Cupriavidus metallidurans biomineralization ability and its application as a bioconsolidation enhancer for ornamental marble stone.

Bacterially induced calcium carbonate precipitation of a Cupriavidus metallidurans isolate was investigated to develop an environmentally friendly method for restoration and preservation of ornamental stones. Biomineralization performance was carried out in a growth medium via a Design of Experiments (DoE) approach using, as design factors, the temperature, growth medium concentration, and inoculum concentration. The optimum conditions were determined with the aid of consecutive experiments based on response surface methodology (RSM) and were successfully validated thereafter.

Pseudomonas, Pantoea and Cupriavidus isolates induce calcium carbonate precipitation for biorestoration of ornamental stone.

Aims: Bacterially induced calcium carbonate precipitation from various isolates was investigated aiming at developing an environmentally friendly technique for ornamental stone protection and restoration.

Methods And Results: Micro-organisms isolated from stone samples and identified using 16S rDNA and biochemical tests promoted calcium carbonate precipitation in solid and novel liquid growth media. Biomineral morphology was studied on marble samples with scanning electron microscopy.

Optimization of Fenton's reagent coupled to Dissolved Air Flotation to remove cyanobacterial odorous metabolites and suspended solids from raw surface water.

Ferrous salts are commonly used as coagulants in Water Treatment Plants (WTPs). When these salts are combined with hydrogen peroxide in acidic conditions - besides coagulation - an additional Advanced Oxidation Process (Fenton's reagent) can take place. Using a response surface methodology, this paper presents the optimization of a novel treatment system constituted by Fenton's reagent (FE) and Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) for removing 2-Methylisoborneol (MIB), geosmin and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) from raw water.

Assessment of Fenton's reagent and ozonation as pre-treatments for increasing the biodegradability of aqueous diethanolamine solutions from an oil refinery gas sweetening process.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of three chemical oxidation processes for increasing the biodegradability of aqueous diethanolamine solutions (aqueous DEA solutions), to be used as pre-treatments before a biological process. The raw aqueous DEA solution, sourced from a sour gas sweetening plant at a Mexican oil refinery, was first characterized by standardized physico-chemical methods. Then experiments were conducted on diluted aqueous DEA solutions to test the effects of Fenton's reagent, ozone and ozone-hydrogen peroxide on the removal of some physicochemical parameters of these solutions.

Adsorption of humic acid on acid-activated Greek bentonite.

The adsorption of humic acid on bentonite from Milos Island (Greece) acid-treated with dilute H(2)SO(4) solutions over a concentration range between 0.25 and 13M has been studied. Bentonite activated with 3M sulfuric acid (AAS) showed a higher efficiency in removing humic acid from aqueous solutions and was selected for further investigation.

Bioremediation of a soil contaminated by lindane utilizing the fungus Ganoderma australe via response surface methodology.

Mixtures of a sandy soil and wheat straw were doped with the organochlorine insecticide lindane in glass tubes and were inoculated with the polypore fungus, Ganoderma australe. An evaluation of bioremediation process effectiveness was searched and five parameters identified for the solid-state system. Fungi growth is a function of temperature and requires moisture for a proper colonization.

Correlation between bacterial indicators and bacteriophages in sewage and sludge.

The use of bacteriophages as potential indicators of faecal pollution has recently been studied. The correlation of the number of bacterial indicators and the presence of three groups of bacteriophages, namely somatic coliphages (SOMCPH), F-RNA-specific phages (FRNAPH) and phages of Bacteroides fragilis (BFRPH), in raw and treated wastewater and sludge is presented in this study. Raw and treated wastewater and sewage sludge samples from two wastewater treatment plants in Athens were collected on a monthly basis, over a 2-year period, and analysed for total coliforms, Escherichia coli, intestinal enterococci and the three groups of bacteriophages.

Characterization of a fungal strain isolated from a polyphenol polluted site.

A group of fungal strains were isolated from a polyphenol polluted soil, taken from an olive oil processing plant in Attica, Greece. The fungi were tested for their ability to decolorize a polyaromatic dye Poly R-478, which was used as a model compound to test their ligninolytic activities. The strain K1.

The use of bacteriophages for monitoring the microbiological quality of sewage sludge.

The use of bacteriophages as potential indicators of faecal pollution has recently been studied. The correlation of the number of bacterial indicators and the presence of three groups of bacteriophages, namely somatic coliphages (SOMCPH), F-RNA specific phages (FRNAPH) and phages of Bacteroides fragilis (BFRPH), in raw and treated sludge is presented in this study. Raw and anaerobically digested sewage sludge samples from two wastewater treatment plants in Athens were collected on a monthly basis, over a 2-year period, and analyzed for total coliforms, E.

Experimentally validated 3-D simulation of shock waves generated by dense explosives in confined complex geometries.

Accidental blast wave generation and propagation in the surroundings poses severe threats for people and property. The prediction of overpressure maxima and its change with time at specified distances can lead to useful conclusions in quantitative risk analysis applications. In this paper, the use of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code CFX-5.

Biodegradation of lindane by Pleurotus ostreatus via central composite design.

The degradation of lindane was studied in liquid-agitated cultures using a commercial strain of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus as the biodegrading organism. The biodegradation was accomplished with the action of extracellular oxidative enzymes, produced by the fungus to decompose woody substrates. Enzyme activities of manganese peroxidase and laccase were measured in a liquid mineral medium.

Validation of turbulence models in heavy gas dispersion over obstacles.

Accidental release and dispersion of toxic gases were always major hazards for public health and safety that process industries had to deal with. Real terrain dispersion simulation for risk analysis purposes poses specific difficulties related to complex turbulence phenomena development, especially when obstructions are found into the flow region. In this paper, several turbulence models are tested and compared against experimental data of dense vapor dispersion, in order to decide for their suitability for simulating such flows.

Microbiological quality of sewage sludge in Greece disposed for agricultural use.

For the disposal of sewage, sludge landfill is currently the practice adopted in Greece. Thirteen wastewater treatment plants located throughout Greece (islands excluded) were investigated over a period of 1 year in order to determine sludge microbiological quality. The time of exposure of the samples to environmental conditions and stress varied considerably, from a few hours to several months.

The Structure of Adsorbed CO(2) in Slitlike Micropores at Low and High Temperature and the Resulting Micropore Size Distribution Based on GCMC Simulations.

The Monte Carlo method is used in its grand ensemble variant in combination with CO(2) experimental isotherm data at low (195.5 K) and high temperatures (at 298 and 308 K, i.e.