Innovative DIY drinking water disinfection for underserved communities.

Waterborne pathogens threaten 2.2 billion people lacking access to safely managed drinking water services, causing over a million annual diarrheal deaths. Individuals without access to chlorine reagents or filtration devices often resort to do-it-yourself (DIY) methods, such as boiling or solar disinfection (SODIS).

Response of sweet pepper autofluorescence against solar radiation.

Shades are adjusted in sweet pepper cultivation, based on solar exposure levels. Pyranometers and photosensitive films have recently been introduced to smart agriculture. However, there are no means of observing biological responses to solar exposure.

Removal of 1,4-dioxane from landfill leachate by a rotating advanced oxidation contactor equipped with activated carbon/TiO composite sheets.

A rotating advanced oxidation contactor (RAOC) equipped with activated carbon (AC)/TiO composite sheets for 1,4-dioxane removal from biologically treated landfill leachate (BTLL) was developed. The performance of the RAOC in 1,4-dioxane removal was compared to that of a TiO slurry reactor by evaluating the removal efficiencies in pure water (PW) and the BTLL. In the TiO slurry reactor, 1,4-dioxane was hardly degraded in the BTLL during 66 h of treatment because of strong inhibition by coexisting substances in the BTLL.

Fixation of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Glass Fiber Cloths for Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were fixed on a glass fiber cloth using zeolite synthesis. This led to the formation of a photocatalytic zeolite cloth (PZC). Cloth samples were characterized by various diffraction and scanning electron microscopic techniques.

Removal mechanism of sulfamethazine and its intermediates from water by a rotating advanced oxidation contactor equipped with TiO-high-silica zeolite composite sheets.

The removal of antibiotic sulfamethazine (SMT) and its intermediates from water was investigated using a rotating advanced oxidation contactor (RAOC) equipped with TiO-high-silica zeolite composite sheets. SMT was readily removed from water through adsorption onto high-silica zeolite and photocatalytic decomposition by TiO inside the composite sheet. Some degradation intermediates were retained and photocatalytically decomposed inside the composite sheet.

Copper Speciation for Natural Water by On-site Sample Treatment/Solid-phase Extraction/Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.

Herein, we determined the contents of Cu(I), Cu(II), and hydrophobic Cu in natural water using on-site sample treatment, solid-phase extraction (SPE), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. To prevent Cu species changes in the sampling, filtering and preconditioning steps were performed in a closed system using plastic syringes and a disposable membrane filter. Bathocuproin disulfonate (BCS) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were selected as a Cu(I)-selective complexing agent and a Cu(II) masking agent, respectively, whereas ascorbic acid (AA) was used to reduce Cu(II) to Cu(I).

Removal of crotamiton and its degradation intermediates from secondary effluent using TiO-zeolite composites.

Crotamiton, a scabicide and antipruritic agent persistent during biological treatment processes, is frequently detected in secondary effluent. In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO) and high-silica zeolite (HSZ-385) composites were synthesized and applied for the treatment of crotamiton in secondary effluent. Crotamiton was rapidly adsorbed by HSZ-385, and the adsorption performance of crotamiton in the secondary effluent was quite close to that in the test using ultrapure water.

Short-time alkaline peroxide pretreatment for rapid pulping and efficient enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw.

To improve utilization of agricultural residues in biorefineries, the effects of alkaline peroxide (AP) pretreatment on thermal degradation and enzymatic digestibility of rice straw were investigated. A high-cellulose (>70%) pulp with a width of a few micrometers was obtained by rapid (10min) treatment with AP, without prior heating or other treatment. Moreover, enzymatic hydrolysis of the pulp produced a high glucose yield (approximately 80%).

Sulfonamide antibiotic removal and nitrogen recovery from synthetic urine by the combination of rotating advanced oxidation contactor and methylene urea synthesis process.

The combination of nitrogen recovery and pharmaceutical removal processes for livestock urine treatment were investigated to suppress the discharge of pollutants and recover nitrogen as resources. We combined methylene urea synthesis from urea and adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition of sulfonamide antibiotic using rotating advanced oxidation contactor (RAOC) contained for obtaining both safe fertilizer and reclaimed water. The methylene urea synthesis could recover urea in synthetic urine, however, almost all sulfonamide antibiotic was also incorporated, which is unfavorable from a safety aspect if the methylene urea is to be used as fertilizer.

Preparation using pectinase and characterization of nanofibers from orange peel waste in juice factories.

Unlabelled: This study reports the preparation and characterization of nanofibers consisting mainly of cellulose microfibrils from orange peel (OP), which is a significant byproduct of orange juice production. Three treatments (boiling, alkaline, and pectinase) were investigated with and without subsequent grinding treatment. It was possible to prepare the cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) using these methods, except for the boiling treatment with grinding.