Utilization of shale cuttings in production of lightweight aggregates.

The development of technologies for unconventional hydrocarbon exploration requires designing procedures to manage drilling waste that are consistent with the waste management hierarchy. In view of this, the possibility to apply shale drill cuttings as a prospective additive (replacing bentonite) to fly ash used for the production of lightweight aggregates (LWAs) was investigated. Moreover, a facile, waste-free method of LWAs production with using shales was proposed.

Transparent thin films of Cu-TiO2 with visible light photocatalytic activity.

Thin films of Cu-TiO2 with a high level of transparency were prepared by a dip-coating procedure on the glass surface. CuCl2 was used as a copper precursor added during sol-gel synthesis of TiO2. The extension of optical absorption into the visible region of as-prepared thin films was indicated by UV/Vis spectroscopy.

Solubilization of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) in aqueous micellar solutions of amphiphilic imidazolium ionic liquids.

Water-soluble ionic liquids may be considered analogues to cationic surfactants with a corresponding surface activity and ability to create organized structures in aqueous solutions. For the first time, the enhanced solubility of the aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, and xylene, in aqueous micellar systems of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chlorides was investigated. Above a critical micelle concentration, a gradual increase in the concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons in the miceller solution was observed.

Changes in zeta potential of imidazolium ionic liquids modified minerals--Implications for determining mechanism of adsorption.

As the amount of industrial processes involving ionic liquids (ILs) increase the question of their environmental fate awaits an answer. Should ILs become a source of pollution they will primarily be found in soils and water. Interaction of imidazolium IL with soils is a complex interplay of many parameters making predicting their fate and mobility a challenging task.

Influence of microbial adaption and supplementation of nutrients on the biodegradation of ionic liquids in sewage sludge treatment processes.

As ionic liquids are winning more attention from industry as a replacement of more hazardous chemicals, some of their structures have the potential to become persistent pollutants due to high stability towards abiotic and biotic degradation processes. Therefore it is important to determine the hazard associated with the presence of ILs in the environment, for example biodegradation under real conditions. Standard biodegradation testing procedures generally permit pre-conditioning of inoculum but do not allow for pre-exposition to the test substance.

Influence of the Hofmeister anions on self-organization of 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride in aqueous solutions.

Inorganic salts usually influence water structure affecting the hydration of the molecules which lead to a salting-in or a salting-out effect of hydrophobic compounds. Specific conductivity and isothermal titration calorimetry have been used to study the effect of inorganic salts on aggregation of the cationic surfactant 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride in aqueous solutions. The effect of the concentration, the nature of the anion and temperature on micelle formation were studied.

1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium chloride--sorption and primary biodegradation analysis in activated sewage sludge.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are known to be non-volatile and thus to have low potential for atmospheric contamination or intoxication of humans by inhalation. However ILs have the potential to contaminate soil and water as they might be water soluble and can be sorbed onto solids. The investigation of possible natural ways of reducing the concentration of ILs in the environment is of high importance, especially because the requirement for biodegradable chemicals increases, together with pressure for reduction of incineration and landfill waste.

Thermodynamics of micellization of imidazolium ionic liquids in aqueous solutions.

The structural similarity between some ionic liquids (ILs) and ionic surfactants, indicates that ILs are expected to exhibit surface adsorption and aggregation properties. The Krafft temperature and the temperature dependence of the critical micelle concentration (CMC) were determined for four imidazolium ionic liquids with varying chain length by measuring concentration dependence of electrical conductivity at different temperatures. The magnitude of the thermodynamic parameters of the micelle formation provide valuable information about the driving force of micellization of these compounds, therefore, the parameters of these chemicals were estimated from the degree of ionization, and the CMC.

Flue gas treatment for SO2 removal with air-sparged hydrocyclone technology.

Laboratory results from an initial study on the removal of SO2 from gas mixtures are reported using air-sparged hydrocyclone (ASH) technology. Tap water and alkaline solutions were used for absorption, and the influence of gas flow rate, water flow rate, and length of the ASH unit were investigated. The research results indicate thatthe air-sparged hydrocyclone can be used as a highly efficient absorber for SO2 emissions.

H2O2/UV enhanced degradation of pesticides in wastewater.

Photodegradation of organic pesticides in industrial wastewater was examined in a UV/H2O2/air system. An experimentally determined optimal amount of hydrogen peroxide (0.008% v/v) indicates that hydrogen peroxide concentration controlled the efficiency of photodegradation.

H2O2/UV/air oxidation of organic contaminants in the gas-sparged cyclone reactor.

In the last decade advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been gaining importance for destruction of waste as cleaner methods enabling conversion of organic contaminants to harmless species. Photodegradation processes in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), ozone (O3) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) are most frequently offered for wastewater treatment. The novel gas-sparged reactor equipped with UV lamp proved to be an efficient system for photochemical degradation.

Chloride ions formation during degradation of organochloride compounds using TiO2 deposited on glass microspheres.

Aqueous solutions containing 200 mg/dm3 of p,p'-DDT and methoxychlor were photodegraded for 60 min in UV/TiO2/O2 system and chloride ions concentration and pH were measured. From 60 to 80% of the investigated pesticides were eliminated after treatment. Over 27% of chlorine atoms were splitted off for methoxychlor and 10% for p,p'-DDT.

[Influence of aging on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion (author's transl)].

Oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed in three different age groups, separately for men and women. Blood glucose and insulin levels were examined. Advanced age is associated with reduced glucose tolerance independent whether it is investigated by means of intravenous or oral glucose application.

Changes in the ballistocardiogram in pulmonary hypertension.

A comparison of Bcg changes was made between a group of healthy individuals, a group of pneumopaths with normal blood pressure in the pulmonary artery at rest and another group of pneumopaths with pulmonary hypertension at rest. The tension in the pulmonary artery was measured by venous catheterization. It was found that: (1) the H wave of the Bcg was significantly higher in both groups of pneumopaths than in the group of healthy individuals, and (2) the L wave was significantly higher in pneumopathics with pulmonary hypertension at rest than in pneumopaths with pulmonary normotension and healthy individuals.

Ballistocardiographic changes after carbon dioxide baths.

Ballistocardiography was used for following up the changes in cardiovascular dynamics in 2 groups of patients suffering from hypertensive disease stage II. In a group of hypertensive patients who took CO2 baths for 28 days, or improvement of the pathologically altered Bcg showed with a simultaneous decrease in blood pressure and pulse rate for a better dynamics of the cardiac function. In the group of hypertensive patients taking isothermic tap-water baths under identical conditions, the same trend in the Bcg changes was found, but these changes were not statistically significant.