Bioenergy recovery and carbon emissions benefits of short-term bio-thermophilic pretreatment on low organic sewage sludge anaerobic digestion: A pilot-scale study.

Sewage sludge in cities of Yangzi River Belt, China, generally exhibits a lower organic content and higher silt contentdue to leakage of drainage system, which caused low bioenergy recovery and carbon emission benefits in conventional anaerobic digestion (CAD). Therefore, this paper is on a pilot scale, a bio-thermophilic pretreatment anaerobic digestion (BTPAD) for low organic sludge (volatile solids (VS) of 4%) was operated with a long-term continuous flow of 200 days. The VS degradation rate and CH4 yield of BTPAD increased by 19.93% and 53.33%, respectively, compared to those of CAD. The analysis of organic compositions in sludge revealed that BTPAD mainly improved the hydrolysis of proteins in sludge. Further analysis of microbial community proportions by high-throughput sequencing revealed that the short-term bio-thermophilic pretreatment was enriched in Clostridiales, Coprothermobacter and Gelria, was capable of hydrolyzing acidified proteins, and provided more volatile fatty acid (VFA) for the subsequent reaction. Biome combined with fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that the number of bacteria with high methanogenic capacity in BTPAD was much higher than that in CAD during the medium temperature digestion stage, indicating that short-term bio-thermophilic pretreatment could provide better methanogenic conditions for BTPAD. Furthermore, the greenhouse gas emission footprint analysis showed that short-term bio-thermophilic pretreatment could reduce the carbon emission of sludge anaerobic digestion system by 19.18%.

Effect of lysozyme combined with hydrothermal pretreatment on excess sludge and anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is widely employed for sludge stabilization and waste reduction. However, the slow hydrolysis process hinders methane production and leads to prolonged sludge issues. In this study, an efficient and eco-friendly lysozyme pre-treatment method was utilized to address these challenges. By optimizing lysozyme dosage, hydrolysis and cell lysis were maximized. Furthermore, lysozyme combined with hydrothermal pretreatment enhanced overall efficiency. Results indicate that: (1) When lysozyme dosage reached 90 mg/g TS after 240 min of pretreatment, SCOD, soluble polysaccharides, and protein content reached their maxima at 855.00, 44.09, and 204.86 mg/L, respectively. This represented an increase of 85.87%, 365.58%, and 259.21% compared to the untreated sludge. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy revealed the highest fluorescence intensity in the IV region (soluble microbial product), promoting microbial metabolic activity. (2) Lysozyme combined with hydrothermal pretreatment significantly increased SCOD, soluble proteins, and polysaccharide release from sludge, reducing SCOD release time. Orthogonal experiments identified Group 3 as the most effective for SCOD and soluble polysaccharide release, while Group 9 released the most soluble proteins. The significance order of factors influencing SCOD, soluble proteins, and polysaccharide release is hydrothermal temperature > hydrothermal time > enzymatic digestion time.(3) The lysozyme-assisted hydrothermal pretreatment group exhibited the fastest release and the highest SCOD concentration of 8,135.00 mg/L during anaerobic digestion. Maximum SCOD consumption and cumulative gas production increased by 95.89% and 130.58%, respectively, compared to the control group, allowing gas production to conclude 3 days earlier.

Regulating the valence and size of the active center of Co/Al2O3 catalyst improved the performance and selectivity of NH3-SCO.

To improve the activity of Co/Al2O3 catalysts in selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia (NH3-SCO), valence state and size of active centers of Al2O3-supported Co catalysts were adjusted by conducting H2 reduction pretreatment. The NH3-SCO activity of the adjusted 2Co/Al2O3 catalyst was substantially improved, outperforming other catalysts with higher Co-loading. Fresh Co/Al2O3 catalysts exhibited multitemperature reduction processes, enabling the control of the valence state of the Co-active centers by adjusting the reduction temperature. Changes in the state of the Co-active centers also led to differences in redox capacity of the catalysts, resulting in different reaction mechanisms for NH3-SCO. However, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra revealed that an excessive O2 activation capacity caused overoxidation of NH3 to NO and NO2. The NH3-SCO activity of the 2Co/Al2O3 catalyst with low redox capacity was successfully increased while controlling and optimizing the N2 selectivity by modulating the active centers via H2 pretreatment, which is a universal method used for enhancing the redox properties of catalysts. Thus, this method has great potential for application in the design of inexpensive and highly active catalysts.

Rapid Lipid Mediator Profiling by Convergence Chromatography-MS/MS.

Bioactive lipid mediators derived from arachidonic acid constitute an attractive pool of metabolites that reflect cellular function and signaling, as well as potential biomarkers that may respond quantitatively to disease progression or pharmacological treatment. Their quantitative measurement in biological samples is complicated by the number of isomers that share common structural features, which are not easily distinguished by immunoassays or reverse phase chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Here, we present a method that enables the rapid analysis of a panel of over 25 biologically important eicosanoids in a 96-well format for cell culture supernatants, plasma, and organ tissues using convergence chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to resolve these analytes of interest.

Elucidating Thermothielavioides terrestris secretome changes for improved saccharification of mild steam-pretreated spruce.

BACKGROUND: The efficient use of softwood in biorefineries is hampered by its recalcitrance to enzymatic saccharification. In the present study, the fungus Thermothielavioides terrestris LPH172 was cultivated on three steam-pretreated spruce materials (STEX180°C/auto, STEX210°C/auto, and STEX210°C/H2SO4), characterized by different hemicellulose content and structure, as well as on untreated biomass. The aim of the study was to map substrate-induced changes in the secretome of T. terrestris grown on differently treated spruce materials and to evaluate the hydrolytic efficiency of the secretome as supplement for a commercial enzyme mixture. RESULTS: The cultivation of T. terrestris was monitored by endo-cellulase, endo-xylanase, endo-mannanase, laccase, and peroxidase activity measurements. Proteomic analysis was performed on the secretomes induced by the spruce materials to map the differences in enzyme production. Growth of T. terrestris on STEX180°C/auto and STEX210°C/auto induced higher expression level of mannanases and mannosidases of the GH5_7 CAZy family compared to cultivation on the other materials. Cultivation on untreated biomass led to overexpression of GH47, GH76, and several hemicellulose debranching enzymes compared to the cultivation on the pretreated materials. T. terrestris grown on untreated, STEX180°C/auto and STEX210°C/auto induced three arabinofuranosidases of the GH43 and GH62 families; while growth on STEX210°C/H2SO4 induced a GH51 arabinofuranosidase and a GH115 glucuronidase. All secretomes contained five lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases of the AA9 family. Supplementation of Celluclast® + Novozym188 with the secretome obtained by growing the fungus grown on STEX180°C/auto achieved a twofold higher release of mannose from spruce steam-pretreated with acetic acid as catalyst, compared to the commercial enzyme cocktail alone. CONCLUSIONS: Minor changes in the structure and composition of spruce affect the composition of fungal secretomes, with differences in some classes explaining an increased hydrolytic efficiency. As demonstrated here, saccharification of spruce biomass with commercial enzyme cocktails can be further enhanced by supplementation with tailor-made secretomes.

Magnesium as an Adjuvant to Rocuronium to Improve Intubation Conditions and Shorten the Intubation Time: A Randomized Controlled Study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to compare the effects of rocuronium priming with the combined technique of magnesium pretreatment and rocuronium priming and to investigate whether this pretreatment could further accelerate the onset of neuromuscular blockade during intubation. MATERIALS AND METHODS:  A double-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) clinical study was done on patients at a tertiary care center for six months after obtaining approval from the institutional ethical committee. A total of 150 patients were randomly allocated as Group MP (infusion of 50 mg/kg of MgSo4 over 10 min was given 10 mins prior to premedication and dose of rocuronium 0.06 mg/kg given three minutes), Group P (priming dose of rocuronium 0.06 mg/kg given three minutes before the intubating dose), and Group C (control group with the same volume of 0.9% saline and rocuronium bolus of 0.6 mg/kg on intubation). Parameters such as demographic and hemodynamical data, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, Mallampati scoring, neuromuscular monitoring, intubation grading, and number of successful/failed attempts were recorded. RESULTS:  Our results showed that Group MP had a rapid onset of action of rocuronium with 58.90 +/- 4.77 seconds and a longer duration of action of rocuronium with 54.92 +/- 10.39 minutes, which are statistically significant compared to Group P (onset of action of ROC 106.70 +/- 4.24 seconds and duration of action rocuronium 45.88 +/- 6.22 minutes) and Group C (onset of action of ROC 154.56 +/- 11.39 seconds and duration of ROC 40.56 +/- 3.96 minutes). The maximum number of patients in Group MP (33 patients) showed good intubation conditions compared to Group P (23 patients) and Group C (16 patients), which was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: We conclude that magnesium sulfate pretreatment in combination with rocuronium priming (Group MP) considerably accelerates the onset of rocuronium action, increases the duration of action of rocuronium, and enhances the intubation procedure without any adverse effect of rocuronium and magnesium sulfate.

Overview of mechanism of electroacupuncture pretreatment for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) is a serious threat to huma strategy to prevent the occurrence and development of disease by giving electroacupuncture intervention before the disease occurs. EAP has been shown in many preclinical studies to relieve ischemic symptoms and improve damage from ischemia-reperfusion, with no comprehensive review of its mechanisms in cardiovascular disease yet. In this paper, we first systematically discussed the meridian and acupoint selection law of EAP for CCVD and focused on the progress of the mechanism of action of EAP for the prevention and treatment of CCVD. As a result, in preclinical studies, AMI and MCAO models are commonly used to simulate ischemic injury in CCVD, while MIRI and CI/RI models are used to simulate reperfusion injury caused by blood flow recovery after focal tissue ischemia. According to the meridian matching rules of EAP for CCVD, PC6 in the pericardial meridian is the most commonly used acupoint in cardiovascular diseases, while GV20 in the Du meridian is the most commonly used acupoint in cerebrovascular diseases. In terms of intervention parameters, EAP intervention generally lasts for 30 min, with acupuncture depths mostly between 1.5 and 5 mm, stimulation intensities mostly at 1 mA, and commonly used frequencies being low frequencies. In terms of molecular mechanisms, the key pathways of EAP in preventing and treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are partially similar. EAP can play a protective role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases by promoting autophagy, regulating Ca2+ overload, and promoting vascular regeneration through anti-inflammatory reactions, antioxidant stress, and anti-apoptosis. Of course, both pathways involved have their corresponding specificities. When using EAP to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases, it involves the metabolic pathway of glutamate, while when using EAP to prevent and treat cerebrovascular diseases, it involves the homeostasis of the blood-brain barrier and the release of neurotransmitters and nutritional factors. I hope these data can provide experimental basis and reference for the clinical promotion and application of EAP in CCVD treatment.

RTOG 0915-compliant patient specific QA for lung stereotactic body radiotherapy using the new PTW 1600SRS detector array.

PURPOSE: An area of focus in radiotherapy is the treatment of oligometastatic lung cancer using highly conformal techniques such as SBRT, performed using VMAT that involves flattening filter free (FFF) beams. This study proposes a new calibration procedure for PTW Octavius 1600SRS detector array and was designed to also evaluate clinical and dosimetric aspects of a patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) for lung SBRT patients. METHODS: The cohort consists of 20 patients, treated for lung metastases using SBRT with 50 Gy dose in 5 fractions (10 Gy/fr). The proposed calibration method uses only one calibration factor determined at maximum dose rate of 6MV FFF photon beam. The dosimetric accuracy of achieving a high dose gradient was analyzed using the RTOG 0915 protocol and was confirmed by PSQA procedures using the PTW Octavius 1600SRS detector. RESULTS: Conformity index, gradient index, maximum dose at 2 cm and V20 parameters were evaluated with clinical favorable results, with only two plans with lesions situated in the inferior lobe exceeding the deviation allowed for the gradient index. Gamma passing rates using the new calibration method were 98.93% and 99.38% for different gamma criteria of 2 mm/2% and 1 mm/3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method for calibration using one calibration factor at maximum dose rate for the involved photon beam shows clinically acceptable gamma passing rates. Employing the RTOG 0915 protocol for lung SBRT treatment plan evaluation brings important dosimetric information about treatment plan quality and dose gradient fall-off which can be correlated with the results achieved during the pretreatment verification procedures.

Effects of hydrothermal pretreatment on sulfadiazine degradation during two-stage anaerobic digestion of pig manure.

Antibiotics in animal manure pose significant risks to the environment and health. While anaerobic digestion (AD) is commonly used for pig manure treatment, its efficiency in antibiotic removal has been considerably limited. This study investigated the impact of hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) on sulfadiazine (SDZ) removal in a two-stage AD system. Results indicated that the HTP process reduced SDZ concentration by 40.61%. Furthermore, the SDZ removal efficiency of the AD system coupling HTP increased from 50.90% to 65.04% compared to the untreated system. Biogas yield was also improved by 26.17% while maintaining system stability. Changes induced by HTP in the microbial communities revealed that Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Caldatribacteriota, and Proteobacteria emerged as the primary bacterial phyla. Following HTP, the relative abundance of Prevotella, which exhibited a strong negative correlation with SDZ concentration, increased significantly by 25-fold in the acidogenic stage. Proteiniphilum, Syntrophomonas and Sedimentibacter showed notable increases in the methanogenic stage after HTP. The N-heterocyclic metabolism carried out by Prevotella might have been the predominant SDZ degradation pathway in the acidogenic stage, while the benzene ring metabolism and hydroxylation by the Proteiniphilum emerged as the primary degradation pathways in the methanogenic stages. Furthermore, biodegradation intermediates were proven to be less toxic than SDZ itself, indicating that the HTP-enhanced two-stage AD process could be a viable way to lower the environmental risks associated with SDZ. The findings from this study provide valuable insights for removing SDZ from the environment via two-stage AD.

The immediate, intermediate, and long-term effectiveness of audiovisuals for providing pre-treatment information to patients with cancer: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of audiovisuals in providing pre-treatment information to patients with cancer. Following the Six Function Model of Medical Communication, we distinguish between immediate, intermediate, and long-term outcomes. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in five electronic databases for quantitative studies comparing the addition of audiovisuals with standard care or alternative interventions. Quality was assessed using Cochrane's Risk of Bias 2. RESULTS: After abstract (n = 10,179) and full-text (n = 85) screening, 37 articles were included. Audiovisuals positively impacted patients' anxiety, knowledge, understanding, and physiological responses shortly after the consultation, particularly when video was compared with standard verbal care without audiovisual. Only five studies measured long-term outcomes, leaving the long-term effectiveness of audiovisuals unexplored. Majority of studies showed 'high risk of bias' (n = 34). CONCLUSION: Although caution is warranted because of the variability in study design and quality, the results suggest potential benefits of using audiovisuals alongside interpersonal communication. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: More high-quality and longitudinal research is needed with emphasis on comparing counseling with and without usage of audiovisual tools. Healthcare providers can improve the short-term impact of information provision by using audiovisuals alongside standard care, but should carefully consider content, for whom, how, and timing.

Effect of acidification pretreatment on two-phase anaerobic digestion of acidified food waste.

Acidified food waste significantly disrupts anaerobic digestion, highlighting the need for effective solutions to mitigate its impact. This study presents a method that utilizes acidified sludge to pretreat acidified food waste, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of hydrolysis and acidogenesis. After acidification pretreatment, hydrolysis efficiency improved from 64.54 % to 96.51 %, while acidogenesis efficiency increased from 34.82 % to 49.95 %. Additionally, the concentration of short-chain fatty acids and hydrogen production in the acidification pretreatment group increased by 45.89 % and 48.67 %, respectively. The pretreatment group exhibited a biochemical methane potential of 512.84 ± 13.73 mL/(g volatile suspended solids), which was 35.77 % higher than that of the control group. Mechanism analysis revealed that the higher abundance of genes associated with lactate dehydrogenase in the acidified sludge facilitated the rapid degradation of lactic acid. Moreover, the abundant Clostridium butyricum in the acidified sludge promoted the targeted conversion of lactic acid and other organic matter into butyric acid within the food waste system. This efficient butyric acid fermentation improved the fermentation environment and provided abundant substrates for methane production. This study introduces a promising bio-based strategy to improve the anaerobic digestion efficiency of acidified food waste.

Electricity production and nutrient recovery from waste activated sludge via microbial fuel cell and subsequent struvite crystallization: Effect of low temperature thermo-alkaline pretreatment.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) and subsequent struvite crystallization are available low-carbon environmental- friendly techniques for resource utilization of waste activated sludge (WAS). In this study, low temperature thermo-alkaline pretreatment (LTTAP) was innovatively proposed for enhancing MFC electricity generation and subsequent struvite crystallization from WAS. The results indicated that LTTAP at 75 °C and pH 10 not only substantially shortened the start-up time of MFC to 3-4 days, but also significantly increased maximum power density to 5.38 W/m3. Moreover, thermo-alkaline pretreated WAS effectively exhibited stable and high output voltage over long period, compared to unpretreated WAS. Furthermore pretreated WAS can provide an effective pH buffering function for MFC operation. In addition, about 90 % of phosphate in the pretreated WAS supernatant was recovered by struvite crystallization. The findings herein provided a new route for enhancing electricity production and nutrient recovery from WAS, which can realize the full-scale applicationof WAS resource utilization.

Enrichment of low-abundance osteopontin in bovine milk via reciprocating free-flow isoelectric focusing.

Osteopontin (OPN) in milk plays an important role in intestinal and brain development in early infancy, and great attention has been focused on OPN isolation to add extra OPN in infant formula. However, large-scale OPN isolation is limited by the low efficiency of sample pretreatment. Herein, we utilized preparative reciprocating free-flow isoelectric focusing (RFFIEF) to showcase the enrichment of low-abundance OPN in bovine milk, which contained an extremely high concentration of unwanted proteins. The reciprocating IEF format and the design of the multi-channel collector allowed us to enrich OPN in 1 L milk within 6 h. We removed 97.5% of unwanted proteins and obtained an enrichment factor of 11. Thus, our RFFIEF method can be applied to the preparative pretreatment of the large-scale milk sample and potentially improve the efficiency of downstream OPN purification.

Integrating electrochemical pretreatment with microalgae treatment for nitrogen and phosphorus removal and resource recovery from swine wastewater.

This study integrates electrochemical pretreatment with microalgae (Scenedesmus obliquus) treatment to enhance nitrogen and phosphorus removal and resource recovery from swine wastewater. By optimizing electrochemical and microalgae treatment conditions, the dilution factor and the hydraulic retention time for microalgae treatment were reduced to 5 times and 7 days, respectively. Under the optimized operational conditions, removal efficiencies of total nitrogen and ammonia could reach over 89 %and 96 %,respectively, and the removal efficiency of total phosphorus was over 99 %. The study also found that aluminum was more suitable than iron for anode as it produced fewer residues. Additionally, the electrochemical pretreatment reduced Cu2+ and Zn2+ concentrations, mitigating negative impacts on microalgal growth. The microalgae biomass harvested from developed processes was rich in saturated fatty acids, which was desirable for biodiesel production. This approach addresses the challenges of nutrient removal for swine wastewater treatment with high quality biomass recovery.

Lower serum LH level was related to poor embryo quality and adverse pregnancy outcomes in fixed GnRH antagonist protocol with estradiol pretreatment.

OBJECTIVE: To disclose the relationships between serum LH and reproductive outcomes in Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol pretreated with luteal estradiol. METHODS: 371 patients, pretreated with estradiol, followed the GnRH antagonist protocol. They were divided into four groups based on the quartiles of serum LH levels on the day of gonadotropin (Gn) initiation(LHGI) and trigger (LHtrigger). Data on various pregnancy outcomes were collected. RESULTS: As serum LHGI increased, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level, antral follicle count (AFC), LHtrigger, estradiol (E2) and P on the trigger day, E2/oocytes, and oocyte numbers increased and peaked in Q4, while Gn dose decreased. Good-quality embryo and blast formation rates increased and peaked in Q3. LHGI <3.93 mIU/ml impaired ongoing pregnancy rate and LBR. After adjusting for AMH and AFC, the impacts were not significant. As LHtrigger increased, E2/oocytes and good-quality embryo rate increased and peaked in T4 and implantation rate increased and peaked in T3. LHtrigger <1.49 mIU/ml independently influenced clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) after adjusting for AMH and AFC. LHGI was positively related to AMH, AFC, LHtrigger, blast formation rate and negatively related to BMI, age and Gn dose. LHtrigger was positively related to E2/oocytes and good quality embryo rate. CONCLUSIONS: Lower serum LH represents as a potential indicator for embryo quality and reproductive outcomes in GnRH antagonist fixed protocol pretreated with estradiol. Early identification of excessive suppression of LH levels will benefit individuals with normal ovarian reserve more.

Production of Low-Cost Adsorbents within a Circular Economy Approach: Use of Spruce Sawdust Pretreated with Desalination Brine to Adsorb Methylene Blue.

A sustainable low-cost activated carbon substitute was produced based on pretreated lignocellulosic biomass, especially spruce sawdust. A harmful liquid waste, desalination brine, was used for the treatment of a solid wood industry waste, spruce sawdust. This approach is in the circular economy theory and aims at the decarbonization of the economy. Pretreated sawdust was tested as an adsorbent appropriate for the removal of a commonly used pollutant, methylene blue, from industrial wastewater. The adsorption capacity of the pretreated material was found to have increased four times compared to the untreated one in the case that the Freundlich equation was fitted to the isotherms' data, i.e., the one with the best fit to the isotherm's experimental data of the three isotherm models used herein. The treatment experimental conditions with desalination brine that gave maximum adsorption capacity correspond to a 1.97 combined severity factor in logarithmic form value. Moreover, a kinetic experiment was carried out with regard to the methylene blue adsorption process. The desalination brine-pretreated sawdust adsorption capacity increased approximately two times compared to the untreated one, in the case when the second-order kinetic equation was used, which had the best fit of the kinetic data of the three kinetic models used herein. In this case, the pretreatment experimental conditions that gave maximum adsorption capacity correspond to -1.049 combined severity factor in logarithmic form. Industrial scale applications can be based on the kinetic data findings, i.e., spruce sawdust optimal pretreatment conditions at 200 °C, for 25 min, with brine solution containing 98.12 g L-1 NaCl, as they are related to a much shorter adsorption period compared to the isotherm data.

Y and ZSM-5 Hierarchical Zeolites Prepared Using a Surfactant-Mediated Strategy: Effect of the Treatment Conditions.

Diffusional limitations associated with zeolite microporous systems can be overcome by developing hierarchical zeolites, i.e., materials with a micro- and mesoporous framework. In this work, Y and ZSM-5 zeolites were modified using a surfactant-mediated hydrothermal alkaline method, with NaOH and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). For Y zeolite, after a mild acidic pretreatment, the effect of the NaOH+CTAB treatment time was investigated. For ZSM-5 zeolite, different concentrations of the base and acid solutions were tested in the two-step pretreatment preceding the hydrothermal treatment. The properties of the materials were studied with different physical-chemical techniques. Hierarchical Y zeolites were characterized by 3.3-5 nm pores formed during the alkaline treatment through the structure reconstruction around the surfactant aggregates. The effectiveness of the NaOH+CTAB treatment was highly dependent on the duration. For intermediate treatment times (6-12 h), both smaller and larger mesopores were also obtained. Hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolites showed a disordered mesoporosity, mainly resulting from the pretreatment rather than from the subsequent hydrothermal treatment. High mesoporosity was obtained when the concentration of the pretreating base solution was sufficiently high and that of the acid one was not excessive. Hierarchical materials can be obtained for both zeolite structures, but the pretreatment and treatment conditions must be tailored to the starting zeolite and the desired type of mesoporosity.

Methodology Approach for Microplastics Isolation from Samples Containing Sucrose.

The growing production and use of plastics significantly contribute to microplastics (MPs) contamination in the environment. Humans are exposed to MPs primarily through the gastrointestinal route, as these particles are present in beverages and food, e.g., sugar. Effective isolation and identification of MPs from food is essential for their elimination. This study aimed to evaluate factors influencing the isolation of MPs from sucrose solutions to determine optimal conditions for the process. Polyethylene particles were used to test separation methods involving chemical digestion with acids and filtration through membrane filters made of nylon, mixed cellulose ester, and cellulose acetate with pore sizes of 0.8 and 10 µm. The effects of temperature and acid type and its concentration on plastic particles were examined using scanning electron microscopy and µ-Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that increased temperature reduces solution viscosity and sucrose adherence to MPs' particles, while higher acid concentrations accelerate sucrose hydrolysis. The optimal conditions for MPs' isolation were found to be 5% HCl at 70 °C for 5 min, followed by filtration using an efficient membrane system. These conditions ensure a high recovery and fast filtration without altering MPs' surface properties, providing a reliable basis for further analysis of MPs in food.

Enhanced production of bioethanol through supercritical carbon dioxide-mediated pretreatment and saccharification of dewaxed bagasse.

The pretreatment and saccharification of dewaxed bagasse (DWB) has been investigated under various reaction conditions ranging 2000 to 3200 psi, at 70 ± 1 °C in supercritical carbon dioxide (SCC). This has been in attempt to transform the DWB into fermentable sugar and bioethanol in high yields. The effect of SCC mediated pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis on structural and morphological alterations in DWB has been ascertained through diverse analytical methods. The sugar has been released through cellulase (40 FPU/mL) mediated enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated DWB in sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.7) within 1 h at SCC 2800 psi, 70 ± 1 °C. The released sugar was subsequently fermented in the presence of yeast (Saccharomyces crevices, 135 CFU) at 28 ± 1 °C over 72 h to afford the bioethanol. The SCC mediated process conducted in acetic acid:water media (1:1) at 2800 psi, 70 ± 1 °C over 6 h has afforded the pretreated DWB with maximum yield towards the production of fermentable sugar and bioethanol. The production of fermentable sugar and bioethanol has been electrochemically estimated through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) over glassy carbon electrode in KOH (0.1 M). The electrochemical methods were found selective and in close agreement for estimation of the yields (%) of fermentable sugars and bioethanol. The yield (%) of fermentable sugar estimated from CV and SWV were 80.10 ± 5.34 and 79.00 ± 5.09 respectively. Whereas the yield (%) of bioethanol estimated from CV and SWV were 81.30 ± 2.78% and 78.6 ± 1.25% respectively. Present investigation delivers a SCC mediated green and sustainable method of pretreatment of DWB to afford the enhanced saccharification, to produce bioethanol in high yields.

Recycling of Spent Lithium Iron Phosphate Cathodes: Challenges and Progress.

The number of spent lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4, LFP) batteries will increase sharply in the next few years, owing to their large market share and development potential. Therefore, recycling of spent LFP batteries is necessary and urgent from both resource utilization and environmental protection standpoints. In this review, the significance of pretreatment for LFP recycling is first underscored, and its technical challenges and recent advancements are presented. Following that, the current recycling methods for spent LFP cathodes are outlined in terms of the respective treating processes, advantages, and disadvantages. Additionally, the preparation methods of LFP cathode material are reviewed to guide the resynthesis of LFP that uses salts obtained from spent LFP, which are beneficial for closed-loop recycling of LFP batteries. Lastly, we explore the future development direction of spent LFP battery recycling, highlighting the importance of technological innovation to advance the sustainable growth of the LFP battery industry.