Colorimetric assessment of the ozone-air mixture content during grain drying

BACKGROUND: The introduction of modern technical means and environmentally friendly technologies into agriculture is a relevant task for our country. The issues of plant protection, crop conservation and improving the quality of agricultural products through the introduction of innovative technologies are considered. One of the promising methods of influencing seeds is ozone treatment. This is due to the effectiveness of the impact of ozone as an oxidant on biochemical processes and metabolism. In this regard, it becomes relevant to conduct the research aimed at identifying the optimal concentration of the ozone-air mixture and evaluating the effectiveness of ozonation during drying of grain material. AIM: Creation of the test strips for determination of various concentrations of ozone-air mixture in the air. METHODS: During the study, methods of qualitative chemical interactions and mathematical processing of the results were used. The principle of the chemical method is to determine the ozone content indirectly by the amount of reagent that reacts with ozone. Thus, when potassium iodide interacts with ozone, iodine is restored. At the same time, its amount is proportional to the concentration of ozone in the gas mixture that was passed through the solution. RESULTS: The method to determine the concentration of an ozone-air mixture by colorimetric method is proposed. Test strips were created, and numerical values were assigned to each color in the software, which correspond to a certain concentration of the ozone-air mixture. CONCLUSION: The conducted study was helpful to create the method for determining the concentration of ozone in an ozone-air mixture by colorimetric method. The concentration dependence requires a linear ratio of the analytical signal to the exposure time. Five minutes is enough for this, while a twofold change in concentration corresponds to a twofold increase in response. The obtained test strips are helpful to determine the concentration of ozone necessary for effective drying of the seed material. However, the follow-up of this method and the large-scale testing will make it possible to extend the range of application and to increase its reliability.