Search Results (12)

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation in rice poses a serious threat to global food safety and human health. Foliar application of nano-silica (Si) offers a promising remediation strategy, but its efficacy is often limited by poor droplet retention on hydrophobic leaf surfaces. This study hypothesized that surfactants could overcome this barrier by enhancing the foliar performance of nano-Si. Through field experiments, we evaluated the synergistic effects of five surfactants (Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) powder, Aerosol OT (AOT), Rhamnolipid (RH), Didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB), and Alkyl Polyglycoside (APG)) when combined with nano-silica. The results demonstrated that all surfactants significantly improved wetting and retention, with alkyl polyglycoside (APG) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) being the most effective. These improvements translated into a remarkable suppression of Cd translocation within rice plants. The PVP–nano-Si combination emerged as the most potent treatment, reducing grain Cd content by 50% and achieving the lowest levels of As and Cr among all treatments. Furthermore, this synergistic effect was linked to a significant increase in grain concentrations of manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn), which exhibit a competitive relationship with Cd. The findings reveal that surfactant co-application not only optimizes the physical application of nano-Si but also triggers beneficial nutrient–Cd interactions, providing a novel and efficient strategy for mitigating Cd contamination in rice. This study provides critical theoretical support for developing efficient and environmentally friendly foliar barrier technologies and supports safe production of rice in lightly to moderately contaminated paddy fields. Full article

The tomato leaf miner Phthorimaea (syn. Tuta) absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is invasive in many agricultural regions. Its larvae feed inside leaf mines and tomato fruits, causing yield losses. Repeated sprays of insecticides disrupt agri-ecosystems. Conducting three open-field tomato experiments, we assessed whether formulations of entomopathogenic nematodes could improve the efficacy of these promising biocontrol agents or whether other nature-based agents such as pyrethrin or spinosad would be the better option(s), as compared to a standard insecticide. Steinernema carpocapsae formulated in an alkyl polyglycoside polymeric surfactant, in canola oil, or mixed in both reduced 37 to 68% of pest larvae within two weeks post-treatment, followed by the botanical pyrethrin (48%). Neither spinosad nor lambda cyhalothrin achieved sufficient control. Increasing the frequency of treatments to every two weeks moderately increased efficacy. Positively, the nematodes can, if properly formulated and applied, still be recovered alive from leaf surfaces up to two hours after spraying, indicating that they have time to enter the leaf mines. A small proportion can even be still extracted alive from the leaf mines one week later. Despite these promising results, further research is needed to improve the efficacy of nature-based management options for use against this pest, with the aim of ultimately reducing reliance on chemical insecticides and minimizing the impact on agri-ecosystems. Full article

This manuscript introduces a new method of preparing alkyl polyglycoside, using n-decyl alcohol and glucose as raw materials, and using the high-gravity impact flow rotating packed bed (IS-RPB) as equipment to prepare alkyl polyglycoside by a direct glycoside process, focusing on solving the problems related to glucose’s easy agglutination and high cost during the preparation of alkyl polyglycoside. The effects of impact times, temperature and molar ratio of n-decyl alcohol on glucose-on-glucose conversion were investigated. The results show that the new preparation method can achieve a glucose conversion rate of more than 70%, the molar ratio of n-decyl alcohol to glucose can be reduced to 2:1, the reaction can still be carried out below 90 °C, and the glucose conversion rate can reach more than 90% after subsequent reprocessing. The product was identified as the target alkyl polyglycoside through infrared spectroscopy analysis. The critical micelle concentration of the product’s aqueous solution was determined to be 5 g/L, with a corresponding surface tension of 25.42 mN/m. Its HLB was calculated at 16.26, categorizing it as an O/W-type emulsifier characterized by excellent foaming properties and producing a rich, fine foam. Moreover, the product demonstrates favorable emulsifying and detergency capabilities. Full article

The tomato leaf miner Phthorimaea (syn. Tuta) absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is invasive in many agricultural regions. Its larvae feed inside leaf mines or tomato fruits and are difficult to reach with plant protection products. In contrast, entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are highly virulent and can search for larvae. The challenge is to formulate EPNs to remain protected on a sprayed leaf surface until they enter the mines. We tested 11 formulations, including 2 oils, 4 gels or thickeners, 2 surfactants, 2 UV protectants, water, and combinations with and without the EPN Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) RW14-G-R3a-2 (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), under non-closed low-humidity conditions. Six tomato leaf experiments with 1000 EPNs sprayed per leaf showed that EPNs in 0.25 to 0.5% canola oil or in 5% alkyl polyglycoside surfactant were the most effective (26 to 37%). Other formulations and an insecticide had less or no effect. Seven other bioassays showed that most formulations did not adversely affect EPN survival or pathogenicity. We assume that formulations of EPNs can be further improved, such as with other flowable gels or combinations, and encourage investment in the development of practical and economic protective sprayable formulations of EPNs against leaf miners to reduce reliance on chemical insecticides. Full article

This study provides valuable insights into biobased surfactant systems, shedding light on their behavior and potential applications in cleaning and oil recovery processes. By combining the alkyl polyglycoside Triton^® CG-110 with C₁₂OH fatty alcohol, a promising strategy emerges, enhancing the efficiency of surfactant-based formulations. This innovative approach paves the way for sustainable solutions in diverse industrial applications. A rheological analysis of the formulations containing C₁₂OH demonstrated a Newtonian-like behavior of up to 3.2 v/v% of Triton, while a viscoelastic response was observed in a system containing 6.4 v/v% of Triton. Self-diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance revealed the formation of larger aggregates with C₁₂OH, diverging from the classical spherical micellar solution. Moreover, cleaning efficiency tests highlighted C₁₂OH’s significant enhancement of the surfactant system’s oil-uptake capacity. This study identified the optimum formulation point, corresponding to the Winsor III microemulsion phase, in samples containing C₁₂OH. This pivotal discovery showcases the potential of tailored surfactant blends, indicating a path toward greener and more effective industrial practices. Full article

The current study intended to improve the disintegration potential of paper mill sludge through alkyl polyglycoside-coupled disperser disintegration. The sludge biomass was fed to the disperser disintegration and a maximum solubilization of 6% was attained at the specific energy input of 4729.24 kJ/kg TS. Solubilization was further enhanced by coupling the optimum disperser condition with varying dosage of alkyl polyglycoside. The maximum solubilization of 11% and suspended solid (SS) reduction of 8.42% were achieved at the disperser rpm, time, and surfactant dosage of 12,000, 30 min, and 12 μL. The alkyl polyglycoside-coupled disperser disintegration showed a higher biogas production of 125.1 mL/gCOD, compared to the disperser-alone disintegration (70.1 mL/gCOD) and control (36.1 mL/gCOD). Full article

Green enhanced oil recovery (GEOR) is an environmentally friendly enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process involving the injection of green fluids to improve macroscopic and microscopic sweep efficiencies while boosting tertiary oil production. Carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotube (CNT), and carbon dots have gained interest for their superior ability to increase oil recovery. These particles have been successfully tested in EOR, although they are expensive and do not extend to GEOR. In addition, the application of carbon particles in the GEOR method is not well understood yet, requiring thorough documentation. The goals of this work are to develop carbon nanoparticles from biomass and explore their role in GEOR. The carbon nanoparticles were prepared from date leaves, which are inexpensive biomass, through pyrolysis and ball-milling methods. The synthesized carbon nanomaterials were characterized using the standard process. Three formulations of functionalized and non-functionalized date-leaf carbon nanoparticle (DLCNP) solutions were chosen for core floods based on phase behavior and interfacial tension (IFT) properties to examine their potential for smart water and green chemical flooding. The carboxylated DLCNP was mixed with distilled water in the first formulation to be tested for smart water flood in the sandstone core. After water flooding, this formulation recovered 9% incremental oil of the oil initially in place. In contrast, non-functionalized DLCNP formulated with (the biodegradable) surfactant alkyl polyglycoside and NaCl produced 18% more tertiary oil than the CNT. This work thus provides new green chemical agents and formulations for EOR applications so that oil can be produced more economically and sustainably. Full article

In this paper, we investigated the abilities of five sugar-based synthetic surfactants and biosurfactants from three different families (i.e., alkyl polyglycoside (APG), sophorolipid (SL), and rhamnolipid (RL)) to dissolve and mobilize non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) components, i.e., toluene and perchloroethylene (PCE), adsorbed on porous matrices. The objective of this study was to establish a benchmark for the selection of suitable surfactants for the flushing aquifer remediation technique. The study involved a physicochemical characterization of the surfactants to determine the critical micelle concentration (CMCs) and interfacial properties. Subsequently, a batch study, through the construction of adsorption isotherms, made it possible to evaluate the surfactants’ capacities in contaminant mobilization via the reduction of their adsorptions onto a reference adsorbent material, a pine wood biochar (PWB). The results indicate that a synthetic surfactant from the APG family with a long fatty acid chain and a di-rhamnolipid biosurfactant with a shorter hydrophobic group offered the highest efficiency values; they reduced water surface tension by up to 54.7% and 52%, respectively. These two surfactants had very low critical micelle concentrations (CMCs), 0.0071 wt% and 0.0173 wt%, respectively; this is critical from an economical point of view. The batch experiments showed that these two surfactants, at concentrations just five times their CMCs, were able to reduce the adsorption of toluene on PWB by up to 74% and 65%, and of PCE with APG and RL by up to 65% and 86%, respectively. In general, these results clearly suggest the possibility of using these two surfactants in surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation technology. Full article

Preparation and characterization of microemulsions consisting of a plant-derived alkyl polyglycoside (APG) surfactant and the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) was studied. This nonionic APG surfactant used was Triton CG-110 with a CMC at 1748 ppm at 25 °C. Tea tree oil (TTO) was extracted from tea tree leaves by Triton CG-110-assisted hydrodistillation method. The preparation of the microemulsion was aided by the construction of pseudo-ternary phase diagrams, which were investigated at the different weight ratios of surfactant mixtures (S_mix = Triton CG-110/PPG) as 0.6:1, 1.8:1, 1:0 with hydrodistilled and commercial TTO by water titration method at room temperature. Particularly, structure of microemulsion was identified by electrical conductivity and viscosity. Moreover, shelf stability of some microemulsion made of 1% TTO with various concentration of Triton CG-110/PPG (1.8:1 w/w) were monitored for over a two-month period with dynamic light scattering. These results showed that microemulsion made of 1% TTO, 9% Triton CG-110/PPG (1.8:1 w/w) was insensitive with time and temperature of storage. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of alkyl polyglycoside (APG), which is a non-ionic surfactant, on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites in dairy cows. Twenty dairy cows were randomly divided into four groups and fed a basal diet that included pelleted concentrate, distillers grains, and fresh limpograss. The four treatments included 0, 5.5, 11 and 22 mL APG per kg of pelleted concentrate on a dry matter basis; treatments were defined as APG0, APG5.5, APG11, and APG22, respectively. Dry matter intake was not affected by APG supplementation. There was an increase in milk yield (from 13.96 to 16.71 kg/day) and increases in milk fat (quadratic, p = 0.04), protein (quadratic, p = 0.10), and lactose concentrations (linear, p = 0.07) with increasing APG supplementation. In addition, APG supplementation increased (p ≤ 0.03) the milk fat, protein, solid non-fat, and total solid yields, while the lactose yield increased (linear, p = 0.01) as the APG level increased. Dietary APG supplementation had no effect on nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites. It was concluded that the addition of APG at doses up to 22 mL/kg of pelleted concentrate had positive effects on the milk composition in dairy cows. Full article

Perfluoropolyether (PFPE) glycerol emulsions were prepared. Three different green surfactants (AES (sodium laureth sulfate), APG (alkyl polyglycoside), and SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate)) were chosen to emulsify the PFPE. Their properties and performance in shampoo were also investigated. Centrifuge stability measurements show that three PFPE emulsions have good stability. They are stable for 60 min when the centrifugal speed is 6000 r/min. In addition, a change of droplet size was observed with time. Moreover, its rheological properties and application performance was studied. The AES emulsion was the most stable emulsion and it was found to improve the slip and lubricity performance of the cotton, so it has potential applications in shampoo. Full article