Abstract
This study was carried out upon a means for stably maintaining both O2 and CO2 concentrations within storage atmosphere in closed CA system.
In a clrosed CA system, the storage atmosphere is recirculated by an air pump through a scrubber. Exess CO2 in CA chamber is removed by the scrubbing of the storage atmosphere.
Level of O2 in CA chamber is controlled by means of the ventilation of fresh air. However, intermitent ventilation of air results in fluctuation in the concentration of O2. Fundamental tests were carried out upon O2 concentration in CA chamber.
The strongest correlation was observed between O2 concentrations within modified atmospheres and O2 contents of water under them.
It was clear that a part of O2 within water have been discharged into modified atmosphere when water under air was touched low-oxygen atmosphere. In general, a scrubber using water makes possible a means for continuously removing the excess CO2 in storage atmosphere.
Authors were found that water became a very usefull method to maintain both O2 and CO2 concentrations in CA chamber of closed system.
Such a laboratory apparatus had been designed as a approach Uota′s apparatus and used successfully in controlled atmosphere studies on eggplants. In new closed CA system, N2 gas was introduced into the CA chamber to reduce the O2 concentration at the first. Eggplants, as a result, were reduced the respiration rate. The most of CO2 produced their respiration during the storage was removed by the water in the gas-exchanger. The O2 being consumed with their respiration was supplied from O2 of current water through the gas-exchanger, simultaneously. The scrubbing of atmosphere by a large amount of water would provide uniform levels of O2 and CO2 in CA chamber and the keeping quality of eggplants after three weeks had been well evaluated.
