AbstractIn 2004, the types of shoreline were estimated on Lake Balaton, such as rip-rap covered, reedy, concrete or grit. Exact area of a specific face of a rock in the rip-rap covered parts can be determined by digital image analysis. Wetted rocky area of the shore was estimated as a function of water level in 10 cm steps of level changes. Taking into account the reproduction characteristics of the studied fish species (Cyprinidae) the potential substrates for spawning are dominantly the shallo...
Autori: Gabor Borbely, Gabor Paulovits, Laszlo G. Toth, Nora Kovats
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25204

AbstractThe paper proposes a suitable solution for a one step treatment process of the wastewaters resulted from the textile industry, using a mixture of anatase and modified fly ash. The dyes photo-degradation on TiO2 anatase is well known. The use of fly ash in advanced wastewater treatment, for heavy metal adsorption, represents an environmental friendly process, efficient if the fly ash surface charge is controlled by solubilisation/reprecipitation. The first step in implementing the single ...
Autori: Anca Duta, Maria Visa
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25292

Abstract The use of fly ash (FA) in wastewater treatment received a lot of attention for the immobilization of heavy metal cations, mainly Cd2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Cu2+. For an up-scalable wastewater treatment process, the substrate must have good adsorption efficiency and relatively constant behaviour. Modifying the fly ash surface can be a solution for reaching both goals. The use of FA for heavy metals removal, from wastewaters resulted in the dye finishing industry, faces a supplementary p...
Autori: Maria Visa, Anca Duta
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25471

Abstract In order to improve the photo-efficiency of the electronic process as well as the response into the visible part of the spectrum, TiO2 doping with heavy metal (cadmium, cooper and nickel) have been employed. The objectives of this work are: (a) to prepare doped Me(Cd, Cu, Ni) TiO2 by doctor blade (DB) and spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) techniques, (b) to characterize the catalysts, (c) to study and compare the activity of the Cd-TiO2, Cu-TiO2 and Ni-TiO2 catalysts on methyl orange ...
Autori: Luminita Andronic, Bianca Hristache, Alexandru Enesca, Anca Duta, Maria Visa
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25480

Abstract The paper presents the results obtained when using thin films (doctor blade) of titanium oxide powder (Degussa P25) and fly ashactivated with NaOH, for advanced treatment of complex waters resulted in the textile industry. There are studied the heavy metal(cadmium, copper) adsorption and the dyes (methyl orange and methylene blue) photo-degradation using these novel substrates.The thin films crystallinity (XRD), morphology and roughness (AFM) were evaluated and no significant changes...
Autori: Anca Duta, Luminita Andronic, Maria Visa
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25500

Abstract Plasma is often called the fourth state of matter. It is distinct from other lower-energy states of matter, most commonly solid, liquid, and gas, although it is closely related to the gas phase in that it also has no definite form or volume. Plasma technique may use any gas or gas mixture, within equipment limitations. Each gas or mixture of gases produces distinctive plasma, making possible a very diverse range of chemical environments. Besides the recombination mechanisms developed...
Autori: Marian I. Totolin, Ghiocel E. Ioanid, Iordana Neamtu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25550

Abstract The aim of this study is the evaluation of photo-Fenton as a suitable advanced oxidation process to degrade ampicillin and streptomycin antibiotics. The degradation was studied by monitoring the organic substrate concentration changes in aqueous solution as a function of reaction time using COD analysis. The oxidation process follows two successive stages. In the first stage (I) the oxidation of the antibiotics takes place with high reaction rate, leading to intermediate oxidation pr...
Autori: Cristina Orbeci, Daniela Simina Stefan, Ion Untea, Madelene Dancila
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25602

Abstract A method based on measuring substrate depletion rate was developed to evaluate the denitrifying activity of activated sludge in suspension and in biofilm form in anoxic serum flasks. The adapted activated sludge inoculum was grown as biofilm in an anoxic rotating biological contactor (RBC). Acetate was used as external carbon source to obtain a carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) of 2. The results showed that the specific activity of cells in biofilm form was higher than in planktonic for...
Autori: Elba Vivanco, Juan Carlos Ruiz, Paola Poirrier, Rolando Chamy, Yves Lesty
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25617

Abstract Two different inocula - acclimated and non-acclimated to fat- were used to evaluate the methane production of cow manure, food waste and oily waste in batch assays. The inoculum adapted to fat had a better performance in the methanisation of substrates with significant lipids content. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that an increase in the ratio inoculum/substrate can enhance the initial methane production rate of oily waste when using a non-adapted inoculum, improving also the ultim...
Autori: Lucia Neves, Maria Madalena Alves, Raquel Ferreira, Rosario Oliveira
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25634

Abstract A method based on measuring substrate depletion rate was developed to evaluate the denitrifying activity of activated sludge in suspension and in biofilm form in anoxic serum flasks. The adapted activated sludge inoculum was grown as biofilm in an anoxic rotating biological contactor (RBC). Acetate was used as external carbon source to obtain a carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) of 2. The results showed that the specific activity of cells in biofilm form was higher than in planktonic for...
Autori: Manuel Mota, Pilar Teixeira, Rosario Oliveira, Susana Cortez
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25639

? HYDROGEL MICROSPHERES BASED ON ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY POLYMERS WITH POTENTIAL BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS ? STUDY ON THE MIXING EFFICIENCY IN A BASKET BIOREACTOR WITH IMMOBILIZED YEASTS CELLS ? MANAGEMENT OF WASTE FROM ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT IN CYPRUS ? A CASE STUDY ? SEPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTHOCYANINS BY ANALYTICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL METHODS ? AN INTEGRATED DECISION AID FOR IDENTIFYING AND PRIORITIZING STRATEGIES IN FOREST MANAGEMENT ? INFLUEN...
Autori:
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25668

Abstract:Methyl orange and methylen blue are two dyes resulted from the textile industry. They are not raising just esthetical problems, butthey are toxic and hence harmful to aquatic animals. The aim of this study is to test the capacity of three types of sawdust (oak,willow and white poplar) and mixed substrates, sawdust: fly ash (FA), to remove the methyl orange (MO) and methylen blue(MB) from wastewater. The influence of contact time, solution pH and initial concentration of dyes on the blea...
Autori: Anca Duta, Dora Lucaci
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25752

Abstract:Ash is a waste that can be an efficient substrate in wastewater treatment for the immobilization of heavy metals and for dyesremoval. For an up-scalable wastewater treatment process, efficient substrates, with relatively constant behavior are needed andmodifying the adsorbent surface can be a feasible solution. Fly ash, resulted from coal burning, and wood ash are mixtures mainlycontaining metal oxides and carbon in various proportion, depending on the initial raw material.The paper pre...
Autori: Maria Visa, Mihaela Nacu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25771

Abstract:Bioremediation is considered as one of the prominent and cost-effective cleanup technology to treat oily sludge disposals. In the present investigation anaerobic bioremediation of petroleum based oily sludge was studied in a slurry reactor by applying different experimental strategies viz., bioaugmentation, biostimulation and co-substrate addition. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) present in the oily sludge before and after degradation was extracted using soxhlet extraction procedure....
Autori: Asha Juwarkar, Kuppam Chandrasekhar, Mamilla Prathima Devi, Motakatla Venkateswar Reddy, Ponnapalli Nageswara Sarma, Srinivasula Reddy Venkata Mohan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25794

Abstract:The present paper presents an enhanced Activated Sludge Model No. 1 in which nitrification and denitrification are modelled astwo-step processes. The nitrification process is considered as a sequence of two steps carried out by two distinct genera ofbacteria, with nitrite as an intermediate product. For the denitrification process a parallel approach was used that considers nitrateand nitrite to be directly reduced to molecular nitrogen. The new model is compared to the original Activat...
Autori: George Simion Ostace, Paul Şerban Agachi, Vasile Mircea Cristea
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25786

Abstract:Titanium metal and its alloys have been widely used as implants under load-bearing conditions due to their biocompatibility, excellent corrosion resistance and lightness, but their inability to bond to living bone is a setback. The experiments outlined here investigated hydroxyapatite (HA) coating on Ti metal implants, used to enhance their bioactive properties. In this study, specimens of commercially pure titanium (c.p. Ti) and Ti-6Al-4V were etched in either H3PO4 or HCl, and subsequ...
Autori: Chao-Lun Fu, Hsueh-Chuan Hsu, Shih-Ching Wu, Shih-Kuang Hsu, Wen-Fu Ho
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25795

Biomass is a very interesting natural source to obtain renewable energy as well as chemical products based on a renewable feedstock. Fuel produced from renewable resources is widely regarded as an option to substitute traditional fossil fuels and thus to answer to the adjunct climate debate. For the production of chemical substances from renewable substrates many process options are in investigation worldwide at the moment. However the ecological benefits of these technological options have to b...
Autori: Anton Friedl
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25856

This paper presents a new photo-Fenton procedure applied in oxidative degradation of organic pollutants using 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) as low biodegradable testing compound. The homogeneous photo-Fenton process was modified by using a photo-catalytic reactor equipped with a steel wire mesh which acts as source for Fe2+ catalyst generation into reaction medium and as heterogeneous catalyst, by iron oxy-hydroxyl compounds formation on the surface. The oxidation process was evaluated by measuring the ...
Autori: Adina-Elena Segneanu, Cristina Orbeci, Ion Untea, Mihaela Emanuela Craciun, Rodica Stanescu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25864

The first part of this work presents the development and implementation in the Benchmark Simulation Model No 1 (BSM1) of a modified Activated Sludge Model No 3 (ASM3). The enhanced ASM3 presented in this study has three modifications compared to the original ASM3. The first modification is the representation of the simultaneous heterotrophic biomass growth on the primary substrate and on the internal storage products. Second, nitrification is modeled as a two-step process with nitrite as an inte...
Autori: George Simion Ostace, Paul Şerban Agachi, Vasile Mircea Cristea
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25865

This research investigates the influence of certain vitamins (A and D2) on the possibility of hydroxyapatite formation on polymer surfaces. A coating method based on biomimetic techniques was used to form a crystalline hydroxyapatite thin layer on porous polyurethane matrix. The method is based on a wet process of hydroxyapatite formation that involves porous polyurethane film soaking in a modified synthetic Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) solution. This modified SBF solution contains vitamin A and v...
Autori: Alina Costina Luca, Constantin Luca, Gabriela Ciobanu, Simona Ilisei
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25884

AbstractVegetable waste was used as the fuel of a two-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) for simultaneous power recovery and wastedegradation. Effects of ultrasonic pretreatment, organic loadings, anolyte pH adjustment on the MFC performance wereinvestigated. Results showed that higher power generation and organic compounds removal efficiency were achieved in theMFCs with the vegetable waste pretreated with ultrasonication at >1.0W/mL compared to the un-pretreated control. A maximumvoltage of ...
Autori: Kun Tao, Xiangchun Quan, Yanping Quan
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25953

AbstractThe transmission line pulse (TLP) method it is one of the most advantageous electrostatic discharge (ESD) testing method forsemiconductor devices. A new factual approach is developed in this paper which is based on TLP method. The new method isnamed “very-fast transmission line pulse” (VF-TLP), having as principal characteristics the very short pulse width and small risetime. The appropriate device under test (DUT) is a gate-grounded (GG) NMOS transistor. The testing signal was applied o...
Autori: Alexandru Salceanu, Ana-Maria Nicuta, Paul Bicleanu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=25992

AbstractA new approach to environmental protection management is the aerobic microbial digestion of food industry wastewaters byusing those waters as substrate, while the pollutants contained work also as oxygen-vectors. In biotechnology, oxygen masstransfer is a key parameter involved in the design and operation of mixing–sparging bioreactors and it can be analyzed by meansof the oxygen mass transfer coefficient (kLa). The influence of a second liquid phase with higher oxygen affinity (in this ...
Autori: Elena Folescu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26097

The book edited by Haibo Xie and NicholasGathergood focuses on one of the most importantscientific issues of the 21 century which is thereplacing fossil fuel with sustainable alternatives suchas biomass. Fossil fuels are conventional rawmaterials for many industrial sectors includingchemical and energy production. Usage of fossil fuelis limited by their availability, price and carbonfootprint. Biomass is a renewable resource globallyavailable, cheaper and carbon sequestering. Step bystep shiftin...
Autori: Adrian Catalin Puitel
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26101

AbstractThe efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of Penicillin G to 6-Aminopenicillanic acid under substrate inhibition has been analyzedfor a bioreactor with mobile bed of immobilized penicillin amidase. The results indicated that the optimum values of temperatureand pH remained the same as for homogeneous hydrolysis using free enzyme. The inhibitory effect induced at higher PenicillinG amount in liquid phase was attenuated by increasing the size of the biocatalyst particles. For this reason, at ...
Autori: Ramona Mihaela Matran
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26224

AbstractAerobic granulation is a novel biotechnique for the treatment of coloured wastewater containing toxic xenobiotics in sequencingbatch reactor (SBR). The aerobic granules were investigated as a potential biomaterial for biodegradation of p-nitrophenol. Theremoval efficiency of p-nitrophenol was 93 % after 65 days of operation at 8 hr hydraulic retention time (HRT). The aerobicgranules were cultivated at a p-nitrophenol loading rate of 0.9 kg m-3 day-1, with sodium acetate as co-substrate t...
Autori: Pijush Kanti Mondal, Rais Ahmad
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26302

AbstractA pilot scale Upflow Anaerobic Filter (UAF) treating tannery wastewaters was operated for 160 days. The UAF was fed with lowCOD/SO42- ratio (SO42- = 1810 mg L-1, CODtotal = 2530 mg L-1) for the investigation of sulphate and COD removal as a functionof substrates limitation and ammonia and sulphide inhibition. Sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) out-competed methanogenicbacteria due to the low influent COD/SO42- ratio, the high concentration of sulphide and the presence of inhibiting compoun...
Autori: Alberto Mannucci, Claudio Lubello, Giulio Munz, Gualtiero Mori
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26353

AbstractThe electrochemical properties of two fluorinated substrates, namely 1H-3-methyl-4-ethoxycarbonyl-5-(4-fluorobenzylidenehydrazino)-pyrazole (Ia) and 1H-3-methyl-4-ethoxycarbonyl-5-(2-fluoro-benzylidenehydrazino)-pyrazole (Ib)respectively have been investigated in the room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborateon a platinum electrode. The voltammetric investigation of the above compounds in the mentioned RTIL shows mainly twoirreversible anodic peaks...
Autori: Liviu-Virgil Costea
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26471

AbstractA soot transducer based on the measurement of the electrical resistance value of the soot layer deposited on a finger structure wastested at different thermophoretic potentials. The soot, similar to that issued from the Diesel engines, in terms of particle numberand size distribution, was obtained by the incomplete burning of propane and subsequent dilution. The decrease of the resistancevalue in time was directly proportional with the temperature gradient. Thus a soot transducer is aime...
Autori: Doina Lutic
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26503

AbstractThe thermal and water insulation of buildings is extremely important. Currently, the most applied insulation materials in thebuilding sector are plastic foams and fibrous materials. Different types of polystyrene materials are used as water and thermalinsulators, e.g., expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS). The differences between the different polystyrenematerials is found in their manufacturing processes and thus in their microstructure. Our research focuses on the ...
Autori: Ákos Lakatos
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26546

AbstractThe potential application of methemoglobin from bovine blood to remove aromatic compounds in the presence of hydrogenperoxide has been evaluated. The organic compounds herein tested include phenols, amines or hydrocarbons, which arepollutants deriving from different industries and display high persistence and toxicity in waters. The oxidative process has beencharacterized by soluble hemoglobin and immobilized on Eupergit CM, using 4-chlorophenol as a model substrate. Theobtained ...
Autori: María Teresa Pérez-Prior
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26580

Abstract The objective of this study is to develop a mathematical model which would confidently predict the rate of substrate degradation of an oil-water emulsion in a laboratory-scale completely-mixed continuous flow reactor using the photo-Fenton treatment process. Two models are developed from first principles and the predicted substrate removal rates for both models are compared with experimental data. The principal conclusions of the study are that both models produce good correlations ...
Autori: Maha A. Tony
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26613

Abstract Malathion is a toxic, wide-spectrum organophosphorus pesticide. The removal of this pesticide from water is one of the major environmental concerns. In this study, the biodegradation of malathion using batch activated sludge was studied. The effect of initial malathion concentration (5 to 140 mg/L) on the degradation process was investigated. The biokinetic parameters (rs max, Ks and Ki) were estimated. Identification of dominant bacterial flora was also achieved. In addition, two k...
Autori: Djaber Tazdaďt
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26625

Abstract Soil organic carbon is one of the key substrates affecting methane emissions in paddy fields. However, not all soil organic carbon forms methane. This study therefore involved comparative analysis of the methanogenesis of different organic carbon sources (rice straw, chicken manure and pig manure) in paddy field soils. The results indicated that whereas methane emissions from the pig manure treatment (PM) were not significantly different to those associated with the application of c...
Autori: Jiamei Wu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26637

Abstract Molinate (S-ethyl-azepane-1-carbothioate) is a thiocarbamate herbicide used in rice cultivation for the control of grass weeds. Environmental contamination with molinate is of major concern due to the adverse effects described both for humans and animals. Molinate hydrolase, a novel amidohydrolase previously characterized, is responsible for the initial breakdown of molinate, cleaving the thioester bond of molinate, releasing ethanethiol and azepane-1-carboxylate (ACA). Biotechnolo...
Autori: Ana M. Paiva
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26642

Abstract Temperature-dependent d.c. electric conductivity of some recently synthesized organic compounds, 4,7-phenanthroline derivatives is studied. Thin-film samples (d=0.34-0.63 m) spin-coated from dimethylformamide solutions onto glass substrates have been used. Organic films with reproducible electron transport properties can be obtained if, after deposition, they are submitted to a heat treatment within temperature range of 298523K. Examined organic compounds in thin fil...
Autori: Cristina M. Al Matarneh
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26656

Abstract The transformation of lentic ecosystems in other types of ecosystems (plain, forest) is a part of normal process of ecological succession that occurs slowly, at geological scale. The filling of cuvette with eroded material transported by precipitations, air masses or detritus produced in situ, start from the moment when the body of water lakes is formed and has different rates depending on many factors: geographical location, geological substrate type, types of existing uses in the ...
Autori: Ofelia Axinte
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26672

Abstract β-galactosidase from Aspergillus oryzae was strongly immobilized on magnetic particles functionalized with amino groups. By simple incubation without any activating agents, electrostatic interactions between amino groups and enzymes allowed obtaining a strong linkage. The immobilization efficiency was studied with the quantification of amino groups of the particles and of immobilized β-galactosidase. Kinetic parameters, especially the maximal velocity Vmax and the affinity...
Autori: Kalim Belhacene
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26682

Abstract The adaptation of commercially available ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for use in wastewater matrices was demonstrated using multivariate analysis and optimization with the Microsoft Excel Solver tool. The electrodes were characterized in pure analyte solutions, and their parameters were estimated using multivariate analysis and Solver optimization. The ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite ions were measured in model systems that were designed to simulate wastewater. The accuracy of the...
Autori: Natalija Koprivanac
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26687

Abstract In the process of chitin extraction, shrimp shell powder was treated by Lactobacillus plantarum culture. The efficiency of microbial demineralization (DM) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions was investigated. The shrimp shell powder was incubated at 30 °C for 6 days with L. plantarum. In order to prepare microbial culture, inoculums size was 5% for culture inoculation. Date syrup with total reduce sugar concentration of 30 g.L-1 was used. The value of pH in anaerobic conditio...
Autori: Marjan Khorrami
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26692

Abstract Anaerobic processes have been successfully applied in the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewaters. Judicious use of nutrients in anaerobic treatment has not been systematically investigated. The optimal nutrient dosage for anaerobic wastewater treatment systems is largely unknown. In this paper, COD:N:P ratio used by various researchers in anaerobic wastewater treatment systems for treating different types of wastewaters are compiled and critically analyzed. In order to ha...
Autori: Athar Hussain
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26697

Abstract The main purpose of this research was to study the biodegradation ability of atrazine by using Arthrobacter sp. as free and immobilized cells of the strain DNS10, under several important environmental factors such as temperature, pH, salinity, substrate concentration. Furthermore, this paper objective was also to assess the process considering the immobilization under extreme conditions, such as high salinity and high atrazine concentration. DNS10 was immobilized on a sodium alginat...
Autori: Zhang Ying
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26702

Abstract Adsorption has proved to be an excellent way to treat industrial wastewater, due to its significant advantages like easy availability, inexpensive, ease of operation and highly efficient, compared to conventional expensive adsorbents like activated charcoal, alumina etc. The present investigation focused on utilization of Mangifera indica seed shell substrate for the removal of toxic heavy metals like Fe(II) and Mn(II) from wastewater. Mangifera indica seed shell substrate as an eff...
Autori: Tikaram D. Kose
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26713

Abstract Total anthocyanins were extracted from six sweet cherry cultivars grown in Sakarya, Turkey. In vitro inhibition effects of the extracted total anthocyanins on purified carbonic anhydrase I and II were investigated using CO2 as a substrate. All the extracted total anthocyanins inhibited the activity of the human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) I and II enzymes. Among all the cultivars, ‘Karakiraz’ was found to be the most active on both hCA I (IC50 = 30.59 μg/mL) and hCA II a...
Autori: Taki Demir
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26715

Abstract This study was aimed to stimulate laccase production by Trametes pubescens MUT 2400 by using a tomato-based medium. Two sequential 2x2 factorial designs were used to determine the effect of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) source concentration on laccase activity and biomass concentration; copper was used as the sole inducer (0.75 mM). Analysis of the first factorial design showed that N had a strong positive effect on the maximum laccase activity, which occurred at day 12 of cultivation...
Autori: Federica Spina
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26795

Abstract The short-term effects of plant diversity (number of plant species and species compositions) on aboveground biomass, substrate inorganic nitrogen (N) concentrations, and substrate solution “effluent” N concentrations were studied in a subsurface verticalflow constructed wetland (CW). Results showed that (1) the number of plant species increased aboveground biomass (P< 0.05) but had no effect on the overyielding index DMax; (2) the species compositions and presence of ...
Autori: Hai Wang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26822

Abstract The CoCrMo alloys have been widely used in artificial knee or hip joints. It is well known that these materials have a good corrosion resistance and acceptable biocompatibility properties. Zirconia as a ceramic biomaterial facilitates the osteoconductivity and tissue osteogenetic capacity in new bone formation around implant. Linear polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to characterize the electrochemical behavior of plasma sprayed yttrium oxid...
Autori: Manuela Romaş
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26896

Abstract The present study was designed to determine the sound effects of ultrasonic treatment and the biologically mediated extraction of uranium from low grade black shale. Low grade uranium was subjected to fungal treatments assisted by sonication by conventional methods. In situ fungal leaching of black shale with different fungal strains in the presence of molasses as growth substrate resulted in highest leaching yield of uranium by Phoma tropica (57.73%) compared to Penicillium chrysog...
Autori: Fozia Anjum
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26919

This study investigates the effects of earthworms and a variety of substrates on photosynthetic characteristics and rate of uptake of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) by Iris pseudacorus L. (Iridaceae) in a constructed wetland system under greenhouse conditions. The study seeks to identify those factors that maximize the efficient removal of N and P. Four substrates were tested: pure sand, sand and soil, sand and organic matter, and a mixture of sand, soil and organic matter. The photosyntheti...
Autori: Defu Xu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26936

The aim of this study was to examine the pollutant removal performance of a combined process using horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HFCW) and an oxidation pond (OP) in the treatment of a decentralized domestic wastewater. Waters along the water flow and at different depths of the wetland substrate were sampled and analyzed during continuous operation. It was found that the HFCW-OP combined system presented good organic matter and phosphorus removal capacity. In the first year, ...
Autori: Wendong Wang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=26943

A pure strain of Pseudomonas chlororaphis DJ-4 capable of anaerobic biodegradation of o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene was isolated from gasoline contaminated soil. In batch cultures, growth of the strain and biodegradation of xylene isomers led to stoichiometric reduction of nitrate. P. chlororaphis DJ-4 could degrade 150 mg L-1 of m-xylene completely within 12 days and without a lag period. However, higher initial concentrations of o-xylene and p-xylene were toxic to the bacterium of P. chl...
Autori: Junfeng Dou
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27005

Acetophenone can be enzymatically produced by conversion of methylbenzylamine using transaminase. The enzymatic process is strongly affected by the product inhibition, thus requiring the acetophenone removal from the media during its synthesis. In this purpose, the individual and selective extraction of acetophenone and methylbenzylamine with the biocompatible solvent nheptane containing 1-octanol, D2EHPA or TOA has been analyzed at three values of pH (5, 7, and 9). Regardless of the solvent ...
Autori: Lenuţa Kloetzer
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27111

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), the bioelectrochemical devices for conversion of waste into electricity through bacterial metabolic activity can use substrates with different complexity and strength. Wastewaters with moderate to high organic content can be exploited as MFC substrates. In this study, four different industrial wastewaters (from a chemical company, milk industry, soyabased food and soft-drink company and laundry) with different compositions were used as substrates in identical MFCs...
Autori: Deepak Pant
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27117

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioelectrochemical reactors that directly convert the chemical energy stored in chemical bonds of organic substrates, to electrical energy. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was implemented as biocatalyst in the anaerobic anode compartment of an MFC using glucose as carbon source and methylene blue as electron mediator. Our results showed the effect of methylene blue on the microbial metabolism and the reversibility of the redox reaction of the shuttle mediator in the p...
Autori: Ruggero Rossi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27131

This study was carried out to (1) investigate the potential of in-vessel solid-state anaerobic acidogenic co-digestion of high solids containing substrates, namely organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and cow manure and (2) examine the feasibility of using leaching bed reactors (LBR) for hydrolysis/liquefaction and acidification of OFMSW and cow manure mixtures for maximum total volatile fatty acid (VFA) and alcohol production. Results indicated that hydrolysis efficiency of 20-25% ...
Autori: Tuba H. Erguder
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27186

In this study, S-TE pretreated mariculture organic waste (MOW) was used as substrate. Acid, alkaline, S-TE, sterilization and microwave pretreated waste sludge was used as inoculation respectively. The highest hydrogen yield of 22.02 ml H2/g COD (chemical oxygen demand) was obtained from MOW with sterilization pretreated inoculation at mesophilic conditions in batch reactors. The impacts of different pretreatments on the changes of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), protein, carbohydrate, pH...
Autori: Liang Guo
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27193

The mixed microbial culture, isolated from the aerobic sludge was used to study biodegradation of 1,1-DCE as the sole carbon source in batch flasks. 1,1-DCE initial concentration in the medium was varied from 100μg/L to 1000μg/L. The maximum removal rate of 1,1-DCE was 89.2% obtained at 400μg/L 1,1-DCE concentration in the medium. The biodegradation kinetics of 1,1-DCE was found to follow three-half-order model at all initial 1,1-DCE concentrations with regression values greater than 0....
Autori: Shizong Wang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27219

In this study, an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactor at the mesophilic temperature (38ºC) was successfully used for the treatment of petroleum refinery effluents. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for the design and analysis of experiments to predict the behavior of the initial COD and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) in the bioreactor. A statistical analysis indicated that the models adequately represented the experimental data. At the optimal conditions, the ...
Autori: Seyed Omid Rastegar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27233

This study presents the results obtained in tailoring thin films of alumina, deposited onto aluminium substrates by spray pyrolysis, at 250°C, using AlCl3 solutions (0.15M) in a water:ethanol (1:1) solvent mixture. As morphology controlling agents, acetylacetone and maleic acid based copolymers are added in the precursors’ solutions. The precursors’ systems are analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy and the surface morphology of alumina thin films is investigated by atomic force microscop...
Autori: Luminita Isac
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27291

The paper aims to present the sorption properties of two sorbent substrates (composts) prepared by aerobic fermentation from vegetables waste composted with beech sawdust (BR2) and beech ash (BC1) to be used for Cu2+ removal from wastewaters. The composts structures and surface properties were characterised in terms of active groups (FTIR), crystallinity (XRD), morphology (SEM), topography (AFM) and specific surface and pores analysis (BET), and the changes in properties after Cu2+ sorption were...
Autori: Ileana Manciulea
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27323

The utilization of agro-industrial waste as a potential substrate for producing enzymes may serve a dual purpose of reducing the environmental pollution along with producing a high value commercial product. Twelve different agro-industrial wastes were evaluated for extracellular BGL (β-glucosidase) production by a mutant of Bacillus subtilis on solid state fermentations (SSF). The Citrus sinensis bagasse was found to be the most suitable substrate with highest BGL titer (35 U/gds). Optimum ...
Autori: Ruchi Agrawal
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27378

Environment-friendly demulsifying strains could be applied in breakup of emulsion produced in the petroleum industry. The demulsifying strain Alcaligenes sp. S-XJ-1 was found to be capable of utilizing paraffin or certain pure n-alkane as its sole carbon source, and exhibited a strong cell surface hydrophobicity above 70% and demulsifying ability above 80%. A maximum biomass of 6.27 g/L was obtained when the demulsifying strain was cultured using eicosane as carbon source. A positive correlation...
Autori: Xiang-Feng Huang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27379

This study was to optimize the fermentation process for protein enrichment of potato starch residue (PSR) by solid state fermentation with mixed strains. Three single-factor experiments were conducted to optimize the fermentation conditions, and a Plackett-Burman design followed by a central composite design of response surface methodology was investigated to optimize the medium constituents. The optimal fermentation conditions were fermentation temperature 28°C, fermentation period 72 h and...
Autori: Heng Lei
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27380

The kinetics of azo dye reduction based on combined effect of biochemical reduction by anaerobic mixed culture and chemical reduction with hydrogen sulfide was investigated. Hydrogen sulfide was produced by sulphate reducing bacteria existing in the anaerobic mixed culture. The effect of initial anaerobic biomass, initial substrate, and initial dye (Reactive Orange 107) concentrations on reduction kinetics were studied with batch assays. The municipal waste sludge was used as electron donating s...
Autori: Umay Gokce Ozkan-Yucel
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27386

This research was focused on the valorization of agro industrial waste/by products available in the local industry with the kilometer zero (km 0) concept, as a replacement of virgin raw materials (clay) to elaborate lightweight aggregates (LWAS). The alternative raw materials were employed as pore forming agent, in order to reduce sintering temperature and energy consumption of the furnace. The three technical nutrients studied were provided for local food industries: sludge from wastewater trea...
Autori: Romina D. Farias
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27405

The anaerobic digestion (AD) of fat-containing waste is often prolonged in time and problematic. Differences in AD performances could rely in a different probability for microorganisms to access the substrate. The aim of this study was to study the AD of waste cooking oil (WCO) with a biophysical approach. Two laboratory experiments were carried out using model systems consisting of WCO + hydration medium (HM) in 100 mL, static, in-batch reactors. In the first experiment, we assumed the WCO to H...
Autori: Francesca Fiume
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27409

Improving the awareness of the responsibility of our actions is the basis of achieving the ambitious aim of waste management and prevention established by the European Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/CE and the most recent Circular Economy Package. Circular Economy is connected both to improve manufacturing technologies and also educate people towards responsible consumption and waste reduction. Due to its educational and institutional role, universities provide a context to rethink not on...
Autori: Sara Rizzo
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27414

The paper presents results obtained by analysis of some soil and wastes samples in order to establish the heavy metal (HM) content from these samples. The analyzed wastes were sewage sludge from municipal waste treatment and hydrotechnical basin sludge. These types of wastes were mixed with soil from Oltenia Sub-Carpathian area, obtaining the substrates useful for different types of plants. It was studied the migration potential of the metals from substrate to apple trees, the results being comp...
Autori: Cristian Predescu
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27476

The present study deals with the production of biogas from post-harvest wastes of pineapple such as peels, leaves, mixture of peels and leaves with the two different types of inoculum viz., Cow Manure (CM) and Novel microbial Consortia (NC). The results between the two types of inoculum were compared to find out their efficiency. Among the different substrate-inoculum combinations, the biogas production potential was evaluated which resulted that NC was more efficient compared to CM. All assays ...
Autori: Mukesh Kumar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27496

This work evaluates the effect of 5 mixtures of water treatment sludge, soil from the Cerrado region (Brazil) and a commercial substrate on the growth of 4 species of native plants (Copaifera langsdorffii, Astronium fraxinifolium, Peltophorum dubium and Tabebuia roseo-alba) from the Brazilian Cerrado. A randomized design was setup with four repetitions and WTS loading rates of 0, 204, 417, 638 and 869 g/kg. Plant sampling for analysis was performed at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days after planting,...
Autori: Paulo Scalize
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27593

β-glucosidases are very important in the improvement of cellulose degradation rates by diminishing the inhibition of end products. Although, cellulase cost has reduced significantly in last decade but still the high costs of biomass saccharification is one of the main challenges for the commercialization of ethanol from LC biomass. In this work, β-glucosidase immobilization in calcium alginate was optimized using response surface methodology. 89% immobilization efficiency was achieved ...
Autori: Ruchi Agrawal
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27614

In order to investigate the influence of coal macerals on biomethane production, two types of coal samples were collected respectively from Malan mine in Gujiao and Shaqu mine in Liulin, Shanxi. The vitrinite, inertinite and liptinite were separated by the methods of hand picking and float-and-sink test. Meanwhile, biomethane production experiments using the raw coal samples, vitrinite-rich coal samples, inertinite-rich coal samples as substrates were carried out in the laboratory. Finally, the ...
Autori: Hongyu Guo
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27620

The growth of a non-axenic Phormidium bigranulatum-dominated mat was tested under a range of chemical parameters and types of substrate. Total biomass yield (in term of mg chlorophyll a) of mats grown on muslin cloth (0.64 mg) and cotton mesh (0.62 mg) were significantly higher than those on other substrates, such as, nylon net (0.50 mg), sands of river Sone (0.43 mg) and river Ganga (0.30 mg), rice husk (0.38 mg) and saw dust (0.21 mg). The Phormidium mat would be easy to handle in bioremdation...
Autori: Dhananjay Kumar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27635

Unlike other vegetables, mushroom production requires several substrate ingredients, energy to sterilize the substrate, water to humidify the fruiting house and waste management of the spent substrate and used materials. This work studied the environmental impacts and eco-efficiency of sajor-caju mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing.) production in terms of climate change potential, acidification potential, water depletion potential and fossil fuel depletion potential, using life cycle asse...
Autori: Siriprapa Ueawiwatsakul
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27685

Large amounts of spent coffee grounds (SCG) are currently available all over the world due to the enormous increase in coffee consumption. This increase has in turn to be related to the even greater diffusion of coffee vending machines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biomethanation potential (BMP) of SCG alone or in co-digestion with pig slurry (PS). Pig slurry was chosen because it is frequently utilized as feedstock for biogas production from agricultural waste. The raw material was...
Autori: Ciro Vasmara
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27794

Ti/TiO2 films were prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering followed by annealing in air at 400 ºC for 4 h. Structural tests have been performed to characterize the films, showing that the prepared films present 70% of anatase phase. When these results are compared with those from TiO2 films grown on glass substrates with similar deposition parameters, it can be seen that Ti substrates favour the formation of rutile phase, which is not observed on the films supported on glass, indicatin...
Autori: Susana Sério
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27868

Tunisian fish-processing industries generates large amounts of by-products. Their disposal is an increasing environmental and health problem. For an economic utilization, these by-products may be used in producing higher value-added products such as protein hydrolyzates. In this study, protein hydrolyzates with different degrees of hydrolysis (12%, 20% and 26%) were prepared from heads and viscera of Sardinella aurita using crude protease of Bacillus licheniformis NH1. The obtained hydrolyzates ...
Autori: Nabil Souissi
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27852

This study emphasis the hydrogen fermentation from de-oiled Jatropha waste (DJW), a secondary and promising waste from biodiesel industry via influence of various combination of heat pretreatment using sewage sludge as inoculum. Batch experiments were carried out at a DJW concentration of 50 g/L, temperature of 55oC and an initial cultivation pH of 7. The peak hydrogen production rate and hydrogen yield of 16.3 mmol H2/L-d and 1.10 mmol H2/g volatile solids (VS), respectively, were obtained ...
Autori: Gopalakrishnan Kumar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27874

Considering world energy demand and its security, much attention has been focused on identifying promising lignocellulosic substrates to generate a variety of downstream fuels and chemicals. In response, a recent key research area has centered on hydrolysis of cell wall polysaccharides by various physical, chemical and biological means. Due to their complex chemical and molecular structure, there is a substantial knowledge gap in understanding of biomass recalcitrance and its relationship wit...
Autori: Nadeem Akhtar
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27908

Chlortetracycline (CTC) and copper (Cu) are simultaneously used as feed additives to improve the growth performance and to prevent infection in pig farming. After ingestion by animals, most of these compounds are excreted and coexist in swine manure. They might have an influence on anaerobic digestion when the swine manure is used as substrate in a biogas plant. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of both CTC and Cu on batch swine manure anaerobic digestion in order to bette...
Autori: Rui Wang
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=27983

The polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by photoautotrophic cultures is a potential eco-sustainable process to produce bioplastics. The biosynthesis of PHB by cyanobacteria meets a twofold target: the use of CO2 as feedstock alternative to the fossil resource used in the conventional processes; the contribution to the reduction of the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. This contribution reports results of a study regarding the optimal growth conditions for cyanobacteria to produce PHB unde...
Autori: Roberta Carpine
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28021

Aspergillus fumigatus has been selected to bioleach the metals ion from brown shale. Process parameters like pH (5.0, 5.5, 5.8, 6.0, and 6.5), substrate concentration (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10%), pulp density (1, 5, 10, 15, and 20%), temperature (30, 35, 40, 45, 50oC) and agitation (100, 150, 200, 250, 300 rpm) were optimized according to L25 Taguchi orthogonal experimental array design that resulted in the twenty five batch bio recovery experiments. After biorecovery experiments, optimum value of ...
Autori: Fozia Anjum
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28035

The development of green eco-friendly inhibitors for the corrosion of metallic surfaces in acid media is still considered as a major challenge and target for corrosion-mitigation engineers. We have prepared in this work 4 different extracts from the plant Ruta Chalepensis using methanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and aqueous ethyl acetate solvent systems. The flavonoids content, as well as the other oxygenated compounds, in the 4 extracts was carefully screened using the gas chromatographic&nda...
Autori: Meryem Amal Benghalia
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28063

The article describes a pilot study on a wastewater treatment plant operating a biogas plant (2.793 MW). The authors of the experiment used organic waste material, including: chicken fat with feathers (FF), molasses (M), glycerol (GL), raw sewage sludge (SS) and digested sewage sludge as an inoculum. The parameters of raw and digested sludge were compared, e.g. changes in the concentrations of ammonium nitrogen (N-NH4+), alkalinities, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and light metal ions. Potenti...
Autori: Agnieszka A. Pilarska
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28064

In Spain, most substrates used in the production of plants in containers, are composed of peat in combination with other components such as pine bark, perlite or vermiculite. In order to find alternatives to the use of peat, shredded switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) biomass was evaluated as a component of the substrates. Five substrates were prepared with the following proportions, by volume, of commercial substrates:switchgrass: 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100. Pots were filled with the ...
Autori: Jose Alberto Oliveira Prendes
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28134

Nutrients have been considered the main factor affecting microorganisms responsible for methane gas production during anaerobic digestion processes. In this study, the nutritional composition of some fruit wastes; mango (M), watermelon (W), pawpaw (P), their effects on methane gas production, and resulting energy values were assessed. Substrate samples for anaerobic digestion where prepared into various slurry treatments; M, W, P, WM, PW, MP, MWP and CONTROL. Proximate compositions of the subst...
Autori: Ogemdi Chinwendu Anika
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28233

Groundwater at an abandoned industrial area near Bergamo, Italy, was historically contaminated by tetrachloroethylene (PCE) (>100 μg/L) and, to a lesser extent, by trichlorethylene (TCE), dichloropropane (DP) and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (R-130). A liquid reagent (EHC® Liquid) was selected for remediation of groundwater at the site. The reagent is provided in two parts: EHC® Liquid Mix (a soluble organo-iron salt), and ELS® Microemulsion (a lecithin-based carbon substrate), a...
Autori: Alberto Leombruni
ISSN: 1843 - 3707
http://www.ecozone.ro/reviste.php?RID=28300