BIORESOURCE ENGINEERING SEMINAR

BIORESOURCE ENGINEERING SEMINAR
FOR COURSES BREE 485, 486, 651, 652, 751, 752, 753, 754

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
10:00-11:30
R2-046

Item 1: Course Introduction by Professor Robert Kok

Item 2: Seminar by Ashley Robertson:

Blue Gold - Developing Quebec’s Water Resources

The general consensus amongst Canadians is that our freshwater resources are invaluable and NOT for sale! Public pressure has led the Harper government to pass a federal law, the Transboundary Water Protections Act. This law increases the protection of Canadian waters against bulk water exports. In this presentation an opposite point of view will be presented, in support of bulk water trading.The benefits of selling freshwater resources are evaluated in a Quebec context. These include: the promotion of efficient and economic use of freshwater, the improvement of water management, and the generation of wealth. Some concerns are dealt with and some recommendations presented.

Ashley is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Integrated Water Resource Management. She has obtained hands-on experience in her field working for the Brace Centre for Water Resources Management, on campus and in Barbados, working with the local government in Coastal Zone Management. Ashley obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences through the McGill School of Environment.

Item 3: Seminar by Winnie Routray:

Prospects of Microwave Extraction of Anthocyanins from Blueberry

Anthocyanins are water soluble pigments present in all the tissues of higher plants including leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruits. They are known for their antioxidant properties and also their potential health effects against cancer, ageing, and diabetes. Blueberry is a rich source of anthocyanins and Canada is one of the biggest producers of blueberry. The usual methods used for the extraction of anthocyanins from plant sources have several drawbacks such as the destruction of these compounds, high energy and solvent consumption, low yield, and long processing time. Microwave-assisted extraction offers an attractive alternative. The extraction selectivity and the ability of the medium to interact with microwaves can be exploited by using mixtures of solvents. Based on preliminary experiments, in which the dielectric properties various possible solvent combinations (hydrochloric acid and ethanol) were studied to interpret the behaviour of the solvent combination in the microwave, it was concluded that further study of this combination of solvents is required. From the literature it is also evident that blueberry leaves can be a potential source of extraction of anthocyanins, which can be further explored using microwave assisted extraction.