Laundry Research Articles

Ecotoxicological Assessment of Heavy Metals in Lower Lake of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

The evaluation of contamination by heavy metals in the Lower Lake of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh India, is the primary topic of the current investigation. A two-year assessment of the lake's water quality was conducted for this study. The area under study receives domestic raw sewage from surrounding populations; and also the activities such as cattle washing, cloth washing, bathing, and religious activities (like idol immersion etc.) paves the way for high concentration of harmful chemicals in the lake water. The investigation was focused on heavy elements including Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), and were determined by using AAS according to the Standard Methods (APHA, 2010). The water quality of the Lower Lake Bhopal reveals that although the situation is not too bad, however in future if the inflow of untreated domestic sewage and dumping of solid wastes continues, the quality of the lake's water may further deteriorate to an alarming level. The conclusions of this study emphasize that appropriate conservation and management plans and strategies should be formulated and implemented, at the governmental and public levels, for the restoration, conservation, and management of this body of water.

Tailings Filtration: Water Jet Spray Cleaning of a Blinded Iron Ore Filter Cloth

The global growth in demand for raw materials is leading to a continuous increase in the mining of ores and thus to an expanding volume of tailings to be stored. To ensure safer storage and an optimized recovery of process water, the tailings slurry is often thickened followed by filtration in filter presses and dry stacking. However, an increasing blinding effect during the time of operation requires cleaning or replacement of the filter media. Cloth washing using spray nozzles is a possible solution, but there is insufficient quantitative data published on the performance. For this reason, this article examines the cleaning of an iron ore cloth from tailings filtration by continuous water spraying. Water flux, spray time and direction (front- and back-wash) variation were investigated by evaluating cleaning performance using flow resistance measurement and comparison to the unused and industrially used state where blinding has occurred. Sufficient cleaning and achieving the flow rate of the unused cloth is possible. However, excessive spray cleaning should be avoided, as damage to the fibers may occur. Spray cleaning can be stated to be economically reasonable since a water demand of 2.5 m3 m−2 and an energy consumption of 6.5 kWh m−2 is necessary for a sufficient regeneration. Furthermore, the spray cleaning is assumed to cost USD 6 m−2, which is approximately similar to replacing the fabric but reduces plastic waste.

Gas microturbine as a main source of energy for industrial laundry – feasibility study

Gas microturbine as a main source of energy for industrial laundry – feasibility study

Hubungan Pengetahuan, Sikap, Umur, dan Keterampilan Dasar dengan Penggunaan Alat Pelindung Diri pada Pekerja Laundry di Kota Kupang

Laundry is a necessity for some people who have a busy schedule so they don't have more time to wash clothes. However, there are still many laundry entrepreneurs who do not pay attention to the work safety of employees so that work accidents cannot be avoided. The lack of awareness to constantly use PPE is influenced by many factors. This study aims to determine the relationship between knowledge, attitudes, age and basic skills with the use of PPE in laundry workers in Kupang City. The research method used was cross sectional with a population of 83 people and the number of samples used was 46 people with a random sampling method. The instrument of this study is a questionnaire. Data analysis using chi-square. The results showed that there was a relationship between independent variables and dependent variables using the Chi-square test, so the results obtained were that there was a relationship between the use of PPE in laundry workers in Kupang City with knowledge (p = 0.21), attitude (p = 0.000), age (0.029) and basic skills (p = 0.000). Based on the keofesien (r) test of the four variables, it has a very low correlation or relationship linkage. Where the first variable is the keofesien test value (r) of 0.019, the second variable is 0.000, the third variable is 0.013 and the fourth variable is 0.000 with the use of correlational analysis from this study is r = -1 or close to -1 so that the relationship between the two variables is strong and has the opposite relationship. It is hoped that laundry owners can provide a correct understanding of the importance of using PPE when working to avoid the risk of work accidents.

Treatment of laundry wastewater by different processes: Optimization and life cycle assessment

Wastewater from industrial laundries is often difficult to treat because it usually presents high turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD). We studied several processes for the treatment of laundry wastewater which was provided by a hotel in the south of Gran Canaria, Spain. More specifically, we studied coagulation with iron (III) sulphate, Fenton, photo-Fenton and a biological treatment (using a biofilter, and a granular activated carbon, GAC, filtration). The coagulation and Fenton processes produced large amounts of sludge and could not meet the required standards for water reuse in Spain. The use of photo-Fenton and the BF resulted in complete turbidity removal and high COD removal. However, we found that the effluent from the BF did not meet the COD removal criteria for water reuse, and thus a GAC filtration post-treatment was employed to reduce COD to acceptable levels. The photo-Fenton process alone did meet the criteria for water reuse. The estimated cost to treat 1 m3 of wastewater was 6.72 € for photo-Fenton and 0.71 € for BF + GAC. The cost and life cycle assessment analyses that were also performed revealed that the acquisition of the necessary reagents is the main contribution to the overall economic and environmental costs for both options, and that the BF + GAC option is notably cheaper. Additionally, this option also causes much lower environmental impacts than photo-Fenton.

Determinants of Trachomatous Inflammation-Follicular Among Children Aged 1 to 9 Years Old in a Rural Area of Gozamn District, Northwestern Ethiopia: A Matched Case-Control Study

Approximately 1.9 million people worldwide are blind or visually impaired due to trachoma, and trachoma remains endemic in 44 countries. Amhara in Ethiopia has the highest burden of trachoma in the world. A key indicator of whether active trachoma requires public health intervention is the incidence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular in children aged 1 to 9 years. However, limited study has been conducted on the determinants in rural communities. This study therefore aimed to fill this gap by identifying determinants in the Gozamn district of northwestern Ethiopia. A community-based case-control study was carried out between March 15 and April 30, 2021. Five or more follicles on the epitaxial conjunctivae that are larger than 0.5 mm were considered a case. Controls were free of any sign of trachoma. A semi-structured questionnaire and an observational checklist were used to gather the data, and STATA version 14 was used for the analysis. Using a 95% confidence interval, both bivariable and multivariable conditional logistic regression was performed. A total of 726 mothers/caregivers participated in this study, with a participation rate of 98.4%. Children from poor families (mAOR = 4.68; CI: 2.80-6.21), households where the water source is far from home (>30 minutes) (mAOR = 4.91; KI: 1.37-12.56), mean daily water consumption (<20 l/c/d) (mAOR = 4.42; CI:1.71-11.39), face washing frequency less than once a day (mAOR = 10.64; CI: 2.58-18.84), cloth washing frequency once a month or less (mAOR = 9.18; CI: 2.20-18.62), and mothers or caregivers with poor knowledge of active trachoma (mAOR = 3.88; CI: 1.47-10.22) were determinants of trachomatous inflammation-follicular. We conclude that infrequent faces and clothes washing; unavailability of water, children in poor families, and poor knowledge of mothers/caregivers were risk factors. Health education initiatives about active trachoma, its prevention, and control methods focusing on personal hygiene are so required.

Rescue and dissemination of ancestral knowledge of the Montuvio people to produce traditional soap

The work deals with the recovery of ancestral knowledge in the Montuvio Manabita people as an extension proposal to the community, for which the main objective was to disseminate ancestral knowledge through the planting of the traditional soap tree to produce natural liquid soap that can be used to wash clothes by hand, in a washing machine and even as a shampoo. The project was located in the El Limón commune of the Picoazá rural parish of the Portoviejo canton, in the Manabí province of the zone4. We worked with an intentional sample of 20 families, the technique of focus groups; The method to be used contemplates two phases, the first of planting the soap on the edges of the farms, preferably on the banks of the irrigation canals or the river, and the second phase of training on the production of soap using soap seeds. The result was that the dissemination of ancestral knowledge in the communities constitutes a practical application that can contribute as a way of reactivating the local post-covid-19 economy, applying ancestral techniques for the elaboration of various products from the Manabí field.

Designing Standard Operation Procedure to Produce Environmentally Friendly Liquid Detergent

Washing clothes is an activity that is often done by people in the world. However, detergents sold in the market are harmful to human skin and aquatic ecosystems in rivers. Therefore, this research focuses on environmentally friendly detergents that can minimize the impact on the environment and humans. This study aims to develop standard operating procedures (SOP) in the production of environmentally friendly detergents. This was conducted by developing the initial SOP design, simulating the initial SOP, and identifying problems. Then, followed by improving, designing, and simulating the final SOP. The results of this study acquire SOP that generates products with better consistency and quality.

Effects of microfiber exposure on medaka (Oryzias latipes): Oxidative stress, cell damage, and mortality

Fiber-type microplastics are major anthropogenic contaminants of marine environments. They are released mainly during cloth washing and are discharged from wastewater treatment plants into aquatic environments. This study aimed to evaluate whether microfiber exposure causes oxidative stress and cell damage in medaka (Oryzias latipes Temminck and Schlegel 1846). Fish were exposed to one of two different concentrations (500 and 1000 fibers/L) of a polyester-based microfiber (MF) for 21 days, and the degree of cell damage and changes in expression of antioxidant enzymes were investigated. Fish survival decreased with increasing concentrations of MF. The expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) increased in MF-exposed groups compared to those in the control. SOD activity increased compared to the control group, and MF exposure induced a significant increase in both SOD activity and mRNA expression over time. CAT mRNA expression increased from day 10 onwards following exposure. Plasma malondialdehyde content increased significantly on day 7 of exposure in the 1000 fiber/L group and on day 10 in the 500 fiber/L group. Caspase-3 mRNA expression significantly increased until day 10 of exposure. A terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay confirmed increased apoptosis, and a comet assay demonstrated that higher DNA damage occurred in response to increased MF concentration and exposure time. In conclusion, we confirmed that MF exposure affects antioxidant reactions in fish, thus inducing oxidative stress, apoptosis, and DNA damage. In addition, a comprehensive understanding of MF pollution in aquatic systems is urgently required.

ISOLATION OF MICROFIBERS IN THE PROCESSING OF POLYAMIDE FABRICS

In recent years, the problem of the release of polymer microparticles (the so-called microplastics) from textile products has been extensively investigated. The main reason of the release of a large number of plastic microfibers is considered to be machine washing of synthetic clothing. However, approaches aimed at reducing the amounts of detached microfibers (MFs) differ significantly. This paper reviews the existing approaches, presents a method for processing polyamide fabrics with a chitosan solution, and describes the experiments that confirm the feasibility of the proposed method. The formation of a chitosan film on the surface of polyamide fibers was evidenced with the results of scanning electron microscopy. The authors have shown that fabric surface treatment with a 1 % chitosan solution reduces the amount of microfibers released during washing by  60 %. A fluorescent analysis demonstrated that mechanical processing of polyamide fabrics with a higher surface density is associated with a release of a smaller number of microfibers (358 ± 24) MF/g as compared to less dense fabrics (533 ± 16) MF/g. The results obtained in the present study can be used in the development of a standard method for quantifying the amount of synthetic microfibers shed from textile materials during their washing.

The carbon footprint of household clothing washing in Shanghai during winter and spring based on empirical data

The consumer use phase of textiles and fashion contributes one-third to the carbon and water footprint, which is the highest for the life cycle assessment technique. However, it is only estimated by questionnaire or estimated data. We carried out a 180-day direct data tracking for three volunteer families with different demographic characteristics. The results show that consumer behaviors significantly influence the carbon and water scarcity footprint. Moreover, the uncertainty between the test data and the energy label estimated data is revealed. For family 1, the energy label-based electricity consumption carbon footprint is 0.57 kgCO2e, while the empirical data result is 2.79 kgCO2e. We proposed an improved carbon footprint evaluation method with the correction parameters, which can be estimated using the sampling data from the customers. The results show that applying actual data collection and building a database is necessary to reduce the astonishing errors, making error analysis possible and meaningful.

Ecofriendly removing microplastics from rivers: A novel air flotation approach crafted with positively charged carrier

Until targeted techniques are developed and implemented, microplastic (MP) particles in freshwater will always exist and remain under consistent growth. In this study, a novel mechanism based on electrostatic -force–-induced aggregation and flotation is proposed to mitigate MP pollution in rivers. First, the air employed as a flotation carrier is first ionized, then. Then, it is dispersed into a circumfluent reactor after the electrons are offset. The four most detected polymers, namely, polyethylene (PE), polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and fiber mixture from the cloth washing machine, are pulverized and injected as contaminants into river water and tap water samples to explore the removal characteristics of the configured bench-scale facility. Experimental results suggest that the scheme takes effect rapidly and obtains a maximum removal efficiency (particle number based) of more than 90% for all four polymer samples in 2 min. The removal behaviors of the MP particles vary with the physical properties of the particles and the operational parameters of the system. The easiest MP particle to separate from the river water matrix is PE. Particles with a diameter of more than 200 µm have high removal efficiency. An in-depth analysis of variance is conducted to determine how the five selected operational parameters affect the system’s removal characteristics for the four polymers in the river water sample. Results imply that the proposed process is a promising alternative in tackling the MP problem in rivers because of its short hydraulic retention time, high removal efficiency, no chemical addition requirement, and robustness to polymer types.

Towards the Optimal Performance of Washing Machines Using Fuzzy Logic

Washing machines (WMs) are common household appliances that help to save time and effort used in brushing and washing clothes. It is a common practice to use manually operated WMs, and based on their uses, WMs are classified into top and front open cloth washing machines, which operate based on an automatic control mechanism. In this paper, we present the design and simulation of an Arduino fuzzy logic-based WM control system, with an emphasis on improvement in its operating algorithm. Simulations were performed to determine the optimal time the WM takes to wash clothes, the maximum number of clothes the WM can wash per time, the acceptable dirtiness level of cloths, and the type of clothes that the machine can wash. The number of clothes to be washed, the degree of dirtiness, and the type of clothes govern the fuzzy logic control process adopted by the WM. The output voltage of the WM varies as the degree of dirtiness of the water varies from 0 to 1.95 V for very dirty water output from washed clothes and varies from 4 to 4.89 V for low-contaminated water. Another constraint considered was the load current, which increased as the number of clothes increased. The WM’s operation time is determined by the amount of voltage and load current used during its operation. As a result, the control of the WM is dependent on the dirtiness level of the clothes and the amount of load.

Local actors and their incipient integration in the automotive industry in Aguascalientes. The case of glove washers

The objective of this article is to explain the integration of glove washers within the local productive system, how the association between micro and small suppliers occurs and the networks they weave from their integration with the automotive industry, as well as the role played by governmental and non-governmental institutions in the local productive fabric. The underlying hypothesis is that the integration of local companies with transnational capital is minimal. There are companies established in the area, but their integration is not properly constituted with local capital. The case of studying the glove washers arises from the need to visualize those actors that do not play a leading role in the assembly of cars but do have a fundamental participation, although they generate very little added value, but their importance is unavoidable. For the methodological process, a semi-structured interview and non-participant observation were used. Five surveys were applied to managers or owners of companies specializing in glove washing in the locality. Interviews were also conducted with four types of actors: glove washers, managers of subcontracting service companies and representatives of Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies, until the categories were exhausted. The sample is qualitative and representative. The particularity is the non-existence of a specific classification for this type of activity. According to the informants, there are 60 industrial laundries in the State, but only 10 are registered with the Tax Administration System and SEMARNAT. However, upon corroborating the SEMARNAT: Registro de generadores de residuos del Estado de Aguascalientes (Registry of waste generators in the State of Aguascalientes), only three establishments were found: Ricardo Xicoténcatl Vega Jasso; LP. Confección y lavado, S.A. de C.V. (located in Aguascalientes) and Lescen, S.A. de C.V. (located in Jesús María). To operationalize the variables through the semi-structured interviews, discourse análisis was applied as a technique. Information was obtained on three aspects inherent to local development: trust, cooperation and competition, as well as expectations and the role of the government.

How Health-Related Misinformation Spreads Across the Internet: Evidence for the "Typhoon Eye" Effect.

Online health-related misinformation has become a major problem in society and in-depth research is needed to understand its propagation patterns and underlying mechanisms. This study proposes a psychological typhoon eye effect to understand how health-related misinformation spreads during the pandemic using two national studies. In Study 1, we collected online search data from the United States and China to explore the relationship between the physical distance from the epicenter and the spread of health-related misinformation. Two common pieces of health-related misinformation were examined: "Microwaves kill coronavirus" in the United States and "Taking a hot bath can prevent against COVID-19" in China. Our results indicated a "typhoon eye effect" in the spread of two actual pieces of health-related misinformation using online data from the United States and China. In Study 2, we fabricated a piece of health-related misinformation, "Wash Clothes with Salt Water to Block Infection," and measured the spread behavior and perceived credibility of the misinformation. Again, we observed a typhoon eye effect on the spread behavior as well as the perceived credibility of health-related misinformation among people with limited education. In addition, based on the stimulus-organism-response theory, perceived credibility could serve as a mediator in the relationship between physical distance from the epicenter and the spread of health-related misinformation. Our results highlight the importance of psychological approaches to understanding the propagation patterns of health-related misinformation. The present findings provide a new perspective for development of prevention and control strategies to reduce the spread of health-related misinformation during pandemics.

Sustainable Wastewater Mana agement in Industrial Laundries

Sustainable Wastewater Mana agement in Industrial Laundries

Bioremediation potential of industrial laundry effluent by agaricomycetes from brazilian tropical dry forest

Mycotic bioremediation of effluents from industrial jeans laundries is a necessary biotechnological treatment to prevent contamination of water bodies. In phase I, the discoloration of Indigo Carmine Dye (ICD) and Textile Effluent (TE) by seven species of Agaricomycetes from the brazilian tropical dry forest (Caatinga) was evaluated. First, nutritional stress was caused by Nitrogen Limitation (NL) at three experimental times, T1 (1 day). T2 (4 days) and T3 (7 days). In phase II, microorganisms were cultivated in the initial growth times Gi1 (10 days) and Gi2 (25 days), Without Addition of Nutrients (WAN) and stress was induced by NL (T1). Subsequently, ICD and TE discoloration tests continued for 28 days. In the ecotoxic analysis, the biotreated samples in phase II were tested on nauplii of Artemia HIGH 5 without the addition of food. In phase I, the percentages of ICD and TE discoloration were greater than 55% using fungi F1, F2, F5 and F6 for 10 days without sterility. In phase II, the best percentages of discoloration were found for TE in Gi1 and for ICD in Gi2, with F1 and F5 (identified by molecular biology). The results showed that Gi1 (WAN) increased the biodegradation of TE and Gi2 (WAN) favored the biodegradation of ICD, in T1 (NL) without sterility. The best enzymatic activity of laccase and lignin peroxidase was presented in F5. The enzyme extracts had a Michaelis-Menten kinetic behavior. All samples of TE bioremediated in phase II no showed toxicity on Artemia sp. in 48 hours of experimentation.

Household domestic water consumption patterns in a rural semi-arid village: A case study of Kumbha village in Hisar district, Haryana

The need for water in India is increasing as a result of development, both in urban and rural areas. This could exacerbate tensions and conflicts over the distribution of water sources. Understanding the specifics of actual water use on a household level is critical for water demand management. As a result, based on questionnaires and interview surveys of 105 households consisting 10 per cent of total households, this paper investigates the pattern of domestic water consumption in semi-arid Kumbha village of Hisar district in Haryana state of India, in order to better understand how local communities in the region relate to water. The study looked at household water usage on a daily and activity basis, as well as the sources, quality, duration of water supply, and awareness of water storage. According to the study's findings, the village's daily average water usage is 105 per person per capita per day. Cloth washing uses the most water utilized activity. The Calculated value of chi square test is greater than tabulated value hence null hypothesis is rejected at 5% level of significance. It is found that the people with high income utilize more water than the others. However most of residents are dissatisfied with the duration of their water supply, and 38 per cent are unaware of conservation technologies. This needs to be addressed immediately by affecting public perception through the media and conducting public awareness campaigns. It is believed that the study's findings may assist Indian policymakers and planners in optimising current water resources for rural development.

Early-Life Exposure to Formaldehyde through Clothing.

Clothes contain a wide range of chemicals, some of them potentially hazardous. Recently, there has been a growing interest in eco-friendly clothing, including the use of organic cotton. However, the process of eco-friendly fabric production does not exclude the use of toxic substances, such as formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. The present investigation was aimed at determining the presence of formaldehyde in eco-friendly and conventional clothing of pregnant women, babies, and toddlers from the Catalan (Spain) market. The potential effects of washing were also investigated by comparing the reduction of formaldehyde in unwashed and washed clothing. Formaldehyde was detected in 20% of samples, with a mean level of 8.96 mg/kg. Formaldehyde levels were surprisingly higher in eco-friendly than in regular garments (10.4 vs. 8.23 mg/kg). However, these differences were only significant (p < 0.05) for bras (11.6 vs. 7.46 mg/kg) and panties (27.1 vs. 6.38 mg/kg) of pregnant women. Dermal exposure and health risks were assessed for three vulnerable population groups: pregnant women, babies, and toddlers. In general, exposure was higher in babies (up to 1.11 × 10−3 mg/kg/day) than in other groups (2.58 × 10−4 and 4.50 × 10−3 mg/kg/day in pregnant women and toddlers, respectively). However, both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were below the safety limits (<1 and <10−5, respectively) according to national regulations. Notwithstanding, although formaldehyde levels were below the legal limits (<75 mg/kg) and health risks were within acceptable ranges, clothing may contain other toxic substances in addition to formaldehyde, thus increasing the risks. Finally, since no formaldehyde was detected in washed textile samples, a safe and simple practice for the consumers is to wash clothing before the first use.

Prevalence and determinants of scabies among school-age children in Central Armachiho district, Northwest, Ethiopia.

BackgroundScabies is a major global public health issue that might affect people from all socioeconomic levels. Globally, scabies affects more than 200 million people at any time. It remains one of the commonest skin diseases seen in developing countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of scabies among school-age children in Central Armachiho district, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August to September 2020. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 850 study populations. Data was checked for its completeness, coded, and entered by using EPI-INFO version 7 and exported to the SPSS version 20 for analysis. A Binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify the determinants of scabies. Crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% CI were used as measurements for the associations. P-values <0.005 were considered significant.ResultPrevalence of scabies among the 850 participants studied was 10.82% (95% CI: 8.7–12.9). Contact history with confirmed scabies patient (AOR = 5.28,95% CI: 2.96–9.44), child not attending school (AOR = 3.08, 95% CI;1.45–6.54), rarely changing clothes (AOR = 2.43,95% CI: 1.27–4.62), sleeping on the floor (AOR = 4.11, 95% CI:1.95–8.67), bed sharing; (AOR = 3.38, 95% CI:2.86–6.15), rarely washing cloth: (AOR = 5.08,95% CI:2.75–9.36), living with internally displaced people; (AOR,95% CI: 3.47 (1.30–9.24) and using only water to wash hands; (AOR = 3.18,95% CI:1.74–5.80) had a statistically significant association with scabies infestation among school-age children.ConclusionThe current study found nearly one out of ten school-age children had scabies. Not attended school, contact history with confirmed scabies patient, not washing cloth, infrequent changing clothes, bedding sharing, sleeping on the floor, living with internally displaced people, and only using water for handwashing practice were the independent predictors for the occurrence of scabies. Health education better to given to the parents or caregivers about the washing of clothing, changing clothes at least once per week, and avoid physical contact with known scabies cases.