Design of low-cost natural casein biopolymer based adsorbent for efficient adsorption of multiple anionic dyes and diclofenac sodium from aqueous solutions.

The treatment of various organic pollutants from industrial wastewater using bio-based materials has gained significant attention owing to their excellent properties such as low-cost, eco-friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradability. In this perspective, casein (Cn), a protein-based biopolymer, was extracted from the cow milk as a low-cost adsorbent, and the adsorption performances were determined for the pristine Cn. The adsorbent was employed for the removal of two different classes of targeted pollutant anionic dyes such as Congo red (CR), Eriochrome Black T (EBT), Eosin Y (EY), and pharmaceutical waste i.e., diclofenac sodium (DS) and displayed better adsorption performances with the maximum adsorption capacity of 85.54, 31.72, 70.42 and 358.42 mg g-1 respectively. The interactions between Cn and pollutants are mainly ascribed to the electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction, and π-π interactions. Furthermore, to validate with realistic application the adsorbent proved with an excellent removal efficiency of 91.43% for fabric whitener i.e., Ujala Supreme®. These obtained results suggest that the Cn could be the potential adsorbent to effectively eliminate toxic pollutants from the aqueous solutions.

Multi-element analysis of food dyes and assessment of consumer's health.

The present study assessed metallic contaminants levels in food colourings using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in 51 samples of food dyes marketed in Algeria. The analysed samples were contaminated with lead (0.77 ± 0.034), arsenic (0.008 ± 0.006), cadmium (0.102 ± 0.047), cobalt (0.017 ± 0.008), copper (0.025 ± 0.011), chromium (0.820 ± 0.051), and nickel (0.022 ± 0.009) µg g-1. Mercury constituted a minor contaminant (<0.001 to 0.002 µg g-1). Turmeric and saffron were the most contaminated with Pb, As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, and Ni (p < 0.05). Health risk assessment revealed that infant population presents adverse non-carcinogenic effects (THQ = 4.25) and carcinogenic risk (HI = 4.65) linked to the consumption of food dyes contaminated with Cr.

Occurrence and ecotoxicological risk assessment of pharmacologically active dyes in the environmental water of Poland.

The interest in the fate of pharmacologically active substances (PASs) in the aquatic environment continually increases. However, little is known about pharmacologically active dyes (PADs) as contaminants of water bodies. PADs are used in medicine, but due to their colouring properties are also applied in the textile, cosmetic and food industries. Their large-scale production and widespread applications have caused these dyes permeate to the aquatic environment. The pharmacological activity and toxicological properties of some of these dyes, caused their occurrence in water should be monitored. Up to now, PADs such as crystal violet, malachite green, methylene blue, rhodamine B, have been determined in the water of Greater China and Iran. However, there is no data on whether PADs pose an environmental problem for water bodies in Poland. Thus, different water samples were collected and analysed by the UPLC-MS/MS method allowing the determination of 20 PADs. The tests showed that dyes such as crystal violet, methyl violet 2 B and rhodamine B were found in 2 out of 36 water reservoirs (0.0122-0.0594 µgL-1). The environmental risk assessment indicated that determined dyes for most model organisms did not pose a risk. Only the presence of methyl violet 2 B (0.0571 µgL-1) was related to a low risk for rohu carp, and crystal violet (0.0122-0.0209 µgL-1) showed a moderate risk for medaka fish. The occurrence of PADs was tested on a larger scale in the water samples collected from different water reservoirs in Poland. Based on obtained results, 96.3% of water samples collected from different water bodies (94.5%) were free from dyes. Thus, it could be stated that generally environmental water of Poland is contaminated with PADs at a low level. On the other hand, the presence of dyes in two samples indicates that PADs permeate the water environment, and their occurrence should be monitored.

Eco-geological consequences of textile processing wastes: Risk assessment, elemental dissolution kinetics, and health hazard potential.

Although substantial quantities of toxic wastes are generated from textile industries, the characteristics of textile processing wastes (TPWs) have yet scantily been investigated from ecological and agricultural perspectives. Here, the eco-geological consequences of TPWs are evaluated by considering three types of sludges (i.e., silk fibre sludge (SFS), dye mixed silk processing sludge (DSPS), and cotton processing wastewater sludge (CPWS)). The predominance of certain components between different wastes (e.g., fibrous substances in silk industry wastes (i.e., SFS and DSPS) and amorphous materials in cotton processing wastes (i.e., CPWS)) is accounted for by the use of different raw materials in different industries. According to the FTIR and other characterization analyses, all three types of TPWs were rich in carbonaceous compounds and nutrients (e.g., CNPK) because of their biological origin. Further, high accumulation of toxic metals (e.g., Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Mn) was apparent with chemical-processing routes. The principal component analysis indicated strong relationships between certain environmental variables (e.g., moisture content and bulk density) and bioavailability of several metals (e.g., Cd, Zn, Cu, and Mn), while C levels in TPWs were tightly associated with Cr levels. According to the Visual MINTEQ model, the dissolution-precipitation dynamics of potentially toxic elements (e.g., Pb, Cr, and Zn) in TPWs are predicted to be controlled by the levels of phosphates/chlorides/sulphates in line with the textile processing steps employed in different factories. The great toxicity potential of CPWS (e.g., relative to SFS and DSPS) is recognized to pose significant metal-induced hazards to ecosystems and human health over time. Among the three TPWs, SFS could be prescribed for agricultural application after proper treatment (e.g., via valorization techniques) with the aid of its benign nature and high nutrient (Total N: 3.83%; available P: 118.6 mg kg-1) value.

Potential trade-off between water consumption and water quality: life cycle assessment of nonaqueous solvent dyeing.

Fashion industry consumes over 60% of global fibers and attracts increasing attentions due to its environmentally polluting supply chain. In addition to natural fibers cultivation, wet processes of textile manufacturing are also important contributors to water-related impacts due to their large freshwater consumption and the production of chemicals containing wastewater. Despite of efforts made in improving efficiency of water use and wastewater treatment in textile industry, innovative 'water-free' technologies, such as nonaqueous dyeing technology using organic solvent, have been developed and demonstrated to reduce water consumption significantly. However, the potential impact on water quality by organic solvents induced in supply chain of this emerging technology remains unassessed, posing an unknown risk of its promotion. Hence, in the present study, a comprehensive life cycle assessment is applied to evaluate its full environmental impacts, including those on ecosystem and human health caused by decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) as the solvent used. Further, the nonaqueous dyeing system is compared with traditional aqueous dyeing technology from both environmental and economic perspectives. Results indicate that nonaqueous dyeing system is advanced in most of environment categories except for abiotic depletion potential (ADP) and Ecotoxicity. However, scenarios analysis reveal that these findings are influenced by the loss fraction of D5 during the solvent recovery process. It is suggested that the loss fraction should be controlled below 2% o.w.f. for the nonaqueous dyeing technology to be advanced throughout all environmental categories. Nonaqueous D5 dyeing could reduce water consumption by 61.30%-79.95% and greenhouse gas emissions by 43.70% compared to the traditional system, delivering a promising contribution to China's 2060 carbon neutrality ambition. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses are also conducted to investigate the effects of the key parameters (incl. inventory data and USEtox model inputs) and demonstrate the robustness of our assessment.

Microdroplet-captured tapes for rapid sampling and SERS detection of food contaminants.

Simple, effective, and rapid detection of chemically relevant hazards is a highly desirable research goal, which can provide early-warning information to improve the patient-care outcomes for public health. Here, we introduce a microdroplet-captured tape toward rapid SERS screening of food contaminants. The dominant sensing unit lies on functionalized microwell in conductive carbon tapes, which is simply prepared by physical punching, magnetron sputtering and electrochemical deposition of Au nanodendrites. The tape-based sensors not only possess highly branched Au nanodendrites in microwell for promoting SERS activity, but also enable anchoring the microdroplets via direct dip-pulling from pristine analytes solutions upon sticky incorporated on a glove. Early-warning SERS detection of food contaminants including Sudan-1, thiram, and thiabendazole from the real samples can be achieved by such simple sampling method. These tape-based sensors with a facile operation module and accessible signal read-out represent an innovative point-of-care testing (POCT) device for forensic, military, consumer protection, environmental monitoring, and food safety applications.

Cost-effective in-situ remediation technologies for complete mineralization of dyes contaminated soils.

Dyes & dyes intermediates are one of the important and critically polluted industrial sectors, generating a large environmental liability. Therefore characterization of microbial community structure and diversity of contaminated soils helps to optimize the bioremediation strategies and performance. This study investigated the roles of environmental variables and contamination levels in shaping microbial community structure at an abandoned aged. In total, 20 bacterial and 4 fungal phyla were identified across soils with different physiochemical properties and concentration of the contaminants. Taxonomic analysis revealed the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota represented the lineages and accounted for 49.5%-51.2%, 5.1%-15.3%, 2.5%-3.8% and 1.6%-2.1% of the total population, respectively. Microbial community (site 1) achieved decolorization rate of 972 ±â€¯1.21 mg dyes kgsoil-1d-1 after 15d and 692 ±â€¯1.4 mg kg-soil-1d-1 COD removal rate after 30 day of the experiment. Microbial community mineralized intermediates, 4-amino benzenesulfonate, 6-amino naphthalene sulfonate and benzene/naphthalene sulfonate in TCA cycle and stimulate the growth of selected soil bacteria, primary nutrient as well as plant growth of contaminated soil.

Deep eutectic solvent as an efficient modifier of low-cost adsorbent for the removal of pharmaceuticals and dye.

Waste from biomass was used to prepare a low-cost biochar-clay hybrid adsorbent. The hybrid adsorbent was synthesised by combining Kaolin with biomass (Vitex doniana), thereafter, modified with Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES). The materials were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), also, pHpzc of the materials were studied. The resultant adsorbents were used for both column and batch adsorption of organic pollutants; dye (Acid Blue 74; AB74) and pharmaceuticals (ciprofloxacin; CIP and acetaminophen; ACTE). Column adsorption capacity, effect of pollutant concentration and effect of flow rate were studied, also, the column was modelled using Thomas, Yoon-Nelson and Adams-Bohart model. Furthermore, batch adsorption experiments were performed, effect of change in pH, time, dose and concentration were studied. Batch adsorption data were fitted with isotherm and kinetic models. The experiment showed tremendous increase in adsorption capacity when the hybrid adsorbent (HYD) was modified with DES (HYD-DES). Acid Blue 74 on HYD-DES has the highest column sorption capacity followed by ciprofloxacin and acetaminophen. Adsorption was favoured at pH range of 2-10 for both AB74 and ACTE as there is no significant changes in the % removal performance, while adsorption was best at pH 6 and above for CIP. AB74 and CIP are best described by Langmuir isotherm, whereas ACTE adsorption was best explained by Freundlich isotherm equilibrium. The DES modified HYD has shown it can be effectively utilised as possible adsorbent for adsorbing organic dyes and pharmaceuticals.

Using modified fish scale waste from Sardinella brasiliensis as a low-cost adsorbent to remove dyes from textile effluents.

Textile industry wastewater has become a cause of concern to environmentalists due to its toxic composition and the difficulty of breaking down certain dyes. In this study, modified fish scales of Sardinella brasiliensis (SSb) were used as an alternative for a low-cost adsorbent to remove dyes from textile wastewaters. Adsorption efficiency was assessed by measuring the general, kinetic, and thermodynamic physico-chemical parameters of adsorption isotherms, using Reactive Turquoise Blue 15 (RTB15) and Reactive Red 120 (RR120) dyes as adsorbate models, as local textile industries commonly use these dyes. The isothermal data from the batch experiments were inserted in the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Langmuir-Freundlich (SIPS) equations; the Langmuir isotherm equation showed the most appropriate. The thermodynamic parameters showed that adsorption of dyes by the modified SSb adsorbent was an endothermic yet spontaneous process in the case of RR120. Sorbent-based on SSb material was concluded as adsorbing both of the tested dyes. Because of its abundant availability, and the small amount of activation needed to turn it into an adsorbent, this biowaste can be employed as a low-cost alternative for removal of dyes in the treatment of textile wastewater.

Shaddock peels-based activated carbon as cost-saving adsorbents for efficient removal of Cr (VI) and methyl orange.

A simple and economical method was proposed to synthesize the shaddock peels-based activated carbon (SPAC) for their application as efficient sorbents to eliminate Cr (VI) and methyl orange (MO) from one-component and two-component systems. The synthesis was conducted via activation of phosphoric acid and high-temperature carbonization. The as-prepared SPAC was characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, among other techniques. The adsorption experiment, which used five types of fruit peel (shaddock peels, orange peels, apple peels, banana peels, and tangerine peels), indicated that shaddock peels were the optimal precursors, with the high removal efficiencies for Cr (VI) (21.2%) and MO (54.25%). The effects of various factors (e.g., initial concentration, sorbent dosage, pH values, and contact time) were systematically evaluated. For the one-component system, the maximum adsorption capacities of Cr (VI) (9.95 mg/g) and MO (94.59 mg/g) reached pH levels 2 and 3, respectively. Kinetic modeling demonstrated that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model was adopted for the one-component and two-component systems. Isotherm studies suggested that Cr (VI) and MO sorption processes in the one-component explained well the Langmuir and Freundlich models, respectively. The extended Freundlich multicomponent isotherm model was more compatible for explaining competitive adsorption in the binary component system. The adsorbed amount of Cr (VI) was markedly suppressed by MO, whereas MO adsorption was not significantly influenced owing to the existence of Cr (VI). The higher adsorption capacity of MO could be mainly attributed to the strong force acting between MO and SPAC. The findings of this study confirmed that SPAC provided a sustainable choice for cycling solid waste shaddock peels to remove hazardous contaminants.

Potential use of composts and vermicomposts as low-cost adsorbents for dye removal: an overlooked application.

The use of composts and vermicomposts as adsorbents is an important topic of study in the field of environmental remediation. These materials are rich in organic matter and have functional groups that can interact with organic and inorganic compounds. They also contain microorganisms that can promote biodegradation of organic substances. Composts that cannot be used for agronomic purposes (owing to e.g. low nutrient levels or phytotoxicity) may be valuable for soil remediation or pollutant removal. In this review, we discuss papers on this topic, with the objective of drawing attention to the potential use of composts/vermicomposts and to recommend further investigation on this subject. Few published studies have investigated the use of composts/vermicomposts to remove dyes and other coloured compounds. However, preliminary results show that these materials are potentially good adsorbents, at least comparable to other low-cost adsorbents, and that, in general, basic dyes are more efficiently removed than direct, reactive or acid dyes. The results of the works reviewed also show that dye removal takes place by adsorption mechanisms, in most studies following a Langmuir model, and that the kinetics of removal are fast and follow a pseudo-second order model. However, there remain several uncertainties regarding this application. For example, very few dyes have been studied so far, and little is known about the influence of the properties of composts/vermicomposts on the dye removal process. Moreover, the possible use of compost/vermicompost to enhance biodegradation processes has not been explored. All these questions should be addressed in future research.

Liver function assessment using indocyanine green plasma disappearance rate in a young male with icteric leptospirosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is one of the leading global zoonotic causes of morbidity and mortality. It is induced by a pathogenic spirochete of the genus Leptospira. The icteric form of leptospirosis is characterized by pronounced hyperbilirubinemia and associated with significantly increased mortality. Conventional static liver function tests insufficiently assess hepatic damage and have limited prognostic value. Dynamic tests, such as indocyanine green plasma (ICG) clearance, more adequately reflect hepatic functional status. In this case report we describe the ICG plasma disappearance rates (ICG-PDR) in a patient with leptospirosis and massive hyperbilirubinemia, expanding our knowledge of liver dysfunction in icteric leptospirosis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 21-year-old Caucasian man presented with acute-onset jaundice, myalgia, fever and headaches. Laboratory tests upon admission revealed, most notably, acute kidney failure and hyperbilirubinemia of 17 mg/dl with mild elevation of aminotransferases. In the course of the following 4 days, total serum bilirubin increased to 54 mg/dl. The clinical outcome was favorable with intravenous ceftriaxone and doxycycline. Presumptive diagnosis of leptospirosis was later confirmed by PCR-based amplification of leptospiral DNA in the blood. ICG-PDR values, bilirubin as well as aminotransferases were recorded throughout hospitalization and a 3-month follow-up period. Initially dramatically reduced ICG-PDR (2.0%/min, normal range: 18-25%/min) rapidly normalized within 10 days, while bilirubin remained elevated up to week 7. Mild elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase was at its peak of 124 U/l by day 12 and reached close to normal levels by week 7 upon admission. CONCLUSIONS: Markedly diminished ICG-PDR values presented in this case report suggest severe liver function impairment in the acute phase of icteric leptospirosis. Prolonged elevation of serum bilirubin may not adequately reflect recovery of liver injury in this disease. ICG clearance appears to be a promising marker for the detection of hepatic dysfunction and recovery in icteric leptospirosis in addition to the static tests.

Rapid and quantitative detection of trace Sudan black B in dyed black rice by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

The use of Sudan black B as coloring agent in foods is forbidden for its toxicology effect on human organs. This work proposes an efficient and sensitive method for food security inspection targeting Sudan black B. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is applied to the analysis of trace Sudan black B. It could be detected at concentrations as low as 0.05 mg/L in standard solutions and 0.1 mg/kg in black rice extracts with the SERS method for measurement. The linear relationship between the intensity and concentration could be used for the quantitative detection of Sudan black B. The relation between dyeing time of black rice stained by Sudan black B solution and SERS intensity was studied which indirectly showed the effectiveness of the extraction method we designed. The results of the quantitative analysis reveal the practicability of using this method to detect Sudan black B in black rice. As a rapid and sensitive detection method, SERS can be extended to detect other food products and has a great application prospect in food safety inspection.

Exposure assessment of operators to pesticides in Kongou, a sub-watershed of Niger River valley.

The use of pesticides in horticultural sector in Niger has become an integral part of modern agriculture. Nevertheless, their inappropriate use can generate negative health effects to operators. A study was carried out among Kongou farmers in order to assess their potential dermal exposure (PDE). The UK-POEM model was used to quantify the PDE during mixing/loading and application according to the local practices. In order to determine which parts of the operator body are subject to most contamination during spraying and to validate the theoretical model used, a patch method was used with a tartrazine dye. The deposits of the tartrazine on patches were measured by colorimetry thanks to the absorbance value determined after their extraction in water and a calibration curve. A total of ten spraying trials (five trials with the hand-held sprayer and five others with the backpack sprayer) were performed by different producers at 0.5 and 1 m height for each trial. The survey shows that 92% of the farmers are illiterate and the most common active substances identified are organophosphate or pyrethroids insecticides. Seventy percent of operators do not use any personal protective equipment (PPE) during mixing/loading or spraying. The predictive systemic exposure levels vary from 0.0027 mg kg-1 bw per day to 0.7692 mg kg-1 bw per day for backpack sprayer and from 0.0261 mg kg-1 bw per day to 0.9788 mg kg-1 bw per day for hand-held sprayer, several times higher the Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (AOEL) for some actives substances. Theoretical modeling indicates more exposure of operator by a hand-held sprayer than a backpack sprayer. The patch method results show that the deposits of dye increase when the position of sprayer nozzle increases from 0.5 to 1 m for the two sprayers. All parts of the operator body are contaminated but lower body parts and chest are the most exposed. The patch method results also show that hand spraying contaminates operator more than backpack spraying, confirming the results of the theoretical model.

Health Risk Assessment of Exposure to Heavy Metals and Aflatoxins via Dietary Intake of Dried Red Pepper from Marketplaces in Antalya, Southern Turkey.

Red pepper is used as raw material in industry and as a seasoning in various foods. In this study, the cadmium, lead and arsenic content of 33 red pepper samples sold in open and sealed packages on different markets was investigated in terms of their synthetic color components, aflatoxin amounts and toxic elements, which have been declared as cancerous by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the results, synthetic colorants, arsenic and cadmium were not detected in any of the samples, while lead was detected in 11 samples and aflatoxins were detected in eight of the samples. As a consequence of these investigations, a health risk analysis was carried out by taking into account the amount of consumption in the region. The B1 aflatoxin content in the samples, according to daily consumption data, exceeded the limits set by the European Commission (EC) by almost 150%.

A rapid and nondestructive protocol for whole-mount bone staining of small fish and Xenopus.

Here we propose a new protocol for whole-mount bone staining, which allows the rapid preparation of highly cleared and nondestructive specimens. It only takes 3 days to complete whole procedure for small vertebrates, such as medaka, zebrafish, and Xenopus frogs. In this procedure, we used a newly developed fixative containing formalin, Triton X-100, and potassium hydroxide, which allows the fixation, decolorization, and transparentization of specimens at the same time. A bone staining solution containing alizarin red S with ethylene glycol and a clearing solution containing Tween 20 and potassium hydroxide also contributed the specificity and swiftness of this new system. As expected, although details of the skeletal system could be observed in specimens with high transparency, it was noteworthy that high-resolution fluorescence images acquired using zoom microscopes clearly delineated the shape of each bone. This new procedure would be expected to be widely used as a standard procedure for bone staining in the testing the developmental toxicity of chemicals and in the screening test of knockout or mutant animals.

Rapid identification of regulated organic chemical compounds in toys using ambient ionization and a miniature mass spectrometry system.

Rapid, on-site analysis was achieved through significantly simplified operation procedures for a wide variety of toy samples (crayon, temporary tattoo sticker, finger paint, modeling clay, and bubble solution) using a miniature mass spectrometry system with ambient ionization capability. The labor-intensive analytical protocols involving sample workup and chemical separation, traditionally required for MS-based analysis, were replaced by direct sampling analysis using ambient ionization methods. A Mini ß ion trap miniature mass spectrometer was coupled with versatile ambient ionization methods, e.g. paper spray, extraction spray and slug-flow microextraction nanoESI for direct identification of prohibited colorants, carcinogenic primary aromatic amines, allergenic fragrances, preservatives and plasticizers from raw toy samples. The use of paper substrates coated with Co3O4 nanoparticles allowed a great increase in sensitivity for paper spray. Limits of detection as low as 5µgkg-1 were obtained for target analytes. The methods being developed based on the integration of ambient ionization with miniature mass spectrometer represent alternatives to current in-lab MS analysis operation, and would enable fast, outside-the-lab screening of toy products to ensure children's safety and health.

Assessment of the permeability properties of cryopreservation outer bags used in NHSBT.

This study was carried out to investigate leakage/transport across the bag material of six outer cryopreservation bags in common use within NHS Blood and Transplant. In order to do this two different leak testing procedures; coloured dye and hydrogen tracer gas, were used. The data obtained show that a coloured dye cannot permeate through the materials both at room temperature and following storage at liquid nitrogen temperature (- 196 °C). In addition, when filled with the smallest elemental molecule, hydrogen, in the form of a tracer gas, all of the bags only allowed trace amounts of hydrogen to escape, either through the seal or the bag material. The data indicated that each of the bag materials tested would be capable of preventing bacterial or viral cross-contamination as long as the material remained intact.

A simple and cost effective method for preparing FL and LG solutions.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a clinically feasible method for obtaining dye concentrations of 2% fluorescein (FL) and 1% lissamine green (LG) by soaking commercially available dye impregnated strips in saline. METHODS: Calibration curves were established to related known concentrations of dye to prepared FL fluorescence and LG absorbance. To determine the optimum number of dye strips and soaking times (preliminary testing), 1, 2, 3 FL or LG strips were soaked in 200 µl commercially available saline for 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min, using calibration curves to determine FL and LG concentrations. The best combination of number of dye strips and soaking time was soaking 3FL and 3LG strips for 5 min and these were finally tested in 2 ml centrifuge tubes, selected for ease of use in a clinical setting. RESULTS: Preliminary testing indicated that soaking 3 FL or 3 LG strips for 5 min in saline yielded an average (±standard deviation) of 2.0 ± 0.000% FL and 0.93 ± 0.010% LG. Final testing of FL in centrifuge tubes (strips soaked for 3-15 min) yielded an average of 1.99 ± 0.040% FL, with no significant difference among time periods or dye lots tested. However, LG showed more variable results with an average of 0.80 ± 0.160% LG (5-15 min), with significant differences among dye lots and times (2-way ANOVA, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This simple, reliable and relatively inexpensive method involves soaking 3 FL or LG strips in saline solution, yielding concentrations close to the 2%FL and 1%LG recommended for clinical trials, although LG showed more variability.

Reduction dye in paint and construction chemicals wastewater by improved coagulation-flocculation process.

A coagulation-flocculation process was applied to wastewater of paint and construction chemicals producing factory in Turkey. Ferric chloride was used as coagulant and several natural based materials, namely limestone, pumice, sepiolite, bentonite and mussel shell were used as flocculant aids. The effects of dosage of flocculant aids on the pH, color and electrical conductivity of wastewater were studied. The experimental results showed that the treatment with all substances was very effective. The pHs of treated wastewater were obtained in the range of 5-7 without needing pH adjustment process. Fifteen Pt-Co color values were obtained on average, which is similar to pure water clarity. The amount of solute in the wastewater was evaluated by the electrical conductivity values. According to the results, under the optimum treatment conditions, chemical oxygen demands were determined. As a result of the work, the cost of chemicals for the wastewater treatment processes has been reduced by about 90%.