selected macro-elements (phosphorus, potassium and calcium). The study shows that biochar applied as a fertilizer, at specific dosage, may enhance germination rate of Virginia mallow seeds. Addition of biomass ash into the soil, at certain doses, significantly impacts the growth of mass in Virginia fanpetals at the initial stage of development. It has been determined that addition of biochar, or biomass ash or their mixtures into the soil alters the concentration of phosphorus, potassium and calcium in above-ground parts of the plants

Effects of mineral fertilization and pre-sowing magnetic stimulation on the yield and quality of sugar beet roots

Magnetic field may be applied as a physical factor to improve germination capacity as well as growth and development of plants. In order to investigate the influence of stimulation with magnetic field and fertilization on the yield and quality of sugar beet roots, a field experiment was carried out in 2015 and it was designed to examine three cultivars of sugar beets, two variants of magnetic stimulation applied to seeds: stimulation in the magnetic field of 40 mT, and control conditions (no stimulation), as well as two variants of mineral fertilization: optimal, based on the contents of nutrients in soil, and control conditions (no fertilization). Observation of the plants’ growth and development was conducted during the vegetation period. The examined values included yield of roots and leaves, as well as contents of heavy metals, macro- and micro-elements and sugar. The observations carried out during the experiment and following harvest showed that the applied variable factors used in the experiment, i.e. the pre-sowing stimulation with magnetic field as well as properly designed fertilization, positively affect the parameters of the plants germination, growth and development as well as the contents of sugar in the examined sugar beet roots

Mineral components analysis of selected dried herbs

This study includes the content of water, ash and volatiles in dried herbs like Oregano, Basil and de Provance. Moreover, amounts of H, N and C, and their calorific value were measured. The content of the following elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, S, Sr, Zn) in the tested herbs were established using the ICP-OES method. Basil leaves had the highest nitrogen and ash content at the level 4.5% and 15,9%. These herbs were characterized by a darker color as compared to oregano. Basil contained the richest source of Ca, K, Mg and P, while the lowest was found in herbs de Provence. The best source of Ca, K, Mg and P was basil, while their lowest amount was found in herbs de Provence (containing a mixture of different herbs), which mostly likely was the reason for the low amount of macro- and micro-components

The magnetic field stimulation system applied on strawberry fruits

This paper presents an influence of three different magnetic fields stimulation systems for growing strawberry fruits: permanent magnetic field generated by neodymium magnets, ”high” strengths slow varying amplitudes magnetic fields generated by coreless solenoids supplied by autotransformer and low-frequency and low-amplitude sinusoidal magnetic fields generator created for this research. The system is controlled by computer and allows for an independent control of up to 10 induction coils inducing magnetic fields with amplitudes from 0.1μT to 150μT and frequencies from 0.1Hz to 100Hz. The proposed set-up was used during the growing seasons for strawberry plants stimulation. An increase in the extract level was observed in the case of the alternating magnetic field stimulation with the parameters: frequency – from 50Hz to 100Hz and amplitude – from 50μT to 100μT