CONTENTS

Viewpoint

291

Technoeugenics and bioethics beyond Y2K

Md Niamat Ali

Review Paper

293

Self-igniting fuel-oxidizer  systems and hybrid rockets

S R Jain

Narrates briefly the main highlights of the work carried out on hypergolic systems. A report on the hybrid rockets and their current status is also included.

Papers

311

Paper and corrugated boxes from cotton plant stalks for effective packaging of oranges








A J Shaikh, P V Varadarajan, M S Ladaniya & Shyam Singh

Details of the laboratory and the mill trials, simulated and actual packaging and transportation trials with oranges are presented and discussed. Results indicate that good quality kraft paper suitable for manufacture of CFB boxes can be prepared from cotton plant stalks. Uniform chipping of stalks and kraft liquor concentration of 18 per cent produces kraft paper with desired properties. The techno-economic feasibility worked out by conducting large scale trial in a mill indicates that the box prepared from cotton plant stalk kraft would be cheaper than that of commercially available box. Results of the simulated and actual packaging and transportation trials demonstrate suitability of corrugated fibre boxes for packaging, transportation and storage of Nagpur-mandarin oranges.

319

Phytoremediation of pulp and paper mill and distillery effluents by channel glass
(Vallisneria spiralis)














V Singhal, A Kumar & J P N Rai

The phytoremediation of the effluents of pulp and paper mill and distillery employing channel grass is assessed in terms of reduction in pH, EC, BOD, COD, TSS, TS, TDS, colour, lignin, Na and K. The effect of effluents on the channel grass health is also monitored. In general, pollution load reduction, and plant growth are found to be better in 20 than in 40 per cent concentration of effluents.

329

Separation of L-glutamic acid by emulsion liquid membrane extraction
































S Bhuvaneswari, K M Meera Sheriffa Begum,
P Sivashanmugam, N Anantharaman &
S Sundaram

Emulsion   liquid   membrane   extraction   is  carried   out   to   separate l-glutamic acid in a batch extractor. The emulsion is formulated by using kerosene as solvent, water as internal stripping phase, tri-ethanol amine as an emulsifier and oleic acid as carrier. The effect of emulsifier concentration on emulsion stability is studied and the maximum stability of emulsion is obtained for an emulsifier concentration of 1.0 per cent (v/v). The percentage reduction of amino acid (solute) in external phase is significantly affected by the parameters such as, emulsion to external phase (M/E) ratio agitator speed, emulsifier concentration, carrier concentration and pH of both external and internal phase. The maximum solute reduction of 66.0 per cent obtained for M/E ratio of 0.2 (v/v), an agitator speed of 150 rpm, emulsifier conc. of 1.0 per cent (v/v), carrier conc. of 4.0 per cent (v/v), pH of internal phase at 7.8. The above emulsion system is found to be highly feasible than the emulsion system consisting of lubricating oil – 0.5 M HCl solution and Indian glycol emulsifiers for extraction of l- glutamic acid where the maximum solute recovery of 63.5 per cent is obtained for M/E ratio of 0.25 (v/v) at 150 rpm with external phase pH of 6.0.

334

Novel synthesis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by electrocatalytic hydrogenation












R Ramesh Raju, S Krishna Mohan &
S Jayarama Reddy

Aryl-2 propionic acid group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as, protizinic acid, benoxaprofen, carprofen, and pranoprofen are synthesized in high yields by using an undivided cell at a nickel cathode in the presence of sulphuric acid.

339

An approach towards the estimation of emission rate from various activities of Noamundi iron ore mine — a case study
















G K Banerjee, K K Srivastava,
M K Chakraborty & M Sundararajan

The major activities of Noamundi iron ore mine in response to serious impact of air pollution in and around the mining area  are identified. A mathematical model is developed to estimate the emission rates from various activities or sources. The present model is developed based on the Pasquill-Gifford formula. Detailed studies over processing plant operations, geology, meteorology of the study area are carried out in order to prepare the emission inventory of the opencast mining activity through estimating the emission rates of the significant activities, using the present mathematical model. A few recommendations on the basis of the results of the study are also given.

Note

344

Bioconversion of mango processing waste to fish-feed by microalgae isolated from fruit processing industrial effluents









M Sunita & D G Rao

Fifteen different strains of blue green algae (including one green algae) collected from the wastewaters of fruit processing industrial areas are screened for production of algal biomass from mango processing waste. The utility of micro-algae is evaluated based on feeding trials of the biomass to the fish Tilipia mossambica. Only the growth of fish in terms of body mass gain is measured. The mango waste after removing the stones is macerated, and then diluted with water to 15-20 per cent mango waste and inoculated with blue green algae. The cultures are continuously illuminated (4000 lux light intensity) for 15-20 d. Among various strains of algae tested, only two (Scytonema sp and Microcystis sp) are found to be toxic while several others give promising results. Through such efforts mango waste can be converted into fish-feed and then through fish growth into important protein source for human consumption.

Conference Reports

348

Concord: Confederation of Indian industries conference — a report


J K Johri

354

Indo-Italian workshop on emerging technologies for industrial wastewater and environment


Sanjay Sengupta

Book Reviews

358

·      Digital marketing: global strategies from the world’s leading experts
         Reviewer: C P Gupta

·   The innovation superhighway: harnessing intellectual capital for sustainable collaborative advantage; Designing knowledge management architecture — how to implement successful knowledge management programs
         Reviewer: Parthasarthi Banerjee

Sci-Tech Update

364

·         Creating better automotive components

·         Engineers develop economical terrorist-resistant air conditioning concept

·         Calcium-blocker drug slows artery clogging better than beta blocker

·         Can hackers be stopped?

·         Forced vaccines haunt gulf vets

·         French physicists’ cosmic theory creates a big bang of its own

·         Slowing the spread of AIDS in India — Bill Gates donates $100 M

·         Developer’s dilemma — Perl or PHP?

·         How XML is conquering the Internet

·         A glimpse into a recess of international finance

·         Genes, neurons, and Internet have organizing principles, and some identical

·         Stem cell mixing may form a human-mouse hybrid

·         Every breath you take

·         Human not fit for cloning

·         Speaking mind to mind

·         Better fuel economy

·         With no answers on risks, steroids accepted by users