Treatment System Research Articles

Enhanced cadmium (Cd2+) removal from wastewater using integrated inclined plate settler and composite adsorbent coating

Bottlenecks inherent in batch and column adsorption configurations have impeded the implementation of the adsorption technique in large-scale wastewater treatment systems. This study mainly aimed to develop an innovative wastewater treatment prototype that integrates inclined plate settlers (IPS) and composite adsorbent coating (CAC). The objective is to enable the removal of Cd2+ from aqueous solutions in a continuous setup, thereby enhancing its practicality for large-scale applications. The combined IPS-CAC system was optimized at various angle of inclination (θ), influent flow rate (Q) and adsorbate initial concentration (Co) using the Box–Behnken Design (BBD) of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). At optimized operating parameters (θ = 45°, Q = 5 ml/min and Ci = 1.87 mg/L) the IPS-CAC Cd2+ predicted (R2 = 0.9926) and experimental removal efficiencies were 75.8% and 69.7 ± 4.67%, respectively. The IPS-CAC breakthrough adsorption capacity was 9.6 mg/g. Comparing IPS-CAC performance with a tank without plates and IPS with plain plates, the Cd2+ removal efficiencies were 2.4 ± 0.1% and 4.6 ± 1.1%, respectively, confirming the synergistic effect of IPS and CAC. Additionally, breakthrough curves were acquired for various flow rates, cadmium influent concentrations, and plate inclination angles. Only a 10% decline in the removal effectiveness (from 69.7 to 59.7%) of the CAC after three adsorption–regeneration cycles was observed, indicating its stability for heavy metal removal. The results underpin the potential of using IPS-CAC for industrial wastewater treatment and enhancing the use of adsorption on a larger scale.

Influences of the criminal justice system on use of medications for opioid use disorder: a qualitative study

BackgroundLegal-involved veterans with opioid use disorder (OUD) have lower receipt of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) than other veterans served at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This qualitative study examined the influence of the criminal justice system on access to MOUD for legal-involved veterans in the U.S.MethodsVHA facilities (n = 14) that varied in their provision of MOUD to legal-involved veterans were selected for qualitative interviews. Interviewees included legal-involved veterans (n = 18), VHA Veterans Justice Programs Specialists (n = 15), substance use disorder treatment providers (n = 5), and criminal justice staff (n = 12). Team members applied codes to meaningful units of analysis (quotations) in the transcribed interviews. Using a matrix approach, team members created a spreadsheet matrix with codes, facility rate of MOUD, and relevant quotations summarized for each participant. Themes and connections between individual participants and cross-interview concepts were explored. Participants were not asked to provide feedback on the findings.ResultsThemes identified were as follows: (1) Veterans Treatment Court policies both enhanced and limited MOUD treatment access and utilization among participants; (2) cross-system collaboration strengths and challenges existed; and (3) criminal justice system treatment preferences and policies both enhanced and limited MOUD in jails and prisons.ConclusionsThe influence of the criminal justice system on MOUD has led to variable access to MOUD for legal-involved veterans. Our findings can help inform recommendations to enhance access to MOUD for veterans within the criminal justice system, including the development of a national database of MOUD education materials for Veterans Treatment Courts, strengthening community-court relationships, allowing individuals to use their own healthcare coverage within jails and prisons and extend Medicaid coverage into criminal justice settings, and applying national quality measures for MOUD to criminal justice settings and develop a national system for tracking these quality measures.

Effect of feeding amount on tail gas and waste salt obtained from molten salt oxidation process of cation exchange resins

ABSTRACT The effective treatment of spent radioactive ion exchange resins generated during the operation of nuclear facilities is of great significance to reduce its potential hazards to the environment. This work innovatively provides a simple and low-cost molten salt oxidation (MSO) system includes air intake, feeding, waste salt discharge and exhaust gas treatment and analysis system for disposal of spent cation exchange resins (CERs). By studying three feeding amounts that injection of 25 g, 125 g and 1250 g CERs in 10 times under air conditions, the oxidation efficiency of CERs in MSO system was further evaluated. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) results indicated the sulfur can be trapped in the melt. Sulfur in functional group can be converted to Na2S and KLi(SO4) via Li2CO3-Na2CO3-K2CO3, which is proved by XRD patterns. The experimental results presented that degradation rates of CERs are 99.31%, 99.80%, and 99.91% in different feeding amounts, respectively. Furthermore, the volume reduction of residue gathered by feeding 1250 g CERs in 10 times was the highest, which can reach 9.19. Therefore, the bench-scale MSO system is a potential and promising treatment for spent CERs volume reduction.

Economic evaluation of hazardous healthcare waste treatment systems

The cost estimation and assessment of healthcare waste treatment systems (HCWTSs) for preventing financial and environmental damage are essential. This work reports economic analyses of treatment of hazardous–infectious waste based on WHO approach in HCWTSS of 43 hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The waste generation rate for total hospital waste in 43 HCWTSS was 4.42 ± 2.77 kg/active-bed/day. The mean of chemical, sharps, infectious, and general wastes in 43 HCWTSS were 13.79 ± 19.71, 30.29 ± 37.46, 336.28 ± 291.31, and 539.6 ± 383.13 kg/day, respectively. Economic analyses proved that general hospitals spent 1.63 times more than specialized hospitals on treating hazardous–infectious waste per year. The annual cost of treating each kilogram of hazardous healthcare waste in studied HCWTSS was 0.3 dollars. A range of total annual costs in 43 HCWTSS was limited to 7.9–118 thousand dollars. The results of ANOVA test demonstrated that the age and performance levels of hospitals significantly affect the annual capital and operating costs, respectively. Hence, improving recycling knowledge and increasing source-separated recycling should be considered to control the costs in HCWTSS. The results of this work have implications for the hospital managers in especially developing countries to evaluate previously unknown economic analyses and policies and take action to control wasted costs in HCWTSS.

Study the Utilization of Biochar Derived from Sugarcane Waste to Enhance the Biogas Efficiency During the Anaerobic Digestion Process for Treating Pig Farm Wastewater

This experiment aims to study the use of biochar (Biochar, BC) from sugarcane trash through the pyrolysis process at different temperatures of 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700°C. Then add BC to the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) system of wastewater from pig farms, then analyze the characteristics of wastewater and the amount of biogas obtained before and after treatment and to study the characteristics of decomposition, the generation of biogas (Biogas) to the reduction of organic matter in wastewater (COD). From this experiment, it can be concluded that all 6 systems are producing biogas, such as: the normal system and the system with BC filling at different burning temperatures: 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700℃ in the amount of 0.4g into the system. .64, 46.13, 51.90 and 65.98% respectively. From the experiments of all systems, it is observed that the system filled with BC at a temperature of 700℃ is able to produce biogas the best because the high heating temperature will cause the electrons of the charcoal to break easily and cause more holes to be a place for microbes to grow well. A comparison of the conventional system and adding biochar with the same amount but different temperature into the sewage treatment system without using air can be concluded that the conventional system is the generation of biogas is still low efficiency and the system of adding BC at the temperature of 300, 400, 500, 600℃ in the same amount. Notice that the generation of biogas is higher in order and the filling of BC at a temperature of 700℃ is able to produce biogas higher than other systems.

Efficient removal of organic matter and nitrogen from municipal wastewater in multi-module biochar filters for onsite wastewater treatment

ABSTRACT Biochar is a promising material for wastewater treatment. This study assessed multi-module biochar filters (MmBFs) as onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs), comprising movable modules filled with biochar to remove chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen, phosphorus, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in wastewater. The MmBF treats wastewater sequentially through six modules: three aerobic modules (M1-M3) for organic matter oxidation and nitrification, two anoxic modules (M4-M5) for denitrification, and an additional module (M6) for the removal of faecal bacteria using biochar and bark. The experiments ran for 381 days using three identical MmBF pilots with two distinct sampling periods, conducted under conditions relevant to OWTSs using municipal wastewater as influent. Water samples were taken from the influent, final effluent, and effluent of each module to evaluate the removal efficiency of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and E. coli. During the second sampling period, the results showed a 95 ± 2.1% removal of COD, along with a substantial removal of total inorganic nitrogen (71 ± 6.6%). However, phosphate removal was limited (3.4 ± 30.4%). E. coli removal decreased from 2.63 ± 0.93 log10 removal in the first sampling period to 1.8 ± 0.73 log10 removal in the second sampling period. In summary, the MmBFs showed promising potential in treating organic matter, nitrogen, and E. coli, making it an alternative option for OWTS. However, further exploration is needed to assess long-term performance, micropollutant removal, and biological activities. Design enhancements, especially for phosphorus removal are necessary.

Life-Cycle Analysis of Natural Treatment Systems for Wastewater (NTSW) Applied to Municipal Effluents

The objective of the described activity is to develop technologies or proposals that can be implemented within the cycle to enhance the relationship between climate change, water, energy, and food. The focus is on analyzing natural treatment systems for wastewater (NTSW) within the context of Macaronesia, considering factors such as life-cycle assessment (LCA), carbon footprint, impacts, and mitigation capacity. The analysis of real case data from the Canary Islands and Cape Verde will inform the development of appropriate technologies tailored to different areas and scales within Macaronesia. This work includes a comprehensive life-cycle analysis of the Santa Catarina (Cape Verde) NTSW. This analysis encompasses: (a) Inventory analysis of the construction phase: This involves the assessment of inputs and outputs associated with the construction of the NTSW, including materials, energy consumption, transportation, and waste generation. The maintenance and operation phases are then evaluated, with a focus on the ongoing maintenance and operation activities required for the NTSW, including energy consumption, water usage, chemical inputs (if any), labor, and equipment maintenance. (b) Finally, the impacts of the NTSW are evaluated. The environmental, social, and economic impacts generated by the NTSW are assessed. This includes an analysis of factors such as carbon emissions, water usage, land use, ecosystem impacts, human health effects, and economic costs. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of the Santa Catarina NTSW, the document aims to provide insights into the environmental performance and sustainability of the system. This information can then be used as a tool and experience of educational innovation for final-year undergraduate students to identify areas for improvement, develop mitigation strategies in the water sector, and inform decision-making processes regarding wastewater treatment technologies in Macaronesia. Furthermore, lessons learned from real case studies in the Canary Islands and Cape Verde can be applied to similar regions within the Macaronesia archipelago (IDIWATER project).

Exosome-mediated delivery of siRNA molecules in cancer therapy: triumphs and challenges

The discovery of novel and innovative therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment and management remains a major global challenge. Exosomes are endogenous nanoscale extracellular vesicles that have garnered increasing attention as innovative vehicles for advanced drug delivery and targeted therapy. The attractive physicochemical and biological properties of exosomes, including increased permeability, biocompatibility, extended half-life in circulation, reduced toxicity and immunogenicity, and multiple functionalization strategies, have made them preferred drug delivery vehicles in cancer and other diseases. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are remarkably able to target any known gene: an attribute harnessed to knock down cancer-associated genes as a viable strategy in cancer management. Extensive research on exosome-mediated delivery of siRNAs for targeting diverse types of cancer has yielded promising results for anticancer therapy, with some formulations progressing through clinical trials. This review catalogs recent advances in exosome-mediated siRNA delivery in several types of cancer, including the manifold benefits and minimal drawbacks of such innovative delivery systems. Additionally, we have highlighted the potential of plant-derived exosomes as innovative drug delivery systems for cancer treatment, offering numerous advantages such as biocompatibility, scalability, and reduced toxicity compared to traditional methods. These exosomes, with their unique characteristics and potential for effective siRNA delivery, represent a significant advancement in nanomedicine and cancer therapeutics. Further exploration of their manufacturing processes and biological mechanisms could significantly advance natural medicine and enhance the efficacy of exosome-based therapies.

Development of a Controllable Intelligent Drug Delivery System for Efficient Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex inflammatory disease of the joints, which is often accompanied by degeneration of articular cartilage and bone erosion, seriously affecting the quality of life and psychological state of patients. RA is difficult to be cured completely, and currently the main purpose of relief is through the use of anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic drugs, hormones, and biological agents. Tofacitib is a new type of small molecule inhibitor, which has a good effect in the treatment of RA. The current direct drug delivery method has serious side effects caused by the systemic distribution of the drug, so there is a need to develop an intelligent drug delivery system to realize precise treatment. In this work, tofacitib, gallic acid, targeted molecule folic acid, and Fe(III) were selected to assemble a novel type of artificial controllable nanodrug GF-TF. The self-photoacoustic/magnetic resonance imaging (self-PA/MRI) monitored the enrichment of GF-TF in the lesion in real-time, and artificially regulated the addition of deferoxamine (DFO) at the optimal enrichment. DFO strongly chelates Fe(III) in GF-TF and causes its structure to disintegrate gradually, and the self-PA/MRI signal of GF-TF became weaker while tofacitib began to be released, thus realizing the precise and artificially controlled release of the drug under the guidance of imaging. This nanodrug not only achieves efficient aggregation of drugs in inflamed joints, but also achieves real-time monitoring and precise control of drug release through self-PA/MRI, providing a new strategy for the precise treatment of RA.

Pollutants Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of a Photovoltaic Powered Textile Electro-Fenton Wastewater Treatment System

Pollutants Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of a Photovoltaic Powered Textile Electro-Fenton Wastewater Treatment System

Deciphering the Novel Picolinate-Mn(II)/peroxymonosulfate System for Sustainable Fenton-like Oxidation: Dominance of the Picolinate-Mn(IV)-peroxymonosulfate Complex.

A highly efficient and sustainable water treatment system was developed herein by combining Mn(II), peroxymonosulfate (PMS), and biodegradable picolinic acid (PICA). The micropollutant elimination process underwent two phases: an initial slow degradation phase (0-10 min) followed by a rapid phase (10-20 min). Multiple evidence demonstrated that a PICA-Mn(IV) complex (PICA-Mn(IV)*) was generated, acting as a conductive bridge facilitating the electron transfer between PMS and micropollutants. Quantum chemical calculations revealed that PMS readily oxidized the PICA-Mn(II)* to PICA-Mn(IV)*. This intermediate then complexed with PMS to produce PICA-Mn(IV)-PMS*, elongating the O-O bond of PMS and increasing its oxidation capacity. The primary transformation mechanisms of typical micropollutants mediated by PICA-Mn(IV)-PMS* include oxidation, ring-opening, bond cleavage, and epoxidation reactions. The toxicity assessment results showed that most products were less toxic than the parent compounds. Moreover, the Mn(II)/PICA/PMS system showed resilience to water matrices and high efficiency in real water environments. Notably, PICA-Mn(IV)* exhibited greater stability and a longer lifespan than traditional reactive oxygen species, enabling repeated utilization. Overall, this study developed an innovative, sustainable, and selective oxidation system, i.e., Mn(II)/PICA/PMS, for rapid water decontamination, highlighting the critical role of in situ generated Mn(IV).

Recent Applications of Amphiphilic Copolymers in Drug Release Systems for Skin Treatment

Recent Applications of Amphiphilic Copolymers in Drug Release Systems for Skin Treatment

Interface potential-induced natural antioxidant mimic system for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Although the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is still unknown, the molecular pathological phenomena is clear, mainly due to mitochondrial dysfunction and central nervous system inflammation caused by imbalanced antioxidant capacity and synaptic dysfunction, so antioxidant therapy is still the preferred treatment for AD. However, although antioxidant enzymes have high catalytic efficiency, the substrate spectrum is narrow; Antioxidants have wider range of effects, but their efficiency is low. Since the antioxidant defense system in high-grade organisms is composed of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems, therefore we synthesized a metal-organic framework (MOF) with superoxide dismutase activity, and depending on the interface potential effect, curcumin was loaded to construct a synergistic antioxidant treatment system. More importantly, due to the complementary surface electrostatic potential between MOF and curcumin, the system exhibited both good antioxidant activity and efficient β-amyloid plaque scavenging ability, which slowed down the cognitive dysfunction in the brain of AD mice.

Microbial community analysis of sand filters used to treat mine water from a closed uranium mine.

Rapid sand filters (RSFs) are employed in a drinking water treatment to remove undesirable elements such as suspended solids and dissolved metal ions. At a closed uranium (U) mine site, two sets of tandemly linked paired RSF systems (RSF1-RSF2 and RSF1-RSF3) were utilized to remove iron and manganese from mine water. In this study, a 16S rRNA-based amplicon sequencing survey was conducted to investigate the core microbes within the RSF system treating the mine water. In RSF1, two operational taxonomic units (OTUs) related to methanotrophic bacteria, Methylobacter tundripaludum (relative abundance: 18.1%) and Methylovulum psychrotolerans (11.5%), were the most and second most dominant species, respectively, alongside iron-oxidizing bacteria. The presence of these OUTs in RSF1 can be attributed to the microbial community in the inlet mine water, as the three most abundant OTUs in the mine water also dominated RSF1. Conversely, in both RSF2 and RSF3, Nevskia sp., previously isolated from the Ytterby mine manganese oxide producing ecosystem, became dominant, although known manganese-oxidizing bacterial OTUs were not detected. In contrast, a unique OTU related to Rhodanobacter sp. was the third most abundant (8.0%) in RSF1, possibly due to selective pressure from the radionuclide-contaminated environment during RSF operation, as this genus is known to be abundant at nuclear legacy waste sites. Understanding the key bacterial taxa in RSF system for mine water treatment could enhance the effectiveness of RSF processes in treating mine water from closed U mines.

Extracellular vesicles-hitchhiking boosts the deep penetration of drugs to amplify anti-tumor efficacy

Developing drug delivery systems capable of achieving deep tumor penetration is a challenging task, yet there is a significant demand for such systems in cancer treatment. Hitchhiking on tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) represents a promising strategy for enhancing drug penetration into tumors. However, the limited drug assembly on EVs restricts its further application. Here, we present a novel approach to efficiently attach antitumor drugs to EVs using an engineered cell membrane-based vector. This vector includes the AS1411 aptamer for tumor-specific targeting, the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) for tumor cell membrane fusion, and a photosensitizer as the therapeutic agent while ensuring optimal drug encapsulation and stability. Upon injection, photosensitizers are firstly transferred to the tumor cell membrane and subsequently piggybacked onto EVs with the inherent secretion process. By hitchhiking with EVs, photosensitizers can be transferred layer by layer deep into the solid tumors. The results suggest that this EVs-hitchhiking strategy enables photosensitizers to penetrate deeply into tumor tissue, thereby enhancing the efficacy of phototherapy. This study offers broad application prospects for delivering drugs deeply into tumor tissues.

An EEG signal-based music treatment system for autistic children using edge computing devices

An EEG signal-based music treatment system for autistic children using edge computing devices

Strategy to mitigate substrate inhibition in wastewater treatment systems

Global urbanization requires more stable and sustainable wastewater treatment to reduce the burden on the water environment. To address the problem of substrate inhibition of microorganisms during wastewater treatment, which leads to unstable wastewater discharge, this study proposes an approach to enhance the tolerance of bacterial community by artificially setting up a non-lethal high substrate environment. And the feasibility of this approach was explored by taking the inhibition of anammox process by nitrite as an example. It was shown that the non-lethal high substrate environment could enhance the nitrite tolerance of anammox bacterial community, as the specific anammox activity increasing up to 24.71 times at high nitrite concentrations. Moreover, the system composed of anammox bacterial community with high nitrite tolerance also showed greater resistance (two-fold) in response to nitrite shock. The antifragility of the system was enhanced without affecting the operation of the main reactor, and the non-lethal high nitrite environment changed the dominant anammox genera to Candidatus Jettenia. This approach to enhance tolerance of bacterial community in a non-lethal high substrate environment not only allows the anammox system to operate stably, but also promises to be a potential strategy for achieving stable biological wastewater treatment processes to comply with standards.

The selection of hospital sites and adaptive medical resource planning in the post-COVID era: navigating public health crises in China?

Urban management and planning during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, are critical. This article examines hospital site selection in Yinzhou, Ningbo, China, using geographical data analysis. It evaluates travel costs and referral patterns between hospitals and community health facilities to establish a sustainable hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system. The results reveal that existing medical facilities, particularly in rural areas, are inadequate during public health emergencies. The article proposes considering total transportation costs in allocating the sites of new hospitals and suggests adopting a ‘permanent + temporary’ facility planning approach to ease financial burdens. Addressing these issues can mitigate the inequitable distribution of urban and rural medical resources. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Evaluating information management system in epidemic infectious diseases in Iran

Health information management is a vital and constructive component of the health system, refers to the process of producing and collecting, organising and storing, analysing, disseminating and using information. The aim of this study was to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the information management system in epidemic infectious diseases in Iran, specifically focusing on the registration, reporting, quality, confidentiality, and security of infectious disease data. This assessment was conducted from the perspective of policymakers and experts responsible for data registration and reporting. After examining the processes of registering and reporting infectious disease data and interviewing experts, a researcher-designed questionnaire was prepared to evaluate the infectious disease information management system. To assess the content validity of the Content Validity Index and Content Validity Ratio Index, a questionnaire was utilized. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha. By employing purposeful sampling and adhering to the inclusion criteria, 150 participants were included in the study. Questionnaires were distributed via email, WhatsApp, or Telegram to employees at various levels of Iran's health and treatment systems who were responsible for registering and reporting infectious disease data. The study encompassed 100 participants who successfully concluded the research. The results highlight that the key strength of healthcare data registration lies in its ability to "depict the epidemic curve during outbreaks of infectious diseases." Conversely, a notable weakness was the "insufficient collaboration from non-academic sectors (e.g., clinics, private laboratories) in registering and reporting infectious diseases. The present study's findings suggest that the issue lies not in the framework itself, but rather in the execution and functionality of the strategies. We can cultivate a repository of reliable and beneficial data by incorporating initiatives like training programs, enforcing regulations with consequences for inadequate data documentation, offering both material and motivational rewards, and streamlining all data collection and reporting systems.

Addition of the clinical frailty scale to triage tools and early warning scores improves mortality prognostication at 30 days: A prospective observational multicenter study.

Frailty, assessed with clinical frailty scale (CFS), alone or in combination with aggregated vital signs, has been proposed as a measure to better predict mortality of older patients in the emergency department (ED), but the added predictive value to conventional triage is unclear. This was a secondary analysis of a prospective observational study in three EDs in Sweden that evaluated the prognostic performance of the CFS alone or in combination with the national early warning score (NEWS), triage early warning score (TEWS) or the rapid emergency triage and treatment system (RETTS) triage tool using logistic regression. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality with 7- and 90-day mortality and admission as secondary outcomes reported as area under the receiver operating curve (AuROC) scores with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, predictive values, and likelihood ratios are reported for all models. A total of 1832 patients were included with 17 (0.9%), 57 (3.1%), and 121 (6.6%) patients dying within 7, 30, and 90 days, respectively. The admission rate was 43% (795/1832). Frailty (CFS>4) was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (odds ratio 6, 95% CI 3‒12, p<0.01). Prognostication of 30-day mortality was similar for all CFS-based models and better compared with models without CFS. The AuROC (95% CI) improved for RETTS from 0.67 (0.61‒0.74) to 0.83 (0.79‒0.88) (p=0.008), for NEWS from 0.53 (0.45‒0.61) to 0.82 (0.77‒0.87) (p<0.001), and for TEWS from 0.63 (0.55‒0.71) to 0.82 (0.77‒0.87) (p=0.002). Frailty measured with the CFS in combination with RETTS or structured vital sign assessment using NEWS or TEWS was better at prognosticating 30-day mortality compared to RETTS or early warnings score alone. Improved prognostication provides more realistic expectations and allows for informed discussions with patients and initiation of individualized treatment plans early in the ED process.