Removal of bacterial indicators and pathogens from dairy wastewater by a multi-component treatment system.

Microbial removal by a multi-component treatment system for dairy and municipal wastewater is being studied in Arizona, USA. The system consists of paired solids separators, anaerobic lagoons, aerobic ponds and constructed wetlands cells. The organisms under study include: total coliform, fecal coliform, enterovirus, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens, coliphage, Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum. Organism removal rates from dairy wastewater varied from 13.2 per cent for fecal coliform to 94.9 per cent for coliphage. It appears that the much higher turbidity of the dairy wastewater, nearly 1,300 NTU, decreased the treatment systems' ability to remove some microbial indicators and pathogens. Information from this study can be used to determine the adequacy of multi-component treatment systems for the control of wastewater-borne pathogens, both in municipal treatment systems as well as in confined animal feeding operations (CAFO). This information also can assist municipalities and the CAFO industry in the implementation of rational and efficient treatment strategies for appropriate reuse of wastewaters.

Production and shelf-life studies of low cost beverage with soymilk, buffalo cheese whey and cow milk fermented by mixed cultures of Lactobacillus casei ssp. shirota and Bifidobacterium adolescentis.

A study was performed to develop a fermented milk beverage with the aim to increase the potential application of buffalo cheese whey and soymilk. A mixed substrate was prepared by selective combination, which contained buffalo cheese whey 35%, soymilk 30% and cow milk 35%. The substrate mixture was fermented by a mixed culture of Lactobacillus casei shirota and Bifidobacterium adolescentis at 37 degrees C for 8 h keeping a 1:1.5 proportion between the lactic and bifidobacteria within a 5% (v/v) inoculum size. The fermented beverage was lightly extra-flavoured with vanilla essence and subjected to chemical, microbiological and sensory evaluations during storage for 28 days at 4 degrees C. Except a slight variation in the acidity, no other properties changed even after 28 days. There were no contaminating organisms (Salmonella and coliforms), which indicated the sanitary and hygienic conditions of the processing and the viable cells of the bacterial strains was well within recommended limits (6.8 x 10(8) cells for L. casei and 2.3 x 10(7) cells for Bifidobacterium). No negative changes were found in the sensory characteristics of the beverage allowing its good acceptability in all during the storage period.

[Evaluation of iron contents in foods of the basic diet]. / Avaliação dos teores de ferro nos alimentos da cesta básica.

The components of the basic food diet available at the food markets in Curitiba were evaluated according to their contents of iron. The method used for this analysis was atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results obtained for samples of wheat flour were (mg/kg): 9.40 to 17.60; bread 7.04 to 12.80; coffee 45.76 to 49.21; potato 3.56 to 5.65; tomato 6.94 to 15.10; banana 7.59 to 15.20; rice 5.49 to 11.06; bean 59.84 to 78.75; meat 9.48 to 34.29; pasteurized milk 0.33 to 1.20; soy-bean oil 0.47 to 0.76; refined sugar 1.02 to 1.53 and margarine 1.50 to 2.06. There is no specific legislation in Brazil defining an upper limit of tolerance of iron in the food, except for soy-bean oil and margarine with a maximum of 1.50 mg/kg. The levels of iron analysed here were within the scale of variation reported by several authors from other countries.

[Osteoblastoma: analysis of the treatment of 24 cases]. / Osteoblastoma: análise do tratamento de 24 casos.

The authors study 24 patients with the histologic diagnosis of osteoblastoma treated from 1953 to 1996, with a mean follow-up of 33.4 months. Two were considered as a malignant osteoblastoma. Twenty-two cases were operated, and in 2 of these was performed only a selective embolization to pelvic and spine localization. It was discussed clinical and radiographic aspects and the response to treatment. It was obtained 20 good and 4 poor results.