Traditional Treatment Systems Research Articles

Exploring expert perceptions towards emerging pollutants and their impacts in reused wastewater and agriculture

Water sustainability involves several natural and human spheres conditioning the availability and quality of water resources and life conservation. Regarding water quality, currently emerging pollutants (EPs) are a key topic at global scale since they are difficult to remove by traditional water treatment systems. In this context, this work aims to evaluate experts’ perception of several EPs issues with a special focus on semi-arid Mediterranean areas where EPs are negatively impacting water, environmental, and agricultural systems as, in these areas, effluents from water treatment plants are widely reused in the irrigation of crops, urban gardens, and golf courses or directly discharged on natural streams. Particularly, a detailed survey composed of questions about EPs regulation, risk insight, equipment, social and economic impacts, was performed collecting 437 responses. Main results suggested that EPs existence may pose a significant risk and a destabilizing factor in wastewater reuse, with negative impacts to crop irrigation, being managers the class with more concern followed by scientifics and administratives. New EPs regulations raises uncertainty amongst experts since 29 % considered positive its creation, while 20 % estimated this fact as regular and 14 % as negative. As well, although the combination of technologies to improve EPs removal generated agreement, aspects like the treatment charges at water treatment plants or the price/bill of EPs-free water were features of ambiguity. Within EPs elimination, the three expert groups highlighted that technologies impacts in the sustainability spheres will be positive on public health (87 % of responses), social trust (75 %), and environmental sustainability (76 %). Likewise, 88 % of experts concurred that the future of wastewater reuse relies on a combination of technologies. These findings offer valuable information to water legislators and policymakers to manage water resources, especially in semi-arid areas due to the final use of treated effluents and, therefore, the great implications for agriculture, environment and human health.

Development of nanoscale uniform hexagonal zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF-8) for the degradation of CAP and 5-FLU anticancer drugs

Efficiently removing pharmaceutical pollutants poses a significant challenge for traditional sewage treatment systems. This study presents the synthesis of Zeolitic Imidazole Framework (ZIF-8) using various solvents, including deionized water (DI), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), acetone (ACE), and methanol (MeOH), to degrade two anticancer drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5-FLU) and capecitabine (CAP), under visible light within 80 and 70 min, respectively. Optimized ZIF-8 synthesized using MeOH exhibits uniform hexagonal morphology at the nanoscale and a larger surface area, which, along with its interactions, establishes a synergistic reinforcing mechanism. This mechanism facilitates improved access to reactive sites, enhances the diffusion of pollutants and oxidants, improves charge separation capability, and boosts light utilization efficiency. Consequently, the degradation rates of 5-FLU and CAP approached approximately 99.7 % and 97.9 % following 80 and 70 min of visible light exposure at a pH of 7 in the presence of ZIF-8 (MeOH), indicating superior photocatalytic activity. The studied ZIF-8 (MeOH) system demonstrates excellent stability, maintaining appreciable performance even under visible light for about 70 min. The predominant active species, potential decomposition pathways of CAP and 5-FLU, and the underlying reaction mechanism of the ZIF-8 (MeOH) system under visible light have been thoroughly investigated. This research significantly advances the integration of photocatalysis technology, unlocking its tremendous potential in environmental restoration.

Phytochemical Screening, In vitro Antioxidant, Antibacterial Activities on Skimmia laureola Leaves Extract: A Research

Background: Skimmia laureola owned by the Rutaceae family is one of the plants that might use the Indian traditional treatment system in the Indian subcontinent and act against many diseases. So, this new research was carried out to scientifically confirm the various solvent fractions and separate the active fraction from the plant against antioxidants and bacterial and microbial growth.
 Objectives: The main objective of the study involves the Phytochemical screening and research of invitro activities i.e. antioxidant and antibacterial from the extracts of the leaves part of the Skimmia laureola plant.
 Methods: Phytochemical screening was carried out of various extracts by the tests that involved it. Invitro antibacterial and antioxidant activities were examined of the plant extract through various methods DPPH, Metal chelating activity, Reducing power ability, Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, and Nitric oxide scavenging activity. After completion of the research, all the activity is shown graphically.
 Results: Invitro antioxidant activity shows that methanolic extract shows more antioxidant activity than other extracts. The antibacterial investigations show that the ethanolic extract of the plant removal was very compelling for bacterias Streptococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli at 25 μg/ml, 50 μg/ml, 75 μg/ml, 100 μg/ml, 200 μg/ml and 300 μg/ml individually.
 Conclusion: Auxiliary metabolites (phenol, flavonoid, tannin, and content) have been quantified. In antioxidant tests such as DPPH activity, the methanolic extract of the plant outperforms other extracts such as chloroform, petroleum ether, ethanol, and aqueous extract. The antibacterial investigations show that the ethanolic extract of the plant removed was very compelling for bacterias Streptococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and E.coli. The current study may be useful in improving data regarding its distinguishing proof boundaries expected primarily in the method of the adequacy of homegrown medications in the current situation lacking administrative laws to control the nature of natural medications, as well as discovering antioxidants and antibacterial action.

Decentralized electro-sanitation system as proof of concept to treat urine produced in long-distance bus

Long-distance transportation provides in-vehicle access to essential sanitation to the passengers. However, generated yellow and black waters may not be correctly managed prior sanitary effluent discharge. Processes that can handle decentralized effluent treatment can be considered alternatives to traditional chemical treatment systems. In this study, decentralized electrochemically-driven treatment is presented as a proof of concept. A compact electrochemical reactor design considering the boundary conditions and requirements for decentralized sanitary treatment for long-distance bus transportation has been accomplished. Treatment of synthetic urine effluents was conducted under filter-press reactor with continuous flow in a closed upward recirculation reactor containing a carbon felt (CF) cathode and a dimensionally stable anode (DSA: Ti/Ru0.36Ti0.64O2). The experimental design allowed the assessment of operational variable impacts on reduction of urea concentration, and consequent estimate of the total organic carbon abatement. The results revealed that synthetic urine solution diluted from toilet water flushing (TOC = 402 mg L−1) can be effectively treated under application of low current densities of 18 mA cm−2 in 300 min (average time of on-road service). Real-time monitoring of parameters revealed a decrease in pH from 6.98 to 3.49, and a gradual increase in temperature from 25.3 °C to 32.0 °C at the end of the process. Those physico-chemical changes can be useful to inhibit urea hydrolysis. Thus, the results encourage the application of electrochemical technology in decentralized effluent treatment systems to enhance and enable ecologically correct sanitation actions in portable urinary collectors, such as those used in bus road transport.

Remediation of acid mine drainage and immobilization of rare earth elements: Comparison between natural and residual alkaline materials

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a well-known source of toxic trace metals in freshwaters. Traditional passive treatment systems rely on AMD neutralization with limestone and removal of most common toxic transition metals such as Cu and Zn with little attention to rare earth elements (REE). Alkaline waste materials now receive increasing attention as low cost AMD treatment alternatives in the circular economy. This study was set up to identify the efficiency of alkaline waste materials remediating AMD and scavenging REE in addition to other toxic trace elements. An AMD sample was collected from a lixiviate coming from pyrite heaps in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (pH = 1.8, 30 μM ∑REY). The sample was treated with either blast furnace slag (BFS) generated during smelting of iron ore in a blast furnace or biomass ashes (BA) derived from combustion of biomass, thereby using analytical grade CaCO3, and NaOH as reference products. The batch alkalinization experiments were conducted by adding each alkaline material at an amount to obtain an equal pH to ≈6.5. The required amounts of the products were NaOH < CaCO3<BFS < BA in line with their acid neutralizing capacities. The largest removal of sulfate from water was obtained in the CaCO3 treatment suggesting gypsum precipitation which was lower with BA and BFS and virtually absent with NaOH, these trends were confirmed by SEM-EDX and XRD. Both BFS and BA removed more Fe than CaCO3 and NaOH. The REE elements were well removed by all treatments (>99%) and the remaining REE concentrations in the solutions were clearly lower than values for Cu and Zn. The Zn and Cu removals were not consistently high enough (except with NaOH) to meet environmental limits in the discharge waters. The largest efficiency for REE removals was obtained with CaCO3. Indirect evidence here suggests that gypsum is a better host for the trivalent REE than Fe(III) minerals in the precipitates. The ionic radii of trivalent REE are more similar to Ca2+ than to Fe3+, explaining the better potential of gypsum as REE host. This study showed also the potential of BFS as alkaline agent for the remediation of AMD in terms of its higher alkalinity generation potential as compared to BA, thus making BA less promising than BFS.

Antitubercular drugs: possible role of natural products acting as antituberculosis medication in overcoming drug resistance and drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a pathogenic bacterium which causes tuberculosis (TB). TB control programmes are facing threats from drug resistance. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Mtb strains need longer and more expensive treatment with many medications resulting in more adverse effects and decreased chances of treatment outcomes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasised the development of not just new individual anti-TB drugs, but also novel medication regimens as an alternative treatment option for the drug-resistant Mtb strains. Many plants, as well as marine creatures (sponge; Haliclona sp.) and fungi, have been continuously used to treat TB in various traditional treatment systems around the world, providing an almost limitless supply of active components. Natural products, in addition to their anti-mycobacterial action, can be used as adjuvant therapy to increase the efficacy of conventional anti-mycobacterial medications, reduce their side effects, and reverse MDR Mtb strain due to Mycobacterium's genetic flexibility and environmental adaptation. Several natural compounds such as quercetin, ursolic acid, berberine, thymoquinone, curcumin, phloretin, and propolis have shown potential anti-mycobacterial efficacy and are still being explored in preclinical and clinical investigations for confirmation of their efficacy and safety as anti-TB medication. However, more high-level randomized clinical trials are desperately required. The current review provides an overview of drug-resistant TB along with the latest anti-TB medications, drug-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress. Further, the role and mechanisms of action of first and second-line anti-TB drugs and new drugs have been highlighted. Finally, the role of natural compounds as anti-TB medication and hepatoprotectantshave been described and their mechanisms discussed.

Textile Membranes Reused as a Tool for Noise Control

Textile membranes are an architectural solution used for their maximal lightness, efficiency and adaptability. Unfortunately, once they reach their end-of-life phase, it is difficult to recover them. To be disposed of, they undergo very expensive and often difficult recycling processes. Their reuse as an acoustic treatment and reverberation control system is a solution to creating a light, economical and effective acoustic system that also solves the difficult end-of-life scenario. The membranes take on the role of acoustic diffusers, elements that, through their geometric conformation, can control the behavior of sound. The structure of the system allows the acoustics of the interior spaces to be conditioned through some peculiar characteristics that are influenced, in part, by the material they are made of but above all by their shape. By cutting and joining the membranes, a modular and repeatable element is created, which, in combination with others, enables the creation of an acoustic control device capable of competing with traditional acoustic treatment systems without the use of newly produced materials. The optimized shape of the membranes is the variable responsible for the effective reduction in reverberation times: 2.2 s compared to the initial value of 7.5 without the textile membranes.

Change in Granulation Potential and Microbial Enrichment Characteristics of Sludge Induced by Microplastics

Microplastics (MPs), as a new type of pollutant, are widely detected in sewage treatment plants. Currently, research on MPs in traditional sewage treatment systems has mainly been focused on the pollution level and distribution characteristics, with a lack of studying the impact of MPs on the sludge granulation. In order to explore the effect of MPs on the granulation process, a microplastic exposure test was conducted by adding polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs), which are widespread in the environment. The operating performance of the system, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) composition, and flora enrichment were analyzed on the sludge granulation. The results showed that the exposure of PET-MPs significantly accelerated the sludge granulation process, whereas the increase in EPS content dominated by PN enhanced the sludge surface hydrophobicity; the granulation rate and EPS secretion were proportional to the exposed particle size. Microplastics and EPS secretions synergistically promoted the formation of granular sludge. However, continuous microplastic exposure led to deterioration of the system decontamination performance and inhibited the degradation process of pollutants, with the most negative effect of nitrite nitrogen accumulation under 250 μm PET-MPs exposure, as high as (5.08±0.24) mg·L-1. The high-throughput sequencing revealed that the microbial community diversity fell in the experimental group. The dominant bacteria at the phylum level were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota on the sludge granulation. Rhodocyclaceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, and Rhodanobacteraceae promoted flocculation by increasing EPS secretion. The decrease in Comamonadaceae and Chitinophagaceae weakened the ammonia and nitrite oxidation capacity of the system, whereas the decrease in Rhodobacteraceae, Hyphomonadaceae, and Xanthomonadaceae inhibited the removal of nitrate nitrogen.

Research on patient-centered design for post-stroke depression patients based on SEM and comprehensive evaluation.

Since COVID-19, medical resources have been tight, making it inconvenient to go offline for the sequelae of diseases such as post-stroke depression (PSD) that require long-term follow-up. As a new digital therapy, VRTL began to gain popularity. The research is divided into two parts: pre-test and post-test. In the pre-test, an evaluation method integrating reality-based interaction (RBI), structural equation model (SEM), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and entropy weight method is proposed. In the post-test the patients' physiological indicators (Diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure and heart rate) are measured to verify the effectiveness of RBI-SEM model using T-test method. In the pre-test, using SEM, it was confirmed that Pi physical awareness, Bi body awareness, Ei environmental awareness, and Si social awareness were significantly correlated and positively affected VRTL satisfaction (p >> F 0.217; B >> F 0.130; E >> F 0.243; S >> F 0.122). The comprehensive weight ranking based on RBI-SEM considered light environment (0.665), vegetation diversity (0.667), accessible roaming space (0.550) et al. relatively of importance. And T-tset in the post-test experiment considered that the data of the two measurements before and after the VRTL experience, systolic blood pressure (p < 0.01), diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.01), and blood pressure (p < 0.01) were significantly decreased; one-way ANOVA concluded that there was no significant difference in the changes of blood pressure and heart rate among participants of different ages and genders (p > 0.01). This research validated the effectiveness of RBI theory for VRTL design guidelines, established an RBI-SEM based VRTL evaluation model, and the output VRTL for PSD in the older adults was confirmed to have significant therapeutic benefits. This lays the foundation for designers to decompose design tasks and integrate VRTL into traditional clinical treatment systems. Four public health department employees helped to improve the research's content.

Radioactivity and concomitant radiation dose from Malaysian herbal plants

Medicinal plants have been widely used in traditional treatment systems, food supplements, herbal remedies, and cultural practices. Medicinal plants uptake nutrients and radionuclides distributed in the environment and finally transfer them to the human body via various pathways, including plants-to-foodstuffs. It is important to assess the probable radiological impact of medicinal plants consumed for their therapeutic potential in Malaysia. In this study, for the first time, naturally occurring and artificial radionuclides in 14 different medicinal plants in Malaysia are quantified using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry. The average specific activities for 226Ra, 228Ra, and 40K are found to be 5.42 ± 1.37, 3.81 ± 0.90, and 340 ± 13 Bq kg−1, respectively. The activity concentration of 137Cs is found to be 0.70 ± 0.18 Bq kg−1 only in the star anise sample. The estimated values have been compared with other reported data worldwide as well as the international advisory limits. All activity values are lower than the global average values compared. The values of the annual effective dose and associated excess lifetime cancer risk are lower than the acceptable limits prescribed by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Thus, consuming the evaluated herbal plants, which are considered radiologically safe for adult consumption, has no radiological impact. Future research on the radiological safety of human health obtained from medicinal plants and herbs may benefit from the baseline data provided by this study on the radioactivity in medicinal plants.

Modified Silica Nanoparticles from Rice Husk Supported on Polylactic Acid as Adsorptive Membranes for Dye Removal.

Industrial effluents and wastewater treatment have been a mainstay of environmental preservation and remediation for the last decade. Silica nanoparticles (SiO2) obtained from rice husk (RH) are an alternative to producing low-cost adsorbent and agriculture waste recovery. One adsorption challenge is facilitating the adsorbate separation and reuse cycle from aqueous medium. Thus, the present work employs SiO2 supported on polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibers obtained by the electrospinning method for Rhodamine B (RhB) dye adsorption. The silica surface was modified with trimethylsilyl chloride (TMCS) to increase affinity towards organic compounds. As a result, the silanized surface of the silica from rice husk (RHSil) promoted an increase in dye adsorption attributed to the hydrophobic properties. The PLA fibers containing 40% SiO2 (w w-1) showed about 85-95% capacity adsorption. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model was demonstrated to be the best model for PLA:SiO2 RHSil nanocomposites, exhibiting a 1.2956 mg g-1 adsorption capacity and 0.01404 min-1 kinetic constant (k1) value. In the reuse assay, PLA:SiO2 membranes preserved their adsorption activity after three consecutive adsorption cycles, with a value superior to 60%. Therefore, PLA:SiO2 nanocomposites from agricultural waste are an alternative to "low-cost/low-end" treatments and can be used in traditional treatment systems to improve dye removal from contaminated waters.

Integration of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Into a Traditional Community Mental Health Treatment System.

In response to the opioid crisis, Catholic Charities of Baltimore sought to integrate substance use disorder treatment into their outpatient community mental health clinics. The agency developed a systematic practice improvement strategy that included a competency-based curriculum and supervision plan for psychiatric providers and therapists. Psychiatric providers developed competency with medications used to treat substance use disorders, and therapists developed competency in therapeutic modalities to treat substance use disorders, all of which were gradually integrated into outpatient clinics. This column demonstrates that integration of substance use disorder treatment into outpatient community mental health care is feasible and beneficial.

Constructed wetland challenges for the treatment of industrial wastewater in smart cities: A sensitive solution

Since last few years, the Constructed Wetlands (CWs) are beingemployed as a green as well as sustainablemethod to treat different types of wastewater released from industrial sources in smart cities. Particularly for small villages and isolated areas, CWs provide an energy- and land-efficient alternative to traditional treatment systems. There are still many questions regarding the effective implementation of these systems and their long-term viability. This study aims to offer and inspire sustainable options for the effectiveness and use of CWs by thoroughly evaluating their application and the most recent developments in their sustainable design and operation for wastewater treatment. First, a brief explanation of the definition, classification, and application of current CWs has been given. The relationship between the operational needs and design criteria of CWs, such as substrate types, hydraulic retention time, water depth, plant species, hydraulic load, and feeding mechanism, and the operation's sustainability for treating wastewater has then been examined. Growing knotweed plants, which bind dye particles in the soil and take up heavy metal ions for better growth, as well as reducing the detrimental effects of dyes and heavy metals, are some of the sustainability initiatives for those wetland technologies that are outlined in this paper. If employed, this approach can clean wastewater in smart cities and metropolitan regions that are polluted by industrial waste water very well with a single expenditure. Future research on improving the sustainability and stability of CWs is also emphasised as being crucial.

Assessment of metals, emerging contaminants, and physicochemical characteristics in the drinking water and wastewater of Cuenca, Ecuador

BackgroundTraditional drinking water and wastewater treatments used in Latin-American and Caribbean countries are meant to improve the organoleptic, and microbiological characteristics and to remove nutrients. However, to be effective, treatments need to process potential threats from natural or anthropogenic origins. Objectiveto evaluate emerging contaminants and metals in drinking water and wastewater from traditional water treatment systems, in the city of Cuenca, in the Ecuadorian Andes. Methodssamples were taken from the water plants of Cuenca, from its wastewater treatment plant, and from domestic houses. The physical-chemical characteristics and 15 metals (ICP-OES) were analyzed in samples from the drinking water plant and from the houses. A heavy metal pollution index (HPI) was calculated. The wastewater samples were also analyzed for 7 emerging contaminants (ECs) (GC-MS). ResultsOur results show that the treated water depends on the quality of the incoming water, and that the available treatments are not capable of removing unexpected pollution, such as aluminium, which could be due to natural sources, such as ashes from the Sangay volcano might contaminate Cuenca's water sources. The HPI varied from 0.44 to 0.59, which indicates that water distribution systems have low metal contamination. The wastewater plant was not capable of removing emerging contaminants such as caffeine. ConclusionsNatural and anthropogenic contamination in the water must be considered in the treatments due to the potential risk that they represent.

The response of anaerobic ammonium oxidation process to bisphenol-A: Linking reactor performance to microbial community and functional gene.

As a typical endocrine disruptor, bisphenol A (BPA) has been widely detected in various water bodies. Although the influence of BPA on traditional biological treatment system has been investigated, it is not clear whether it has potential impact on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process. The short- and long-term influences of BPA on reactor operational performance, sludge characteristics and microbial community were investigated in this study. Results revealed that 1 and 3 mg L-1 BPA exhibited a limited adverse impact on granular sludge reactor performance. However, exposure of sludge under 10 mg L-1 BPA would cause an obvious inhibition on nitrogen removal rate from 10.3 ± 0.2 to 7.6 ± 0.4 kg N m-3 d-1. BPA would affect granular sludge metabolic substance excretion and lead to effluent dissolved organic content increase. Both the microbial community and redundancy analysis showed that BPA exhibited a negative influence on Ca. Kuenenia but a positive correlation with SBR1031. Low BPA concentration appeared a limited impact on functional genes while 10 mg L-1 BPA would cause decline of hzsA and hdh abundances. The results of this work might be valuable for in-depth understanding the potential influence of endocrine disruptor on anammox sludge.

A Mouse Model of Damp-Heat Syndrome in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Its Impact on Pancreatic Tumor Growth.

BackgroundDamp-heat syndrome is one of the most important syndrome types in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation and treatment system, as well as the core pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer (PC) which remains a challenge to medical researchers due to its insidious onset and poor prognosis. Great attention has been given to the impact of damp-heat syndrome on tumorigenesis and progression, but less attention has been given to damp-heat modeling per se. Studying PC in a proper damp-heat syndrome animal model can recapitulate the actual pathological process and contribute to treatment strategy improvement.MethodsHere, an optimized damp-heat syndrome mouse model was established based on our prior experience. The Fibonacci method was applied to determine the maximum tolerated dosage of alcohol for mice. Damp-heat syndrome modeling with the old and new methods was performed in parallel of comparative study about general appearance, food intake, water consumption and survival. Major organs, including the liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, spleen, intestines and testes, were collected for histological evaluation. Complete blood counts and biochemical tests were conducted to characterize changes in blood circulation. PC cells were subcutaneously inoculated into mice with damp-heat syndrome to explore the impact of damp-heat syndrome on PC growth. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining and immunohistochemistry were performed for pathological evaluation. A chemokine microarray was applied to screen the cytokines mediating the proliferation-promoting effects of damp-heat syndrome, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were conducted for results validation.ResultsThe new modeling method has the advantages of mouse-friendly features, easily accessible materials, simple operation, and good stability. More importantly, a set of systematic indicators was proposed for model evaluation. The new modeling method verified the pancreatic tumor-promoting role of damp-heat syndrome. Damp-heat syndrome induced the proliferation of cancer-associated fibroblasts and promoted desmoplasia. In addition, circulating and tumor-located chemokine levels were altered by damp-heat syndrome, characterized by tumor promotion and immune suppression.ConclusionsThis study established a stable and reproducible murine model of damp-heat syndrome in TCM with systematic evaluation methods. Cancer associated fibroblast-mediated desmoplasia and chemokine production contribute to the tumor-promoting effect of damp-heat syndrome on PC.

Microplastic abundance and removal via an ultrafiltration system coupled to a conventional municipal wastewater treatment plant in Thailand

A wastewater treatment plant is one of the land-based sources of microplastics in freshwater environments. A conventional wastewater treatment plant alone is not designed for microplastic removal. This study evaluates the abundance and microplastic removal efficiency of a conventional wastewater treatment plant and the load daily released to water environment. It also investigates the effect of coupling a pilot-scale ultrafiltration system. Samples were collected at each unit operation by grab sampling. Sludge samples were collected from return activated sludge after the final clarifier to find microplastic pollution levels that might contaminate agricultural soil. The results showed that on average, 77 ± 7.21 particles/L were found in the influent, and 10.67 ± 3.51 particles/L were discharged with the final effluent, resulting in 86.14% overall removal efficiency in a traditional treatment system. When an ultrafiltration unit was taken into consideration, the number of microplastics in the effluent reduced to 2.33 ± 1.53 particles/L, which increased the removal efficiency up to 96.97%. The abundance of microplastic particles in sludge samples generated from the final clarifier was 2.63 ± 1.26 × 104 particles/kg (dry weight). The most dominant group was 0.05–0.5 mm, and fibers accounted for more than 60% of total microplastics at every sampling point. The results from spectroscopic analysis showed that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the major type of microplastics, followed by polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). This study shows that advanced technology in tertiary treatment plants could substantially remove microplastic pollution in wastewater. Moreover, the absence of primary sedimentation tank can also influence removal of microplastics.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ СПУХАННЯ АКТИВНОГО МУЛУ В МЕМБРАННИХ БІОРЕАКТОРАХ

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology, the practical application of which is growing steadily, is a combination of classical technology of biological treatment with activated sludge with a membrane system of micro- or ultrafiltration. MBR are an alternative to the widely used method of separating activated sludge from wastewater in secondary settling tanks used in traditional biological treatment systems. MBR exclude large-scale negative consequences, as in system with traditional aeration tanks and secondary settling tanks in the "swelling of activated sludge". But "swelling of activated sludge" can affect the nitrification process and minimize the efficiency of ammonium nitrogen removal. The purpose of the work is to study the swelling of activated sludge swelling on the existing membrane bioreactor. The research was carried out by hydrochemical analysis of wastewater in MBR and determination of technological properties of activated sludge in the bioreactor. The negative effect of activated sludge swelling in MBR on nitrification activity in the system was established, which caused a decrease in the efficiency of ammonium nitrogen removal. Filamentous bacteria were identified according to the classification of D. Eickelbum, which caused swelling of activated sludge in the studied MBR, Type 021N.

A Case Study on Applicability of Intellectual Property Rights to the Traditional Medical Systems of Asia and Africa

Today with an ever increasing population, and the recent Pandemic of COVID-19 still in force throughout the world, agricultural innovation is getting vital in order to increase the productivity and secure the global food supply but agriculture research and development is always a costly affair and while previously it was undertaken mainly by public sector, today the private sector is adopting the work of Research &amp; Development specifically in the area of biotechnology. Thereafter we see that in the modern world in both the developed and developing countries use of herbal medicines, phytonutrients and nutraceuticals are expanding rapidly as many persons are resorting to these products for treatment of various health problems within various national healthcare settings but many of these products have remained untested and their use are also not monitored which has caused problems in acquiring proper knowledge of the adverse effects of these medicines and therapies used, creating safety related issues for the persons who are using them along with causing obstacles in proper promotion of these products and methods throughout the world. Intellectual Property (IP) refers to the creations of mind such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names and images and these are protected by laws like Patents, Copyrights, trademarks etc, which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefits from what they invent or create. Previously machines were considered for invention or artistic creations and were protected by the Intellectual Property Rights and the assignment of IPRs to living things is relatively a recent phenomenon in the developed countries but today agriculture is seen as an industry that cannot survive without research, development and investments. This situation made it necessary to extend protections of IPRs in all its forms to the agriculture sector also. Then we see that recently not only Ayurveda of India but also other Traditional medical systems of Africa and South America has also started getting recognitions throughout the world as a rationale system of medicine and so it is absolutely necessary to understand the concept, rules, regulations, present status, controlling authorities of Intellectual Property Rights to protect and promote the ideas about these types of treatments and medicines and make them acceptable throughout the world without any constraints for the development of the developing and underdeveloped countries of the Asia, Africa and South American continents . In this paper we will study the impact of Intellectual Property Rights on the traditional medical treatment systems of continents of Asia, Africa and will try to examine how Intellectual Property Rights can be applied to protect and increase the production of medicines developed from medicinal herbs in the developing and underdeveloped countries of Asia and African countries along with a special reference to India. This study has been casual, exploratory and empirical in nature and the data needed for research work has been collected by using both direct and indirect methods of data collection..

Carbon-Based Materials for Oxidative Desulfurization and Denitrogenation of Fuels: A Review

Sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) are elements naturally found in petroleum-based fuels. S- and N-based compounds in liquid fuels are associated with a series of health and environmental issues. Thus, legislation has become stricter worldwide regarding their content and related emissions. Traditional treatment systems (namely hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation) fail to achieve the desired levels of S and N contents in fuels without compromising combustion parameters. Thus, oxidative treatments (oxidative desulfurization–ODS, and oxidative denitrogenation-ODN) are emerging as alternatives to producing ultra-low-sulfur and nitrogen fuels. This paper presents a thorough review of ODS and ODN processes applying carbon-based materials, either in hybrid forms or as catalysts on their own. Focus is brought to the role of the carbonaceous structure in oxidative treatments. Furthermore, a special section related to the use of amphiphilic carbon-based catalysts, which have some advantages related to a closer interaction with the oily and aqueous phases, is discussed.