Min Of Treatment Research Articles

Electron utilization efficiency of ZVI core activating PMS enhanced by C-N/g-C3N4 shell

Removal of complexation metal from plating effluents is always a problem. In this work, a core-shell structure zero-valent iron@nitrogen/graphite carbon nitride doped carbon (ZVI@C-N/g-C3N4) composite was prepared and used to activate peroxymonsulfate (PMS) to treat complexation nickel simulated wastewater. Compared with ZVI, ZVI@C-N/g-C3N4 significantly enhanced the efficiency and repeatability of PMS activation. For 45 min treatment, the removal efficiency of 50 ppm Ni-EDTA and Ni-citrate simulated wastewater reached 95.8 % and 100 %, respectively. The excellent performance of ZVI@C-N/g-C3N4 is attributed to that the amino groups of nitrogen in C-N/g-C3N4 shell can regulate the transmission rate of electrons released from ZVI core by adjusting the transmission rate of H+, so as to improve the electron utilization efficiency of PMS activation.

Effect of roasting process on enzymes inactivation and starch properties of highland barley

Roasting may be beneficial to extend the shelf life by inactivating the lipases and peroxidases in highland barley, but it may lead to the deterioration of starch quality. In this study, the pre-treatment techniques of pearling and tempering were tried to improve the efficiency of inactivation, and different roasting treatment parameters were compared to obtain the optimum treatment conditions, under which thermally degraded starch may be less. Pearling had been proved to be an effective means in reducing enzyme content, and tempering could improve the sensitivity of enzymes to heat. Synergism of the two pre-treatment methods increased the inactivation of lipase and peroxidase in highland barley to 80% and 100%, respectively, and the optimal pre-treatment and roasting condition was P20M16T16 (20% pearling rate, 16% moisture, and 16 min treatment time) at 180 °C. Under this condition, the starch quality was basically consistent with those of control starch. For roasting treatment starch, the birefringence intensity, swelling power, and solubility slightly decreased and the polarized cross also still existed, while the relative crystallinity slightly increased and the crystal type unchanged. Roasting treatment starch showed higher pasting temperature and lower paste viscosity, and the increasing To, Tp, and the decreasing enthalpy.

LED-assisted sonocatalysis of sulfathiazole and pharmaceutical wastewater using N,Fe co-doped TiO2@SWCNT: Optimization, performance and reaction mechanism studies

N-Fe co-doped titania was anchored on the functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (NFeTFC) through two-step sol-gel and ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and integrated with LED visible light (LED) and ultrasonic (US) waves as a sono-photocatalyst. The properties of fabricated catalysts were investigated via XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR, PL, EIS, TGA, BET, TEM, FESEM, EDX, EDS-Dot-Mapping, and UV–vis techniques. These analyses demonstrated the successive deposition of N and Fe atoms on the FSWCNT surfaces covered by TiO2. FESEM and TEM micrographs showed uniform coverage of FSWCNT with TiO2 nanoclusters. The PL results indicated that the introduction of dopants and FSWCNT into the TiO2 structure, acts as electrons traps and/or electron sink which prevents the electron/hole recombination and also enables TiO2 to be active in a visible light region. The investigation of effective sono-photocatalytic operational parameters confirmed that the complete removal of sulfathiazole (SUTZ:40 mg/L) can be accomplished at pH:7.0, NFeTFC: 0.7 g/L, US power: 250 W and light intensity: 150 W/m2, over 90 min reaction time. SUTZ sono-photocatalytic decontamination kinetic was followed by pseudo-first order kinetic model. Trapping studies illustrated that O2˙ and OH˙ radicals are the main reactive species through decontamination process. The as-prepared composite could be recovered and reused after seven consecutive-cycles of SUTZ decontamination with an insignificant reduction in performance. For a typical real wastewater, over 88 and 79 % of COD and TOC, respectively were eliminated by NFeTFC/LED/US within 225 min treatment. A great enhancement was observed by integrating US to the photocatalysis process and also a great positive synergy index of 0.54 was achieved for coupling individual of processes of photolysis, sonolysis and adsorption.

Morphology, structural-phase state and microhardness of a multicomponent non-equiatomic W-Ta-Mo-Nb-Zr-Cr-Ti powders mixture depending on the duration of ball milling

The features of the transformation of structural-phase states of a non-equiatomic multicomponent system based on refractory metals W-Ta-Mo-Nb-Zr-Cr-Ti after high-energy ball-milling of various durations are studied. Three main stages have been identified that differ in the morphology of the powder mixture, the distribution of components, phase compositions and the character of the change in microhardness. It was shown that already at the initial stage of treatment, two phases are formed, one of which (BCC-1) is a solid solution based on BCC (body-centered cubic) refractory metals, and the other (BCC-2) is a solid solution enriched in Zr, Cr and Ti. It has been suggested that the BCC-2 phase is a precursor state for the Laves phases that form during subsequent SPS (spark plasma sintering). A change in morphology and structural-phase composition is accompanied by a microhardness increase from 4.03 ± 1.12 GPa after 1 min to 8.93 ± 1.74 GPa after 15.5 min of treatment.

Reducing wait time for administration of systemic anticancer treatment (SACT) in a hospital outpatient facility

The demand for systemic anticancer treatment continues to rise due to the increasing numbers being diagnosed with cancer and developments in treatment options. The net result is greater pressure on...

Photo-electrooxidation treatment of Acetaminophen in aqueous solution using BDD-Fe and BDD-Cu systems

ABSTRACT In this study, acetaminophen (ACT) in aqueous solution was treated with electrooxidation and photo-electrooxidation processes (PEO). An electrochemical cell was used for the treatment of different concentrations of ACT (10, 50 and 80 mg L−1). A 23 factorial design was proposed, and the variables studied were current intensity 0.5 A (45.45 mA cm−2) and 1.0 A (90.91 mA cm−2), electrode configuration (anode:BDD, cathode:Fe or Cu) and presence/absence of UV light; NaCl 0.043 M (2.5 g L−1) was used as supporting electrolyte, the initial pH was 5.5, and the treatment time was 3 h. The aqueous solutions were characterized before and after the treatment using infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), total carbon (TC), and fluorescence spectroscopy. The optimal operating conditions using an initial ACT concentration of 80 mg L−1 were 1.0 A, BDD-Fe configuration and UV light (254 nm). The removal efficiencies were 100% of ACT and 82.75% of TOC after 15 min of treatment. At concentrations of 50 and 10 mg L−1, 77.16% and 50.29% of TOC were removed after 10 and 5 min of treatment, respectively. Finally, the kinetic study showed an increase in the rate constants when the UV light was applied.

Sensitivity of Planktonic Cells of Staphylococcus aureus to Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure as Affected by Mild Heat, Carvacrol, Nisin, and Caprylic Acid

Current study investigated effects of elevated hydrostatic pressure exposure in the presence of mild heat and natural antimicrobials against Staphylococcus aureus. Hydrostatic pressure of 350 to 550 MPa with nisin (5000 IU/mL), carvacrol, or caprylic acid (0.5% v/v) were applied for the reduction in four-strain mixture of S. aureus in HEPES buffer at 4 and 40 °C for up to 7 min. Results were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and D-values were additionally calculated using best-fitted linear model. Prior to exposure to treatments at 4 °C, counts of the pathogen were 7.95 ± 0.4 log CFU/mL and were reduced (p < 0.05) to 6.44 ± 0.3 log CFU/mL after 7 min of treatment at 450 MPa. D-value associated with this treatment was 5.34 min (R2 = 0.72). At 40 °C, counts were 8.21 ± 0.7 and 5.77 ± 0.3 log CFU/mL before and after the 7-min treatments, respectively. D-value associated with 40 °C treatment was 3.30 min (R2 = 0.62). Application of the antimicrobials provided additional pathogen reduction augmentation for treatments < 5 min. The results of the current study could be incorporated for meeting regulatory requirements such as Food Code, HACCP, and Preventive Control for Human Food of Food Safety Modernization Act for assuring microbiological safety of products against this prevalent pathogen of public health concern.

Degradation of aqueous atrazine using persulfate activated by electrochemical plasma coupling with microbubbles: removal mechanisms and potential applications

Persulfate (PS) activated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) integrated with microbubbles (MBs) was designed to decompose atrazine (ATZ) from aqueous solutions. The degradation efficiency reached 89% at a discharge power of 85W, a PS concentration of 1mM, and a air flow rate of 30mL/min after 75min treatment. Heat caused by DBD favoured ATZ removal. Besides, the effect of PS dosage, discharge power and initial pH values on ATZ removal was evaluated. The calculated energy yield revealed that it was economical and promising to treat 1L of ATZ-wastewaters. The existence of SO42−, Cl−, CO32− and HCO3− lead to negative effects, while positive effect was observed when the presence of MBs and humic acid. The identification results of radicals and degradation intermediates suggested that multiple synergistic effects (such as heat, eaq− and H•) activated PS, and 1O2/reactive nitrogen species, •OH and SO4−• with contributions of 18%, 26%, and 29%, were main species attacking ATZ. ATZ degradation pathways including olefination, alkylic-oxidation, dealkylation, and dechlorination were proposed. An environment-friendly and a novel method for enhancing the PS-activation and ATZ-decomposition was provided, which fully utilised the electric-chemical conversion of DBD and high mass transfer efficiency of MBs.

Performance of an air purifier using a MnOx/TiO2 catalyst-coated filter for the decomposition of aldehydes, VOCs and ozone: An experimental study in an actual smoking room

To develop an air purifier for a smoking room, an ozone (O3) decomposition manganese catalyst, capable of the oxidative decomposition of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in tobacco smoke, was applied in this study. The actual concentration of the total VOCs (TVOCs) that was measured in a smoking room was ~2,000 μg m−3, toluene, benzene, and acetaldehyde were also obtained in high concentrations.An O3 oxidative decomposition catalyst, MnOx/TiO2, synthesized by chemical vapor condensation (CVC) (MnOx/CVC-TiO2) was subjected to decomposition experiments, at room temperature (25 °C), utilizing acetaldehyde as the target material. The catalyst-coated filter was installed as a fixed bed, and after supplying O3, at a concentration of 25 ppm, it was confirmed that the catalyst had facilitated the complete decomposition of 10 ppm of acetaldehyde. Next, a decomposition experiment was conducted for TVOCs with a prototype smoke purifier, which employed the catalyst-coated filter, in a 1-m3 bench-scale chamber. The initial concentration of TVOC, 4,300 μg m−3, was reduced to 171 μg m−3 after 30 min (treatment efficiency, 96%). Finally, the treatment performance of the practical smoke purifier was tested in a real smoking room (61.9 m3). The initial TVOC concentration was reduced from 2,229 to 493 μg m−3 after 30 min with a removal efficiency of 80%. Moreover, ~70% of the acetaldehyde concentration was also decomposed.

Signal Decoding for Glutamate Modulating Egg Laying Oppositely in Caenorhabditis elegans under Varied Environmental Conditions.

SummaryAnimals' ability to sense environmental cues and to integrate this information to control fecundity is vital for continuing the species lineage. In this study, we observed that the sensory neurons Amphid neuron (ASHs and ADLs) differentially regulate egg-laying behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans under varied environmental conditions via distinct neuronal circuits. Under standard culture conditions, ASHs tonically release a small amount of glutamate and inhibit Hermaphrodite specific motor neuron (HSN) activities and egg laying via a highly sensitive Glutamate receptor (GLR)-5 receptor. In contrast, under Cu2+ stimulation, ASHs and ADLs may release a large amount of glutamate and inhibit Amphid interneuron (AIA) interneurons via low-sensitivity Glutamate-gated chloride channel (GLC)-3 receptor, thus removing the inhibitory roles of AIAs on HSN activity and egg laying. However, directly measuring the amount of glutamate released by sensory neurons under different conditions and assaying the binding kinetics of receptors with the neurotransmitter are still required to support this study directly.

Ultrasound assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from BRS Violet grape pomace followed by alginate-Ca2+ encapsulation

Objective of this study was to recover bioactive compounds from grape pomace, and to investigate the effect of thermosonication in the rate of aqueous extraction. The best extraction for phenolics and total anthocyanins, was at 55 °C, amplitude of 40% and 6 min of treatment. The ultrasound assisted extraction showed superior results when compared to conventional extraction, extraction averages were: 11% total phenolic compounds, 25% total anthocyanins. The extract obtained by ultrasound showed higher antioxidant capacity when compared to the one obtained by conventional extraction. The alginate-Ca2+ capsules were stable when stored in the presence or absence of light, with a reduced t1/2 (absence of light), indicating longer half-life in the absence of light. The use of thermosonication favored greater amounts of bioactive compounds in the grape pomace aqueous extract, and this encapsulated extract in alginate-Ca2+ shows good stability and less degradation in the light absence.

Assessing the impact of the combined application of ultrasound and ozone on microbial quality and bioactive compounds with antioxidant attributes of cabbage ( Brassica Oleracea L. Var. Capitata )

Ultrasound (US) and ozone processing allow achieving food technological aims such as the improvement of food safety and preservation. The combination of these technologies has been reported to be beneficial in inactivating microorganisms from fruits and vegetables. However, treatment conditions and mechanisms of action of these technologies can affect vegetables or fruits structure as well as their phytochemical components. This study therefore, aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial capacity of ultrasound and ozone alone or combined on artificially inoculated cabbage with E. coli and Salmonella. The impact of these decontamination processes on cabbage intercellular structure, pH, total phenol, total flavonoid and antioxidant activities were also determined. Results showed that the combination treatment significantly inactivated populations of artificially inoculated E. coli and Salmonella compared to individual processing. The inactivation effectiveness was greatly enhanced with increased ozone concentration (1.5 mg/L) and processing time, with no detectable bacteria in the washing water after only 8 min of treatment. Furthermore, ultrasound treatment alone for 8 min led to improved cabbage content of phenol, flavonoid and antioxidant activity without affecting its intercellular structure. However, the combination treatment exerted a slight decrease of these components though not statistically significant compared to untreated samples. A significant decrease was observed with the longest exposure time (20 min). We conclude that ultrasound individual treatment or its combination with ozone can be used as sanitizer to not only reduce microorganisms from fresh cabbage but also maintain its appearance quality and improve its bioactive properties and antioxidant activity. Practical applications This study was conducted to evaluate the inactivation effectiveness of ultrasound and ozone on inoculated cabbage leaves. To make an effective disinfection on the leaves, US and ozone have been combined, which resulted in a reduction of treatment time and maintenance of the bioactive compounds, the antioxidant activity and intercellular structure attributes. The results of this research support and suggest that the combination treatment of US with ozone at 1.5 mg/L for 8 min is the most suitable processing for sanitizing fresh cabbage without damaging its structure, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity.

The parental effects of body size on developmental phenotype in Harmonia axyridis.

Body size is a trait with many potential impacts on fitness. Adult body size can affect the strength of condition-dependent parental effects that determine offspring phenotypes, with potentially important transgenerational consequences. In a preliminary experiment, larval food deprivation (30 min daily access) created Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) females that weighed <50% of controls reared on ad libitum food (eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller). Although only 1/3 of larvae survived to adulthood in the 30 min treatment, adult pairs produced eggs that were not significantly different in size from those of pairs fed ad libitum as larvae. Less extreme larval food deprivation (4 h daily access) was used to create a cohort of H. axyridis that weighed <60% of controls reared on ad libitum food. Small couples had lower 20-day fecundities and reduced egg fertility relative to large couples. Both egg and pupal periods were shortest when both parents were small, and longest when both parents were large, with reciprocal crosses intermediate. There were no consistent effects of parental body size on larval development time, but the progeny of small females mated to large males pupated later than other treatments. Progeny of large pairs had the heaviest adult weights at emergence, and progeny of small pairs, the lightest, with the progeny of reciprocal crosses intermediate. Small females produced the lightest female offspring, whereas small males sired the lightest male offspring, suggesting stronger responses to epigenetic signals from parents of the same sex. These results indicate that H. axyridis cohorts maturing with abundant food will produce progeny with larger potential body size and fitness, whereas those experiencing food limitation will confer size and fitness limitations to the subsequent generation, with potentially important implications for short-term population dynamics.

SONOPHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS USING PERSULFATE

In present work, we have studied the kinetic fundamentals of sonophotochemical oxidation of emerging organic contaminants, atrazine and bisphenol A, in model aqueous solutions, simultaneously exposed to high-frequency ultrasound (US, 1.7 MHz) and ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV LEDs, 365 nm) in the absence and presence of persulfate (S2O82-) oxidant. Synergistic indices were calculated to assess a synergistic effect in the hybrid oxidation systems. It was found that the hybrid system {UV/US/S2O82-} exhibited the synergistic effect and was the most efficient for degrading bisphenol A in a raw: UV/US/S2O82- &gt; UV/S2O82- &gt; US/UV &gt; US/S2O82- &gt;&gt; UV &gt; US. In case of atrazine, no ultrasound effect was observed and the efficiencies of {UV/US/S2O82-} and {UV S2O82-} systems in terms of degradation rates were similar. In these oxidation systems, more than 90% of a contaminant was removed after 30 min treatment. Meanwhile, degradation rates for atrazine were higher than those wich were found for bisphenol A. This indicates a predomination of sulfate anion radicals, which react with bisphenol A rather slowly compared to atrazine. A synergism was also found under sonophotolysis of both contaminants without persulfate; however, this process requires a more prolonged irradiation time (~20% degraded in 40 min), hence, it is less energy-effective. The obtained results are promising for application of UV LEDs and high-frequency ultrasound in persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes to degrade organic contaminants in natural water and wastewater.

Effectiveness of Aqueous Chlorine Dioxide in Minimizing Food Safety Risk Associated with Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes on Sweet Potatoes.

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is a commonly used sanitizer in the produce industry despite its limited effectiveness against contaminated human pathogens in fresh produce. Aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is an alternative sanitizer offering a greater oxidizing potency with greater efficacy in reducing a large number of microorganisms. We investigated the effect of aqueous chlorine dioxide treatment against human pathogens, Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes seeded on sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes were spot inoculated (4.2 to 5.7 log CFU/cm2) with multi-strain cocktails of Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes and treated for 10–30 min with 5 ppm aqueous ClO2 or water. Aqueous ClO2 treatment was significantly (p < 0.05) effective in reducing Salmonella with a reduction of 2.14 log CFU/cm2 within 20 min compared to 1.44 log CFU/cm2 for water treatment. Similar results were observed for L. monocytogenes with a 1.98 log CFU/cm2 reduction compared to 0.49 log CFU/cm2 reduction observed after 30 min treatment with aqueous ClO2 the water respectively. The maximum reduction in E. coli O157: H7 reached 2.1 Log CFU/cm2 after 20 min of treatment with aqueous ClO2. The level of the pathogens in ClO2 wash solutions, after the treatment, was below the detectable limit. While in the water wash solutions, the pathogens’ populations ranged from 3.47 to 4.63 log CFU/mL. Our study indicates that aqueous ClO2 is highly effective in controlling cross-contamination during postharvest washing of sweet potatoes.

MnFe2O4 nanoparticles promoted electrochemical oxidation coupling with persulfate activation for tetracycline degradation

To enhance the performance of electrochemical oxidation (EO), MnFe2O4 nanoparticles was synthesized and added to the EO system with persulfate (PS) for the tetracycline (TC) degradation. The MnFe2O4 could not only be the catalyst, but also act as the three-dimensional electrode in the electrocatalysis, improving the PS activation and TC elimination. The fabricated nanomaterial was examined through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, N2 adsorption isotherms, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to explore its crystal structure, surface morphology, pore structure, and element valences, respectively. The EO/PS-MnFe2O4 system achieved 86.23% TC removal after 60 min treatment, verifying that the synergy had an excellent ability for the TC decontamination compared with other controlled tests. The effect of experimental parameters (MnFe2O4 dose, current density, PS dosage, and original pH) on the TC elimination was determined, and the catalyst displayed a favorable stability and recyclability in consecutive five cycles. The scavenging examination result proved that sulfate and hydroxyl radicals both worked for the antibiotic removal. The possible decomposition pathway was proposed based on the determination of high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer for the TC degradation intermediates.

Valorization of Sweet Lime Peel for the Extraction of Essential Oil by Solvent Free Microwave Extraction Enhanced with Ultrasound Pretreatment.

Essential oils of sweet lime peel, a waste by-product in the juice industry, were extracted using the vacuum assisted solvent free microwave extraction (VASFME) method. The effects of microwave output power (500–1000 W) and extraction time (20–30 min) on the essential oils yield and antimicrobial property were investigated. Optimal conditions were observed at 797.844 W microwave output power and 30 min extraction time. The essential oils yield and antimicrobial property under these conditions were 0.792 ± 0.03% and 18.25 ± 1.45 mm, respectively, which agrees with the predicted values of 0.757% and 16.50 mm. The essential oils were extracted at optimized conditions and analyzed through GCMS for compound identification. A total of 49 compounds were identified, with limonene content (43.47%) being the highest among all sweet lime peel oil compounds. Moreover, the sweet lime peels were subjected to ultrasound pre-treatment before microwave extraction. The ultrasound pre-treatment helped to increase the essential oils yield from 0.84 to 1.06% as the treatment time increased from 30 to 90 min. The increase in yield was 37.66% more compared to VASFME at 90 min treatment time.

Treatment with galectin-1 improves myogenic potential and membrane repair in dysferlin-deficient models.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (LGMD2B) is caused by mutations in the dysferlin gene, resulting in non-functional dysferlin, a key protein found in muscle membrane. Treatment options available for patients are chiefly palliative in nature and focus on maintaining ambulation. Our hypothesis is that galectin-1 (Gal-1), a soluble carbohydrate binding protein, increases membrane repair capacity and myogenic potential of dysferlin-deficient muscle cells and muscle fibers. To test this hypothesis, we used recombinant human galectin-1 (rHsGal-1) to treat dysferlin-deficient models. We show that rHsGal-1 treatments of 48 h-72 h promotes myogenic maturation as indicated through improvements in size, myotube alignment, myoblast migration, and membrane repair capacity in dysferlin-deficient myotubes and myofibers. Furthermore, increased membrane repair capacity of dysferlin-deficient myotubes, independent of increased myogenic maturation is apparent and co-localizes on the membrane of myotubes after a brief 10min treatment with labeled rHsGal-1. We show the carbohydrate recognition domain of Gal-1 is necessary for observed membrane repair. Improvements in membrane repair after only a 10 min rHsGal-1treatment suggest mechanical stabilization of the membrane due to interaction with glycosylated membrane bound, ECM or yet to be identified ligands through the CDR domain of Gal-1. rHsGal-1 shows calcium-independent membrane repair in dysferlin-deficient and wild-type myotubes and myofibers. Together our novel results reveal Gal-1 mediates disease pathologies through both changes in integral myogenic protein expression and mechanical membrane stabilization.

Efficacy of Aqueous Solution of N-Halamine to Reduce Microbiological Contamination on Cattle Hides for Meat Safety with Byproduct Quality Assurance

Bacterial contamination on the outer grained hide of cattle serves as a significant challenge to the meat and hide processing plants regarding food safety. Cattle serves as a host to several bacteria including pathogens, which may become firmly lodged on a cattle’s hide during their lifespan and can facilitate cross contamination of the underlying meat and meat processing equipment in a slaughterhouse. In this study, the efficacy of sodium dichloroisocyanurate dehydrate (SDCIC), which belongs to N-halamine group of compounds is evaluated on inhibition of the natural-borne bacteria from the haired surface of cattle hide. Spray-washing with 0.25%, 0.50% and 0.75% aqueous SDCIC solutions reduced total aerobic bacteria on hide surface by 1.6 and 2.37 and 3.57 log CFU/50 cm2 respectively in 5 min. Similarly, in comparison with water spray, a 5 min treatment with 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75% SDCIC resulted in a reduction of Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) and related gram-negative bacilli (gnEB) counts by 1.2, 2.22 and 4.22 log CFU/50 cm2 respectively. The highest reduction of E.coli recovery of 1.48 log CFU/50 cm2 was obtained with a spray treatment of 0.75% SDCIC in 1 minute. Likewise, 0.75% SDCIC spray treatment resulted in 2.5 and 3.65 log CFU/50 cm2 reduction of Salmonella in 1 and 5 min, respectively in comparison to their respective controls. Leather from treated hides was tested to evaluate the effects of N-halamine solutions on structural, mechanical and subjective properties of produced leather in which no major detrimental impacts were found.

Water Treatment with the Cold Plasma of a Diffuse Nanosecond Discharge in Air at Atmospheric Pressure

The treatment of wastewater with the atmospheric cold plasma is a promising method to purify it by means of neutralizing various toxic components. The degradation of an aqueous methylene blue solution used as a model dye was studied. The surface treatment of the solution was carried out with cold plasma of a diffuse nanosecond discharge in air at atmospheric pressure. It has been found that the efficiency of removing pollutants increased when the treatment time increases from 5 to 20 min. Optical UV-IR spectroscopy was used to determine the transmittance of aqueous solutions before and after treatment. Experimental results showed that the transmittance of the aqueous methylene blue solution after 20 min treatment with the diffuse discharge plasma increased by several times. The discharge formation under these conditions has also been studied by analyzing the waveforms of the current and voltage. It has been established that regardless of the presence of a cuvette on the flat grounded electrode, a large-diameter streamer is formed in the discharge gap. If there is a cuvette filled with the solution on the grounded electrode, a breakdown is initiated over the dielectric surface after the streamer reaches the dielectric. In this case, the plasma channel is closed on the grounded flat electrode.