Biosourced Polysaccharide-Based Superabsorbents

Access to safe drinking water and improved hygiene are essential for preventing diarrheal diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Integrating water treatment and hygiene products into antenatal clinic care can motivate water treatment and handwashing among pregnant women. Free water hygiene kits (water storage containers, sodium hypochlorite water treatment solution, and soap) and refills of water treatment solution and soap were integrated into antenatal care and delivery services in Machinga District, Malawi, resulting in improved water treatment and hygiene practices in the home and increased maternal health service use. To determine whether water treatment and hygiene practices diffused from maternal health program participants to friends and relatives households in the same communities, we assessed the practices of 106 nonpregnant friends and relatives of these new mothers at baseline and 1-year follow-up. At follow-up, friends and relatives were more likely than at baseline to have water treatment products observable in the home (33.3% vs. 1.2%, p < 0.00001) and detectable free chlorine residual in their water, confirming water treatment (35.7% vs. 1.4%; p < 0.00001). Qualitative data from in-depth interviews also suggested that program participants helped motivate adoption of water treatment and hygiene behaviors among their friends and relatives.

INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATION SCHEDULING ON FRUIT QUALITY OF YOUNG POTTED 'MANZANILLA DE SEVILLA' OLIVE TREES

Ultraviolet (UV) ageing is one main environmental factor affecting the service performance and life of plant fiber reinforced composites. Plant fiber treatment or modification is an essential step in composite preparation to deal with the poor interfacial strength between plant fiber and thermoplastic matrix. Our previous study shows that water treatment is one green fiber treatment method and has potential industrial application. In this paper, effects of water and alkali treatment of hemp fiber on UV resistance of the reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites were studied. Hemp fiber was treated with water and alkali solution firstly, and then blended with PP, respectively. UV ageing of the PP composites was performed. Digital microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to characterize composite degradation. Water uptake and tensile tests were also conducted to deeply understand the effects of water and alkali treatment on UV ageing of the composites. The surface observation results showed that UV ageing occurs around the fiber locations on composite surface in early stage, both water and alkali treatment of fiber could retard surface whitening and cracking of the composites. After 4 weeks, carbonyl index of the composite reinforced with untreated fiber reached up to 29.3 while that of the composites reinforced with water or alkali treated fiber was only 19.6. The XRD patterns also confirmed that both water and alkali treatment have less crystallization after 8 weeks. Water uptake of composites is greatly decreased from 2.5 to 1.0% by water or alkali treatment of hemp fibers. However, either water or alkali treatment didn’t give obvious contribution to resist the deterioration of composite tensile properties. The hydrophilicity and water absorption of hemp fiber play an important role in UV degradation of composites. Water and alkali treatment could greatly decrease water absorption, which is beneficial to improve UV resistance of plant fiber reinforced composites. This study is helpful to deeply understand UV ageing mechanism and develop related anti-UV ageing technology of plant fiber reinforced composites.

Creeping burhead (Echinodorus cordifolius) was grown on floating raft to treat municipal wastewater with two densities: 1 plant/raft (NT1) and 2 plants/raft (NT2), and un-planted was considered as control treatment (NT0). The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with four replications in net house condition. The municipal wastewater was collected in Bung Xang canal, Can Tho city. The plant height and root length increased 1.7 and 1.65; and 7.07 and 6.93 times compared to the initial plants in the treatments of NT1 and NT2. The total plant fresh and dry weight in the TN1 (319.9 g/plant and 22.8 g/plant) were higher than those in the NT2 (260.0 g/plant và 17.7 g/plant), respectively. The treatment efficiency of COD, total inorganic nitrogen (TIN), and total phosphorus (TP) were 54.2 &gt; 49.7 &gt; 37.3%; 88.3 &gt; 71.8 &gt; 60.5% and 85.3 &gt; 79.4 &gt; 72.7% in 2 plants/raft &gt; 1 plant/raft &gt; 0 plant/raft, respectively. The results showed that plant density significantly affected the plant growth and wastewater treatment efficiency of E. cordifolius, especially the density of 2 plants/raft providing a higher treatment efficiency. The study opens up new opportunities for the application of aquatic plants in wastewater treatment and urban landscape creation, contributing to solving the problem of water pollution in an environmentally friendly direction.

Occurrence and emission of phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers in sludge from wastewater treatment plants in Korea.

Occurrence, behavior and fate of liquid crystal monomers in municipal wastewater

Phthalates are considered priority pollutants because of their potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. The objectives of this study were to determine the occurrence of five phthalates (DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP) in sewage sludge and to determine the seasonal variability of these contaminants at three (Bahçeşehir, Paşaköy, and Tuzla) full‐scale municipal and domestic wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Istanbul, Turkey. Mass balance was also calculated for DEHP at Tuzla WWTP sludge treatment units. DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP concentrations in sewage sludge ranged from 1.4 to 2.7 mg/kg dry weight (dw), 1.1 to 2.8, 0.6 to 4.6, 2.8 to 6.2, 18 to 490 mg/kg dw, respectively. Phthalate concentrations from the Bahçeşehir and Paşaköy WWTPs met the limit (100 mg/kg dw) of Turkey national sludge regulation and the Europe Union draft of sludge directive for land application, whereas phthalate concentrations from Tuzla WWTP exceeded the maximum permissible concentration. Phthalate concentrations did not show seasonal variations for Bahçeşehir and Paşaköy WWTPs, which receive mainly household wastewater while some fluctuations were observed DEP, DBP, and DEHP at Tuzla WWTP which has a lot of industrial wastewater contribution. The mass balance showed that approximately 17% of DEHP in the primary and secondary sludge was removed by anaerobic digestion, while 43% returned back to the beginning of the WWTP and 40% remained in the dewatered sludge. This study suggests that phthalates in sludge from WWTPs with industrial wastewater contribution may limit the use of sludge for land application.

Occurrence, fate and chiral signatures of p-phenylenediamines and their quinones in wastewater treatment plants, China.

Occurrence of PBDEs and other alternative brominated flame retardants in sludge from wastewater treatment plants in Korea

In the research greenhouse of the Institute of, University of zabol, Iran). a factorial experiment was condition in the form of completely randomized design (CRD) on four replications. The treatments were humic acid concentrations in four levels (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 on each one 1000 m/liters water) and nano ze chelated fertilizer in four levels (0, 50, 100, and 200 mg; on each one at 1000 m/liters per water) Results of variance analysis showed that the interaction effect of humic acid × nano ze chelated fertilizer and the effect of humic acid and nano ze chelated fertilizer management on Plant height, Leaf fresh and dry weight, Phosphorus,Number of leaves per plant, Chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and Essential oil content was significant at 1% probability level. minimum plant height, Leaf fresh and dry weight, Phosphorus,Number of leaves per plant, Chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and Essential oil content of the treatment control and maximum plant height, Leaf fresh and dry weight, Phosphorus, Number of leaves per plant, Chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and Essential oil content of treatment were gained in N4. maximum, Leaf fresh and dry weight, Phosphorus, Number of leaves per plant, Chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and Essential oil were gained from H4 fertilizer treatment Except plant height that maximum, plant height was obtained H3 fertilizer treatment. maximum plant height, Leaf fresh and dry weight, Phosphorus, Number of leaves per plant, Chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and Essential oil content of treatment were obtained in N4H4.

Distribution characteristics of nonylphenolic chemicals in Masan Bay environments, Korea

Which type of pollutants need to be controlled with priority in wastewater treatment plants: Traditional or emerging pollutants?

Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) are the most well-known precursors of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), but limited information is available on their occurrence and fate in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The occurrence of FTOHs was investigated in influent, secondary effluent, and sludge of 12 municipal WWTPs in nine cities of China. FTOHs were detected in all WWTPs, and 8:2 FTOH was the predominant congener, with concentrations of 2.10-11.0 ng/L, 3.05-12.4 ng/L, and 0.36-1.91 ng/g dry weight in the influent, secondary effluent, and sludge, respectively. Relatively high proportions of long-chain FTOHs (C10-16) were mainly detected in sludge samples. The mass balance of FTOHs and PFCAs in one of the WWTPs with an anaerobic-anoxic-oxic process was further explored. The decrease of mass loads was observed for 4:2 FTOH (mass change percentage: 21 ± 3.3%), 8:2 FTOH (22 ± 1.5%), and 10:2 FTOH (29 ± 7.3%) through aerobic treatment, while the increase of mass loads was observed for 12 PFCAs from 18 ± 16% (perfluorononanoic acid) to 165 ± 15% (perfluorobutyric acid)), suggesting the potential biotransformation of FTOHs to PFCAs in the aerobic unit. This work provides the first report on the occurrence of FTOHs in sludge samples of municipal WWTPs and their mass balance and highlights a new emission route to environment via WWTPs.

Co-occurrence of musk fragrances and UV-filters in seafood and macroalgae collected in European hotspots

Emission of artificial sweeteners, select pharmaceuticals, and personal care products through sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants in Korea