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Journal of Environmental Management May 2024Brine, a by-product of desalination and industrial facilities, is becoming more and more of an environmental issue. This comprehensive techno-economic assessment (TEA),...
Brine, a by-product of desalination and industrial facilities, is becoming more and more of an environmental issue. This comprehensive techno-economic assessment (TEA), focusing on the technical and economic aspects, investigates the performance and viability of a novel hybrid desalination brine treatment system known as zero liquid discharge (ZLD). Notably, this research represents the first instance of evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating three distinct desalination processes, namely brine concentrator (BC), high-pressure reverse osmosis (HPRO), and membrane-promoted crystallization (MPC), within a ZLD framework. The findings of this study demonstrate an exceptional water recovery rate of 97.04%, while the energy requirements stand at a reasonable level of 17.53 kWh/m. Financially, the ZLD system proves to be at least 3.28 times more cost-effective than conventional evaporation ponds and offers comparable cost efficiency to alternatives such as land application and deep-well injection. Moreover, the ZLD system exhibits profitability potential by marketing both drinking water and solid salt or solely desalinated water. The daily profit from the sale of generated water varies from US$194.08 to US$281.41, with Greece and Cyprus attaining the lowest and highest profit, respectively. When considering the sale of both salt and water, the profit rises by 8% across all locations.
Topics: Water Purification; Osmosis; Salts
PubMed: 38718606
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121057 -
The Journal of the Association of... Oct 2023: Chronic kidney disease and as a consequence end-stage kidney disease (EKSD) is increasing globally. More and more people across the world are requiring hemodialysis... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
: Chronic kidney disease and as a consequence end-stage kidney disease (EKSD) is increasing globally. More and more people across the world are requiring hemodialysis (HD). The HD procedure produces a large quantity of biomedical waste. In addition, HD consumes a large quantity of water. In this study, we estimated the waste generated from our government-funded HD unit. : It is a prospective study that was carried out in the dialysis unit in the nephrology department over a period of 1 year. The daily dialysis waste generated by the unit was measured using a spring balance. The proportion of plastic and nonplastic waste was determined. The quantity of biomedical waste generated per person in 1 year was calculated. Water input to the dialysis unit was noted. Water consumption per dialysis was calculated. Liquid chemical waste consumed was determined. Electricity consumed by the unit was measured by the electricity meter. The cost of waste disposal was calculated. The cost of electricity consumption and water consumption was also calculated. : The approximate weight of waste disposables generated in one dialysis was 0.75 kg. Approximately each person generates 1.29 kg of waste per dialysis. Each dialysis required 125 L of reverse osmosis (RO) water and to generate 125 L of RO water 250 L of raw water was used. This happens as 125 L of water are rejected during the generation of 125 L of RO water. Thus, the net water consumption for each dialysis was 250 L. Chemical waste generated per dialysis includes 90 mL citric acid per dialysis and 130 mL bleach. Each dialysis consumes 3 kWh (three units) of electricity. The cost of electricity for each dialysis was 25.5 INR and the cost of water was 25 INR per dialysis. The cost of waste disposal for each dialysis bed was 6 INR. : Each dialysis patient produced 1.29 kg of waste per dialysis which was like other studies. Unlike other studies, the waste was not being reprocessed or recycled. : Hemodialysis produces substantial biomedical waste. Proper waste disposal techniques and policies to promote reduction, reuse, and recycling will go a long way toward promoting green dialysis and reducing environmental as well as economic burdens. : Sahay M, Sahay RK, Seshadri B, Assessment of Biomedical Waste Generation in Dialysis Units: A Prospective Observational Study-Is it Time for "Green Dialysis"? J Assoc Physicians India 2023;71(10):49-52.
Topics: Renal Dialysis; Prospective Studies; Humans; Medical Waste Disposal; Medical Waste; India
PubMed: 38716524
DOI: 10.59556/japi.71.0383 -
Water Environment Research : a Research... May 2024Reverse osmosis (RO) effectively provides clean drinking water. Different RO membrane types are tailored to treat saline water feeds with varying characteristics. In the...
Reverse osmosis (RO) effectively provides clean drinking water. Different RO membrane types are tailored to treat saline water feeds with varying characteristics. In the context of low brackish water feeds, the objective is to remove only a minimal excess of salinity through the membrane. Our study introduces a method of membrane post-treatments capable of achieving controlled salt rejection while concurrently enhancing permeate flux, which is vital for achieving effective and energy-efficient desalination of low brackish water. The post-treatments were conducted on our in-house-developed membranes using aqueous solutions of N,N-Dimethylformamide and glycerol for different drying times at the coupon level. The process was scaled up at the module level, allowing us to assess its potential for commercial application. At the coupon level, the permeate flux increased significantly from 3.7 ± 0.9 to 10.6 ± 0.2 L/m·h·bar, while the salt rejection decreased from 95.6 ± 1% to 70.5 ± 1% when measured with a feed of 2,000 ppm NaCl concentration. At the module level, we observed a higher flux of 12.8 L/m·h·bar, alongside a salt rejection of 55.5% with a similar feed. Varying post-treatment parameters at the coupon level allowed us to attain the desired salt rejection and permeate flux values. Physical changes in both pristine and post-treated membranes, including polymer swelling, were observed without chemical alterations, enhancing our understanding of the post-treatment effect and its potential for broader commercial use. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Post-treatment of RO membranes enhances flux. Physical structuring through polymer swelling was observed with the chemical structure unaltered. Post-treatment of RO opens doors for broader energy-efficient desalination application.
Topics: Osmosis; Water Purification; Membranes, Artificial; Salinity; Saline Waters
PubMed: 38715392
DOI: 10.1002/wer.11028 -
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry : PPB Jun 2024Abiotic stresses like salinity and micronutrient deficiency majorly affect wheat productivity. Applying mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSiNPs) as a smart micronutrient...
Abiotic stresses like salinity and micronutrient deficiency majorly affect wheat productivity. Applying mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSiNPs) as a smart micronutrient delivery system can facilitate better stress management and nutrient delivery. In this purview, we investigated the potential of MSiNPs and Zn-loaded MSiNPs (Zn-MSiNPs) on the growth and physiology of wheat seedlings exposed to salinity stress (200 mM NaCl). Initially, the FESEM, DLS, and BET analysis portrayed nanoparticles' spherical shape, nano-size, and negatively charged mesoporous surface. A sustained release of Zn from Zn-MSiNPs at 30 °C, diffused light, and pH 7 was perceived with a 96.57% release after 10 days. Further, the mitigation of NaCl stress in the wheat seedlings was evaluated with two different concentrations, each of MSiNPs and Zn-MSiNPs (1 g/L and 5 g/L), respectively. A meticulous improvement in the germination and growth of wheat seedlings was observed when treated with both MSiNPs and Zn-MSiNPs. A considerable increase in chlorophyll, total protein, and sugar content was in consort with a substantial decline in MDA, electrolyte leakage, and ROS accumulation, showcasing the nanomaterials' palliating effects. Most importantly, the K/Na ratio in shoots increased significantly by 3.43 and 4.37 folds after being treated with 5 g/L Zn-MSiNPs, compared to their respective control sets (0 and 200 mM NaCl). Therefore, it can be concluded that the Zn-MSiNPs can effectively restrain the effects of salinity stress on wheat seedlings.
Topics: Triticum; Silicon Dioxide; Seedlings; Zinc; Nanoparticles; Reactive Oxygen Species; Salt Stress; Porosity; Osmosis
PubMed: 38714130
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108693 -
SAGE Open Medicine 2024Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia can occur in obese subjects. The medical comorbidities associated with obesity may contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. It is...
OBJECTIVES
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia can occur in obese subjects. The medical comorbidities associated with obesity may contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. It is unknown, however, which specific medical comorbidities and if higher odds of thrombosis are present in obese heparin-induced thrombocytopenia patients. We sought to determine whether obese heparin-induced thrombocytopenia subjects had higher odds of both comorbidities and thrombosis, hypothesizing that this patient population would have higher odds of both these conditions.
METHODS
This was a multi-center retrospective study utilizing TriNetX, an electronic health record database, in subjects aged 18-99 years diagnosed with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. The cohort was divided into two groups (1) non-obese (body mass index < 30 kg/m) and (2) obese (body mass index ⩾ 30 kg/m). We evaluated patient characteristics, diagnostic, laboratory, medication, and procedure codes.
RESULTS
A total of 1583 subjects (696 (44.0%) non-obese and 887 (56.0%) obese) were included. Obese subjects had higher odds of diabetes with complications (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.35-2.22, < 0.001) and without complications (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.47-2.22, < 0.001). This association was still present after correcting for demographic and clinical factors. There were no increased odds of thrombosis observed in the obesity group.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study found that obese heparin-induced thrombocytopenia subjects had higher odds of having a diabetes mellitus comorbidity, but did not have higher odds of thrombosis. Given obesity is considered a hypercoagulable state, further study may be needed to understand why obese subjects diagnosed with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia do not have higher rates of thrombosis.
PubMed: 38711468
DOI: 10.1177/20503121241247471 -
Environmental Science & Technology May 2024Potable reuse water is increasingly part of the water supply portfolio for municipalities facing water shortages, and toxicity assays can be useful for evaluating...
Potable reuse water is increasingly part of the water supply portfolio for municipalities facing water shortages, and toxicity assays can be useful for evaluating potable reuse water quality. We examined the Chinese hamster ovary cell acute direct genotoxicity of potable reuse waters contributed by disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and anthropogenic contaminants and used the local conventional drinking waters as benchmarks for evaluating potable reuse water quality. Our results showed that treatment trains based on reverse osmosis (RO) were more effective than RO-free treatment trains for reducing the genotoxicity of influent wastewaters. RO-treated reuse waters were less genotoxic than the local tap water derived from surface water, whereas reuse waters not treated by RO were similarly genotoxic as the local drinking waters when frequent replacement of granular activated carbon limited contaminant breakthrough. The genotoxicity contributed by nonvolatile, uncharacterized DBPs and anthropogenic contaminants accounted for ≥73% of the total genotoxicity. The (semi)volatile DBPs of current research interest contributed 2-27% toward the total genotoxicity, with unregulated DBPs being more important genotoxicity drivers than regulated DBPs. Our results underscore the need to look beyond known, (semi)volatile DBPs and the importance of determining whole water toxicity when assessing the quality of disinfected waters.
Topics: Drinking Water; Cricetulus; Animals; CHO Cells; Water Purification; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Disinfection; Cricetinae; Mutagenicity Tests; Water Quality; Water Supply
PubMed: 38709862
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c01596 -
The Journal of Physical Chemistry... May 2024In the past few decades, nanometer-scale pores have been employed as powerful tools for sensing biological molecules. Owing to its unique structure and properties,...
In the past few decades, nanometer-scale pores have been employed as powerful tools for sensing biological molecules. Owing to its unique structure and properties, solid-state nanopores provide interesting opportunities for the development of DNA sequencing technology. Controlling DNA translocation in nanopores is an important means of improving the accuracy of sequencing. Here we present a proof of principle study of accelerating DNA captured across targeted graphene nanopores using surface charge density and find the intrinsic mechanism of the combination of electroosmotic flow induced by charges of nanopore and electrostatic attraction/repulsion between the nanopore and ssDNA. The theoretical study performed here provides a new means for controlling DNA transport dynamics and makes better and cheaper application of graphene in molecular sequencing.
Topics: Nanopores; Graphite; DNA; Static Electricity; DNA, Single-Stranded; Electroosmosis; Sequence Analysis, DNA
PubMed: 38709198
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00672 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jul 2024In recent decades, the presence of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in municipal solid waste leachate has emerged as a growing concern. Research has focused on PFAA release...
In recent decades, the presence of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in municipal solid waste leachate has emerged as a growing concern. Research has focused on PFAA release and occurrence characteristics in landfill and waste-to-energy leachate, highlighting their significant impact when released into wastewater treatment plants. Given the extremely high loading rate faced by current on-site leachate treatment plants (LTPs), the objective of this study is to assess whether the current "anaerobic/aerobic (A/O) + membrane bioreactor (MBR) + nanofiltration (NF) + reverse osmosis (RO)" configuration is effective in PFAAs removal. Concentrations of raw and treated leachate in 10 on-site LTPs with same treatment configuration and varying landfill ages were measured, and a comprehensive mass flow analysis of each treatment process was conducted. The results indicate that A/O treatment has limited capacity for PFAA removal, while NF and RO processes reached 77.44 % and 94.30 % removal rates of ∑PFAAs concentration, respectively. Short-chain PFAAs (> 80 % detected frequency) primarily influenced the distribution and variations of PFAAs in leachate and tend to disperse in the water phase. Correlation analysis revealed the current on-site LTPs exhibit a more efficient removal capacity for long-chain PFAAs.
Topics: Water Pollutants, Chemical; Fluorocarbons; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Waste Disposal Facilities; Wastewater; Bioreactors
PubMed: 38705287
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172982 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024Among the challenges that wastewater treatment plants face in the path towards sustainability, reducing CO emissions and decrease the amount of waste highlight. Within...
Among the challenges that wastewater treatment plants face in the path towards sustainability, reducing CO emissions and decrease the amount of waste highlight. Within these wastes, those that can cause eutrophication, such as nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) are of great concern. Herein we study a novel process to concentrate nutrients via membrane technology. In particular, we propose the use of forward osmosis, applying the carbonated solvent which contains the CO captured from the biogas stream as draw solution. This carbonated solvent has a high potential osmotic pressure, which can be used in forward osmosis to concentrate the nutrients stream. To this end, we present the results of an experimental plan specifically designed and performed to evaluate two main parameters: (1) nutrients concentration; and (2) water recovery. The process designed involves pH adjustment, membrane filtration to separate solids, pH reduction and forward osmosis concentration of nutrients. With this process, concentrations factor for nutrients in between 2 and 2.5 and water recovery of approximately 50 % with water flux of 7 to 8 L/(mh) can be achieved.
PubMed: 38701920
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172884 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... May 2024Cesium removal from aqueous solutions of radioactive waste streams is a challenge in the field of radioactive waste management; this is due to the small atomic radii of...
Cesium removal from aqueous solutions of radioactive waste streams is a challenge in the field of radioactive waste management; this is due to the small atomic radii of Cs metal ions and their high migration ability. So, the development of a withstand system for the removal of Cs is crucial. In the current study, the removal of radioactive cesium from aqueous solutions using an RO-TLC membrane was studied. Two modifications were conducted; the first is to enlarge the cesium metal ion radii by interacting with mono- and dibasic acids, namely, stearic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, and EDTA, and the second is the modification of the RO membrane pore size via reaction with the same acids. The modification was confirmed using SEM, FTIR, and EDX analysis techniques. The Cs and K rejection capacities and water permeability across the membrane at 1.5 bars were evaluated. Along with using the above-mentioned acids, the Cs metal ion retention index (R) was also obtained. It was found that employing EDTA as a chelating agent in an amount of 1.5 g/L in conjunction with the variation of feed content since it provided the highest value of R ~ 98% when used. Moreover, the elution of Cs using water, EDTA, ammonia, and HCl is also investigated. The optimal value of the eluent concentration was (0.25 M) HCl. Finally, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied for a better understanding of the sorption process. The results of the present work more closely match the Langmuir isotherm model to determine the dominance of the chemical sorption mechanism.
Topics: Cesium Radioisotopes; Osmosis; Radioactive Waste; Membranes, Artificial; Water Pollutants, Radioactive
PubMed: 38696009
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33426-3