Safety and durability of low-density polyethylene bags in solar water disinfection applications.

Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a simple point-of-use process that uses sunlight to disinfect water for drinking. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are typically used as water containers for SODIS, but a new SODIS container design has recently been developed with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags and can overcome the drawbacks of PET bottles. Two nesting layers of LDPE bags are used in the new design: the inner layer containing the water to be disinfected and the outer one creating air insulation to minimize heat loss from the water to the surroundings.

In vitro human chondrocyte culture on plasma-treated poly(glycerol sebacate) scaffolds.

Porous poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) scaffolds were prepared using a salt leaching technique and subsequently surface modified by a low oxygen plasma treatment prior to the use in the in vitro culture of human chondrocytes. Condensation polymerization of glycerol and sebacic acid used at various mole ratios, i.e.