Sustainable utilization of Fe3O4-modified activated lignite for aqueous phosphate removal and ANN modeling.

Lignites are widely available and cost-effective in many countries. Sustainable methods for their utilization drive innovation, potentially advancing environmental sustainability and resource efficiency. In the present study, Fe3O4 (∼25.1 nm) supported on KOH-activated lignite (A-L) displayed 8 times higher phosphate removal than pristine A-L (67.6 mg/g vs. 8.5 mg/g at pH 5, 50 mg of absorbent in 25 mL of 1500 ppm [phosphate]), owing to its abundant Fe3O4 (10 wt.% of Fe) nanoparticle content. The removal occurred within ∼2 hours, following a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Across pH levels ranging from 5.0 to 9.0, Fe3O4-A-L's phosphate removal occurs via both chemisorption and precipitation, as evident by kinetic, pH, and XPS analyses. The phosphate adsorption fits better with the Freundlich isotherm. The combined benefits of facile recovery, rapid phosphate uptake, straightforward regeneration, and attractive post-adsorption benefits (e.g., possibly use as a Fe, P-rich fertilizer) make magnetic Fe3O4-A-L a promising candidate for real-world applications. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) modeling indicates an excellent accuracy (R2 = 0.99) in predicting the amount of phosphate removed by Fe3O4-A-L. Sensitivity analysis revealed both temperature and initial concentration as the most influencing factors. Leveraging lignite in environmentally friendly applications not only addresses immediate challenges but also aligns with sustainability goals. The study clearly articulates the potential benefits of utilizing lignite for sustainable phosphate removal and recovery, offering avenues for mitigating environmental concerns while utilizing resources efficiently.

A high stable sample loading for analysis of adult alpha-thalassemia via the improved microarray isoelectric focusing of Hb species.

The isoelectric focusing has realized various improvements, including the protocols and creation of mIEF (microcolumn isoelectric focusing) instruments with excellent sensitivity for screening of diabetes and beta thalassemia. However, the problem of manual sample loading and hydration for the mIEF limits the operational capacity for stably detecting and quantitating most abnormal hemoglobin (Hb). Herein, we provided a high stable sample loading protocol for analysis of alpha thalassemia and Hb variants. In contrast to the previous volume of 20 µl, a 100 µl blood sample solution in this protocol was optimized with mixture of 6.4-7.5 and 3-10 pH carrier ampholytes, pI markers and loaded for 30 mins IPG microcolumn hydration. The hydrated microcolumn was then automatically loaded onto the mIEF chip array to which CH3COOH and NH4OH act as anodic and cathodic solutions. Lastly, the IEF was run for 9 mins. Hb H, Barts, A1c, F, A2 and CS were simultaneously separated and focused with higher resolution and sensitivity in quantifying H and Barts as low as 0.6 and 0.5 % respectively. Accordingly, there was an enhanced stability and linearity with a rapid assay time of 45 secs per sample. Moreover, analysis showed a fitting linear relationship with conventional technology at R2 = 0.9803 for H and R2 = 0.9728 for Barts thereby indicating greater accuracy confirmed by the AUC. Hence, the developed protocol could simply be employed for high stable and throughput batch sample loading of hydration, and accurate separation and quantitation of Hb variants for alpha and beta thalassemia.

Diagnosis and screening of abnormal hemoglobins.

Hemoglobin (Hb) abnormalities, such as thalassemia and structural Hb variants, are among the most prevalent inherited diseases and are associated with significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. However, there were not comprehensive reviews focusing on different clinical analytical techniques, research methods and artificial intelligence (AI) used in clinical screening and research on hemoglobinopathies. Hence the review offers a comprehensive summary of recent advancements and breakthroughs in the detection of aberrant Hbs, research methods and AI uses as well as the present restrictions anddifficulties in hemoglobinopathies. Recent advances in cation exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), isoelectric focusing (IEF), flow cytometry, mass spectrometry (MS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) etc have allowed for the definitive detection by using advanced AIand portable point of care tests (POCT) integrating with smartphone microscopic classification, machine learning (ML) model, complete blood counts (CBC), imaging-based method, speedy immunoassay, and electrochemical-, microfluidic- and sensing-related platforms. In addition, to confirm and validate unidentified and novel Hbs, highly specialized genetic based techniques like PCR, reverse transcribed (RT)-PCR, DNA microarray, sequencing of genomic DNA, and sequencing of RT-PCR amplified globin cDNA of the gene of interest have been used. Hence, adequate utilization and improvement of available diagnostic and screening technologies are important for the control and management of hemoglobinopathies.

Characterization of municipal solid waste: Measures towards management strategies using statistical analysis.

Implementing unified municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is often difficult due to socio-economic variables. However, spatial GIS models and statistical analysis of solid waste characterized by the weekdays, weekends, and festivals can somewhat mitigate the variance and assist with selecting suitable waste management methods. This paper presents the example of Rajouri, India, to propose a suitable MSWM based on Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) intensity maps and statistical findings. The considered region was divided into different sample sites based on the local population density, and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) was collected from four locations in each site on weekdays, weekends, and festivals. Compositional analysis of the MSW was then used to generate spatial IDW models in QGIS 3.22.7 to interpolate MSW generation over the entire area. Finally, statistical analysis was conducted to gain insight into the waste generation and accumulation trends. The results show that Rajouri produces 245 tonnes of waste daily (per capita: 0.382 kg/day) with a large organic fraction compared to other waste categories. Besides, waste generation is observed to increase over weekends and festivals due to increased consumption of material goods. Composting could serve as a vector for municipal solid waste because of its increased organic component and cost constraints. However, further research on the potential segregation techniques for the organic fraction of solid waste is needed.

Microplastics: Occurrences, treatment methods, regulations and foreseen environmental impacts.

Microplastics are a silent threat that represent a high degree of danger to the environment in its different ecosystems and of course will also have an important impact on the health of living organisms. It is evident the need to have effective treatments for their treatment, however this is not a simple task, this as a result of the behavior of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants due to their different types and nature, their long molecular chain, reactivity against water, size, shape and the functional groups they carry. Wastewater treatment plants are at the circumference of the release of these wastes into the environment. They often act as a source of many contaminations, which makes this problem more complex. Challenges such as detection in the current scenario using the latest analytical techniques impede the correct understanding of the problem. Due to microplastics, treatment plants have operational and process stability problems. This review paper will present the in-depth situation of occurrence of microplastics, their detection, conventional and advanced treatment methods as well as implementation of legislations worldwide in a comprehensive manner. It has been observed that no innovative or new technologies have emerged to treat microplastics. Therefore, in this article, technologies targeting wastewater treatment plants are critically analyzed. This will help to understand their fate, but also to develop state-of-the-art technologies or combinations of them for the selective treatment of microplastics. The pros and cons of the treatment methods adopted and the knowledge gaps in legislation regarding their implementation are also comprehensively analyzed. This critical work will offer the development of new strategies to restrict microplastics.

Thermodynamic modeling of in-situ rocket propellant fabrication on Mars.

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) to refuel rockets on Mars will become critical in the future. The current effort presents a thorough feasibility analysis of a scalable, Matlab-based, integrated ISRU framework from the standpoint of the second law of thermodynamics. The ISRU model is based on existing technology that can utilize Martian resources (regolith and atmosphere) to produce rocket propellants. Model simulations show that the system analysis is theoretically consistent with a positive entropy generation, and the achievable mass flow rates of liquid methane and liquid oxygen can potentially meet the 16-month rocket refueling deadline (on Mars) as desired by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. However, the model is sensitive to liquid oxygen storage temperatures, and lower temperatures are necessary to minimize compressor work. This proof-of-concept model can open avenues for further experimental evaluation of the system to achieve a higher technology readiness level.

Efficient removal of ibuprofen and ofloxacin pharmaceuticals using biofilm reactors for hospital wastewater treatment.

Hospital wastewater is harmful to the environment and human health due to its complex chemical composition and high potency towards becoming a source of disease outbreaks. Due to these complexities, its treatment is neither efficient nor cost-effective. It is a challenging issue that requires immediate attention. This effort focuses on the treatment of hospital wastewater (HWW) by removing two selected drugs, namely ibuprofen (IBU) and ofloxacin (OFX) using individual biological treatment methods, such as moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR) and physicochemical treatment, such as ozonation and peroxane process. The both methods are compared to find the best method overall based on effectiveness and removal efficiency. The optimal removal for ozone dosing range was nitrate (9.00% and 62.00%), biological oxygen demand (BOD) (92.00% and 64.00%), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (96.00% and 92.00%) that required at least 10 min to reach considerable degradation. The MBBR process assured a better performance for ibuprofen removal, overall. The IBU and OFX removal was found to be 14.32-96.00% at a higher COD value and 11.33-94.00% at a lower COD value due to its biodegradation. This work strives to pave the way forward to build an HWW treatment technology using integrated MBBR processes for better efficiency and cost-effectiveness.