Treatment of simulated industrial pharmaceutical wastewater containing amoxicillin antibiotic via advanced oxidation processes.

The treatment of pharmaceutical industrial wastewaters, containing the antibiotic amoxicillin (218.29 mg L-1), via some advanced oxidation processes (POA), was studied. The H2O2 photolysis process presented the highest percentage of mineralization (97%), after the total reaction time (180 min). However, the photo-Fenton process showed the highest organic carbon removal rate, mineralizing 65% of the initial concentration, in 30 min. Because of this fact, this process was studied in more detail. The initial concentration of ferrous ions (0.03-1.00 mmol L-1) did not affect the performance of the photo-Fenton process, possibly operating using concentrations of below 15 mg L-1 (0.27 mmol L-1), that is the iron content limit for discharging wastewaters established in the Brazilian environmental legislation. Furthermore, experiments were performed according to the composite experimental design technique (Doehlert matrix), analyzing the following variables: (i) the inlet molar flow rate of H2O2 (FH2O2 ) and (ii) the initial concentration of ferrous ions ([Fe2+]). Besides that, the initial mineralization rate and the total organic carbon removal percentages, measured at 5, 10, 15 and 30 min of reaction, were chosen as the response variables. It was observed that FH2O2 was the most important variable in relation to the initial degradation rate. In the optimal conditions (FH2O2 = 3.27 mmol min-1 and [Fe2+] = 0.27 mmol L-1), the photo-Fenton process achieved a percentage of organic carbon removal of 84%, in only 30 min of reaction, presenting an interesting potential for real industrial applications, combined, or not, with conventional technologies (as biological treatments, for example).

Method for diagnosis and control of aerobic training in rats based on lactate threshold.

We propose a protocol for determination of lactate threshold (LT) and test the validity of one aerobic training based on LT in rats. In group I, V(LTi) (velocity at LT before training) was determined in all rats (n=10), each rat training at its own V(LTi) and in group II, animals (n=7) ran at 15 m min(-1), the mean V(LTi) of group I. The training consisted of daily runs at V(LTi) for 50 min, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. In group I, this program increased V(LT) (V(LTi) 14.90+/-1.49 m min(-1) and V(LTf), after training, 22.60+/-1.17 m min(-1)) and the velocity at exhaustion (19.50+/-1.63 m min(-1) and 27.60+/-1.17 m min(-1)). [Lactate] at LT (2.62+/-0.43 mmol L(-1) versus 2.11+/-0.15 mmol L(-1)) and relative values of LT (76+/-3% versus 82+/-2%) stayed unaltered. In group II the V(LTf) was 20+/-1.8 m.mim(-1), the [lactate] at the LT, 2.02+/-0.17 mmol.L(-1); the exhaustion speed, 23.57+/-2.11 m.mim(-1) and relative value of LT, 82.71+/-2.29%. There were no significant differences in these parameters between groups I and II. Thus, this protocol based on LT is effective and the mean V(LT) determined in a small number of healthy untrained rats can be used for aerobic training in a larger group of healthy animals of same gender and age.