Suppressed CNG facts

Pollution Watchdog's Study On Fuels Is Full Of Loopholes

The central pollution control board has fumbled in answering a critical question on carbonyl and methane emissions from vehicle exhausts: which pollute less - petrol, diesel, CNG or LPG ?
The pollution watchdog's study on emissions provide a database that could be used to give policy message.It declared CNG to be the worst fuel for four wheeled light and heavy commercial vehicles.But the finding is flawed as it compared factory fitted petrol and diesel engines with retro filled CNG and LPG engines to test the fuel. In retro fitted vehicles, engine is installed at local workshops.
CPCB experimented on two , three, and four wheeled vehicles which operated on CNG, LPG and various combinations of Ethanol, biodiesel, Bharat stage 2 and 3 petrol and BS 2 and 3 diesel. It tested Carbonyl and methane emissions from these vehicles.
CPCB does not mention the vintage of the vehicles used, claiming "unavailability of dedicated CNG engine vehicles." It is surprising because automobile majors such as Maruti, Hyundai, Mahindra and Chevrolet have already launched dedicated CNG vehicles. Delhi and many other Indian cities have banned retrofitted CNG buses.
"The methodology the board used to brand fuels or worst is flawed " as retro fitted CNG and LPG vehicles can never achieve ; all the aspects cannot be optimised, " said PMV Subbarao, wjo teaches mechanical engineering at IIT- Delhi.
Petrol vehicles converted to run on natural gas suffer because of low compression ratio of their engines, while diesel engine conversions result in compression ratio more than necessary. Also the ratio of air and fuel is changed in retro fitted vehicles.
A stringent quality assurance policy on retro fitting is necessary and it can be based only on scientific evidence on emissions from factory fitted vehicles.
Spurious alternate fuel kits fitted at ill-equipped service centres account of 32 % of Indian market. The illegal business thrives as the kit come 30 % cheaper.
The criticism of CNG on its high methane emissions does not have sound basis. Methane exhaust from CNG engines is 12 % lower even if one compares the life cycles of two fuels.
"Unregulated emission cannot be ignored. A reliable database is required to facilitate policy action and promote after treatment systems in Indian vehicles, " said Anumita who heads the air pollution and urban mobility unit at the research and advocacy organisation.

Health Hazards

Carbonyls are produced due to partial oxidation of hydrocarbons that escape from the vehicle's combustion chamber to the exhaust system. Through repeated exposure, carbonyls like formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein and acetone can cause irritation to eyes, respiratory tract , mucous and skin. Acetaldehyde and formaldehyde are suspected carcinogens.
The study fails to take note of the cumulative effect of suspended particulate matter and carbonyl emissions on human body. Most of these toxic substance enter human body only through air borne particles.
The CPCB study also neglects the higher formaldehyde emission from diesel vehicles. For four wheelers formaldehyde emissions from diesel vehicles are 20 % more than from petrol vehicles.   

   
         

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Beyond Carbon Dioxide

Plants Absorb More Pollutants Than Thought

Plants soak more atmospheric pollutants than thought. A study by US scientists shows that apart from carbon dioxide, plants rid the air of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, the most abundant class of carbon based chemicals in the atmosphere.

Automobile exhaust, coal burning and industry are some of the major sources of VOCs that cause respiratory diseases. 'In the atmosphere they combine with nitrogen oxides to form organic nitrates, a particulate matter responsible for the haze during air pollution, " said Thomas Karl, scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in USA, who led the study.

VOCs also combine with oxygen to form tiny airborne particles called oxygenated VOCs, which insulate the atmosphere and lead to warming.

Scientists had long suspected that plants absorb small amounts of VOCs from atmosphere because they release the compounds while decaying. To estimate how efficient this absorption is, Karl and his team measured the level of VOCs in the atmosphere at six different places across South and North America representing different ecosystems. Three of them represented rain forests and others were temperate deciduous forest, mixed temperate forests and semiarid shrub lands.

With the help of computer modeling and laboratory experiments, the scientists analysed the field data and found, on an average 36 % more VOCs than thought.

The process occurs at an optimum rate in thick tropical forests and is the lowest in semiarid shrub. The finding provides a platform for better climate models, Karl said.

Anjali Srivastava, a researcher at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, calls the work significant and pioneering. Srivastava works on identifying plants that can help reduce the level of VOCs in indoor environment, for example deodorants and paints.

"Initial findings show basil and money plant can significantly reduce VOCs indoors, " she said.       

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Plants light the way

MIT Unveils Molecules That Mimic Plants To Produce Power

Solar cells get damaged and lose efficiency from constant exposure to sunlight. Then how is it that plants show little wear and tear though they too capture the Sun's energy during photosynthesis ? The secret lies in the ability of light capturing molecules in plants to break down and reassemble all the time.

Device used in lab tests

Scientists at the Massachusets Institute of Technology (MIT) have managed to copy this constant self repair process in plants. They hace created synthetic molecules that assemble themselves into sunlight harvesting structures to produce electricity. The assembly of molecules or complex could replace conventionally used materials in solar cells.
Chemical engineer at MIT, Michael Strano, and his team have described the complex and how it functions in Nature Chemistry. The complex comprises recombinant proteins, phospholipids and carbon nanotubes. The phospholipids cluster surface of a nano tube and provide a platform for a light converting protein isolated from purple bacteria. The proteins that attach themselves to the phospholipids act as reaction centers and release electrons when struck by light particles. The electrons are channelised through the carbon nanotube to produce electricity.
The complex is kept in a solution that breaks down when surfactant is added. When it is removed, the molecules quickly reassemble to create a new reaction centre. This increased the photoconversion efficiency by 300 Percent. It might be sometime before the technology could be used, as M Irfan Qureshi, assistant professor of biotechnology at Jamia Millia Islamia. Such solar cells would require special design; large transparent tanks to keep the solution. But the authors say that once these problems are taken care of the technology would be a boon for developing countries because these systems decrease maintenance cost.
Strano also said the new “photovoltaic” technology could one day near 100% efficiency, and in the meantime, his team is working toward increasing the amount of electricity the cells can produce.

“We’re basically imitating tricks that nature has discovered over millions of years,” Strano explained.

     

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A wild food trail

Among the tribals of Bastar, monsoon months are known as Haduk. They are the lean months when the grains in the house are used up in sowing and the new harvest is yet to arrive.
It is a time to go creative with food, a time for trying out nutritious and tasty wild vegetables. The tribals believe in eating local, seasonal food. These are medicinal and provide strength.
In early July, the tribals pluck tender bamboo shoots after they grow up to one foot in height. Some also sell bamboo shoots. For the next few months, bamboo shoots become the staple food.
Slivers of bamboo shoots are dried and can be stored to be cooked later. Other food options become available in September.
Sour and Low on calorie
Aamat, a tangy soup made with bamboo shoots, is the only dish which has a detailed list of ingredients and preparation methods. Aamat also means sour in the local dialects.
The recipe is low in calorie and highly nutritious. Bamboo shoots are low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium and high in fibre, vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B-6, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, protein, vitamin e, riboflavin, niacin and iron.
Aamat can be easily altered to suit different palettes. The preparation is long and needs patience; accompaniments of rice and pej are optional.
Aamat when eaten hot, keeps cold cough, chest infection and other common ailments of the season at bay.In case of fever, it is effective in removing the bitter taste in the mouth as well, Netam added.
Traditionally, Aamat is boiled, but the younger generation, thanks to urban influence, prefers to add an oil seasoning or Tadka to make the soil tastier.
Proportions of ingredients can be altered according to the taste or depending in what is available in the region.
Hand me down recipe
AAMAT
Ingredients : bamboo shoots; black gram; drumstick; potato; brinjal; onion; beans; tamarind pulp; rice; ginger-garlic-green chilli paste; turmeric; salt.........NOTE: Avoid sticky vegetables like ladyfinger.  

Preparation : Soak black gram overnight. Peal and finely chop bamboo shoots and boil them till they get cooked in about four times the water. The bamboo should remain crisp, but not bitter. The boiling process also removes the poisonous substances in the shoots. Wash the shoots clean water and drain again. Soak the rice for a while, dry and grind it to a fine powder. Chop vegetables.

Method : Take a big pot of water. Add black gram, bamboo shoots chips, turmeric, salt and boil the water. When the black gram is half cooked, add the vegetables, beginning with slow cooking ones.
Add ginger-garlic-chilli paste and tamarind pulp to the mixture and stir till the vegetables are fully cooked. Let it boil for a minute on high flame. Stir the rice powder slowly till lumps get dissolved and the soup reaches the desired thickness. Serve it hot with rice or pej (rice soup), or by itself.              
       

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The "high" and "low" of an Energy Drink

Ingredients Found In Popular Energy Drinks And What They Do In The Body

Ephedrine : A stimulant that works on the central nervous system. It is a common in weight loss products and decongestants, but their have been concerns about its effects on heart.

Taurine    : A natural amino acid produced by body that helps regulate heat beat and muscle contractions.
 Many health experts are not sure what effect it has a drink additive.

Ginseng    : A root believed by some to have several medicinal properties, including reducing stress and boosting energy levels.

B-vitamins : A group of vitamins that can convert sugar to energy and improve muscle tone.

Guarana seed : A stimulant that comes from a small shrub native to Venezuela and Brazil.

Carnitine   :  An animal acid that plays an important role in fatty acid and metabolism.

Creatine    :  An organic acid that helps supply energy for muscle contractions.

Inositol     :  A member of the vitamin B complex that help relay messages within cells of the body.

 Ginkgo biloba : Made from the seeds of ginkgo biloba tree, thought to enhance memry.
  
Caffeine   : The most common stimulant, found in coffee, Coke and Mountain Dew. Found in much higher quantities in energy drinks. Most energy drinks contain between 70 and 200 mg. An 8 oz cup of coffee contains 110-150mg for drip, 65-125mg for percolated, and 40-80 mg for instant. Dr. Pepper gives you 41mg, and a can of Coke provides 34mg. A full can of RockStar has 160mg. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system giving the body a sense of alertness. It can raise heart rate and blood pressure while dehydrating the body. A lot of people experience side effects above 200mg, which include sleeplessness, heart palpitations, headaches, nausea, and most commonly the jitters.

Anti-oxidants  : Anti-oxidants are things that help your body gracefully recover from the damage of free radicals. Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant, so claiming that your energy drink has a lot of anti-oxidants is like saying you’re buying really expensive orange juice. But they’re good, they help fend off illness and prevent cellular damage. Vitamins C and E, Vitamin A (aka retinol, beta-carotene), and selenium are all anti-oxidants.

Milk Thistle  : This ingredient mainly found in Rockstar and a few other drinks is used as a liver detoxifying agent. It is placed in energy drinks not really for any energy enhancing properties but as a counter agent to mixing energy drinks with alcohol as milk thistle is supposed to help with hangovers and detoxing the liver from alcohol. However, studies show that the amount put in energy drinks would be of hardly any benefit to consumers.

Acai Berry  : This ingredient (pronounced ah-sah-ee) is finding its way into more and more energy drinks. Acai berry comes from the Acai Palm tree which is found in South America. The berries are rich in anti-oxidants, but not as much as a concord grape or blueberry. Most of the acai berry benefits have no scientific basis and are attributed to marketing hype.

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Never let an idea die

Modern Science Back Ayurveda On Ginger's Gut Cleansing Call

Spice up the meat preparation or get respite from sore throat- ginger is always around to help. Grandmother's ginger tea for cough never fails.
Moving away from home remedies, the dried rhizome of ginger comprises ayurvedic medicines prescribed for gastrointestinal disorders. "Dried ginger, rock salt and black pepper with lukewarm water is know to work effectively in diarrhoea, said Ramesh Jain, an ayurvedic physician in Patiala.
In a study published on January 25 on current science researchers documented ethno-botanical information on anti-diarrhoeal plants in the Parinche Valley near Pune. Out of 182 plants, ginger was extensively used. After consulting ayurvedic doctors, the group tested a solution of ginger powder on mice and cell cultures. It decreased colonization of gut bacteria, significantly.
"There was reduction in colonization of epithelial cells which is the foremost step in infectious diarrhoea, " said lead author Poonam Daswani from the foundation of medical research in Mumbai. Ginger does not show any anti microbial activity. Yet there is decrease in bacterial colonization. It sounds promising, though, clinical trials are mandatory, " said Lisa Rogo from Columbia University Medical Center in USA.
It can be used as a supportive therapy but there may be several causative agents for diarrhoea, knowing which is imperative.      

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Ants' point of view

Edward O Wilson is one of the most important biological theorists of the times. An expert on social insects, discoverer of new species and passionate advocate of biodiversity, he is best known for his groundbreaking work on animal behaviour.
Wilson has written that he knows best: a book where ants hold centre stage. A boy in southern Alabama is in the thrall of ants and nature. The protagonist, Raff Cody, lives in a working class neighbourhood, whose mysteries extend beyond the complex codes of social ambition on his mother's side and his father's robust rules of manhood, into the wild edges of a place called Nokobee Country.
The story gets off to a Huck Finn-like start as Cody persuades his cousin to sneak away on a perilous journey in search if the Chicobee serpent, a legendary river monster. But soon his mother drags him to visit the family matriarch, Aunt Jessica- in many ways the perfect queen Ant. Sitting calmly in her stuffy room, the matriarch disseminates faint odours and crucial in formation about the family, wile her unpaid lifelong servant gets busy with bringing soda crackers. Raff is stupefied- if ants wrote a stage play for humans characters, it would look like this.
Wilson does exactly that in the novel's second section. Presented as Raff's undergraduate thesis, it carries the reader down the ant hole to present the biological cycles of ant colonies. It describes life from the ant's point of view : "Where humans send their young men to war, ants send their old ladies."                        

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