Advanced treatment of toluene emissions with a cutting-edge algal bacterial photo-bioreactor: Performance assessment in a circular economy perspective.

A novel approach for the treatment of VOCs (by using toluene used as a model compound) and the simultaneous conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable biomass has been investigated by using a combination of an activated sludge moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) and an algal photo-bioreactor (PBR). The first unit (MBBR, R1) promoted toluene removal up to 99.9 % for inlet load (IL) of 119.91 g m-3 d-1. The CO2 resulting from the degradation of toluene was then fixed in PBR (R2), with a fixation rate up to 95.8 %. The CO2 uptake was promoted by algae, with average production of algal biomass in Stage VI of 1.3 g L-1 d-1. In the contest of the circular economy, alternative sources of nutrients have been assessed, using synthetic urban wastewater (UWW) and dairy wastewater (DWW) for liquid renewal. The produced biomass with DWW showed a high lipid content, with a maximum productivity of 450.25 mg of lipids L-1 d-1. The solution proposed may be thus regarded as a sustainable and profitable strategy for VOCs treatment in a circular economy perspective.

Advances in technological control of greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater in the context of circular economy.

This review paper aims to identify the main sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and highlights the technologies developed for CO2 capture in this milieu. CO2 is emitted in all the operational units of conventional WWTPs and even after the disposal of treated effluents and sludges. CO2 emissions from wastewater can be captured or mitigated by several technologies such as the production of biochar from sludge, the application of constructed wetlands (CWs), the treatment of wastewater in microbial electrochemical processes (microbial electrosynthesis, MES; microbial electrolytic carbon capture, MECC; in microbial carbon capture, MCC), and via microalgal cultivation. Sludge-to-biochar and CW systems showed a high cost-effectiveness in the capture of CO2, while MES, MECC, MCC technologies, and microalgal cultivation offered efficient capture of CO2 with associate production of value-added by-products. At the state-of-the-art, these technologies, utilized for carbon capture and utilization from wastewater, require more research for further configuration, development and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, the integration of these technologies has a potential internal rate of return (IRR) that could equate the operation or provide additional revenue to wastewater management. In the context of circular economy, these carbon capture technologies will pave the way for new sustainable concepts of WWTPs, as an essential element for the mitigation of climate change fostering the transition to a decarbonised economy.

Instrumental Odour Monitoring System Classification Performance Optimization by Analysis of Different Pattern-Recognition and Feature Extraction Techniques.

Instrumental odour monitoring systems (IOMS) are intelligent electronic sensing tools for which the primary application is the generation of odour metrics that are indicators of odour as perceived by human observers. The quality of the odour sensor signal, the mathematical treatment of the acquired data, and the validation of the correlation of the odour metric are key topics to control in order to ensure a robust and reliable measurement. The research presents and discusses the use of different pattern recognition and feature extraction techniques in the elaboration and effectiveness of the odour classification monitoring model (OCMM). The effect of the rise, intermediate, and peak period from the original response curve, in collaboration with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) as a pattern recognition algorithm, were investigated. Laboratory analyses were performed with real odour samples collected in a complex industrial plant, using an advanced smart IOMS. The results demonstrate the influence of the choice of method on the quality of the OCMM produced. The peak period in combination with the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) highlighted the best combination on the basis of high classification rates. The paper provides information to develop a solution to optimize the performance of IOMS.

Characterizing the microbial community involved in anaerobic digestion of lipid-rich wastewater to produce methane gas.

This study attempted to characterize the microbial community and its role in anaerobic digestion of lipid. Reactors were fed semi-continuously with three related substrates, oil and its degradation intermediates (glycerol and long chain fatty acids (LCFAs)), with a stepwise increase in organic loading rate for 90 days. Microbial community analysis using next-generation sequencing (NGS) with the MiSeq Illumina platform revealed that Anaerolineaceae was the most dominant group of bacteria in all experiments, whereas Clostridium, Desulfovibrio, Rikenellaceae, and Treponema were observed characteristically in glycerol degradation and Leptospirales, Synergistaceae, Thermobaculaceae and Syntrophaceae were seen with high abundance in LCFA and oil mineralization. Furthermore, it was discovered that Methanosaeta was the most dominant archaea. The role of these microorganisms in the methane production from oil was estimated by comparing the microbial groups in the fermentation using three substrates, and a hypothetical pathway of the methane production was proposed.

Are pharmaceuticals removal and membrane fouling in electromembrane bioreactor affected by current density?

Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) have been detected at significant concentrations in various natural and artificial aquatic environments. In this study, electro membrane bioreactor (eMBR) technology was used to treat simulated municipal wastewater containing widely-used pharmaceuticals namely amoxicillin (AMX), diclofenac (DCF) and carbamazepine (CBZ). The effects of varying current density on the removal of PhACs (AMX, DCF and CBZ) and conventional pollutants (chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), humic substances, ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) and orthophosphate (PO4-P) species) were examined. High COD and DOC removal efficiencies (~100%) were obtained in all the experimental runs regardless of applied current density. In contrast, enhanced removal efficiencies for AMX, DCF and CBZ were achieved at high current densities. Membrane fouling rate in eMBR with respect to conventional MBR was reduced by 24, 44 and 45% at current densities of 0.3, 0.5 and 1.15 mA/cm2, respectively. The mechanism for pharmaceutical removal in this study proceeded by: (1) charge neutralization between negatively-charged pharmaceutical compounds and positive electro-generated aluminium coagulants to form larger particles and (2) size exclusion by membrane filtration.

Applicability of the electrocoagulation process in treating real municipal wastewater containing pharmaceutical active compounds.

In this study, the viability of using electrocoagulation process as a method for pharmaceuticals removal from real municipal wastewater was demonstrated. Batch experimental runs were performed using a simple laboratory scale electrochemical reactor with aluminium and stainless steel as anode and cathode, respectively. Diclofenac (DCF), carbamazepine (CBZ) and amoxicillin (AMX) were selected as representative of pharmaceuticals frequently detected in the aquatic environment. The effects of varying experimental parameters namely current density (0.3, 0.5 1.15 and 1.8 mA cm-2), initial pharmaceutical concentration (0.01, 4 and 10 mg L-1), electrolysis duration (3, 6 and 19 h) and application mode (continuous vs. intermittent) on pharmaceutical removal efficiencies were evaluated. High pharmaceutical abatement was recorded at elevated current density and prolonged electrolysis duration due to additional electro-generated coagulant species in solution.

Fouling Mitigation and Wastewater Treatment Enhancement through the Application of an Electro Moving Bed Membrane Bioreactor (eMB-MBR).

High operational cost due to membrane fouling propensity remains a major drawback for the widespread application of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology. As a result, studies on membrane fouling mitigation through the application of integrated processes have been widely explored. In this work, the combined application of electrochemical processes and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) technology within an MBR at laboratory scale was performed by applying an intermittent voltage of 3 V/cm to a reactor filled with 30% carriers. The treatment efficiency of the electro moving bed membrane bioreactor (eMB-MBR) technology in terms of ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and orthophosphate (PO4-P) removal significantly improved from 49.8% and 76.7% in the moving bed membrane bioreactor (MB-MBR) control system to 55% and 98.7% in the eMB-MBR, respectively. Additionally, concentrations of known fouling precursors and membrane fouling rate were noticeably lower in the eMB-MBR system as compared to the control system. Hence, this study successfully demonstrated an innovative and effective technology (i.e., eMB-MBR) to improve MBR performance in terms of both conventional contaminant removal and fouling mitigation.

Effect of lead speciation on its oral bioaccessibility in surface dust and soil of electronic-wastes recycling sites.

We measured bioaccessible lead (Pb) in simulated gastrointestinal fluids containing Pb-contaminated soil or dust from electronic waste (e-waste) recycling sites to assess the risk of Pb ingestion. The physiologically based extraction test (PBET) was used as in vitro bioaccessibility assay. Pb speciation was determined using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The total Pb concentrations in dusts (n=8) and soils (n=4) were in the range of 1630-131,000 and 239-7800mg/kg, respectively. Metallic Pb, a common component of e-waste, was ubiquitous in the samples. We also found Pb adsorbed onto goethite and as oxides and carbonate, implying soil mixing and weathering influences. Pb phosphate and organic species were only found in the soil samples, suggesting that formation was soil-specific. We identified other Pb compounds in several samples, including Pb silicate, Pb chromate, and Pb(II) hydrogen phosphate. A correlation analysis indicated that metallic Pb decreased bioaccessibility in the stomach, while a Pb speciation analysis revealed a low bioaccessibility for Pb phosphates and high bioaccessibility for organic Pb species. The health risk based on bioaccessible Pb was estimated to be much lower than that of total Pb due to the lower concentrations.

Volunteer youth leaders for Health - Philippines: Providing a mechanism for youth empowerment towards advocacy for birth defects prevention and care

@#<p style="text-align: justify;">The Volunteer Youth Leaders for Health-Philippine(VYLH- Philippines) is a national youth network established in 2009 as an model on how to organized young women and men into a national force that promotes self-learnings, independence,personal growth and sustained public health change from the grassroots level to up.Formed under the aegis of the University of the Philippines Manila and the department of health,the VYLH- Philippines has focused its activities in the past eight years on helping reduce mortality and disability from congenital disorder through awareness program and support for policy development.This paper describes in details the organization and extraordinary accomplishment of the VYLH- Philippines to date.</p>

Removal of nickel by homogeneous granulation in a fluidized-bed reactor.

Heavy metal removal is a significant task that protects our water resources. Fluidized-bed homogeneous granulation process (FBHGP) was used to treat nickel containing wastewaters by recovering nickel in the form of nickel carbonate hydroxide granules with low moisture content rather than soft sludge. This study investigated nickel removal and recovery through HFBGP by determining the effects of varying influent nickel concentrations, [CO32-: Ni2+] molar ratios, and pH of the precipitant. This was conducted in a continuous process using a laboratory scale fluidized-bed reactor that determined the effects driven by supersaturation. The best operating conditions that resulted in a 98.8% nickel removal and 97.8% granulation efficiency were 200 mg L-1 influent nickel concentration, 2.0 M R of [CO3-2:Ni+2], and 10.7 pH of precipitant. Based on SEM analysis, the granules formed have sizes between 0.50 mm and 0.15 mm. EDS results showed that the atomic percentages of nickel carbon, and hydrogen were ∼50%, ∼9-12%, and ∼35% respectively, representing the nickel carbonate compound. The XRD results showed the low symmetry of the granules formed that confirmed the characteristics of nullaginite mineral of Ni2(CO3)(OH)2.

Adenoviruses and acute respiratory infections in children living in an equatorial area of Brazil.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are important respiratory pathogens, found in 2-27% of acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases. Few studies have analysed the diversity of species and types of HAdVs associated with ARI in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to determine the circulation patterns of the different HAdV species and respective types associated with ARI in children in the city of Fortaleza, northeastern Brazil. HAdVs were screened by an indirect immunofluorescence assay, and subsequently identified as species and types by PCR and sequencing of the hexon gene (HVR1-HVR6). Between 2001 and 2013, a total of 290 HAdV strains were detected, 190 of which were identified as belonging to the HAdV-B, -C and -E species. Seven types of HAdVs circulated in the studied population during the analysed period, with HAdV-3 being predominant.

Validation of a novel sequential cultivation method for the production of enzymatic cocktails from Trichoderma strains.

The development of new cost-effective bioprocesses for the production of cellulolytic enzymes is needed in order to ensure that the conversion of biomass becomes economically viable. The aim of this study was to determine whether a novel sequential solid-state and submerged fermentation method (SF) could be validated for different strains of the Trichoderma genus. Cultivation of the Trichoderma reesei Rut-C30 reference strain under SF using sugarcane bagasse as substrate was shown to be favorable for endoglucanase (EGase) production, resulting in up to 4.2-fold improvement compared with conventional submerged fermentation. Characterization of the enzymes in terms of the optimum pH and temperature for EGase activity and comparison of the hydrolysis profiles obtained using a synthetic substrate did not reveal any qualitative differences among the different cultivation conditions investigated. However, the thermostability of the EGase was influenced by the type of carbon source and cultivation system. All three strains of Trichoderma tested (T. reesei Rut-C30, Trichoderma harzianum, and Trichoderma sp INPA 666) achieved higher enzymatic productivity when cultivated under SF, hence validating the proposed SF method for use with different Trichoderma strains. The results suggest that this bioprocess configuration is a very promising development for the cellulosic biofuels industry.

Impact of metals in surface matrices from formal and informal electronic-waste recycling around Metro Manila, the Philippines, and intra-Asian comparison.

We report concentrations, enrichment factors, and hazard indicators of 11 metals (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, In, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in soil and dust surface matrices from formal and informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling sites around Metro Manila, the Philippines, referring to soil guidelines and previous data from various e-waste recycling sites in Asia. Surface dust from e-waste recycling sites had higher levels of metal contamination than surface soil. Comparison of formal and informal e-waste recycling sites (hereafter, "formal" and "informal") revealed differences in specific contaminants. Formal dust contained a mixture of serious pollutant metals (Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn) and Cd (polluted modestly), quite high enrichment metals (Ag and In), and crust-derived metals (As, Co, Fe, and Mn). For informal soil, concentration levels of specific metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were similar among Asian recycling sites. Formal dust had significantly higher hazardous risk than the other matrices (p<0.005), excluding informal dust (p=0.059, almost significant difference). Thus, workers exposed to formal dust should protect themselves from hazardous toxic metals (Pb and Cu). There is also a high health risk for children ingesting surface matrices from informal e-waste recycling sites.

Lay conception of hypertension and its significance to clients and professionals in nutrition and health.

BACKGROUND: In line with the Philippines' National Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Programme, a study was conducted among young adults to determine their concepts and conceptualization of hypertension: its causation, prevention and consequences. METHOD: Focus group discussions, conducted in the region with the highest prevalence of hypertension in the Philippines, 73 males and females were participated in the age group of 20-39 years, without medical history of the disease and with no training or employment in a health-related field. RESULTS: Hypertension was perceived not as a discrete disease but interrelated with diseases having 'blood-origin' and common signs and symptoms. It was conceptualized as having multiple causes, acting singly or in combination, with too little or too much food and physical activity as among the causal factors. Perceived pathways in its development were systematic and included both traditional and scientific biomedical concepts. Hypertension was considered a problem not only in the affected individual but also the family. CONCLUSION: The concepts of hypertension of young adults are multidimensional, interconnected and linked to their day-to-day living. In thus conceptualizing the disease, they are able to make sense of it and, when respected by dietetic practitioners, provide guidance for improved communication. The introduction of scientific concepts of hypertension by nutrition and health professionals should draw from, inform and build on, existing lay perceptions.

Rights-based food and nutrition perspective: 21st century challenge for dietetics.

Progress in addressing the problems of hunger and malnutrition has been slow and uneven across regions and countries of the world. A rights-based perspective, not merely a utilitarian argument, must serve as the rationale for humans to be properly nourished. Rights impose corresponding binding obligations on others and the concept of rights holders and duty bearers goes beyond the human development paradigm. The right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, has physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement. As duty bearers, governments are obligated to assure the realization of that right and accountable if the right is violated. The use of the human rights approach to adequate food necessarily implies a re-examination and fundamental changes in the way we think about hunger and malnutrition and their causes; the manner of shaping and reshaping policies; the context and processes of planning, monitoring and evaluating programmes; and the substance and method of research and education in food and nutrition. Dietitians and dietetic associations can be instrumental in making the human right to adequate food a reality.

Human rights in nutrition and nutrition in human rights.

PIP: Many countries around the world are involved in nutrition planning and nutrition program implementation. This concern and activity with regard to nutrition, however, has failed to give the issue proper and adequate consideration in development plans and programs of action. The author proposes a two-pronged approach to promote nutrition as a human right. One approach is to include nutrition as a human right in educational and training programs in nutrition. Another approach is to include nutrition as a human right in educational and training programs on human rights. These approaches are described using examples from experiences in the Philippines. Families, universities, and other training institutions have roles to play in making sure that individuals and groups receive the nutrition they need. It should be stressed that nutrition is both a right and an input for development.^ieng