Optimization of dry-aging conditions for chicken meat using the electric field supercooling system.

This study was designed to determine the optimal aging conditions after analyzing the physicochemical and microbiological properties of dry-aged chicken breast using an electric field supercooling system (EFSS). Chicken breast was aged for up 5 weeks at three different temperatures (0°C, -1°C, and -2°C). Aging and trimming loss at -2°C treatment showed lower values than at 0°C and -1°C treatments. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and volatile basic nitrogen in all treatments increased during the aging process but showed the lowest levels at -2°C. As a result of analysis of aerobic bacteria, it is microbiologically safe to dry-age for up to 2 weeks at 0°C and up to 3 weeks at -1°C and -2°C. Therefore, the dry-aged chicken breast with EFSS was optimally aged for 3 weeks at -2°C.

Optimization of cold plasma combined treatment process and its effect on the quality of Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) during refrigerated storage.

BACKGROUND: Cold plasma exhibits broad applicability in the realm of fish sterilization and preservation. The combination process of plasma-activated water and dielectric barrier discharge (PAW-DBD) was optimized, and its disinfection effects on bass fillets were studied. RESULTS: The best conditions for disinfection of PAW-DBD were as follows. Bass fillets were soaked in PAW for 150 s, and then treated by DBD system at 160 kV for 180 s. The total viable count (TVC) reduced by 1.68 log CFU g-1 . On the 15th day of refrigerated storage, TVC of PAW-DBD group was 7.01 log CFU g-1 , while the PAW and DBD group exhibited a TVC of 7.02 and 7.01 log CFU g-1 on day 12; the TVC of the control group was 7.13 log CFU g-1 on day 6. The sensory score, water-holding capacity, and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values of the PAW-DBD group were significantly higher than those of PAW and DBD group (P < 0.05), whereas the TVC, Pseudomonas spp. count, and pH of the group were significantly lower (P < 0.05) during refrigerated storage. CONCLUSION: PAW-DBD treatment can enhance the disinfection effect, maintain good quality, and extend the storage period of bass fillets. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Performance of hydrocarbon refrigerants in a refrigerator with liquid line magnet and CNT nano-lubricant.

The issues of flammability associated with A3-class hydrocarbon-based refrigerants are controllable by limiting their mass charges. However, these reductions in their mass charge below certain limits deteriorate their performance efficiency. In this experimental study, we analyzed the effects of a liquid line magnetic field (Mag), multi-wall carbon nanotube (CNT) nano-lubricant, and the combination of both (Mag-Nano) on the performance of a very low mass charge (i.e., 30 g) of R600a and LPG refrigerants, as a replacement to the 100 g R134a refrigerant in a domestic refrigeration system. The refrigerants were tested with and without CNT nano-lubricant (pure), two pairs of 3000 Gs liquid line mounted O ring N50 permanent magnets (Mag), 0.2 g/L concentration of CNT nano-lubricant (Nano), and in combination with a liquid line magnetic field and CNT nano-lubricant (Mag-Nano). The performance evaluation of the refrigerants includes the determination of coefficient of performance (COP), evaporator air temperature, volumetric refrigeration capacity, instantaneous power consumption, cumulative energy consumption, and energy cost. A reduction in the COP of R600a and LPG was observed to be about 11-42% and 14-26%, respectively, when compared to R134a. The R134a refrigerant had the lowest evaporator air temperature of -24.5 °C and the highest instantaneous power consumption of 74.6 W. The R600a-Mag-Nano refrigerant is the most efficient option, having the lowest instantaneous power consumption, energy cost, and cumulative energy consumption. The adoption of hydrocarbon refrigerants is more cost-effective than using the R134a refrigerant, resulting in a cost saving of about 8-26%. In conclusion, the proposed methods adopted to enhance the performance of refrigeration system, are very safe and effective.

Using new cold chain technologies to extend the vaccine cold chain in India: Equipment performance, acceptability, systems fit, and costs.

This study evaluated the performance, acceptability, costs, and systems fit of three new cold chain devices in India: a second-generation ice-lined refrigerator (ILR), a solar direct drive (SDD) refrigerator, and a long-term passive device (LTPD). The evaluation was conducted over 15 months during 2016-2017. Sites were selected for their diversity in climate, terrain, and grid electrical supply, and 31 cold chain devices were deployed, 1 to each site. Results showed that all three technologies maintained correct temperatures. The SDD refrigerators had no malfunctions, whilst the ILRs had at least one malfunction, mostly due to the printed circuit board's sensitivity to the erratic power supply. The LTPD temperature display panel caused challenges initially that required replacement of all solar panels with lithium batteries. Yet the devices' long holdovers helped ensure vaccine potency. One challenge, particularly with the ILRs and SDD refrigerators, was condensation. The passively cooled LTPD was valued in settings with smaller populations and unreliable or no power; however, some its features, including the need to condition ice blocks, made it challenging to operate. In addition, the acceptable temperature range for the LTPD, as for all passively cooled devices (greater than 0 °C and less than + 10 °C), was confusing for some health workers due to the decades-long emphasis on maintaining temperatures at + 2 °C to + 8 °C. The greatest system-related benefit was establishment of new cold chain points (CCPs) at locations with intermittent or no grid electricity, bringing immunisation services closer to hard-to-reach areas. A key limitation of all three devices was the inability to freeze ice packs, which are required for vaccine carriers, somewhat restricting the potential of these technologies to reach underserved populations. Moreover, establishing new CCPs added costs to the health system. Results from this study, including costing data, can help guide decision-making.

Energy-economy-environment assessments of refrigerants R152a and R134a in a vapor compression refrigeration system using a variable displacement oil-free linear compressor.

In light of the adverse environmental impact of the R134a refrigerant, replacing it with a more environmentally friendly refrigerant has become imperative than ever. This study presents an experimental investigation into the utilization of R152a and R134a refrigerants in a vapor compression refrigeration system employing a variable displacement oil-free linear compressor. The potential for the replacement of R134a with R152a was examined based on energy, environmental, and economic performance analyses. The outcomes indicated that R152a exhibited a higher coefficient of performance (COP) in comparison to R134a under identical operating conditions. Specifically, when the pressure ratio was 2.0 and the piston stroke was 11 mm, R152a's COP was 13.0% higher than R134a. It was also discovered that reducing the operating stroke and increasing the pressure ratio could effectively lower CO2 emissions and total costs. Under the 2.0 pressure ratio and 9-mm piston stroke, R134a produced 1082.4 kg more CO2 emissions than R152a, representing a 209% increase. In addition, the R152a and R134a total cost was reduced by 8.3% with the 2.5 pressure ratio and 11-mm piston stroke. Notably, the results of the current study demonstrated that R152a outperformed R134a in energy consumption, environmental friendliness, and economy in oil-free linear compressor refrigeration systems. R152a used less electric power, generated fewer CO2 emissions, and naturally reduced predicted running costs in order to maintain the same COP.

Prevalence of food thermometers usage and temperature control in restaurants in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs is planning to initiate a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system in restaurants and cafeterias to manage issues of food safety in Saudi Arabia. One of the most important elements in the HACCP system is the monitoring temperature of cooked and stored food. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and use of refrigerators/freezers and food thermometers among food handlers in local and international restaurants in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in municipality-licensed restaurants. The temperatures of refrigerator and freezer were checked, and the survey form was completed by the researcher according to logbook entries. We then checked for the presence of a food thermometer, and if a functional thermometer was present, the chef was asked to complete an online questionnaire using Survey Monkey website on a tablet. The response rate of the survey was 68% (238/350 restaurants). We found that 88.1% of restaurants used a thermometer to check the temperature of their refrigerators and freezers. Thirty-one restaurants (13.0%) had a regular temperature-monitoring record available for both the refrigerator and freezer. International restaurants had significantly greater temperature-monitoring data than local restaurants (88.1% vs 63.3%; p = .0001). The prevalence of food thermometers in restaurants was 53.4% (127/238 restaurants), with significantly higher prevalence in international restaurants than in local restaurants (96.6% vs 10.8%; p = .0001). The practice of using food thermometer "always" when meat turned brown was significantly associated with the chef's age and education level. The study results showed poor monitoring and documentation of refrigerator and freezer temperatures along with a low prevalence of food thermometer use. The study result provides an insight into one of the barriers to the implementation of the HACCP system in Dammam.

Measurement-Based Quantum Thermal Machines with Feedback Control.

We investigated coupled-qubit-based thermal machines powered by quantum measurements and feedback. We considered two different versions of the machine: (1) a quantum Maxwell's demon, where the coupled-qubit system is connected to a detachable single shared bath, and (2) a measurement-assisted refrigerator, where the coupled-qubit system is in contact with a hot and cold bath. In the quantum Maxwell's demon case, we discuss both discrete and continuous measurements. We found that the power output from a single qubit-based device can be improved by coupling it to the second qubit. We further found that the simultaneous measurement of both qubits can produce higher net heat extraction compared to two setups operated in parallel where only single-qubit measurements are performed. In the refrigerator case, we used continuous measurement and unitary operations to power the coupled-qubit-based refrigerator. We found that the cooling power of a refrigerator operated with swap operations can be enhanced by performing suitable measurements.

Quantum Advantage of Thermal Machines with Bose and Fermi Gases.

In this article, we show that a quantum gas, a collection of massive, non-interacting, indistinguishable quantum particles, can be realized as a thermodynamic machine as an artifact of energy quantization and, hence, bears no classical analog. Such a thermodynamic machine depends on the statistics of the particles, the chemical potential, and the spatial dimension of the system. Our detailed analysis demonstrates the fundamental features of quantum Stirling cycles, from the viewpoint of particle statistics and system dimensions, that helps us to realize desired quantum heat engines and refrigerators by exploiting the role of quantum statistical mechanics. In particular, a clear distinction between the behavior of a Fermi gas and a Bose gas is observed in one dimension, rather than in higher dimensions, solely due to the innate differences in their particle statistics indicating the conspicuous role of a quantum thermodynamic signature in lower dimensions.

Survey of Domestic Refrigerator Storage Temperatures in Poland for Use as a QMRA Tool for Exposure Assessment.

In the framework of Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment, the estimation of the ingested dose of a hazard by the consumer is of paramount importance. This may be calculated by means of predictive modeling of growth/inactivation of the pathogen studied. For products that spend the majority of their shelf life in the domestic refrigerator, storage temperature will significantly impact the microbial population dynamics. To describe the variability of domestic storage temperatures in Poland, a survey including 77 participants, was carried out in Lodz, Poland. Participants were provided with temperature data loggers, which measured their refrigerator temperature for 24 h in 5-min intervals. The temperature-time profiles were used to calculate the mean working temperature, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values, and the data were statistically analyzed to find the best fitting probability distribution using R programming language. Out of the tested refrigerators, 49.35% had a mean working temperature of over 5 °C and 3.9% exceeded 10 °C. Distribution fitting scenarios were tested for goodness of fit, and the final selected distribution was a truncated normal distribution. This study can prove useful in Monte Carlo simulation analysis for stochastic quantitative food risk assessment in Poland.

Occurrence of biogenic amines and their correlation with bacterial communities in the Ivorian traditional fermented fish adjuevan during the storage.

Adjuevan is an Ivorian traditional fermented fish used as a condiment. However, the fermentation process and storage conditions may lead to the production of biogenic amines (BA) which can induce severe human toxicological effects. Thus, this study aimed to reveal the bacterial community diversity and the BA contents during the storage. Samples of adjuevan from the fish species Chloroscombrus chrysurus, Galeoides decadactylus, and Thunnus thynnus were collected from local producers, stored at ambient temperature (28-30 °C) and in a refrigerator (4 °C) over a period of 8 weeks. At 2-week intervals, BA were determined by HPLC and the bacterial communities analyzed using high-throughput sequencing (NGS) of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Results showed that histamine, cadaverine, putrescine, and tyramine were the major compounds. In adjuevan from T. thynnus, the level of histamine was over the maximum level of 200 mg/kg determined by Codex Alimentarius. For the other amines, no safety concerns are related. In total, 21 bacterial genera with a relative abundance ≥ 1% and belonging to 14 families and 5 phyla were detected. The Bacillaceae family was the most found at ambient temperature while Staphylococcaceae and Enterococcaceae were the most abundant in a refrigerator. The analysis of correlation showed that the increase of Lentibacillus leads to a decrease of the major BA at ambient temperature. On the contrary, the increase of Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, Psychrobacter, Peptostreptococcus, and Fusobacterium leads to an increase of these biogenic compounds. Thus, Lentibacillus acted as BA-oxidizing bacteria while the others were found as BA-producing bacteria during adjuevan storage.

Effect of Phycoerythrin on Antimicrobial Activity and Shelf-life Extension of the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) at Refrigerator Temperature.

The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of phycoerythrin (PE) treatment extracted from Nostoc sp. on the shelf-life extension of the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fillet at 4°C and 8°C. After extraction and purification of pigment in BG-110 medium, the pigment PE was extracted and purified with 56% ammonium sulfate followed by dialysis. After that, the effect of pigment on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were investigated. The fillet samples were immersed in pigment solution, and their physicochemical, microbiological and sensory properties were examined. The results showed that the concentration and purity of the pigments increased after the dialysis. The results from performed chemical tests and total number of living mesophilic bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus coagulase positive, and coliform bacteria of the samples compared to the blank sample showed that sample treated with algae extracts were able to control the increase in these parameters. In these tests, the highest levels belonged to Nile Tilapia fillet sample Nile Tilapia fillet coated with PE solution at a temperature 8°C and the lowest amount was observed with fillet coated with PE solution at a temperature of 4˚C (P≤0.05). The results of sensory evaluation showed that the highest score of taste, texture, color, and total acceptance were observed for Nile Tilapia fillet coated with PE solution at temperature 8°C. In conclusion, the extract pigments from Nostoc sp. has strong antimicrobial activity and can maintain the quality parameters for controlling of spoilage bacteria and extend the shelf-life of Oreochromis niloticus.

Domestic refrigerators: An overlooked breeding ground of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens.

Domestic refrigerator is a widely used appliance to keep food fresh and retard food spoilage in household. However, our understanding of microbial health risk associated with food under such circumstance still remains very poor. Here, typical types of food (vegetable, fish, and pork) were kept in a domestic refrigerator at 4 °C for 3-30 days. Temporal dynamics of antibiotic resistome, pathogens, bacterial and fungal communities during this period were investigated via high-throughput quantification and Illumina sequencing technologies. Results showed that a large number (21-134) of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were detected across the three food types, including 10.06 % of high-risk ARGs classified by their risk ranks. Moreover, four bacterial pathogens (i.e., Bacillus cereus, Cronobacter spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus) targeted by marker genes including the pathogen-specific genes or virulence factor genes, and some potential fungal pathogens (e.g., Fusarium, Candida, and Aspergillus) were detected, indicating the occurrence of microbial risk even at the normally regarded safe storage temperature. Among all food types, the total bacterial density and ARG abundances in fish rapidly increased after only 3 days, much faster than vegetable and pork after 10 days. In addition, fish samples contained the highest ARG and pathogen abundances, indicating its potentially higher health risk than other food types. Finally, the shifts of ARG pattern were mainly contributed by bacterial communities and MGEs. This study highlights that food preserved in refrigerator at 4 °C could still be an unneglected microbial risk, and raises awareness of improving food safety in domestic environment.

QFD-Based Research on Sustainable User Experience Optimization Design of Smart Home Products for the Elderly: A Case Study of Smart Refrigerators.

In the current situation of global aging, the current market shortage of age-appropriate smart home products and the recent epidemic have led to greater isolation of the elderly, seriously affecting their physical and mental health. In order to optimize the sustainable user experience of the elderly when using smart home products, this paper proposes a research method based on Quality Function Deployment (QFD) for the optimal design of user experience of smart home products for the elderly, taking the design of age-appropriate home smart refrigerators as an example. Firstly, based on the results of market research and user interviews, the requirements of smart refrigerators for the elderly are screened and integrated, and the Kano model is used to prioritize these needs, resulting in the identification of important features needed in smart refrigerators for the elderly. Secondly, based on QFD, user requirements are transformed into design requirements, and a quality house model is established to ascertain the degree of importance of each design requirement through user ratings so as to obtain the key requirements as the theoretical basis for the solution design. Finally, optional solutions are generated for concept evaluation based on PUGH concept selection, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the solutions and recombining them into an evaluation to determine the best solution. The quantitative evaluation of the four solutions reveals that Solution A has the highest score of 117.358, followed by Solution D with 113.259, Solution B with 96.415, and Solution C with 85.511, which is the lowest. The scoring allows the best design solution to be selected and applied to product development. The results show that the introduction of the Kano model and PUGH concept selection into QFD can be effectively used as a research method for optimizing the user experience of smart refrigerators for the elderly, and a corresponding design strategy for sustainable user experience optimization is proposed. The method and strategy provide guidance for the innovative design of new smart home products.

Experimental Study on a Multi-Evaporator Refrigeration System Equipped with EEV-Based Ejector.

This study presents an experimental rig of a multi-evaporator refrigeration system, in which the pressure difference between two evaporators can be maintained by using both the pressure-regulating valve (PRV) and electronic expansion valve (EEV)-based ejector. The proposed EEV-based ejector that is used to partially recover the throttling losses of the PRV consists of an EEV and the main body of an ejector. The established experimental system can work in both PRV-based mode and ejector-based mode by switching the valves. Via experimental means, the performances of both modes were evaluated by varying the cooling loads. Moreover, the effects of the spindle-blocking area percentage of the EEV-based ejector and the condensing temperature on the system performance were identified. The results showed that: (1) the system performance of the ejector-based mode was 3.6% higher than the PRV-based mode; (2) both entrainment ratio and coefficient of performance dropped along with the increase in ejector spindle-blocking area percentage; (3) compared to ejector spindle-blocking area percentage, the condensing temperature had a more evident influence on the system performance.

Process Evaluation of the Universal Immunization Program in Imphal-East District of Manipur: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Various strategies have been made to make vaccines universally available including to most hard-to-reach and vulnerable population. However, change in coverage level never reached upto expected level in spite of giving so much effort by the Govt. of India and World bodies. Therefore, there is the need to look beyond. Hence, the process evaluation of Universal Immunization Program (UIP) was conducted to evaluate the process of UIP using selected variables. Methods: A cross-sectional observation was done during the period from May 2017 to April 2020 among the 14 health-care facilities and 36 selected session sites, and interview was done to 48 health-care providers working at different levels, located in Imphal East district of Manipur. Both checklist and pretested semi-structured questioners were used for collection of data. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, proportion, and percentage were used. Results: Ice-lined refrigerator and Deep-freezer were found to be present in working condition in 11 (100%) centers. The use of vaccine carrier was found in all 36 (100%) centers. Way of vaccine administration was found to be correct in 26 (72.2%) centers. Availability of up-to-date microplan was found in 18 (78.3%) centers. Conclusions: Barriers in the UIP were not uniform throughout the villages and districts. Hence, area-specific measures need to be taken up for overcoming the barriers and challenges.

Quantitative norovirus viral load is not affected by home storage of stool.

In preparation of a clinical trial of norovirus treatment, there were concerns raised by FDA about risk of self-storage of stool from patients infected with norovirus affecting quantitative assessments of norovirus RNA. Specifically, most home freezers are frost-free and may expose the samples to multiple rounds of freeze-thaw. Stool samples collected by the study team were stored at different lengths in a frost-free freezer and at -80°C. Quantitative PCRs of norovirus were performed on all samples using the same assay. By all measures, there was no significant change in measured viral load with home storage.

What's in the refrigerator? Using an adapted material culture approach to understand health practices and eating habits in the home.

Health researchers have long acknowledged the limitations of self-reporting in studies of health in the home and have consequently sought various methods to broaden research beyond self-reporting in efficient and productive ways. Our two independent research studies, one in Copenhagen, Denmark (2015), and one in Providence County, Rhode Island, in the United States (2015-2016), illustrate how health researchers can adapt an everyday material culture approach used in anthropology to fit the needs of health and wellbeing studies, particularly when it comes to home-based research on health behavior. Our two studies both utilized one particular household object-the refrigerator-to help explore everyday eating habits in various types of households. By analyzing these separate studies together, we found that using the refrigerator in object-elicitation exercises and photographing the refrigerator provided insights that enhanced the interview process, thereby efficiently addressing some of the limitations of interviews and self-reporting. We also found that the refrigerator was a useful comparative tool both within our individual studies and across our research contexts. We conclude that the refrigerator and other everyday use objects are useful methodological tools in health-related studies in the home, and propose that regularly utilizing the refrigerator may help researchers interpret qualitative data about nutrition and eating habits.

Direct cooling from the regenerators of Gifford-McMahon cryocoolers, with comparison to pulse tube refrigerators.

The second-stage regenerators of pulse tube refrigerators (PTRs) are routinely used to intercept heat loads without disturbing cooling at their base temperatures, often near 4 K. Gifford-McMahon cryocoolers (GMCs) have not yet demonstrated a similar capability to provide regenerator cooling, possibly because of the thermal resistance between their regenerator shell and core. Here we show that GMCs do have capacity to provide regenerator cooling when heat loads are applied directly on the outer regenerator shell, although to a lesser extent compared to PTRs of similar cooling capacity. For example, we intercepted a 900 mW heat load at 21.6 K using the second-stage regenerator of a GMC while only giving up 10 mW of cooling at 3 K (out of 270 mW). This performance may possibly be improved by optimizing heat exchange between heat source and regenerator shell. We provide detailed temperature profile measurements from both a GMC and a PTR while applying heat to the regenerators, showing distinct behavior between the two. We also show that for GMCs, the optimal location of heat injection should be farther from the cold end than for PTRs. Although the physical source of regenerator cooling is less clear for GMCs than it is for PTRs, a useful amount of cooling is available and warrants further study.

Emvolio - A battery operated portable refrigerator preserves biochemical and haematological integrity of biological samples in preclinical studies.

Background: Emvolio is a non-medical device, indigenously developed portable refrigeration for maintaining the internal temperature 2-8˚C. The Indian Patent Office has granted patent for applications such as preservation and transport of medicines, vaccines, food, beverages, dairy etc. Further, use of Emvolio can be utilized in transport and store biologicals to preserve their biochemical and cellular integrity.  The objective of this study was to evaluate the biochemical and haematological integrity of biological samples such as rat blood, serum and liver. Methods: The steady temperature was maintained inside the Emvolio, and it was compared to that of thermocol and polypropylene boxes aided with frozen gel packs. The blood and liver samples were isolated from Wistar rats and kept in Emvolio, thermocol and polypropylene boxes for 10 hrs, and the temperature was monitored. The blood parameters, namely red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), platelets, haematocrit, haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width (RDW), serum parameters like alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, creatine kinase, blood urea nitrogen and liver parameters like superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), catalase were estimated and compared. Results: Emvolio maintained a constant inner temperature range of 2-8˚C, whereas a significant temperature variation was seen in thermocol and polypropylene boxes. There was no significant deviation in the parameters tested when samples were kept in Emvolio for six hours compared to the zero hour readings. In contrast, there was a significant deviation among the parameters for the samples kept in thermocol and polypropylene boxes for six hours compared to zero hour parameters. Conclusions: Emvolio maintained constant temperature and preserved the biological integrity of rat blood, serum and liver. Thus, Emvolio can be efficiently used as a biological sample carrier, especially in preclinical studies.

Recovery of Waste Polyurethane from E-Waste. Part II. Investigation of the Adsorption Potential for Wastewater Treatment.

This study explored the performances of waste polyurethane foam (PUF) derived from the shredding of end-of-life refrigerators as an adsorbent for wastewater treatment. The waste PUF underwent a basic pre-treatment (e.g., sieving and washing) prior the adsorption tests. Three target pollutants were considered: methylene blue, phenol, and mercury. Adsorption batch tests were performed putting in contact waste PUF with aqueous solutions of the three pollutants at a solid/liquid ratio equal to 25 g/L. A commercial activated carbon (AC) was considered for comparison. The contact time necessary to reach the adsorption equilibrium was in the range of 60-140 min for waste PUF, while AC needed about 30 min. The results of the adsorption tests showed a better fit of the Freundlich isotherm model (R2 = 0.93 for all pollutants) compared to the Langmuir model. The adsorption capacity of waste PUF was limited for methylene blue and mercury (Kf = 0.02), and much lower for phenol (Kf = 0.001). The removal efficiency achieved by waste PUF was lower (phenol 12% and methylene blue and mercury 37-38%) compared to AC (64-99%). The preliminary results obtained in this study can support the application of additional pre-treatments aimed to overcome the adsorption limits of the waste PUF, and it could be applied for "rough-cut" wastewater treatment.