Tuesday, November 27, 2018

AUG 18 ST RUCO initiativ Thermal Battery Wolbachia bacteria Influenza Vaccine.

R E PUR POSE USE D COO K I NG OI L (R UCO)

Why in news?

Recently, FSSAI launched Repurpose Used cooking Oil (RUCO) initiative.

Background

•   Earlier, food safety regulator notified standards for used cooking oil.
National Policy on Biofuels 2018  has categorized  biodiesel  as First Generation  (1G) bio-fuel and it also encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from Used Cooking Oil.
FSSAI is also looking at introducing regulations to ensure that companies that use large quantities of cooking oil maintain a stock register and hand it over to registered collecting agencies to convert it into biofuel.

About UCO standards

According to FSSAI regulations, the maximum permissible limits for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) in cooking oil have been set at 25 per cent.
TPC is formed due to repeated frying and usage of edible oil which changes its physiochemical and nutrition properties making it unfit for human consumption.
•   TPCs above the set level cause hypertension, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, liver disease etc.
FSSAI is working in partnership with Biodiesel Association of India (BDAI) and the food industry to ensure effective compliance of UCO standards.
FSSAI is also implementing a ‘Triple E strategy’ - Education, Enforcement and Ecosystem to divert UCO from the food value chain and curb current illegal practices.

Related information
•   Cooking oil may have saturated fatty acids (palm oil) or unsaturated fatty acids (soyabean).
The saturated  fatty acids such as in palm oil are more stable that the unsaturated  fatty acids which decompose easily at high temperature forming polar compounds.
Thus, it makes oils with saturated fatty acids fit for frying. However, oils with unsaturated fatty acids are healthier provided they are used just once for frying.


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About Repurpose Used Cooking Oil Initiative

•   It has been launched with an aim to enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to bio-diesel.
Under this around 64 companies at 101 locations have been identified to enable collection of used cooking oil.
•   Significance:
o India has the potential to recover 220 crore litres of used cooking oil for the production of biodiesel by
2022 if co-ordinated actions are taken.
o It  is  environment  friendly  because as  of now cooking  oil  is  either  not  discarded  or  disposed  in an
environmentally hazardous manner, thereby, choking drains and sewerage systems.
o It  would  promote  public  health   as  the  initiative  would  prevent   diversion   of  UCO   to  sm aller restaurants, dhaabas and street-vendors.

6.12. THE R MAL BATTE R Y

Why in News?

World’s first-ever thermal battery plant was inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh.

Thermal Battery

Conventional battery technology is based on the system of charging/discharging cycles that are driven by electricity.
For example, the Lithium-ion battery, consists of electric charges being transferred from electrodes. Energy is derived from this battery, when lithium atoms turn into lithium ions (Li+), and get stored when this reaction reverses.
Thermal batteries, on the other hand, use thermal energy to operate, i.e., the energy created by temperature differences.
•   A thermal battery consists of two parts: a cool zone known as sink, and a hot source called source.
Both these sides consist of compounds known as phase-changing materials (PCMs), which can change their state of matter on the basis of a physical/chemical reaction.
When the sink of a thermal battery receives heat, it transforms physically or chemically, thereby storing energy, while the source cools down.
•   During operation, the sink is cooled down, so it releases  the stored energy, while the source heats up.
Depending on the nature of the battery, the system can derive heat from any source, which makes a thermal
battery very versatile.

Benefits of Thermal Battery
They can help maintaining a low carbon footprint and last longer than the lithium batteries. Lithium batteries currently in use have a heavy carbon footprint and are expensive.
•   Its integration with power grids, can help meet industrial demand.
•   This could help solve power issues in remote areas.
•   It can offer support to public transport systems and telecom grids.
Telecom infrastructure can also be enhanced, as thermal batteries can help maintain signal strength and network connectivity.
•   E-vehicles can also get charging power from stations running on thermal batteries.

6.13. BACTE R I A WO LBA CHI A

Why in news?
Recently successful experiments were conducted in Australia, which demonstrated the positive correlation between presence of Wolbachia bacteria in mosquitoes and reduced spread of diseases such as Malaria and Dengue.
More on news
Wolbachia is a tiny bacterium that is present in up to 60% of all species of insects, including several mosquito species.

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But it is usually not present in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary species responsible for transmitting dengue, chikungunya and Zika.
•   Wolbachia is one of the world’s most common parasitic microbes and possibly the most common reproductive
parasite in the biosphere.
When present in the mosquito, the viruses cannot replicate and hence small numbers of wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes are released in target areas.
The World Mosquito Program introduces Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Once Wolbachia carrying mosquitoes are released, they breed with wild mosquitoes and over time, the majority of mosquitoes carry Wolbachia.
•   This new method provide bio-control approach to handle these diseases.
•   In 2017, there were 1.9 lakh dengue cases and 325 deaths in the country. Until July this year, there have been
15,000 cases and 38 deaths. This method may help reduce such incidences of these diseases.

6.14. NE W I NF LUE NZA R E SE AR CH PR OGR AMME

Why in news?

Recently, Indian and European Union (EU) collaborated for new influenza research programme to develop Next Generation Influenza Vaccine.

About the programme

The programme will get fund of EUR 15 million under EU funding programme for research and innovation called 'Horizon 2020' (see box).


Horizon 2020
It  is   the  biggest  EU  Research  and  Innovation programme with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020).
It is helping to achieve research and innovation on excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges.
It aims at further advancing the next generation influenza vaccine with improved efficacy and safety, duration of immunity, and reactivity against an increased breadth of influenza strains.

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