The Ammonia Cycle And Your Aquarium
What is the Ammonia Cycle?
The ammonia cycle - better known as the nitrogen cycle - is an essential part of the environment. In nature, ammonia is a product that is given out by organisms during their excretion process. However ammonia is toxic, and it is very hazardous to the ecology to leave it lying as it is in the environment. Nature itself takes care of things though. There are some bacteria present in the environment such as nitrosomonas and nitrosococcus that can reduce the ammonia to nitrites. Nitrites are solids with the general radical -NO2, but the problem is, even nitrites are toxic, especially to grazing animals. Nature again helps; another species of bacteria called the nitrobacter convert the nitrites into harmless nitrates, with radicals -NO3. The conversion of ammonia into nitrites and then into nitrates is called as ammonification.
But the process does not stop here. Denitrifying bacteria are involved in the environment, which convert all the residual nitrites and the nitrates into the free atmospheric form of nitrogen. In this form, the gas is released into the environment. Later this nitrogen will be fixed back into the soil, and then taken by plants, and then by animals, and the whole cycle with continue again.
Thus the ammonia cycle actually involves the circulation of nitrogen from the organisms to the environment and then back from the environment to the organisms.
Why is Ammonia Cycle Important in an Aquarium?
Most fish and other aquatic organisms are ammonotelic, i.e. they give out ammonia directly as their excretory product. This ammonia collects in the fish tank and, among other things, it might increase the basicity of the fish tank (which means the pH value will be increased). Any change in the pH value of the fish tank is obviously quite harmful to the inhabitants of the tank.
That is the reason why the ammonia produced in excess within the aquarium must be effectively removed. Hence, ammonia cycle becomes important.
How is Ammonia Cycle Maintained in the Aquarium?
The easiest way to keep your ammonia cycle going on in the aquarium is to introduce bacterial cultures into the water. One of the best ways to do this is to add a biological medium such as live rock or a biological bed. Sponge filters can be introduced in the fishless tank first on a biological bed and then allowed to live in the tank for about two to three days. This will promote the growth of the necessary bacteria required for the ammonia cycle. Later on, the fish can be introduced one after the other. It is necessary to bring in the fish one at a time, because that will allow the bacteria to get accustomed to neutralizing the pH value increase in the tank.
Some aquarists help in the ammonia cycling by actually adding some pure ammonia before they put the fish in. When such ammonia is added, the microorganisms within the tank will cycle this ammonia first, and so the cycle will already have set in before the fish are introduced.
There are ammonia cycling pumps available too, all of which work on different principles. If the number of fish in your aquarium is low, then replacing the water periodically could also be a good attempt at ammonia cycling.
How To Remove Red Stains From Your Carpet
Removing red stains isn’t easy and they don’t always come out even with proper cleaning, but here is your best chance for ridding yourself of these unsightly monsters.
To remove red stains, you need some lemon ammonia, white terry cloth towels and a clothes iron. With the carpet still dry, apply enough lemon ammonia to completely cover the red stain. Using a spray bottle to apply the ammonia works best.
Take your white towel and completely saturate it with cold water and wring out some of the excess water. Place the towel over the red stain and apply the iron to the top of the towel for about 20 seconds.
Lift up towel to see if the red stain has faded in color, if it has, spray more lemon ammonia to the stain, wet your towel again and apply the iron to the top of the towel. Make sure that the towel is larger than the face of the clothes iron to prevent your carpet being burnt.
If after two or three times, the red stain hasn’t faded in color, then you will not be able to remove the stain from the carpet, you best solution would be to have the stain repaired with a new piece of carpet.
If the stain does fade and is mostly removed, it would be a good idea to rinse the carpet with clean water and blot it with a dry towel. Do this a few times to remove as much of the ammonia residue as you can.
Never apply the iron for longer than 30 seconds at a time, especially if the carpet is light in color or it is a berber carpet. Hopefully this will help you to remove your red stains and make your carpet and home look better.
A Brief Overview Of Ammonia Refrigeration Systems
Ammonia refrigeration systems are used quite frequently in facilities that provide industrial refrigeration. The ammonia used is actually anhydrous and there are many different types of foods, drugs, beers, ice creams, and more that we all enjoy on a regular basis kept in industrial refrigeration cooled by ammonia.
In fact, many things you use or eat on a daily basis were kept in ammonia refrigeration systems at some point in time before they made their way to your home. Other items that are used in ammonia refrigeration systems on a regular basis include fruit juice and soft drinks in their processing facilities, wineries, processing facilities for meats, fish, and poultry. Also petrochemical facilities and cold storage warehouses use ammonia refrigeration systems.
Ammonia refrigeration systems are not completely safe, however. Workers in processing plants are at risk of being exposed to ammonia spills. Ammonia is very dangerous to workers and it may cause many problems. Ammonia may affect workers through inhalation, skin contact, explosion, and even fires. As a result process hazard analysis is very important and companies focus on this for process safety management. Safeguards are important and must be kept in place at all times to ensure safety. Ammonia is a hazard and it must be handled properly.
Worker protection is very important because ammonia is so dangerous. In the past workers have been injured and even killed working in facilities with ammonia refrigeration. Liquid contact or vapor from ammonia may cause injuries or even kill employees so that is why it is so important to keep industrial refrigerators in proper order at all times. Otherwise catastrophic consequences may result. In fact, there are many programs developed by OSHA to assist companies using industrial refrigeration to keep employees safe. For example, OSHA discusses vent pipes and their failures to help companies realize where problems may arise. The same goes for inspection systems and how important they are to keep up to date and constant in companies using anhydrous ammonia.
OSHA has also recommended that all workers in industrial refrigeration plants wear protective clothing in order to protect them in case of a spill, leak, or other similar event. OSHA has also published information on fire safety, respiratory protection, control of hazardous energy, personal protective equipment, and the like.
With OSHA playing a role in ammonia refrigeration and how it is managed companies and employees are all kept safer. That is the most important thing and thanks to OSHA employees working with ammonia refrigerant are now safer than ever.
The Inner Workings of Bodybuilding Super Supplement Gakic
All forms of exercise, but especially intense exercise like body building, will eventually cause an accumulation of ammonia in the muscular tissues, causing the burning sensation known as “metabolic failure.” Ammonia buildup will minimize your performance, leaving you fatigued as your body’s glycogen formation drips, and your energy production cycle is blocked.
You athletic performance will decline in direct proportion to the amount of ammonia in your blood, and Gakic is one of the few bodybuilding supplements which has been proven in clinical studies to lengthen the time–by as much as 28%–it takes for its users to reach metabolic failure from ammonia buildup.
If you’re a body builder, you probably have heard of creatine, one of the compounds found in your muscle fibers. Creatine is responsible for your muscles being able to manufacture ATP, or Adenosine Triphosphate, the source of almost all your body’s energy. As long as your ATP supply is adequate, your muscles will continue to contract.
Creatine supplements are designed to boost your body’s stores of creatine so that it can manufacture more ATP. Gakic, on the other hand, is designed to boost ATP by decreasing the amount of ammonia which is a by-product of intense exercise. Ammonia interferes with your body’s ability to create ATP, and the longer you can stave off the ammonia buildup, the longer your workout can continue!
Formulated to be taken no more than 45 minutes prior to a workout, and containing neither creatine nor stimulants, Gakic inhibits the accumulation of ammonia when its ketoisocaproic acid is transformed into the amino acid leucine, which neutralizes the ammonia molecules which build up in your muscle tissue as by-products of your workout. The glycine and arginine in Gakic then work to transport the neutralized ammonia, in the form of uric acid, away from your muscles to be excreted as urine.
A lower concentration of ammonia in your muscles means that they will maintain the strength of their contractions longer into your workout before the fail from exhaustion, so you can benefit from more reps at higher resistance and reach your bodybuilding goals much sooner!
Effective Acne Treatment: Fatty Acids
Finding an effective acne treatment can be a difficult task. Many people rely on over the counter acne medications to combat the skin condition. Others believe that proper diet is the most effective acne treatment. Along with this second theory, consuming enough essential fatty acids is a very effective acne treatment. Fatty acids help control the production hormones which cause excess amounts of oil to clog pores and hair follicles. Thus, eating products high in fatty acids is an effective acne treatment for people of all ages.
The three major fatty acids are omega 3 oil, omega 6 oil, and omega 9 oil. These fatty acids should be consumed daily for effective acne treatment to occur. When the body lacks sufficient amounts of these fatty acids, it may cause an increase in the size of oil glands, the eruption of irreparable skin blemishes, as well as a weakened immune system.
There are long lists of foods that contain these fatty acids and, therefore, are essential for effective acne treatment. Salmon, avocados, sardines, different types of nuts and seeds are all high in the essential fatty acids needed for effective acne treatment.
Individuals who are allergic to nuts have other alternatives which are equally sufficient in fatty acids. Olive oil, olives, and dark green veggies, such as kale, spinach, mustard and collard greens, can also assist in effective acne treatment.
Thus, including these products which are rich in fatty acids could possibly be the most effective acne treatment there is.
How To Increase Your Intake Of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for physical and mental well-being but the modern diet is often very deficient in omega 3 fatty acids with the balance between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids being extremely high. In order to ensure good health it is therefore necessary to increase our intake of omega 3 fatty acids and this can be done by eating foods with omega 3 fatty acids in them.
One of the most well known foods with omega 3 fatty acids is fatty fish. Fatty fish such as sardines, salmon, trout and herring contain relatively high concentrations of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and many studies have been done to show the benefits a diet high in these fish can have on various diseases and disorders. To improve health or to treat omega 3 fatty acid deficiency two to three meals a week containing these fish is recommended. You may also use fish oil supplements to help boost your intake of omega 3 fatty acids.
Seeds and nuts are also good sources of essential fatty acids but unfortunately do not contain the right balance in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. However to boost your intake of omega 3 fatty acids flax is recommended as flaxseed oil. Flaxseed oil is often considered an alternative to fish oil supplements for those who would prefer not to take fish oil however it does not contain omega 6 fatty acids.
Green vegetables contain a small amount of good fatty acids such as omega 3 but are not significantly helpful if used alone to boost intake of omega 3 fatty acids as you would need to eat too many vegetables to get a reasonable amount of fatty acids and so they need to be used in conjunction with other foods with omega 3 fatty acids.
Another food with omega 3 fatty acids is the New Zealand green lipped mussel. This often comes as a supplement though in powder or lipid extract form. The lipid extract is the one recommended as it is less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
In our modern day diet we are not achieving a correct balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and it is therefore necessary to balance our diet with omega 3 fatty acids. Foods with omega 3 fatty acids are an excellent way to boost your intake of omega 3 fatty acids as are fish oil supplements or supplements made from the New Zealand green lipped mussel.
Industrial General Purpose Absorbents - All You Need to Know About Absorbents
Fluid solidifiers are a common industrial general purpose absorbent. These solutions have ‘encapsulation technology’ that impedes the activity of fluid spills that can be up to more than 100 times its own weight. Fluid solidifiers are sprinkled onto a spill and the granules absorb the fluid rapidly, turning it into an easy-to-scoop granulated gel that can be disposed of properly.
There are of course other fluid solidifiers on the market, all which act and react in a similar fashion. Usually a granular substance that can be sprinkled or dumped into a spill, the industrial general purpose absorbents encapsulate the spill immediately and begin to soak it up into its pores. Then one can easily remove the granules that have soaked up the spill and dispose of them. This method of absorbing liquid materials has been around for a long time, however many advancements have been made in the area of general purpose absorbents. In some cases, industry requires an absorbent that can absorb a variety of liquid products, from oil based to water based and including a wide variety of chemicals.
If there is a spill where an industrial general purpose absorbent has been used, it is critical to note that clean up is done immediately and properly. There are a variety of ways to dispose of the used absorbent properly as well as regulations for how certain products and chemicals can be disposed of. It’s important to check with your local agency or company to find out how to properly dispose of a cleaned up spill.
Another issue that is important to the industrial general purpose absorbent industry is environmental protection. Some spills are highly toxic and can damage the environment. These spills are required to be contained immediately and disposed of properly. In some cases, you may have to report the spills to a local government agency, especially if the chemical or product that was spilled is not environmentally friendly or is corrosive or dangerous in any way. Soaking up and containing the spill quickly is of paramount importance, which is why engineers are consistently working towards better products that are more environmentally friendly and do their job quickly and efficiently.
There are also a wide variety of wipes available for industrial general purpose absorbents. These wipes are durable yet surface safe—they are often safe enough to work on glass but tough enough to wipe down machinery and wipe up caustic spills. Some wipe absorbents are moist and treated with a solvent to help wipe up and clean the spill that happens.
If spills are expected or highly likely in an area, you can choose a mat or pad to lay down. These industrial general purpose absorbents can be used to protect an area that has a high likelihood of spills, to wipe up a spill or used as a liner for products that may leak or be dirty. These pads generally work in the same way—with an inner core that locks the leak or spill into the center of the pad quickly and for easy disposal.
There are many products that can be used as an industrial general purpose absorbent, finding one to suit your needs is quite easy.
Absorbents - Simple Solution to Marinas’s Pollution Problems
Marinas provide an economic as well as a recreational benefits to society as a whole. As as result of the popularity of boating and other waterbased activities, Marina’s fueling docks are high traffic areas and generate large amounts of hazardous petroleum based products.
Marina owners are required to maintain an effective spill prevention plan which includes environmental safeguards that prevent the degradation of the water systems.
There are a variety of technologies and products that are available that can help this industries prevent or at least mitigate several of these inherent environmental concerns. Most marina owners practice an aggressive environmental protection program in the areas of oil spill containment.
It is sometimes the most inconsequential products that can produce the biggest impact. Absorbents represent that inconsequential product. Absorbents are the quick solution that many marinas use for cleaning up oil spills. Absorbents are used in many spill situations on land as well as in and around these water dependent industries because of the ease of use.
Absorbents are a general category of products that include a unique subcategory of special types of absorbents for the marine industry. Booms, sweeps, socks and bilges are the most commonly used. These absorbent products are functional for the marine industry because they can be quickly, safely and effectively deployed to contain spills.
Oil absorbent booms are perfect for marine spill containment. These oil absorbent booms are constructed with a strong mesh outer skin that encases a highly absorbent polypropylene filler. Oil only absorbent booms are ideal for collecting oil quickly when a boat is fueling and oil accidentally spills into the water.
A marine operator can toss the boom into the water, collect the spill quickly and then retrieve the boom. The booms are of course water repellent.
Bilge socks are flexible absorbents that can be shaped to accommodate the shape of spills. It is important to select absorbents based on their intended use. Marinas traditionally opt to use oil absorbents that only absorb oil-based fluids. But there are absorbents that an also absorb water based or chemical spills.
Oil absorbent sweeps are used often by marine operators to absorb broad sheens or surface spills.
Absorbents are just one of the many variety of products designed to contain and manage oil spills. The special needs of marinas require that they properly use several methodologies for effective hazardous waste management. To stay within the compliance guidelines, marinas are required to adhere to Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part s 260-268 (see Hazardous Waste Management, page 39).
When spills occur in a marina, the management of the marina should be notified immediately. Marina operators are usually very conscientious concerning containing oil spills within their environment. In fact, many marina operators, all across the United States have joined forces in an effort to use Best Practices in Marine Environmental Management to insure the safety of the waterways.
These individual marina operations practice strict adherence to the clean marina guidelines. Absorbents when used properly play a major role in this initiative.
Guerbet Alcohols And Its Derivatives
GUERBET ALCOHOLS
Guerbet alcohols are the beta branched primary alcohols, which are the condensation products of alcohols. This chemistry has made possible the synthesis of regiospecific, beta-branched hydrophobe which introduces high-purity branching into the molecule. The chemistry has resulted in the preparation of many materials that find applications in metal lubrication, plastic mold release, paper processing, and personal care products.
The reaction involves the following steps:
* Oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes
* Aldol condensation after proton extraction
* Dehydration of the aldol product
* Hydogenation of the allylic aldehyde
The reaction is catalyzed in presence of hydrogen transfer catalyst. These include nickel, lead salts, oxides of copper, lead, zinc, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese and some palladium compounds. At low temperatures of 130-140°C, oxidation process is the rate limiting step. At somewhat higher temperatures 160-180°C, the rate limiting step is the aldol condensation .At higher temperatures, other degradative reactions occur and can become dominant. Cannizaro reaction is the major side reaction described.
Most commonly used raw materials for the preparation of Guerbet alcohols are alcohols of natural origin which are primary, with even numbered, straight carbon chains. Oxo alcohols can also be used, but the reaction rate and conversions are reduced.
Guerbet alcohols are branched, essentially saturated and of high molecular weight, exhibit the following properties Have low irritation potential Are liquid to low temperatures Are low in volatility Are reactive and can be used to make many derivatives Are good lubricants Exhibit very good oxidative stability at elevated temperatures Have excellent color initially and at elevated temperatures Exhibit improved stability over unsaturated products in many applications.
They are prepared by the oxidation of Guerbet alcohols to produce primary carboxylic acids. Oxidative alkali fusion with alkali metal salts dehydrogenates the alcohol and gives excellent yields of carboxylic acids.
Guerbet alcohols as well as acids melt at lower temperatures than linear alcohols containing the same number of carbon atoms. Compared to Guerbet alcohols with the same number of alcohols corresponding Guerbet acids melt at higher temperature.
GUERBET ESTERS
One of the desired effects of introducing Guerbet branching into ester molecules is to extend their liquidity to very low temperatures. With the availability of Guerbet acids and alcohols, branching can be introduced into the alcohol, acid or both.
It is observed that products with the lowest titer carry Guerbet branching in both the acid and the alcohol part of the molecule. The next lowest titer point is obtained when the Guerbet branch is in the acid moiety. Branching in the alcohol part results in the highest titer value. Products derived from linear acids and linear alcohols differ substantially from those derived from linear acids and Guerbet alcohols. Specifically, the former are rock hard solids while the latter are liquids with a snowy precipitate. Introduction of Gurbet branching in to the ester molecule do not alter the solubility of the resulting ester.
GUERBET SULFATES AND ETHER SULFATES
Sulfates and ether sulfates are typical anionic surfactants. One of the salient properties of surfactant is the Kraft point which is a measure of water solubility. It is defined as the temperature in °C at which a 1% dispersion becomes clear under gradual heat. The Kraft point of sulfates rises with increasing molecular weight of the hydropobe or with the addition of propylene oxide to the hydrophobe. The Kraft point decreases with the addition of ethylene oxide. The Kraft point provides another illustration of the differences between the linear and Gurbet based sulfates.
The location of the branch within the hydrophobe has a major effect upon functional properties of anionic surfactants, such as their HLB and emulsifying power. Guerbet based surfactants promote their micellization in the oil phase because of its twin tail structure which require less cosurfactant to make micro emulsions. Guerbet ether sulfates are very efficient emulsifiers for oil and emulsify three to five times more oil than the sulfates made from linear hydrophobes.
Dr. Prashantkumar Kudli Shrinivas has a vast industrial experience of Aroma chemicals,Essential oils,Perfumery and Flavour formulations. He is a permanent member of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers & NMR Association of India.
Can I Eat Sugar Alcohols On My Low Carb Diet?
Polyols” or sugar alcohols are a number of different
carbohydrates that are neither sugars nor alcohols–and
are commonly used as artificial sweeteners in a range
of products, from ice cream to chewing gum.While these tasty sweeteners appear to be the perfect
solution for both low-carb dieters and low-carb
food producers, recent studies of sugar alcohols
have painted a somewhat different picture.
To begin with, sugar alcohols are not entirely carb-free.
Most studies have indicated that sugar alcohols contain
approximately 1/2 to 1/3 the amount of calories as
sugar–and in the form of carbohydrates.
In addition, studies have shown that sugar alcohols
are absorbed by the small intestine, but the process
is slower and fractured. This affects a rise
in blood sugar, but again is smaller and more gradual
than with sugar–and the rise tends to vary from
person to person.
Sugar alcohols also have a laxative effect on some
consumers. Since they are only partially absorbed,
they bring water into the bowel–and undigested
carbs into the colon, creating gas and bloating
as the carbs are acted on by bacteria.
Over-consumption of sugar alcohols can often
have an adverse effect on low carb dieters,
even when they can digest them properly.
Sugar alcohols can trigger cravings in
low carb dieters, causing them to deviate
from dietary restrictions.
In addition, sugar alcohols can often cause
low carb dieters to choose an unhealthy
diet of sweets, which appear to be carb-free,
over a varied diet that includes essential nutrients.
If you are currently on a low carb diet and want
to mix sugar alcohol products into your diet,
it is very important that you monitor your total
sugar alcohol intake–and keep it at a minimum while
consuming a healthy diet.
One easy way to do this is to determine the total
amount of carbs in sugar alcohol products you are
consuming. You can do this by subtracting the
amount of fat and protein calories per serving
from the total amount of calories per serving.
Simply multiply the grams of protein by four
and the grams of fat by nine. Now subtract
the sum of the two from the total amount of
calories per serving.
Using these figures, you can determine whether
or not carbs are being “hidden” in “carb free”
sugar alcohol products you consume, allowing
you to make a better-informed decision that
fits the prescriptions of your low-carb diet.