In reducing heavy metals from water for direct or indirect consumption, various synthetic materials have been used; there is a tendency to use natural, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly materials. The aim was to elaborate copolymers with native potato starch and cactus mucilage and evaluate water’s multimetal removal capacity. The copolymer was characterized, and the kinetics and adsorption isotherms were evaluated. The copolymers presented high solubility for nopal mucilage levels of 5% w/w, with particle size in aqueous solution less than 422.83 nm, zero charge point around pH 5.5, and potential between 16.72 and 29.80 mV; FTIR analysis showed the predominance of anionic groups with chelating capacity. Multimetal adsorption was from 102.20 to 151.43 mg/g, with affinity in the order Pb > As > Al > Hg > Cr, being higher at pH 6 (p-value<0.05). Kinetic data were fitted to the ...

Adsorption isotherms provide insight into the thermodynamic properties governed by food storage conditions. Adsorption isotherms of purple corn of the Canteño variety were evaluated at 18, 25, and 30 C, for the equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) range between 0.065 and 0.95. The equilibrium moisture (Xe) was determined by the continuous weight-change method. Seven mathematical models of isotherms were modeled, using the coefficient of determination R2, mean absolute error (MAE), and estimated standard error (ESE) as the convergence criterion. Thermodynamic parameters such as isosteric heat (qst), Gibbs Free Energy (DG), differential entropy (DS), activation energy (Ea), and compliance with the isokinetic law were evaluated. It was observed that the adsorption isotherms presented cross-linking around 75% ERH and 17% Xe, suggesting adequate storage conditions at these values. The GAB and...

Prickly pear fruits are seasonal and have shades ranging from pale green to deep purple. Their pigments are associated with bioactive compounds, being sensitive to thermal transformation processes for their conservation. The objective of this research was to evaluate the bioactive compounds and the sensory analysis of freeze-dried prickly pear fruits from an inter-Andean valley in Peru. The prickly pear fruits of the morada, anaranjada, and blanca ecotypes came from an inter-Andean valley in Peru at 2972 m altitude. The sliced fruits were freeze-dried at 40 C and 0.25 mTorr, and the total polyphenol content (TPC), vitamin C, and antioxidant activity (AA) were determined, as well as the color L* a* b*, color index (CI*), FTIR spectra, and mineral content. In the same way, sensory analysis of preferences with nine scales was applied. It was observed that in the freeze-dried fruits, TPC, AA...

Thewater fromthe high Andean rivers is peculiar due to its composition and the geomorphology of its sources, and naturally or anthropogenically contamination is not discarded along its course. This water is used for agriculture and human consumption, therefore knowing its quality is important. This research aimed to proposing and formulate a water-quality index for high Andean basins through the Delphimethod, and its application in the Chumbao River located in Andahuaylas-Peru. Forty-three water-quality parameters were evaluated through the Delphi method, and the water-quality index (WQIHA) was formulated with a weighted average of the weights of the selected parameters, it was compared with the WQI Dinius. For this purpose, ten sampling points were considered along the Chumbao River located between 4274 and 2572 m of altitude and theWQIHA was applied. In addition, field and laboratory a...