Combining Ferric Salt and Cactus Mucilage for Arsenic Removal from Water.

New methods to remediate arsenic-contaminated water continue to be studied, particularly to fill the need for accessible methods that can significantly impact developing communities. A combination of cactus mucilage and ferric (Fe(III)) salt was investigated as a flocculation-coagulation system to remove arsenic (As) from water. As(V) solutions, ferric nitrate, and mucilage suspensions were mixed and left to stand for various periods of time. Visual and SEM observations confirmed the flocculation action of the mucilage as visible flocs formed and settled to the bottom of the tubes within 3 min. The colloidal suspensions without mucilage were stable for up to 1 week. Sample aliquots were tested for dissolved and total arsenic by ICP-MS and HGAFS. Mucilage treatment improved As removal (over Fe(III)-only treatment); the system removed 75-96% As in 30 min. At neutral pH, removal was dependent on Fe(III) and mucilage concentration and the age of the Fe(III) solution. The process is fast, achieving maximum removal in 30 min, with the majority of As removed in 10-15 min. Standard jar tests with 1000 µg/L As(III) showed that arsenic removal and settling rates were pH-dependent; As removal was between 52% (high pH) and 66% (low pH).

Nonpharmacologic approach to minimizing shivering during surface cooling: a proof of principle study.

PURPOSE: This study had 2 objectives: (1) to quantify the metabolic response to physical cooling in febrile patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and (2) to provide proof for the hypothesis that the efficiency of external cooling and the subsequent shivering response are influenced by site and temperature of surface cooling pads. METHODS: To quantify shivering thermogenesis during surface cooling for fever, we monitored oxygen consumption (VO(2)) in 6 febrile patients with SIRS during conventional cooling with cooling blankets and ice packs. To begin to determine how location and temperature of surface cooling influence shivering, we compared 5 cooling protocols for inducing mild hypothermia in 6 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: In the patients with SIRS, core temperature decreased 0.67 °C per hour, all patients shivered, VO(2) increased 57.6%, and blood pressure increased 15% during cooling. In healthy subjects, cooling with the 10 °C vest was most comfortable and removed heat most efficiently without shivering or VO(2) increase. Cooling with combined vest and thigh pads stimulated the most shivering and highest VO(2) and increased core temperature. Reducing vest temperature from 10 °C to 5 °C failed to increase heat removal secondary to cutaneous vasoconstriction. Capsaicin, an agonist for the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) warm-sensing channels, partially reversed this effect in 5 subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results identify the hazards of surface cooling in febrile critically ill patients and support the concept that optimization of cooling pad temperature and position may improve cooling efficiency and reduce shivering.

Removing heavy metals in water: the interaction of cactus mucilage and arsenate (As (V)).

High concentrations of arsenic in groundwater continue to present health threats to millions of consumers worldwide. Particularly, affected communities in the developing world need accessible technologies for arsenic removal from drinking water. We explore the application of cactus mucilage, pectic polysaccharide extracts from Opuntia ficus-indica for arsenic removal. Synthetic arsenate (As (V)) solutions were treated with two extracts, a gelling extract (GE) and a nongelling extract (NE) in batch trials. The arsenic concentration at the air-water interface was measured after equilibration. The GE and NE treated solutions showed on average 14% and 9% increases in arsenic concentration at the air-water interface respectively indicating that the mucilage bonded and transported the arsenic to the air-water interface. FTIR studies showed that the -CO groups (carboxyl and carbonyl groups) and -OH (hydroxyl) functional groups of the mucilage were involved in the interaction with the arsenate. Mucilage activity was greater in weakly basic (pH 9) and weakly acidic (pH 5.5) pH. This interaction can be optimized and harnessed for the removal of arsenic from drinking water. This work breaks the ground for the application of natural pectic materials to the removal of anionic metallic species from water.