Removal of arsenic, phosphates and ammonia from well water using electrochemical/chemical methods and advanced oxidation: a pilot plant approach.

The purpose of this work was to develop a pilot plant purification system and apply it to groundwater used for human consumption, containing high concentrations of arsenic and increased levels of phosphates, ammonia, mercury and color. The groundwater used was obtained from the production well in the Vinkovci County (Eastern Croatia). Due to a complex composition of the treated water, the purification system involved a combined electrochemical treatment, using iron and aluminum electrode plates with simultaneous ozonation, followed by a post-treatment with UV, ozone and hydrogen peroxide. The removal of the contaminant with the waste sludge collected during the electrochemical treatment was also tested. The combined electrochemical and advanced oxidation treatment resulted in the complete removal of arsenic, phosphates, color, turbidity, suspended solids and ammonia, while the removal of other contaminants of interest was up to 96.7%. Comparable removal efficiencies were obtained by using waste sludge as a coagulant.

Lower urinary tract infections and the effects of hormone therapy in postmenopausal women in the Zagreb region.

Urinary tract infections (UTI) remain one of the most common bacterial infections seen in adult women of all ages. In postmenopausal women, the aging process contributes to local complaints in the lower urogenital tissue, including UTI. Our study was conducted at gynecological practices of the health centers in the Zagreb region, Croatia, during 2009. The study included postmenopausal women with urinary symptoms divided into two groups: hormone therapy (HT) users and controls. The objectives were to estimate microbiologically proven lower UTIs (LUTIs) in postmenopausal women with urinary symptoms and the effect of regular HT use on microbiologically confirmed LUTIs. Out of 2338 postmenopausal patients, there was a significantly higher rate of women with urinary symptoms in HT users, namely 64.4% (143/221), compared to the control group at 4.8% (102/2116). Of the 245 patients with urinary symptoms, in 58.8% (144/245) the infection was microbiologically confirmed. Hormone therapy users showed a statistically significant lower rate of microbiologically proven LUTIs (46.9%, 67/143) compared to controls (75.5%, 77/102, p < 0.001). Data analysis also showed the efficacy of local as well as systemic HT treatment compared with the control group (p < 0.00, p = 0.049). But there was a significant difference in the frequency of LUTIs between patients who used local (30.3%, 20/66) and systemic (61.1%, 47/77) HT (p < 0.001). The patients who, regulary used therapy, in the local HT group as well as in the group on systemic HT showed a lower incidence of LUTIs compared to controls (p < 0.00, p = 0.006). In patients who did not regulary use therapy, there were no significant differences between either local (63.6%, 7/11)) or systemic (76.9%, 20/26) HT non- regular users and the control group (75. 5%, 77/102) (p = 0.917, p = 0.625). The high percentage of patients with non-microbiologically confirmed LUTIs (41.2%, 101/245) suggested the significant role microbiological testing has in LUTI diagnosis. Both local and systemic HT use was related to LUTI reduction.

The correlation of the lifestyle and medical conditions with the vaginal infections and production of 2-phenylethanol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was determination of causative factors of the genital infections and their correlation with various predictor variables. Secondary objectives included: (1) determination of the presence and the type of low molecular weight metabolites in the samples of vaginal secretion formed in vivo, (2) determination of the concentration of 2-phenylethanol formed in vitro for each Candida species, (3) determination of the relationship between fungal/bacterial/viral infections with the metabolites formed in vivo using multivariate analysis. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-seven women in the age range from 18 to 65 years were included in the study. After the completion of questionnaire, all the patients were subjected to Pap test, cervical swabs for the presence of aerobic bacteria, yeasts, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma, and hrHPV DNA. The presence and the concentration of low-molecular weight metabolites in vitro and in vivo were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Multivariate analysis methods were used for statistical evaluation. RESULTS: The most important risk factors of fungal/bacterial/viral infections were determined. The presence of 2-phenylethanol in vivo was confirmed in 14 of 74 tested samples and connected with the Candida species. The presence of symptoms, hrHPV DNA and Ureaplasma urealyticum are the predictor variables with the highest influence on the formation of the metabolite in vivo. The results in vitro confirmed that various Candida species produced 2-phenylethanol with the concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 4.64 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: The medical exposure to irradiation, marital status, and number of partners as well as stress factors (miscarriages, chronic, viral, or tumor illnesses) had the highest influence on the development of the bacterial/fungal/viral infections. The formation of 2-phenylethanol, both in vivo and in vitro, was confirmed and connected with Candida species. Besides, according to statistical tests, it seems that presence of symptoms, hrHPV DNA, and Ureaplasma urealyticum had also significant role on the formation of 2-phenylethanol in vivo.