Research Articles

An environmentally friendly barrier-coating strategy  was studied for fruit-packing tissue paper intended for use in fruit protection bags under humid agricultural conditions. Because tissue paper has high porosity and hydrophilic characteristics, its practical use is limited by low mechanical strength, high air permeability, and poor water resistance. Three coating systems were evaluated using nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and a water-based acrylic water-repellent: tissue paper coated twice with NFC, tissue paper coated twice with the acrylic agent, and tissue paper sequentially coated with one NFC layer followed by one acrylic top coating. Double NFC coating increased tensile strength from 2.96 to 4.34 kN/m and improved Gurley air resistance from 34.3 to 114.6 s through pore filling and enhanced inter-fiber bonding. The double acrylic coating provided a water-repellency level of 8 but had limited effects on tensile strength and air resistance. The multilayer coating combined the advantages of both materials, maintaining improved tensile strength, reduced air permeability, and strong water repellency. FE-SEM observations confirmed reduced pore openness after NFC application and continuous film formation after acrylic top coating. These results indicate that sequential coating with NFC and an acrylic water-repellent provides an effective route for improving the barrier performance of tissue paper for fruit protection applications.

With the ultimate goal of facilitating in situ phytostabilization and ecological restoration of mining sites rather than agricultural use, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of wood ash and peat on the physicochemical properties and nitrogen mineralization in copper-mine-affected soils. To this end, soil samples were collected from copper mine waste rock dumpsites and amended with wood ash, peat moss, and their mixture, at various rates. Various soil properties were determined at two incubation periods (day 0 and day 63). To reveal differences among soil amendments, a post hoc test with the Bonferroni correction, principal component analysis (PCA), PCA biplot, and Log2 fold change heat map analyses were applied. As a result, all soil properties, except the ammonium level at day 63, differed significantly for at least one type of amendment (P < 0.05). The overall effects of the treatments on physicochemical soil properties and nitrogen mineralization, as determined by PCA, indicated that wood ash had the greatest effect on pH and EC. In contrast, peat moss dominated nitrogen dynamics, as reflected by organic carbon and organic matter. The results of this study could be used to remediate mine-polluted, acidified, and nutrient-depleted soils.