State-of-the-art of membrane bioreactors: Worldwide research and commercial applications in North America

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology is advancing rapidly around the world both in research and commercial applications. Despite the increasing number of studies and full-scale applications of MBR systems, directions and trends in academic research as well as commercial developments require further analysis. This paper aims to critically characterize and review worldwide academic research efforts in the area of MBRs as well as focus attention to commercial MBR applications in North America. A total of 339 research papers published in peer-reviewed international journals from 1991 to 2004 and a total of 258 full-scale MBR installations in North America were used as the database for the analysis provided in this paper. After a surge of MBR publications in 2002, research appears to have reached a plateau in the last 3 years using both submerged and external MBR units. Although much of the pioneering research occurred in Japan, France and the UK, countries such as South Korea, China and Germany have significantly contributed to the research pool in the last 5 years. The primary research focus has been on water filtration MBRs with limited growth in extractive and gas diffusion MBRs which still hold un-tapped potential. Fundamental aspects studied in academic research predominantly involve issues related to fouling, microbial characterization and optimizing operational performance. Research in North America presents a unique picture as a higher ratio of industrial wastewater treatment and side-stream MBR applications have been studied compared to other parts of the world. For MBR commercial application, the North America installations constitute about 11% of worldwide installations. Zenon occupies the majority of the MBR market in North America, whereas Kubota and Mitsubishi-Rayon have a larger number of installations in other parts of the world. Due to more stringent regulations and water reuse strategies, it is expected that a significant increase in MBR plant capacity and widening of application areas will occur in the future. Potential application areas include nitrate removal in drinking water treatment, removal of endocrine disrupting compounds from water and wastewater streams, enhancing bio-fuels production via membrane assisted fermentation and gas extraction and purification MBRs.     

Synthesis of anodic silicon oxide films in water-organic solutions containing orthophosphoric acid

Variations in electrophysical properties of anodic silicon oxide at the surface of semiconductor silicon are studied as a function of the composition of electrolytic solutions containing orthophosphoric acid and the conditions of reaching the final formation potential. The optimum conditions for the formation of anodic SiO₂ coatings that include phosphorus-containing admixtures are determined, the coatings being intended for application as diffusates in nanoelectronics.     

Determination of arsenic in sediments, coal and fly ash slurries after ultrasonic treatment by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry and trapping in an iridium-treated graphite tube

A simple and reliable method for the determination of arsenic in sediment and in coal without sample digestion, based on hydride generation from slurry samples is proposed. After grinding the samples to a particle size of 50 μm, the sample powder was mixed with aqua regia and hydrofluoric acid in an ultrasonic bath for 30 min. After diluting the mixture with hydrochloric acid, the slurry was allowed to stand for 48 h, and an aliquot was used for hydride generation with sodium borohydride. More than 80% of the arsenic was leached to the aqueous phase under these conditions, except for one sediment sample with very high silica content. The generated arsine was collected in a graphite tube, treated with 0.5 mg of iridium as a permanent modifier, and the arsenic determination was carried out by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The same tube could be used for at least 160 cycles without any re-treatment. The greatest advantage of the method was that only a minimum of reagents and sample handling were required, reducing the risks of contamination and/or analyte loss. However, the addition calibration technique had to be used in order to obtain results within the 95% confidence level for 11 certified reference materials, 5 sediments, 5 coals and one coal fly ash. One certified sediment slurry was spiked with the analyte and the resulting addition calibration curve was used for the analysis of the certified sediments. Similarly, one certified coal was used to obtain the addition calibration curve for the coal and coal fly ash samples. The recoveries of the certified values, except for one sediment, were between 91 and 115%. The limits of detection in the samples were 0.54 and 0.7 μg g⁻¹ for the coal and sediment samples, respectively, obtained for 1 ml of slurry containing 1 mg of sample.     

Optimization of cation detection by capillary zone electrophoresis with indirect UV absorbance

Summary The indirect UV detection of cations by capillary zone electrophoresis gives peaks of very different height or area between cations. We show that the height depends on the electrophoretic mobility of the cation compared with the electrophoretic mobility of the chromophore used. Moreover, the limit of detection can be easily improved by about 4-fold by adjusting the concentration of complexing agent or by using a chromophore with the same velocity as the studied cation. Using a new parameter termedsensitization power we can optimize the limit of detection and have determined the best chromophores for each family of cations.Sensitization power is a maximum for: alkali metals and alkali earths with imidazole and UV Cat 2^?, for transition metal with pyridine, for light rare earth with ephedrine and UV Cat 1^?, for heavy lanthanides with 1-naphthylamine and phenyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide. Corrected areas of all cations studied have normal distributions directly proportional to their ionic charge. Certain behaviour can be predicted for elements such as actinides. Detection can also be enhanced because the relation of proportionality between ionic charge and corrected area allows comparison of the performance of all chromophores.     

Sorption of spruce O-acetylated galactoglucomannans onto different pulp fibres

Sorption of spruce acetylated galactoglucomannans (GGM) onto different pulps, among which unbleached and peroxide-bleached mechanical pulps, and unbleached and bleached kraft (BK) pulps, was studied as a means of understanding the retention of acetylated GGMs in mechanical pulping and papermaking. The fibre surface coverage of lignin and carbohydrates was estimated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). GGM sorption was clearly favoured on kraft pulps. Hardly any differences in sorption were, however, observed between unbleached and BK pulps, even if the surface coverage of lignin was lower on the bleached pulp. Neither thermomechanical pulp (TMP) nor chemithermomechanical pulp (CTMP) manufactured from spruce sorbed any acetylated GGMs. Peroxide bleaching of the pulp did not increase sorption. Only CTMP produced from aspen sorbed some GGMs. The anionic charge of neither chemical nor mechanical pulps influenced GGM sorption.     

MMM分子筛的制备与表征

 以碱溶液处理ZSM－5分子筛，得到了含微孔及介孔的MFI结构分子筛（简称MMM），并采用XRD，XRF，SEM，XPS和低温氮吸附等技术对分子筛进行了表征．结果表明，通过改变处理碱的浓度可以得到具有不同物化性能的MMM分子筛，其化学组成、介孔及微孔的大小和多少，及分子筛晶体上n（Al）／n（Si）均随碱浓度的变化而变化，随着碱浓度的增加，分子筛部分微孔结构遭到破坏，介孔的数量增加，孔径增大，n（Al）／n（Si）增大．碱处理脱硅的过程包括脱除晶粒间的无定形物质，脱除分子筛表面的硅及脱除分子筛体相硅等步骤，硅脱除以后形成了介孔．     

ImmobilizedE. coli Alkaline Phosphatase

We have immobilized E.coli alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) by linking it covalently to sepharose 4B. This preparation has several advantages over the soluble enzyme. The immobilized enzyme is easily separable from other constituents in incubation mixtures. The immobilized enzyme can be reused repeatedly and is more stable than the soluble enzyme to heat treatment in the presence of 10 mM Mg²⁺. The insoluble and soluble phosphatases removed 75 and77%, respectively, of the inorganic phosphorus from casein. The immobilized enzyme inactivated two enzymes believed to be active in the phosphorylated state, acyl-CoA : cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) by 39% and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase by 89%. The utility of immobilized alkaline phosphatase for studying the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of soluble or membrane-bound enzymes and proteins is discussed.     

Surface patterns of block copolymers in thin layers after vapor treatment

A systematic study of formation of surface patterns in block copolymer thin layers after their exposure to solvent vapors was performed. The studied effect involves layers of thickness approximately equal to the ordering size of polymers - about 45 nm. Experiments were performed on three styrene - methacrylate derivative block copolymers, synthesized by living anionic polymerization: poly(4-octylstyrene)-block-poly(butyl methacrylate), poly(4-fluorostyrene)-block-poly(butyl methacrylate) and poly(p-octylstyrene)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate). The polymers were exposed to vapors of chloroform, 1,4-dioxane, hexane, acetone and tetrahydrofuran.     

Treatment of dairy wastewater using a selected bacterial isolate, Alcaligenes sp. MMRR7

Physicochemical and biologic analysis of dairy wastewater showed that the effluent had a high organic load (chemical oxygen demand [COD]: 5095 mg/L), an acidic pH (6.4), and a high probability of coliforms (most probable number [MPN]>1100). The various bacterial strains isolated and purified were identified as Sporolactobacillus sp., Citrobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., Alcaligenes sp., Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Proteus sp., as per the Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology. Among the five selected bacterial strains, the strain designated as MMRR₇ and identified as Alcaligenes sp. was found to give a maximum reduction in COD (62%) in 5 d of incubation. Chemical coagulation using alum at a concentration of 0.5 g/100 mL was found to be effective in the primary treatment of the effluent. Studies on free-cell treatment of the coagulated effluent with the selected bacterial strain Alcaligenes sp. MMRR₇ gave a maximum COD reduction of 91% in 120 h. This study clearly indicates the possibility of using Alcaligenes sp. MMRR₇ for the effective treatment of dairy wastewater.     

基于荧光效应的小分子抗癌药物释放体系研究进展

近年来,随着癌症发病率的不断升高,癌症治疗技术的更新和发展显得尤为重要,特别是化学疗法(Chemotherapy)的提出促进了荧光小分子抗癌药物释放体系的研究。 将具有荧光效应的有机小分子与抗癌药物结合在一起,使得药物释放体系表现出低毒性、优异的癌细胞靶向性和方便药物跟踪监测等特点。 因此,设计不同性能的前药可以研究抗癌药物释放的动力学过程,为实现癌症的精准治疗提供有力的工具。 本文主要介绍了基于喜树碱、SN-38和阿霉素等前药的研究进展,并对其发展前景作了展望。