The role of nanotechnology in industrial water treatment.

High-quality water is essential for most industrial processes, and many of these processes generate large volumes of contaminated wastewater. Nanotechnology has the potential to make industrial water treatment more efficient and less expensive, though promising technologies must be demonstrated at higher scales to make a real impact.

Ten persistent myths and the realities of membrane bioreactor technology for municipal applications.

Twelve years after the first full scale municipal application in Europe of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology, the process is now accepted as a technology of choice for wastewater treatment, and the market is showing sustained growth. However early misconceptions about the technology are persistent and false statements are commonly encountered in articles and conferences, generating unnecessary research efforts or even fuelling either fascination or scepticism with regards to the technology, which is ultimately detrimental to the perception of the process by water professionals. We try to provide some factual and rational clarifications on ten issues which are often wrongly reported about MBR technology.

Long-term comparison of trace organics removal performances between conventional and membrane activated sludge processes.

The removal of trace organic compounds through membrane bioreactors (MBR) compared with a conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in a long-term study was investigated. Two MBR pilot plants were operated in parallel to a full-scale WWTP fed with the same municipal raw wastewater. Polar compounds (phenazone-type pharmaceuticals, their metabolites, and carbamazepine) and less polar estrogenic steroids (estradiol, estrone, and ethinylestradiol) were quantified.

Outcomes of a 2-year investigation on enhanced biological nutrients removal and trace organics elimination in membrane bioreactor (MBR).

Two configurations of membrane bioreactors were identified to achieve enhanced biological phosphorus and nitrogen removal, and assessed over more than two years with two parallel pilot plants of 2m3 each. Both configurations included an anaerobic zone ahead of the biological reactor, and differed by the position of the anoxic zone: standard pre-denitrification, or post-denitrification without dosing of carbon source. Both configurations achieved improved phosphorus removal.

[Generalized granuloma annulare: remission during treatment of HIV infection].

Introduction: Granuloma annulare is a benign dermatosis characterized by pale or erythematous papules grouped in rings or in arch form figures. We report the observation combining a granuloma annulare and a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, with regression of the granuloma annulare on initiation of treatment of the HIV infection.

Observation: A 33 year-old man presented with an eruption of multiple, erythematous papules predominating on the trunk and limbs but sparing the face.