Research Symposium-2011

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Browsing Research Symposium-2011 by Subject "Bio Chemicals Engineering"

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    Influence of Vermicompost Technology on Solubility of Eppawala Rock Phosphate
    (Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Rathnayake, R.M.N.; Gunathilaka, R.P.D.; Senarathne, S.H.S.
    Note: See the PDF Version This study was conducted to determine the influence of vermicompost technology on solubility of ERP. Earthworms play a major role in vermicomposting. The most common type of earthworms used for vermicomposting is brandling worms (Eisenia foetida). Food is ingested through the mouth into a stomach (crop), which retains food and has the ability to expand. From there, food goes into the gizzard where sand and muscular contractions churn the food and increase the surface area. From there, food enters the intestine which has the ability to absorb food, then food exits through the anus. This final product consists of low power organic acids, like Malate, Oxalate, Citrate, etc. This low power organic acid is helps to increase the solubility of ERP. ERP is currently mined for use as a fertilizer for perennial crops such as tea, rubber and coconut. This is gives considerable value to the country because Phosphate deposits are non-renewable and dwindling resources in the world like fossil fuel. Also this is very economically important natural resource in Sri Lanka. Current production is 25 000 metric tonnes per year while reserves are 40 million metric tonnes. This saves nearly Rs 20 billion annually spent for importing fertilizer. This is important for providing the Phosphorus (P) fertilizer requirement, because P plays an important role in many physiological and bio chemical functions that are important to plants and animals. Major problem can be seen in ERP is the less solubility. The core bodies at Eppawala contain 42% P2O5 and citric acid solubility of different components varies from 4 to 6%. The parent rocks are mainly made up of calcite, dolomite and apatite, with lesser amounts of ilmenite, magnetite, pyrite, forsterite, phlogopite, enstatite, magnesite, diopside, tremolite and spine!. The Eppawala rocks are characterized by low silica (0.41%), high phosphorous (10.58%) and high strontium content (Gunawardena, 2003). Therefore in this study, an experiment was made to increase the availability of P by using vermicomposting.
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    Screening of Wood Rotting Basidiomycetes Fungi for Bioremediation Ability of Textile Dye Effluents
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2011) Hapuarachchi, H.A.V.T.P.; Wijesekara, K.B.; Premathilake, S.N.
    Note: See the PDF Version Sri Lanka is considered to be one of the world’s leading apparel producers. The textile industry utilizes large volumes of water in its processing operations and generates substantial quantities of dye containing waste water which is usual I y discarded into water bodies mostly without feather treatments. About I 0- I 5% of all dyes are directly lost to wastewater in the dying process and removal of color front effluent is one of the major problems that the textile industry faces. The presence of color in water tinder’s the absorption of solar radiation, thus reducing the natural photosynthetic activity, causing changes in aquatic biota. Furthermore, textile dyes pose serious health threats to humans due to their carcinogenicity and lead to mutagenic and toxic effects on organisms. Amongst many classes of synthetic dyes, triphenyl methane group of dyes such as crystal violet and malachite green are the most used iii the textile and dyeing industries (Bumps and Brock, 1988).The decolonization and degradation of textile dye effluent does not occur when treated with conventional effluent treatment systems (Murugesan et at., 2007). Use of microorganisms to remove dyes from industrial effluents or bioremediation is inexpensive and the end products of complete mineralization are nontoxic. Basidiomycete fungi produce an array of extracellular enzymes helpful in removing synthetic dyes from industrial effluents (Asana duct ml., 2005). This study investigates the ability of some selected Basidiomycete fungi to decolonize malachite green.