SOUTHWESTRETORT
SEVENTY-SEVENTH YEAR March 2025
Published for the advancement of Chemists, Chemical Engineers and Chemistry in this area published by
The Dallas-Fort Worth Section, with the cooperation of five other local sections of theAmerican Chemical Society in the Southwest Region.
Vol. 77 (7) March 2025
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2025ACS DFW Executive Committee
Chair: Denise Lynn Merkle, PhD
Chair-elect: Jonathan Dannatt, PhD
Past Chair: Rajani Srinivasan, PhD
Treasurer: Martha Gilchrist, MS
Secretary: Trey Putnam, PhD
Councilors:
MaryAnderson, PhD
Kirby Drake, JD
Linda Schultz, PhD
Rebecca Weber, PhD
Alternate Councilors:
Daniela Hutanu, PhD
Danny Tran, PhD
Yunxiang Li, PhD
From the ACS Press Room
An aerosol test for airborne bird flu
“Capacitive Biosensor for Rapid Detection of Avian (H5N1) Influenza and E. coli in Aerosols”
ACS Sensors
Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (also known as bird flu) have created a need for rapid and sensitive detection methods to mitigate its spread. Now, researchers in ACS Sensors have developed a prototype sensor that detects a type of influenza virus that causes bird flu (H5N1) in air samples. The low-cost handheld sensor detects the virus at levels below an infectious dose and could lead to rapid aerosol testing for airborne avian influenza.
Bird flu can spread quickly when infectious respiratory droplets are inhaled by birds and other animals, and the virus’ frequent mutations make airborne transmission to humans a concern. Current methods to detect H5N1 viruses often require extensive sample preparation in a lab, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based tests. Therefore, a sensor that quickly detects these airborne viral particles without sample preparation could identify transmission before an outbreak occurs. One solution could be the electrochemical capacitive biosensor (ECB), which has been used to successfully detect other airborne viruses. Previously, a research team led by Rajan Chakrabarty created an electrochemical biosensor to detect SARS-CoV-2 particles in breath. This time, the team used ECB technology to detect and measure levels of H5N1 viruses in the air instead.
The new ECB consists of a thin network of
Prussian blue nanocrystals and graphene oxide branches on a screen-printed carbon electrode. To make the sensor detect H5N1 viruses, the researchers attached probes (aptamers or antibodies) sensitive to these pathogens onto the network. They paired the sensor with a custom-built air sampler that pulls in droplets from the air and creates a liquid sample. When liquid samples containing H5N1 viruses were applied to the sensor, the viral particles bound to the probes and changed the sensor’s capacitance. By measuring the total change in capacitance, the researchers could measure the levels of H5N1 in the liquid sample.
Anew low-cost handheld sensor detects the type of influenza virus that causes bird flu (H5N1) at levels below an infectious dose and could lead to rapid aerosol testing. Wassana Panapute/Shutterstock.com
In demonstrations with aerosolized samples containing known quantities of inactivated H5N1 viruses, the ECB produced results within 5 minutes. The sensor’s level of detection for avian influenza was 93 viral copies per 35 cubic feet (1 cubic meter) of air, a level that the researchers say should be “sensitive enough to detect the presence of H5N1 below the virus’ infectious dose.” The
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From the ACS Press Room
Scented wax melts may not be as safe for indoor air as initially thought, study finds
“Flame-Free Candles Are Not PollutionFree: Scented Wax Melts as a Significant Source of Atmospheric Nanoparticles”
Environmental Science & Technology Letters
As traditional candles burn, they can contribute to indoor air pollution by emitting volatile compounds and smoke, which may pose inhalation risks. Scented wax melts are often marketed as safer alternatives to candles because they’re flame- and smoke-free. But in a study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters, researchers describe how aroma compounds released from the melted wax can react with ozone in indoor air to form potentially toxic particles.
Previous research has shown that scented wax melts emit more airborne scent compounds than traditional candles. The direct heating of the wax maximizes its surface area, thereby releasing more fragrance – such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) made of hydrocarbons – into the air. Researchers know that these chemicals can react with other compounds in the air to form nanometer-wide particles, which have been linked to negative health effects when inhaled. However, the potential for nanoparticle formation during wax-melt use was unknown. So, Nusrat Jung, Brandon Boor and colleagues set out to investigate this process using wax melts in a full-scale house model that mimicked a typical residential house.
The researchers conducted experiments on
15 commercially available wax melts, both unscented and scented (e.g., lemon, papaya, tangerine and peppermint), in the model house. They first established a baseline of indoor air pollutants and then switched on the wax warmer for about 2 hours. During
Researchers monitored the nanoparticles produced from scented wax melts using lab equipment set up inside a model home.
Purdue University/Kelsey Lefever
and after this period, the researchers continuously sampled the air a few yards (meters) away from the wax melts and found airborne nanoparticles, between 1 and 100 nanometers wide, at levels that were comparable to previously reported levels for traditional, combustion-based candles. These particles could pose an inhalation risk because they are small enough to pass through respiratory tissues and enter the bloodstream, say the researchers.
Additionally, using literature data, the team calculated that a person could inhale similar amounts of nanoparticles from wax melts as from traditional candles and gas stoves. Pre-
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The 57thACS DFW MEETING-in-MINIATURE
East TexasA&M University Commerce, Texas
Saturday,April 26, 2025
The 57th ACS DFW Meeting-in-Miniature will be held at the Science Building of East Texas A&M University on Saturday, April 26, 2025. All undergraduates, graduates and postdocs are invited to present their research results. Lunch will be provided. We plan to organize a poster session for community college students also. They are strongly encouraged to participate.
For each presentation, the Abstract is due by March 31, 2025. Please use the link https:// www.tamuc.edu/acs-meeting-in-miniature to submit abstracts and register. Group activities, such as planetarium shows and/or university tours, may be arranged depending on the interest.
For further information on the meeting, please reach out to the following contacts:
Abstract: Dr. Bukuo Ni, Bukuo.Ni@tamuc.edu
General Info: Dr. Ben Jang, Ben.Jang@tamuc.edu
From the ACS Press Room
Chocolate — with potential health benefits
“Novel Formulations of Cinnamon- and Orange-Flavored Synbiotic Corn Chocolates with Enhanced Functional Properties and Probiotic Survival Rates”
ACS Food Science & Technology
Many people will soon load up Easter baskets with chocolate candy for children and adults to enjoy. On its own, dark chocolate has health benefits, such as antioxidants that neutralize damaging free radicals. And a report in ACS Food Science & Technology suggests that packing the sweet treat with pre- and probiotics could make it more healthful. Flavoring agents, however, can affect many properties, including moisture level and protein content of the chocolate product.
Probiotics, found in fermented foods such as yogurt and kimchi, are living microbes that improve the gut microbiome, shifting the balance toward beneficial bacteria and yeasts. They can also ease digestive issues and reduce inflammation. These active cultures need food and protection to survive harsh gut conditions, so prebiotics substances like dietary fibers and oligosaccharides are sometimes added to probiotic-containing products to create synbiotic foods. Because chocolate is a treat that many people enjoy, researchers have used it to test various combinations of pre- and probiotics. Some methods for including prebiotics are laborious, so Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh explored prebiotics that would not require extensive processing corn and honey in chocolate fortified with probiotics.
The team developed five chocolates for their study. One contained only basic chocolate ingredients, including cocoa butter, cocoa powder and milk powder. Four different synbiotic test samples also contained prebiotics (corn and honey), one probiotic (either Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14 or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) and one flavor additive (either cinnamon or orange). When the researchers examined several properties of the chocolate samples, they found that fat levels, which influence texture and mouthfeel, were consistent among all five samples. However, there were differences:
• Flavorings impacted some characteristics of the synbiotic chocolates. For example, orange flavorings decreased pH,
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Chocolate infused with prebiotics, probiotics and flavorings could have enhanced health benefits.
Smriti Gaur
From the ACS Press Room
Medical infusion bags can release microplastics, study shows
“MPs Entering Human Circulation through Infusions: A Significant Pathway and Health Concern”
Environment & Health
Microplastics have been found almost everywhere that scientists have looked for them. Now, according to research published in the ACS partner journal Environment & Health, these bits of plastic from 1 to 62 micrometers long are present in the filtered solutions used for medical intravenous (IV) infusions. The researchers estimate that thousands of plastic particles could be delivered directly to a person’s bloodstream from a single 8.4-ounce (250-milliliter) bag of infusion fluid.
In clinical settings, IV infusions are packaged in individual plastic pouches and deliver water, electrolytes, nutrients or medicine to patients. The base of these infusions is a saline solution that contains filtered water and enough salt to match the content of human blood. Research from the 1970s suggests IV fluid bags can contain solid particles, but few scientists have followed up on what those particles are made of. Liwu Zhang, Ventsislav Kolev Valev and colleagues suspected that these particles could be microplastics that, upon infusion, would enter the recipient’s bloodstream and potentially cause negative health effects. So, they set out to analyze the types and amounts of particles in commercial IV fluid bags.
The team purchased two different brands of
8.4-ounce bags of IV saline solution. After the contents of each bag dripped into separate glass containers, the liquids were filtered to catch microscopic particles. Then the researchers counted a portion of the individual plastic fragments, using that amount to estimate the total number of microplastics in the entire pouch of IV liquid and to analyze the composition of the particles.
IV infusions in plastic pouches contained these microplastics.
Adapted from Environment & Health 2025, DOI: 10.1021/envhealth.4c00210
The researchers discovered that both brands of saline contained microplastic particles made from polypropylene the same material as the bags which suggests that the bags shed microplastics into the solutions. And they estimated that each bag of infusion fluid could deliver about 7,500 microplastics directly into the bloodstream. This figure rises to about 25,000 particles to treat dehydration or 52,500 for abdominal surgery, which can require multiple IV bags.
The researchers recommend keeping IV infu-
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2025 ACSDFW Officers
Chair 2025 (Past Chair 2026)
Chair-Elect 2025 (Chair 2026, Past Chair 2027)
Denise Lynn Merkle, PhD SciConsult, Inc
Jonathan Dannatt, PhD University of Dallas
Dr. Dannatt is also the ACSDFW ExCom Representative to the SWRM 2026 Planning Committee
Secretary 2025
Treasurer 2025 - 2026
Councilor 2025
Councilor 2025 - 2026
Councilor 2025 - 2027
Alternate Councilor 2025
Alternate Councilor 2025 – 2026
Alternate Councilor 2025 - 2027
Trey Putnam, PhD TTUHSC &
Prof. Martha Gilchrest, MS TCCD
Linda D. Schultz PhD
Tarleton State University
Mary E.Anderson, PhD
Texas Woman's University
Rebecca (Becky) Weber,PhD
University of North Texas
Kirby B. Drake, JD
Kirby Drake Law
Rajani Srinivasan, PhD
Tarleton State University
Daniela Hutanu, PhD
JenKem Technology USA
Daniel (Danny) Tran, PhD
University of Texas @ Dallas
Yunxiang (Vanni) Li, PhD
Texas Woman’s University
From the ACS Press Room
Packets of freeze-dried bacteria grow biocement on demand
“Shelf-Stable Sporosarcina pasteurii Formulation for Scalable Laboratory and Field -Based Production of Biocement”
ACS
Applied Materials & Interfaces
Cement manufacturing and repair could be significantly improved by using biocementproducing bacteria, but growing the microbes at construction sites remains a challenge. Now, researchers report a freezedrying approach in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces that preserves the bacteria, potentially allowing construction workers to ultimately use powder out of a packet to quickly make tiles, repair oil wells or strengthen the ground for makeshift roads or camps.
Soil stabilization and concrete repair are major challenges facing civil engineers. Recently, researchers have shifted their attention to a tiny bacterium called Sporosarcina pasteurii that can produce a form of calcium mineral called biocement. The microbes break down urea and form ammonium and carbonate. Then, with the addition of calcium, the result is calcium carbonate, which glues sand and soil particles together or repairs cracks in existing concrete structures. To make biocement for construction projects, the bacteria currently must be grown onsite with special equipment and technical knowhow. So, Maneesh Gupta and colleagues wanted to develop a way to preserve S. pasteurii in a shelf-stable format that would be easy for construction workers to use.
Gupta’s team was inspired by manufacturers who freeze-dry biological components and add them to fertilizers. The researchers suspended the bacteria in different solutions and tested how well the microbes survived freezing. They found that sucrose protected the microbes best compared to other types of protectants. After freezing, the bacteria were dried and then stored in resealable plastic bags. Sucrose-treated S. pasteurii remained viable for at least three months.
Adapted fromACSApplied Materials & Interfaces 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c15381
Further laboratory testing showed that the sucrose-preserved, freeze-dried bacteria could be used to cement sand in 3D-printed cylindrical molds. The researchers prepared separate columns with play sand, like that used in children’s sandboxes, and natural
Continued on page 17
With the addition of a few raw materials, the freeze-dried bacteria in this packet (left image) can form biocement columns (right image).
From the ACS Press Room
Novel photochromic glass can store rewritable 3D patterns
“Direct 3D Lithography of Reversible Photochromic Patterns with Tunable Luminescence in Amorphous Transparent Media”
ACS Energy Letters
For decades researchers have been exploring how to store data in glass because of its potential to hold information for a long time eons without applying power. A special type of glass that changes color in different wavelengths of light, called photochromic glass, holds promise for stable, reusable data storage. Now, researchers have developed a doped photochromic glass that has the potential to store rewritable data indefinitely, according to research published in ACS Energy Letters.
Adapted fromACS Energy Letters 2025, DOI: 10.1021/ acsenergylett.5c00024
Certain types of eyeglasses get darker when exposed to wavelengths of light emitted by the sun and then shift back to a colorless lens indoors when no longer exposed to those light waves through a process called reversible photochromism. Likewise, other types of photochromic glass can switch color in response to different wavelengths of light, making this material attractive as an inexpensive and stable platform for storing vast amounts of information in a small space. But the chal-
lenge in using photochromic glass for data storage involves not only writing information into the glass but also erasing and rewriting it ad infinitum. Now, Jiayan Liao, Ji Zhou, Zhengwen Yang and a multidisciplinary team have made progress toward this goal by creating reversible, tunable patterns on photochromic gallium silicate glass.
Adapted fromACS Energy Letters 2025, DOI: 10.1021/ acsenergylett.5c00024
The team first designed gallium silicate glass modified with magnesium and terbium ions by using a process called doped direct 3D lithography. Liao and the team used a green 532-nanometer (nm)-wavelength laser to inscribe 3D patterns into tiny slabs of the doped glass. The intricate patterns, randomly chosen dots, symbols, QR codes, geometric prisms, and even a bird, appear purple in the transparent glass, which turns other colors when excited at precise wavelengths. Terbium luminesces green when excited by a deep violet 376-nm laser, and magnesium luminesces red in the presence of violet light at 417 nm. Then, to fully erase the patterns without changing the structure of the glass, the team applied heat at 1022 degrees Fahrenheit (550 degrees Celsius) for 25 minutes.
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Atiny cube of transparent glass holds these 3D designs that are revealed when exposed to specific lasers.
Anew type of glass that’s etched with a bird design appears differently when exposed to different lasers.
From the ACS Press Room
Glass fertilizer beads could be a sustained nutrient delivery system
“Design and Performance of a Multicomponent Glass Fertilizer for Nutrient Delivery in Precision Agriculture”
ACS Agricultural Science & Technology
Agricultural fertilizers are critical for feeding the world’s population, restoring soil fertility and sustaining crops. Excessive and inefficient use of those resources can present an environmental threat, contaminating waterways and generating greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology have addressed those challenges with glass fertilizer beads. The beads control nutrient release, and the researchers say they’re environmentally compatible.
“The results show that glass fertilizers can be tailored to plant needs, slowly and sustainably releasing nutrients to boost productivity without harming soil quality,” says Danilo Manzani, a co-author of the study.
Over time, the use of agricultural chemicals has increased. In 2020, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated that global demand for fertilizers would surpass 200 million metric tonnes. Fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus and lower amounts of other elements like calcium. Unfortunately, the benefits of these nutrients are lost through leaching into groundwater and emissions into the air, necessitating frequent reapplication and creating downstream environmental problems like toxic algal blooms. A potential solution could come
from tiny glass beads that previous researchers used to improve plant growth. To improve the efficiency of nutrient delivery, Manzani, Eduardo Ferreira and colleagues developed a water-soluble, multicomponent glass fertilizer designed for controlled nutrient release.
Researchers turned to glass beads to produce an environmentally compatible, sustained-release fertilizer. Adapted fromACSAgricultural Science & Technology, 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acsagscitech.4c00243
The researchers synthesized glass consisting of several micro- and macronutrients, such as phosphorus, potassium and calcium. They ground the glass into small (less than 0.85 millimeters wide) and large (0.85 to 2 millimeters wide) particles. In an initial test, the particles were added to either water or a buffer solution that mimicked soil conditions. They found that each nutrient released from
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From the ACS Press Room
Scientifically sniffing ancient Egyptian mummified bodies
"Ancient Egyptian Mummified Bodies: Cross-Disciplinary Analysis of Their Smell”
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Have you ever wondered what a mummy smells like? According to research reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, it’s “woody,” “spicy,” and even “sweet.” Researchers analyzed the volatile compounds emitted from nine mummies spanning nearly 2000 years of Egyptian history and found that the scents still lingering today could tell us how the bodies were preserved or how the person once lived thousands of years ago.
Adapted from the Journal of theAmerican Chemical Society 2025, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c15769
“What truly surprised me was how individual the smells were, which indicated significant differences in the mummification processes and states of preservation,” enthuses Matija
Strlič, a co-author of the study.
History stinks literally! Because most historical objects are carefully preserved and enclosed inside display cases in museums, some people have the misconception that they’re odorless. But their scents can persist, and in the case of ancient Egyptian mummies, conservators describe those smells as pleasant. The ancient Egyptians took good care of their dead because it was believed that careful preparation of the body would allow the soul to successfully transition into the afterlife. The preservation process involved removing moisture and internal organs from the body, and using scented oils, resins and bitumen (a petroleum product) as embalming agents to impart a pleasant smell. To delve more deeply into mummies’ purported smells, Strlič and colleagues, including researchers from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, investigated the scent profiles of nine mummies. Five came from storage, and four are currently on display at the museum. Of the mummies investigated, the oldest came from the New Kingdom, around 1500 BCE, and the most recent from the Byzantine Period, around 300-400 CE.
• The researchers collected air around the remains by carefully inserting a tube between the base and lid of the coffin. Then they analyzed the samples using gaschromatography-mass-spectrometryolfactometry (GC-MS-O) and an eightmember trained sensory panel. They discovered that:
•
This mummy, on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, was scientifically sniffed to reveal insights into how it was preserved thousands of years ago.
From the ACS Press Room
• The most frequent sensory notes describing the smells were “woody,” “spicy” and “sweet,” followed by “incense-like,” “stale” and “rancid.”
• There was no correlation between a mummy’s conservation state and its smell intensity. But the conservation state did reflect the overall composition of smells.
• The mummy with the strongest odor might have been the person with the highest social status in life, reflecting high-quality mummification practices.
• Mummies on display had higher concentrations of compounds carrying a scent, presumably because these compounds accumulate over time in their display cases.
• The team classified the identified odor compounds from four possible origins: the mummification process, microbiological activity on the mummy, oils used for deterring pests, or synthetic pesticides used in conservation.
Celia Bembibre, a co-author of the study, adds, “The smells are part of the value of mummified bodies, and this knowledge is not available to museum visitors, who only see them behind display cases.”
The team is now working to reconstruct the smells based on their findings, so they can be presented in museums to enhance visitors understanding of mummies.
The authors acknowledge funding from the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency as well as the National Science Centre of Poland.
From the ACS Press Room
continued
An aerosol test for...
from page 5
sensor’s overall accuracy was over 90% when compared with measurements from a digital PCR test, the traditional method. Chakrabarty and the team say the new bird flu sensor shows promise for noninvasive, real-time air monitoring for both animal and human populations.
The authors acknowledge funding from Flu Lab.
Scented wax melts
Continued from page 6
vious studies have found exposure to high levels of nanoparticles in indoor air can be linked to health risks like decreased cognitive function and increased prevalence of childhood asthma.
In the experiments, the main VOCs emitted from the wax melts were terpenes, such as monoterpenes and monoterpenoids. The researchers identified that the airborne terpenes reacted with ozone and formed sticky compounds, which aggregated into nanoscale particles. However, after warming an unscented wax melt, the team observed no terpene emissions or nanoparticle formation, which suggests that these aroma compounds contribute to nanoparticle formation. The researchers say this study challenges the perception that scented wax melts are a safer alternative to combustion-based candles;
however, they emphasize that more toxicology research is needed on the risks of breathing in nanoparticles formed from wax melts.
Adeeper analysis by the researchers of how airborne nanoparticles form indoors from volatile scent compounds was published in 2024 in ACS ES&T Air.
The authors acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation; Purdue University; and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers.
Chocolate
Continued from page 8
increased moisture and enhanced protein levels compared to all the other samples.
• The four synbiotic samples had higher antioxidant levels than the control.
• Synbiotic samples had less “snap” compared to the control, suggesting that the additional ingredients disrupted the structure of the chocolate.
The total microbial counts of the synbiotic chocolate samples decreased during storage, but the probiotic microbes still exhibited viability after 125 days This time period is longer than other researchers have reported when using different bacteria and prebiotics in chocolates. Finally, when Gaur and Singh exposed the synbiotic chocolates to simulated gastrointestinal conditions, the probiotics in the samples maintained substantial viabil-
ity for more than 5 hours.
From the ACS Press Room
continued
The researchers also snuck a taste of the confections. “Personally, we enjoyed the orangeflavored chocolates the most, where the vibrant citrus notes complemented the rich cocoa, and it had a slightly softer texture that made each bite feel more luxurious,” says Gaur. “In the future, we are excited to explore additional health benefits of these chocolates while thoroughly investigating their sensory and nutritional profiles, with the goal of creating an even more wholesome and enjoyable treat.”
The authors report no external funding for this work.
Medical infusion bags
Continued from page 9
sion bags away from ultraviolet light and heat to reduce microplastic shedding, and they say that micrometer-level filtration systems could be used to remove the particles during infusion.
While there are no clinical studies to date that have assessed the health risks of microplastics exposure, the researchers say their findings will help “provide a scientific basis for formulating appropriate policies and measures to mitigate the potential threats posed by microplastics to human health.” The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Packets of freeze-dried bacteria
Continued from page 11
sandy soil taken from the ground. Then, when the columns were sprayed several times with calcium chloride and urea, the bacteria produced biocement. The biocement in the columns made with play sand was stronger than the biocement formed with soil, and most of the biocement samples could be removed from the play sand molds. In another lab test, the team prepared columns of freeze-dried bacteria with natural sandy soil inside PVC pipes but did not remove the biocement from the pipes. The PVC columns made of both play sand and natural soil were stronger with exposure to more calcium chloride and urea.
In field tests, freeze-dried bacteria were applied to the surface of 3-foot by 3-foot (about 1-meter by 1-meter) plots, and urea and calcium chloride were sprayed on top. The freeze-dried bacteria made the top 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of the ground stronger within 24 hours. Although more work is needed, the researchers say this is the first demonstration that freeze-dried S. pasteurii remains viable and can make biocement, and it could be feasible for future deployment in the field.
The authors acknowledge funding from the U.S. Air Force Laboratory Seedlings for Disruptive Capabilities Program.
From the ACS Press Room
continued
Novel photochromic glass
Continued from page 12
Furthermore, the researchers consider the use of magnesium and terbium groundbreaking for their abilities to luminesce at distinctly different wavelengths, which makes it possible to get a tunable, multicolor readout of 3D patterns from a single material. The new approach could be used for high-capacity, stable 3D optical memory storage and encryption in industrial, academic and military applications.
The authors acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Science and Technology Project of Southwest Joint Graduate School of Yunnan Province, Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaYunnan Joint Fund, National Natural Science Foundation of High-end Foreign Experts Introduction Plan, Academician Expert Workstation of Cherkasova Tatiana in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Province Major Science and Technology Special Plan, Preparation and Property Control of Luminescent Materials and Application in Plateau Agriculture, University of Technology Sydney Chancellor’s Research Fellowship Program, and the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Glass fertilizer beads
Continued from page 13
minor fluctuations.
They then applied a nutrient solution or different amounts of the glass beads to soil seeded with a typical lawn and fairway grass, and they compared the plants’growth in the two treatments. The nutrient solution, which was applied only once, immediately stimulated plant growth, but the effect quickly diminished. However, the single application of glass fertilizer sustained plant growth regardless of particle size, though overall growth depended on the bead dose.
Manzani, Ferreira and colleagues also examined the possible ecotoxicity of the glass fertilizer by exposing lettuce and onion seeds to the beads. Seeds exposed to glass fertilizer had roughly the same germination rate and cell health as those never exposed or those treated with soluble nutrients. The researchers say that these results indicate an efficient and sustained alternative to conventional fertilizers with lower environmental impact.
The authors acknowledge funding from the São Paulo Research Foundation; Center for Research, Technology, and Education in Vitreous Materials; National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico); Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel; and Funding Authority for Studies and Projects.
From the Editor
One of the most interesting articles this month is the one on the odors emitted by Egyptian mummies. Described by the authors as “woody, spicy, and even sweet”, it seemed unexpected...I’m not sure what I would have predicted the smell to be like but it wasn’t that! The initial preservation involved removing moisture and internal organs, and using scented oils, resins and bitumen as embalming agents to impart a pleasant smell. The researchers used mummies at the Egyptain Museum of Cairo, inserting a tube into the coffin and analyzed the samples using gas-chromatographymass-spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O) and a sensory panel. Based on their findings they are working to reconstruct the smells, so that museum visitors can be presented to enhance visitors’understanding of mummies.
