Effect of gas-to-liquid biosludge on soil properties and alfalfa yields in an arid soil

Soils in Qatar are relatively poor in fertility. Hence, imported top soils and soil enhancing materials are used to improve agricultural yields. Therefore, this work investigated the potential of using gas-to-liquid (GTL) biosludge as a soil conditioner. It sought to increase crop yields in an arid soil with positive environmental footprint in terms of fertilizer application savings, waste utilization and minimization of landfilling. A fodder crop, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), was grown under semi-controlled pot conditions for 12 months. The plant-growth media involved soil, soil + fertilizer, soil + 3% compost, and soil plus five (0.75–12%) biosludge contents. Pertinent properties of the soils, the resulting leachates, and plant growth parameters were analyzed at set periods. Biosludge content generally increased the total porosity and volumetric abundance of different pore types, which in turn affected plant performance, especially the plant height. Alfalfa yield in terms of plant height, aboveground fresh biomass weight and the number of tillers decreased with increasing biosludge content. Mixtures with 0.75–3% biosludge content showed comparable or better plant yield in contrast to the soil, fertilizer and compost controls. The concentration of chemical species in the leachate and plant biomass of biosludge treatments were either lower or similar to the fertilizer and compost controls. Regression modeling identified leachate phosphorus concentrations, soil iron concentration and clay content as the most influential variables for the aforementioned plant performance parameters. The results suggest that GTL biosludge could potentially enhance arid soil properties and improve alfalfa yields

Dataset on the influence of gas-to-liquid biosludge on arid soil properties and growth performance of alfalfa

The dataset presented here is related to our research article entitled “Effect of gas-to-liquid biosludge on soil properties and alfalfa yields in an arid soil” [1]. It relates to selected performance parameters of alfalfa grown in an arid soil amended with five different (0.75–12%) gas-to-liquid biosludge contents, and selected properties of the soil determined using several material characterization techniques. A detailed description of the raw data relating to figures on alfalfa performance parameters such as fresh biomass weight, plant height, the number of tillers, and biomass elemental content in the companion article is provided alongside additional data on the number of days to flowering. The underlying data for leachate from the soil and underlying spectra and diffractograms for the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) data, respectively, shown in the companion article are presented. These show changes in the pore structure characteristics and the mineralogical composition of the soil, soil-fertilizer, soil-biosludge, and soil-compost mixtures tested over time. Additional data showing the effect of the amendments on the bulk and particle densities of the soil is presented. The dataset demonstrates the influence of the industrial biosludge on arid soil properties and alfalfa yields (Kogbara et al., [1])

Dataset comparing the growth of fodder crops and soil structure dynamics in an industrial biosludge amended arid soil

The dataset in this work compares the response of two fodder crops, alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), to industrial biosludge amendment of an arid soil in the State of Qatar. It also evaluates the response of soil structure parameters in the biosludge-amended soils containing the different fodder crops. The dataset relates to our previously published works detailed subsequently. The underlying data comparing the water storage capacity and pore structure evolution of the planted soils treated with 0.75, 1.5, and 3% biosludge contents, which showed good outcomes in the companion articles, alongside soil only and soil-fertilizer controls, are presented. These are shown in terms of the percentage of irrigation water leached, and variations in the logarithmic mean T2 (i.e., T2LM - a proxy for mean pore size) and cumulative porosity, respectively. Data on plant growth parameters such as the number of days to flowering, plant height, and aboveground fresh biomass weight in individual replicates of the different treatments as a percentage of the soil-fertilizer control are also shown. The dataset shows the different responses of both plants and the planted soils to amendments with industrial biosludge from the wastewater treatment plant of a gas-to-liquid (GTL) plant

Recycling industrial biosludge for buffel grass production in Qatar: impact on soil, leachate and plant characteristics

The agricultural industry in Qatar is highly dependent on using soil enhancing materials due to challenging soil and climatic conditions. Hence, this work investigated the potential of industrial biosludge from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of a Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) plant to enhance an arid soil compared to fertilizer and compost. A fodder crop, buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), was grown in semi-controlled pots containing a typical Qatari agricultural soil and admixtures over a 12-month period. The treatments included soil plus five biosludge percentage contents: 0.75, 1.5, 3, 6 and 12%. These were compared with soil only, soil plus 20-20-20 NPK fertilizer and soil plus 3% compost controls. Analyses of soil physical and chemical properties, the resulting leachate, and plant growth characteristics were conducted at set periods. The results indicate that up to 3% biosludge content led to better plant growth compared to the controls, with the optimum at 1.5% biosludge content for all growth characteristics studied. Biosludge addition to soil increased the volume of different pore types, especially micropores, which enhanced water retention and influenced plant growth. Regression modelling identified leachate Si and Fe concentrations, and biomass K content as the most influential variables for fresh biomass weight, plant height and the number of tillers, respectively. Biosludge addition to the soil around the optimum level did not cause detrimental changes to the resulting leachate and plant biomass. The findings of this work could lead to minimization of biosludge landfilling and allow for savings in fertilizers and irrigation water in arid regions

Analysis on factors behind sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer by color ultrasonography, molybdenum target and pathological detection

Abstract Background This study aimed to collect the factors underlying the metastasis of breast cancer and sentinel lymph node, and to screen and analyze the risk factors of sentinel lymph node metastasis, so as to provide reference and basis for clinical work. Methods A total of 100 patients with breast cancer were enrolled in the study. These patients received treatment in our hospital from May 2017 to May 2020. The general information, the characteristics of the color Doppler echocardiography, molybdenum, conventional pathology and molecular pathology of the patients were collected. The influencing factors of sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results In this study, age, tumor diameter and BI-RADS category, pathology type, expression profiles of CK5/6, EGFR, and CK19, and TP53 and BRAC1/2 mutations were independent risk factors for sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer (P&lt;0.05). The number and locations of tumors, the quadrant of tumors, the regularity of tumor margins, the presence of blood flow signals, the presence of posterior echo attenuation, the presence of calcification, histological grade, molecular typing, and mutations of BRAF, ATM and PALB2 were irrelevant factors (P&gt;0.05). Conclusions In conclusion, age, tumor diameter, Bi-rads category, invasive type, expression of CK5/6, EGFR and CK19, and mutations of TP53 and BRAC1/2 were positively correlated with sentinel lymph node metastasis. They are independent risk factors that should be paid more attention in clinical studies, to strengthen the management and control of sentinel lymph node metastasis of high-risk breast cancer, and support early chemotherapy or targeted therapy.</jats:p

Analysis on factors behind sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer by color ultrasonography, molybdenum target, and pathological detection

Abstract Background This study aimed to identify the factors underlying the metastasis of breast cancer and sentinel lymph nodes and to screen and analyze the risk factors of sentinel lymph node metastasis to provide a reference and basis for clinical work. Methods A total of 99 patients with breast cancer were enrolled in this study. These patients received treatment in our hospital between May 2017 and May 2020. The general information, characteristics of the color Doppler echocardiography, molybdenum, conventional pathology, and molecular pathology of the patients were collected. Factors influencing sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results In this study, age, tumor diameter, BI-RADS category, pathology type, expression profiles of CK5/6, EGFR, and CK19, and TP53 and BRAC1/2 mutations were independent risk factors for sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer (P &lt; 0.05). The number and locations of tumors, quadrant of tumors, regularity of tumor margins, presence of blood flow signals, presence of posterior echo attenuation, presence of calcification, histological grade, molecular typing, and mutations of BRAF, ATM, and PALB2 were irrelevant factors (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions In conclusion, age, tumor diameter, BI-RADS category, invasive type, expression of CK5/6, EGFR, and CK19, and mutations in TP53 and BRAC1/2 were positively correlated with sentinel lymph node metastasis. These independent risk factors should be given more attention in clinical studies to strengthen the management and control of sentinel lymph node metastasis in high-risk breast cancer and support early chemotherapy or targeted therapy. </jats:sec