Neutral or acidic pH for the removal of contaminants of emerging concern in wastewater by solar photo-Fenton? A techno-economic assessment of continuous raceway pond reactors.

As far as the authors know, no in-depth comparison has been made between the different performances of the solar photo-Fenton process for the removal of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) as a function of pH. To this end, real WWTP secondary effluents were treated in continuous flow mode at pilot plant scale. The effect of hydraulic residence time (HRT), liquid depth and percentage of CEC removal on treatment capacity was studied. At acidic pH (2.8), the iron source was FeSO4 and at neutral pH (7.0), it was Fe(III)-EDDS. At both pH values, 2250 L m-2 d-1 can be treated in 15-cm deep raceway pond reactors at 30 min HRT with 0.1 mM iron and 0.88 mM H2O2 in order to achieve 80% CEC removal. Treatment costs were 0.25 € m-3 and 0.56 € m-3 at acidic and neutral pH, respectively. This study paves the way for the solar photo-Fenton process to be employed on a commercial scale.

Low cost UVA-LED as a radiation source for the photo-Fenton process: a new approach for micropollutant removal from urban wastewater.

Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology has matured sufficiently to be considered as an alternative UVA radiation source in photoreactors. Currently, low energy consuming LEDs with a wide range of wavelengths and radiant flux are readily available. In this study, UVA-LEDs were used as a radiation source for the photo-Fenton process as tertiary treatment. The water matrix used was a simulated secondary effluent doped with 200 µg L-1 of the pesticide acetamiprid (ACTM) due to its recalcitrant nature. All experiments were carried out in a LED-box reactor at pH 2.8. The main purpose of this research was to gain some insight into the relationships among energy supply, LED consumption, UVA irradiance and reaction rate. The effect of LED wavelength on energy efficiency for ACTM degradation was studied by varying the iron concentration and liquid depth. Three wavelengths (365, 385 and 400 nm) and two iron concentrations (5 and 11 mg L-1) for two different liquid depths (5 and 15 cm) were evaluated in order to obtain more energy efficient conditions. The results suggest that while the wavelength of 365 nm with 11 mg Fe2+ L-1 was the best condition for ACTM degradation, the wavelength of 385 nm had slower kinetics, but higher energy efficiency.

A 6-month assessment of bimatoprost 0.03% vs timolol maleate 0.5%: hypotensive efficacy, macular thickness and flare in ocular-hypertensive and glaucoma patients.

AIM: To compare 6 months of treatment with bimatoprost and timolol in terms of their hypotensive efficacy and secondary effects, including changes in macular thickness and the inflammatory reaction induced in the anterior chamber. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, parallel-group trial performed on 30 eyes of 30 patients per group. The main outcome measure was the difference between the IOP value taken between the baseline visit and the 6-month-visit. Macular thickness determined through optical coherence tomography and anterior chamber inflammation estimated using the laser flare meter was also evaluated. Adverse events were recorded during the study period. RESULTS: Bimatoprost treatment gave rise to a significantly lower mean IOP than timolol in all follow-up visits as from the first month (P<0.05). Bimatoprost achieved high percentage IOP reductions from baseline in a significantly higher proportion of patients (P<0.05). Macular thickness and anterior chamber flare failed to vary significantly both between the two groups and within each group during the 6-month evaluation (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Bimatoprost 0.03% once daily showed a greater efficacy then timolol 0.05% twice daily in patients with elevated IOP. No significant differences were detected in macular thickness or anterior uveitis using optical coherence tomography and laser flare photometry.

[Clinical and analytic diagnostic evaluation of deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs]. / Valoración diagnóstica clínica y analítica de la trombosis venosa profunda de miembros inferiores.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) of lower limbs has changed in recent years. The objective of our study was to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of a combination of clinical and epidemiological data and the D-Dimer plasma levels in this entity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical (symptoms and signs) and epidemiological data, personal and family history, and D-dimer plasma levels or positivity were reviewed, on the admittance, in 108 patients to whom a phlebography was performed due to a suspected DVT. RESULTS: Phlebography was positive in 76 cases (70.37%). Logistic regression analysis determined a prediction model of the diagnostic of DVI including a combination of both D-dimer plasma levels or positivity and pain along the deep venous involved area. CONCLUSION: Combination of D-dimer testing and pain along the distribution of the deep venous area is useful as an initial diagnostic approach to the DVI of the lower limbs.