Soap Solutions Research Articles

Lipolytic Activity and Molecular Identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Lysinibacillus sphaericus Isolated from Domestic Oil Rich Wastewater

Microbial lipases have been heightened in bioremediation and various industries. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria, between September 2010 and August 2011. To identify the lipolytic enzyme producing microbial strains in domestic oil rich wastewater, the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced. The sequences were used to identify the strains by comparing with related sequences in database using BLAST analysis. The enzyme activity was quantified by HPLC analysis. All the lipolytic bacteria showed appreciable growth rates in the wastewater (between 0.67 and 1.67 mg/day) within 5 days. The most effective lipolytic bacteria isolates in the oil-rich wastewater were two species of the genus Pseudomonas and one of Bacillus. Comparing the weights on the first day to the twelfth day values when lipolytic organisms were grown in palm oil, some appreciable increases in weight difference Original Research Article British Microbiology Research Journal, 4(4): 392-404, 2014 393 were recorded in some isolates: 28.3%, 7.84%, 4.44% and 6.98% for Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Bacillus and Klebsiella, respectively. The weight increase of each of the microbial cells in palm oil culture was usually lesser than what was obtained in the oil-rich wastewater culture. Two isolates showed high similar sequence (99%) to that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Lysinibacillus sphaericus, respectively. From palm oil, Lysinibacillus sp. produced various forms of fatty acids in the medium, including myristic acid (2.61%), palmitic acid (6.22%), stearic acid (5.18%) and arachidic (3.66%). These strains are versatile in utilizing the limited nutrient and had the ability to grow appreciably in the toxic condition (soap solution), suggesting that they may serve as candidates in treating dietary oil-rich wastewater.

Oregano essential oil as an antimicrobial additive to detergent for hand washing and food contact surface cleaning

To investigate the potential use of oregano essential oil as an antimicrobial agent in liquid soap for hand washing and for food contact surface cleaning. Oregano essential oil (O.E.O.) was emulsified in liquid detergent solution. This was challenge tested against a commercial antimicrobial soap in hand washing trials using natural flora. Soap with O.E.O. was as effective as the commercial antimicrobial soap at reducing aerobic plate count on the hands and more effective than plain soap with no additives. Cloths wetted with soap with O.E.O. were used to clean three different surfaces contaminated with four bacterial pathogens. For three of the four pathogens, the addition of 0·5% v/v O.E.O. to the soap solution enhanced cleaning performance and also reduced bacterial survival on the cloth after cleaning. Oregano essential oil (0·5%) is effective as an antimicrobial additive to detergent solutions for hand washing and surface cleaning. This preliminary study has shown that oregano essential oil is a potential alternative to antimicrobials used in various detergents, such as chloroxylenol and triclosan, which can have adverse environmental and health effects. Further development could lead to a commercial product.

PDMS-modified poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride)s as water-borne coatings based on surfactant-free latexes

In this work, two series of PDMS-modified poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride)s (PSMA) were prepared by the partial imidization of their anhydride groups with mono-functional, amine-terminated polydimethyl siloxanes (PDMS-NH2) with two different molecular weights. Subsequently, surfactant-free artificial latexes were prepared and characterized and applied onto cotton fabric. The water contact angle values of the coated cotton fabric indicate the formation of hydrophobic surfaces, with static contact angles varying from 119° to 142° depending on the PDMS loading and PDMS molecular weight. Coatings of the prepared copolymers on cotton fabric are highly durable, as shown by washing studies with a standard soap solution. The properties of these water-based surfactant-free latexes can be tuned easily by changing the composition of the polymers, i.e. mol% of imidization, ammonolysis and cross-linking.

Disinfection of Rigid Nasal Endoscopes Following In Vitro Contamination With <emph type="ital">Staphylococcus aureus</emph>, <emph type="ital">Streptococcus pneumoniae</emph>, <emph type="ital">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</emph>, and <emph type="ital">Haemophilus influenzae</emph><alt-title>Disinfecting Contaminated Rigid Nasal Endoscopes</alt-title>

If not adequately cleaned, rigid nasal endoscopes (RNEs) have the potential to cause iatrogenic cross-contamination. To test the efficacy of various disinfection methods in reducing bacterial load on RNEs in vitro. In vitro model. Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Haemophilus influenzae contamination was separately induced on RNEs in vitro. Two experimental sets were completed. The RNEs were disinfected using the following protocols: 30-second scrub with antimicrobial soap (ABS) and water, 30-second scrub with 70% isopropyl alcohol (IA), 30-second scrub with ABS followed by 30-second scrub with IA, 30-second scrub with germicidal cloth, isolated 5-minute soak in an enzymatic soap solution, 5- and 10-minute soaks in ortho-phthalaldehyde, 0.55%, solution (Cidex OPA), and isolated 30-second rinse with tap water, all with 30-second precleaning and postcleaning rinses with tap water. Two sets of experiments (experiment sets A and B) were carried out with a 30-second tap water rinse after inoculation of each RNE. This was followed by immediate cleaning in set A and a 1-hour air-dry delay in set B. Otherwise there were no differences in the disinfection protocols between sets for each method noted. Effectiveness of various disinfection protocols in cleaning rigid nasal endoscopes experimentally inoculated with bacteria commonly found in the upper aerodigestive tract. Positive cultures following disinfection indicated ineffective or incomplete disinfection. Most cleaning methods were effective in eliminating S aureus, S pneumoniae, and H influenzae from the scopes following experimental contamination. Continued growth of P aeruginosa was found after all of the disinfection trials in experiment set A with the exception of a 10-minute immersion in Cidex OPA, and in set B except for the 10-minute Cidex OPA immersion and ABS plus IA trials. Most cleaning methods used in our trials appear to properly disinfect RNEs after in vitro inoculation with S aureus, S pneumoniae, and H influenzae. However, it appears that disinfectants may be less effective in cleaning rigid scopes experimentally inoculated with P aeruginosa. There is a paucity of published data regarding cross-contamination during rigid nasal endoscopy, and these results should guide future studies and to some extent practice to avoid iatrogenic spread of contamination.

Synthesis of superhydrophobic soot in the flame and its application

The hydrophobic properties of the fabric by means methods of mechanical and method of Obruchev with adding the synthesized superhydrophobic soot into soap solution were investigated. Thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons and their mixtures under dynamic conditions in a jetting setup was considered. The results showed that the fabric processing with method of Obruchev with the addition of soap solution synthesized superhydrophobic soot was more exceptional properties than waterproof superhydrophobic soot, also keep in for a long time. In this case, the wetting angle was more than 1700, which indicating that the superhydrophobic properties of the synthesized surface. It was shown that the addition of a hydrophobic soot filler in the polymer an amount of 4wt.% of the starting material gives the hydrophobic properties of the coating surface. The measured wetting angle is higher than 1500.

Infrasonic backpulsed membrane cleaning of micro- and ultrafiltration membranes fouled with alumina and yeast

Membrane fouling is universally considered to be one of the most critical problems in the wider application of membrane filtration. In this research microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes were fouled during a cross-flow filtration process, using yeast and alumina suspensions in a flat cell. Infrasonic backpulsing directly into the permeate space was then used to clean the membrane, using both permeate water and soap solutions. Ultrasonic time domain reflectometry (UTDR) was used to detect and measure the growth of fouling on membrane surfaces, during the filtration and cleaning processes. The objective of this work was to examine the efficiency of back-pulse cleaning, using different combinations of membrane materials and foulants, in flat cells. The results show that a flux value of between 60% and 95% of the clean water value can be recovered after cleaning, by using a sequence of three 6.7 Hz backpulses, each pulse being 35 s long with a peak amplitude of about 140 kPa. Keywords: fouling; microfiltration; ultrafiltration; backpulsing; ultrasonic; membrane cleaning

An Experimental Analysis of Brake Efficiency Using four Fluids in a Disc Brake System

This paper studies drum brake failure in Mini-buses using an experimental analysis to test the viscosities and the maximum braking force when different fluids such as clean, less dirty, dirty and soapy water solution were used in the braking system. The effects of each of these fluids when successive increments in pedal force were applied at hot and cold conditions for drum brakes were studied. The results of the Thepra Universal Brake Testing Equipment used for the braking efficiency test indicated that a pedal force of 110 kN produce a brake force of 0.61 kN for clean fluid, 0.56 kN for less dirty, 0.51 kN for dirty and 0.92 kN. The value of 0.92 kN which was achieved when the soapy water solution was used indicated a positive braking force and that soap water solution could be used to produce a high pedal force within a very short time (10-30 min) and can therefore be used only in case of emergency. It was observed that the clean brake fluid gave the best braking force followed by the less dirty and finally the dirty brake fluid. In a situation where air has been trapped in the system under hot condition with or without a servo unit, clean brake fluid performed much better at least three times better than the other three fluids. For soap solution, braking was effective only when it was operated at cold condition but less effective when the system was hot. Soap solution is therefore not reliable when used for a very long time but effective only for emergency situations.

Fabrication of free standing, three-dimensional, fibrous, thin film substrates of parylene C

Microscale ultraviolet lithography to pattern a silicon wafer, spin coating of a layer of soap solution and physicochemical vapour deposition of two thin films of parylene C were sequentially used in a seven-step procedure to fabricate free standing, three-dimensional, fibrous, thin film substrates of parylene C for biomedical application. The effects of the length scales of the photoresist pattern on the wafer, the flowrate of the reactive monomer flux of parylene C and redistributive diffusion of the monomer molecules on the top surfaces of the thin film substrates were established. The top surface morphology of a thin film substrate is controlled by the photoresist pattern and the volumetric morphology of a fibrous thin film. The bottom surface of the thin film substrate acquires a multiscale morphology both from the photoresist pattern and from the baking of the soap layer.

Physicochemical properties of dirt-resistant cool white coatings for building energy efficiency

The physicochemical properties of two newly developed dirt-resistant cool white coatings were systematically measured in light of the relevant standard testing methods, and the influences of dirt accumulation and washing on the long-term cooling performance of cool coatings were investigated and discussed. Both cool white coatings owe their outstanding physicochemical properties to the optimized formulations, high glass transition temperature and minimum film formation temperature of selected aqueous self-curing acrylic emulsions. The high solid content was also influential. Dirt accumulation leads to a decline in the cooling performance of coatings, which may be almost fully restored by simply washing the coatings with a mild soap solution.

P102: Healthcare workers’ hand contamination levels and antimicrobial efficacy of different hand hygiene methods used in a Vietnamese hospital

The quality of water in Viet Nam for handwashing with soap or other disinfectant solutions is unknown. We assessed the risk for hand contamination and compared the efficacy of five hand hygiene methods to remove bacterial contamination in a tertiary Vietnamese hospital.

Study the Influence of Soap Solution’s pH Value on the Modified Asphalt Emulsion Performance

Modified asphalt emulsion，which worked as a new type of freeway maintenance material, have attracted much attention since it be exploited. The emulsion’s properties were easily effected by external factors, such as production technique, the pH value of soap solution, stability additive, emulsifier, modifier and so on. On the basis of indoor tests, this paper researched the pH value’s influence on the performance of modified asphalt emulsion emphatically.

Assessment of infection control practices in maternity units in Southern Nigeria

Puerperal sepsis accounts for 12% of maternal deaths in Nigeria. To date, little is known about the background hospital factors that predispose pregnant women to puerperal infection that leads to mortality. The objective of this study was to investigate the nature and pattern of existing policies and practices relating to infection control in maternity care centres in Edo state, South-South Nigeria. Cross-sectional study consisting of in-depth interviews with service providers, observation of clinical practices and examination of medical records. Public and private health-care facilities in eight local government areas (LGAs) selected from the three senatorial districts of Edo State, Nigeria. Health providers from 63 primary, secondary and tertiary maternity care centres. Sixty-three health-care facilities were sampled from eight LGAs from the three senatorial districts in Edo State. Three pre-tested tools were adapted to the local setting and used to interview key informants in the health facilities and to observe for practices and records relating to infection control. Of the 63 health facilities, 68% (43) reported that they had infection control procedures in place, while only 25% (16) reported that they documented these as manuals or charts. Only 13% (8) of facilities had infection control committees; 11% (7) routinely carried out audits of maternal deaths, while 33% (21) reported that they had an ongoing programme for staff training on infection control. A high proportion of the health facilities reported that staff routinely wash their hands before and after sterile procedures, but only half of the facilities were observed to have 24-h running water and only two-thirds had soap and antiseptic solutions in delivery and operating theatre areas. Although more than 90% (57) of the health facilities reported that they use sterile gloves routinely, unused sterile gloves were found in only 60% (38) of these facilities, and recycled gloves in 11.1% (7). The results of this study suggest the need for improved record-keeping procedures, the development of appropriate policies and protocols for infection control and staff training on infection control in maternity care facilities in Edo State. A public health education and advocacy programme to create awareness on clean delivery places as an approach for reducing maternal morbidity and mortality and to build political will for implementing related activities is also urgently needed.

Short communication: Automatic washing of hooves can help control digital dermatitis in dairy cows

The objectives of this study were to develop and test a system for automatic washing of the hooves of dairy cows and to evaluate the effect of frequent automatic washing on the prevalence of digital dermatitis (DD). An automatic hoof washer was developed in an experimental dairy herd and tested in 6 commercial dairy herds in 2 experiments (1 and 2). In the experimental herd, automatic hoof washing resulted in cleaner hooves. In experiments 1 and 2, cows were washed after each milking on the left side only, leaving the right side unwashed as a within-cow control. In experiment 1, hooves were washed with a water and 0.4% soap solution. In experiment 2, hooves were washed with water only. In each experiment, DD was scored in a hoof-trimming chute approximately 60 d after the start of hoof washing. Data were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model. The outcome was the DD status of each leg (DD positive or DD negative). Herd and cow within herd were included as random effects, and treatment (washing or control) was included as a fixed effect. The statistical analyses showed that the odds ratio of having DD was 1.48 in the control leg compared with the washed leg in experiment 1. In experiment 2, the odds ratio of having DD was 1.27 in the control leg compared with the washed leg. We concluded that automatic washing of hooves with water and soap can help decrease the prevalence of DD in commercial dairy herds.

Residual Viral and Bacterial Contamination of Surfaces after Cleaning and Disinfection

Environmental surfaces contaminated with pathogens can be sources of indirect transmission, and cleaning and disinfection are common interventions focused on reducing contamination levels. We determined the efficacy of cleaning and disinfection procedures for reducing contamination by noroviruses, rotavirus, poliovirus, parechovirus, adenovirus, influenza virus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enterica from artificially contaminated stainless steel surfaces. After a single wipe with water, liquid soap, or 250-ppm free chlorine solution, the numbers of infective viruses and bacteria were reduced by 1 log(10) for poliovirus and close to 4 log(10) for influenza virus. There was no significant difference in residual contamination levels after wiping with water, liquid soap, or 250-ppm chlorine solution. When a single wipe with liquid soap was followed by a second wipe using 250- or 1,000-ppm chlorine, an extra 1- to 3-log(10) reduction was achieved, and except for rotavirus and norovirus genogroup I, no significant additional effect of 1,000 ppm compared to 250 ppm was found. A reduced correlation between reduction in PCR units (PCRU) and reduction in infectious particles suggests that at least part of the reduction achieved in the second step is due to inactivation instead of removal alone. We used data on infectious doses and transfer efficiencies to estimate a target level to which the residual contamination should be reduced and found that a single wipe with liquid soap followed by a wipe with 250-ppm free chlorine solution was sufficient to reduce the residual contamination to below the target level for most of the pathogens tested.

Using chlorhexidine soap as an alternative lubricant for harvesting split skin grafts

Common lubricants for split skin graft harvesting include paraffin (which can cause persistent greasiness, preventing the use of adherent dressings to the donor site) or saline (which may not lubricate adequately, affecting graft quality). Alternatively, a weak dilution of chlorhexidine soap solution used for hand scrubbing, for example HiBiSCRUB® (Molnlycke, Dunstable, UK), provides a more slippery surface than saline. After graft harvest, its water solubility allows it to be washed off easily prior to applying adhesive dressings to the donor site, unlike paraffin. By diluting it in saline (approximately 1 part in 200), foaming in the dermatome is avoided.

Nano-/microtextured, free standing, flexible, thin film substrates of parylene C for cellular attachment and growth

Nano-/microtextured, free standing, flexible, thin film substrates of parylene C were fabricated by physicochemical vapour deposition of parylene C on silicon wafers with a spin coated layer of soap solution. The thin film substrates were engineered with different volumetric fibrous morphologies, ranging from 100 nm to 100 μm in thickness, and had top surface texture on nano- to micrometre length scales. The bottom surfaces of the thin film substrates are morphological negatives of the top surfaces of the soap coatings and can assist in the integration with implant surfaces. The attachment and growth of human osteosarcoma cells on the top surfaces of thin film substrates were successfully demonstrated.

Maleic anhydride based copolymer dispersions for surface modification of polar substrates

AbstractIn this article, we report the modification of poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride) (PSMA) with monofunctional amine‐terminated poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS–NH2) by thermal imidization, followed by the preparation and characterization of a surfactant‐free artificial latex thereof and application of this latex onto cotton fabric. The imidization reaction was monitored by NMR and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy. 1,2‐Cyclohexyldicarboxylic anhydride was chosen as a model compound for the PSMA copolymer; this allowed a more detailed characterization by NMR and ATR–FTIR spectroscopy. After the PSMA/PDMS–NH2 imidization reached completion, a fraction of the anhydrides were ammonolyzed. In this way, a self‐emulsifying latex with an average particle diameter of approximately 145 nm and a ζ potential of −56 mV was obtained. It was found that the PDMS‐modified PSMA latex in which 30 mol% of the initial amount of anhydride groups were previously imidized by using PDMS‐NH2 and a fraction of the anhydrides were ammonolyzed with 0.3 eq. of NH3 (PSMA30) was stable in the pH range 4–10. The water contact angle values of the latex‐coated cotton textile fabric indicated a hydrophobized surface, with a static contact angle of 135.7°± 1.2°. The washing studies with a standard soap solution of the cotton samples with or without crosslinker showed that the crosslinked PSMA30 offered a good coating durability to the cotton. This waterborne resin based on surfactant‐free latices displayed promising properties for coating applications and seemed to be very suitable for the hydrophobization of polar surfaces. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012

Acute barium intoxication following ingestion of soap water solution

We present a rare case in which a young girl ingested a solution of a hair-removing soap. The ingestion resulted in profound hypokalemia and severe acidosis leading to flaccid paralysis, respiratory arrest and ventricular arrhythmias. Ultimately the patient made complete recovery. The soapwas found to contain barium sulfide. The degree of paralysis and acidosis appeared to be directly related to serum potassium levels.

Conductometric Studies on Terbium Soaps

Conductivity measurements of solutions of terbium soaps in benzene-methanol show that these soaps behave as weak electrolytes in dilute solutions and Debye-HuckelOnsager’s equation is not applicable to these soap solutions. The thermodynamic results indicate that the micellization process is favoured over the dissociation process.

Effect of Additive on the Performance Characteristics of Centrifugal and Progressive Cavity Slurry Pumps with High Concentration Fly Ash Slurries

Slurry pumps that are used in the hydraulic transportation of fly ash slurries through pipes in thermal power plants can be broadly classified into two main categories namely positive displacement and centrifugal pumps. The two types of pumps differ considerably in construction as well as in operating principle compared to the conventional pumps. The present study reports the effect of additive on the performance characteristics of centrifugal and progressive cavity screw pumps with fly ash slurries at high concentrations (above C~w~ AP 50% by weight). Mixture of sodium carbonate and Henko detergent (5:1) at a concentration of 0.2% by weight has been used as an additive. For each type of pump, the effect of additive on the performance characteristics has been experimentally evaluated at rated speed with fly ash slurries in the concentration range of 50 to 70% by weight. The pump total head, overall efficiency and pump input power as a function of flow rate have been measured. The results obtained from the centrifugal slurry pump performance show that at rated speed, the performance of the pump improves with the addition of drag reducing additive. In the case of progressive cavity screw pump, pump performance characteristics and behavior were completely different as compared to the centrifugal slurry pump. At rated speed, the performance of screw pump deteriorates with the addition of drag reducing soap solution.