RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF SYMBIOSIS TO Anabaena-FREE Azolla

Symbiosis to Anabaena-free Azolla has been re-established by placing indusium containing Anabaena onto the Anabaena-free megasporocarps. Anabaena-free megasporocarps were obtained by removing the indusium and the apical membrane of the megaspore apparatus of normal Azolla. The recovery of symbiosis in artificially reconstituted Azolla-Anabaena association was confirmed using the scanning electron microscope, monoclonal antibody test (McAb-C_(16)), and nitrogen fixation capacity (ARA).Laboratory-grown Anabaena azollae cells inoculated subsequently to the decapitated megaspore apparatus were observed to have entered the leaf cavities of sporophyte, although some portions of Anabaena filaments were found outside the leaf cavity. Plants invaded by artificially inoculated Anabaena did not have sufficient N_2-fixing activity to allow the growth in the N-free medium.     

Removal of methyl orange from aqueous solution by Azolla filicoloides:Synthesis of Fe_3O_4 nano-particles and its surface modification by the extracted pectin of Azolla

The modified Fe₃O₄ nano-particles with the extracted pectin from the cell wall of Azolla filicoloides（FN-EP） can remove methyl orange as a water-soluble azo dye from waste water better than Azolla and the extracted pectin from Azolla（EPA）,alone.It could be due to more crowding the main functional groups of uptake after binding pectin with nano-particles.Thermodynamic studies showed that adsorption equilibrium constant（K_L） and maximum adsorption capacities(Q_max) were increased with decreasing temperature（exothermic）.The maximum uptake capacity(Q_max) of dye by FN-EP in a batch reactor was 0.533,0.498 and 0.446 mmol/g at 5,25 and 50℃,respectively.The enthalpy change（△H） and entropy change（△S） were -15.31 kJ/mol and -0.02434 kJ/mol K,respectively.     

Removal of <Superscript>60</Superscript>Co<Superscript>2+</Superscript> and <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs<Superscript>+</Superscript> ions from low radioactive solutions using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Azolla caroliniana</Emphasis> willd. water fern

This study concerns the removal of the ¹³⁷Cs⁺ and ⁶⁰Co²⁺ β+γ-radioactive ions in Azolla caroliniana Willd. water fern. The living fern and two different types of biosorbent prepared from Azolla caroliniana were tested to remove the above-mentioned radioactive ions from dilute solutions, in the absence and in the presence of the ionic competition. Effective ¹³⁷Cs⁺ and ⁶⁰Co²⁺ ions removal from low radioactive wastewaters was demonstrated. The time dependent K _d (t) values were calculated from the absorption data. These results indicate that removal process achieved equilibrium in about 120 min and that it involves two steps: rapid and slow absorption; the active process (metabolic bioaccumulation on the living fern) was responsible for above one half of the total removal process. A thin layer radiochromatography study leads to the conclusion that the biochemical components in which ¹³⁷Cs⁺ and ⁶⁰Co²⁺ place themselves are of a polysaccharide and lipoid fractions.