Quality of sugarcane in productive process of ethanol evaluated by INAA

Soil as an impurity in sugarcane is a serious problem for the ethanol industry, increasing production and maintenance costs and reducing the productivity. Fe, Hf, Sc and Th determined by INAA were used as tracers to assess the amount of soil in sugarcane from truckloads as well as in the juice extraction process. Quality control tools were applied to results identifying the need for stratification according to soil type and moisture. Soil levels of truckloads had high variability indicating potential for improving cut and loading operations. Samples from the juice extraction process allowed tracking the soil in the mill tandem.The State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP

Effects of Lanthanum on Citrus Plant

This work focuses on the study of the effect of lanthanum application on Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia Osbeck). The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse. Four different doses of lanthanum chloride heptahydrate (50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, 400 mg) per citrus plants were applied ninety-eight days after the sowing. The plants were collected three weeks following the application of the lanthanum chloride the plants. The optimal dose was 50 mg. The results showed that the citrus plant physiology changed with the application of lanthanum, i.e., depending on the dose, there is a beneficial or a harmful effect on the growth

Selenite and Selenate Effects on Mercury (Hg2+) Uptake and Distribution in Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus L., Assessed by Chronic Bioassay

Aquatic organisms are considered excellent biomarkers of mercury (Hg) occurrence in the environment. Selenium (Se) acts in antagonism to this metal, stimulating its elimination, and reducing its toxicity. In this paper, tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were chronically acclimated in sub-lethal Hg2+, Hg2+ + Se4+ and Hg2+ + Se6+ concentrations. Distribution and bioaccumulation of both elements were evaluated in fish tissues. The kidney was the main target of the Hg and Se uptake, and the presence of Hg induced the Se hepatic elimination. The Hg bioaccumulation in the gill, spleen and heart were higher in the presence of Se6+ than in the presence of Se4+.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq