BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have disclosed that the components of the paper industry's waste liquor can be applied in green technology, according to research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
The treatment of spent cooking liquor, or waste liquor, is critical for the clean production of pulp in the paper industry.
A cost-effective and green technology for the reuse of organic matter in spent cooking liquor needs to be developed to mitigate the negative impacts on the environment.
Researchers from Shandong Agricultural University examined the chemical structure of substances extracted from spent cooking liquor and their relationship with bioactivity in plant growth.
After fractionation, protein and amino proportions within the substances decreased with increasing molecular weight, but the aromaticity increased.
The researchers found that rice seedling growth was promoted by the spent cooking liquor with low molecular weight under the salt stress, but inhibited by a fraction with high molecular weight, said the paper.
The results also suggested that promoted growth was more related to chemical structure than with molecular weight.
The study provided the theoretical basis for the development of green technology of sustainable reuse of spent cooking liquor in agriculture.
