Preliminary evaluation of electricity recovery from palm oil mill effluent by anion exchange microbial fuel cell.

This study assessed the viability of an anion-exchange microbial fuel cell (MFC) for extracting electricity from palm oil mill effluent (POME), a major pollutant in palm-oil producing regions due to increasing demand. The MFC incorporated a tubular membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with an air core, featuring a carbon-painted carbon-cloth cathode, an anion exchange membrane (AEM), and a nonwoven graphite fabric (NWGF) anode. An additional carbon brush (CB) anode was placed adjacent to the tubular MEA. The MFC operated under semi-batch conditions with POME replacement every 7 days. Results showed superior performance of the AEM, with the highest power density (Pmax) observed in POME-treated MFCs. Current and power density increased with CB addition; the best chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency reached 73 %, decreasing from 1249 to 332 mg/L with three CBs. The Pmax was 0.18 W/m-2(-|-) with 1000 mg/L COD and three CBs, dropping to 0.0031 W/m-2(-|-) without CB and at 410 mg/L COD. Anode resistance, calculated using organic matter supplementation, COD, and anode surface area, decreased with increased COD or surface area, improving electricity production. AEM and CB compatibility synergistically enhanced MFC performance, offering potential for POME wastewater treatment and energy recovery.

Recent Progress on Functionalized Nanoporous Heteropoly Acids: From Synthesis to Applications.

Functionalized nanoporous heteropoly acids (HPAs) have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their enhanced surface area and porosity, as well as their potential for low-cost regeneration compared to bulk materials. This review aims to provide an overview of the recent advancements in the synthesis and applications of functionalized HPAs. We begin by introducing the fundamental properties of HPAs and their unique structure, followed by a comprehensive overview of the various approaches employed for the synthesis of functionalized HPAs, including salts, anchoring onto supports, and implementing mesoporous silica sieves. The potential applications of functionalized HPAs in various fields are also discussed, highlighting their boosted performance in a wide range of applications. Finally, we address the current challenges and present future prospects in the development of functionalized HPAs, particularly in the context of mesoporous HPAs. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the recent progress in the field, highlighting the significant advancements made in the synthesis and applications of functionalized HPAs.

Harnessing the photocatalytic potential of bismuth ferrite-activated carbon nanocomposite (BFO-AC) for Staphylococcus aureus decontamination under visible light.

In response to the escalating global issue of microbial contamination, this study introduces a breakthrough photocatalyst: bismuth ferrite-activated carbon (BFO-AC) for visible light-driven disinfection, specifically targeting the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Employing an ultrasonication method, we synthesized various BFO-AC ratios and subjected them to comprehensive characterization. Remarkably, the bismuth ferrite-activated carbon 1:1.5 ratio (BA 1:1.5) nanocomposite exhibited the narrowest band gap of 1.86 eV. Notably, BA (1:1.5) demonstrated an exceptional BET surface area of 862.99 m2/g, a remarkable improvement compared to pristine BFO with only 27.61 m2/g. Further investigation through FE-SEM unveiled the presence of BFO nanoparticles on the activated carbon surface. Crucially, the photocatalytic efficacy of BA (1:1.5) towards S. aureus reached its zenith, achieving complete inactivation in just 60 min. TEM analysis revealed severe damage and rupture of bacterial cells, affirming the potent disinfection capabilities of BA (1:1.5). This exceptional disinfection efficiency underscores the promising potential of BA (1:1.5) for the treatment of contaminated water sources. Importantly, our results underscore the enhanced photocatalytic performance with an increased content of activated carbon, suggesting a promising avenue for more effective microorganism inactivation.

Progress on Improved Fouling Resistance-Nanofibrous Membrane for Membrane Distillation: A Mini-Review.

Nanofibrous membranes for membrane distillation (MD) have demonstrated promising results in treating various water and wastewater streams. Significant progress has been made in recent decades because of the development of sophisticated membrane materials, such as superhydrophobic, omniphobic and Janus membranes. However, fouling and wetting remain crucial issues for long-term operation. This mini-review summarizes ideas as well as their limitations in understanding the fouling in membrane distillation, comprising organic, inorganic and biofouling. This review also provides progress in developing antifouling nanofibrous membranes for membrane distillation and ongoing modifications on nanofiber membranes for improved membrane distillation performance. Lastly, challenges and future ways to develop antifouling nanofiber membranes for MD application have been systematically elaborated. The present mini-review will interest scientists and engineers searching for the progress in MD development and its solutions to the MD fouling issues.

Strategies to Enhance the Membrane-Based Processing Performance for Fruit Juice Production: A Review.

Fruit juice is an essential food product that has received significant acceptance among consumers. Harmonized concentration, preservation of nutritional constituents, and heat-responsive sensorial of fruit juices are demanding topics in food processing. Membrane separation is a promising technology to concentrate juice at minimal pressure and temperatures with excellent potential application in food industries from an economical, stable, and standard operation view. Microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) have also interested fruit industries owing to the increasing demand for reduced pressure-driven membranes. UF and MF membranes are widely applied in concentrating, clarifying, and purifying various edible products. However, the rising challenge in membrane technology is the fouling propensity which undermines the membrane's performance and lifespan. This review succinctly provides a clear and innovative view of the various controlling factors that could undermine the membrane performance during fruit juice clarification and concentration regarding its selectivity and permeance. In this article, various strategies for mitigating fouling anomalies during fruit juice processing using membranes, along with research opportunities, have been discussed. This concise review is anticipated to inspire a new research platform for developing an integrated approach for the next-generation membrane processes for efficient fruit juice clarification.

Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles for the Adsorption of Pentavalent Arsenic from Water: Effects of Calcination.

The occurrence of heavy metal ions in water is intractable, and it has currently become a serious environmental issue to deal with. The effects of calcining magnesium oxide at 650 °C and the impacts on the adsorption of pentavalent arsenic from water are reported in this paper. The pore nature of a material has a direct impact on its ability to function as an adsorbent for its respective pollutant. Calcining magnesium oxide is not only beneficial in enhancing its purity but has also been proven to increase the pore size distribution. Magnesium oxide, as an exceptionally important inorganic material, has been widely studied in view of its unique surface properties, but the correlation between its surface structure and physicochemical performance is still scarce. In this paper, magnesium oxide nanoparticles calcined at 650 °C are assessed to remove the negatively charged arsenate ions from an aqueous solution. The increased pore size distribution was able to give an experimental maximum adsorption capacity of 115.27 mg/g with an adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g/L. Non-linear kinetics and isotherm models were studied to identify the adsorption process of ions onto the calcined nanoparticles. From the adsorption kinetics study, the non-linear pseudo-first order showed an effective adsorption mechanism, and the most suitable adsorption isotherm was the non-linear Freundlich isotherm. The resulting R2 values of other kinetic models, namely Webber-Morris and Elovich, were still below those of the non-linear pseudo-first-order model. The regeneration of magnesium oxide in the adsorption of negatively charged ions was determined by making comparisons between fresh and recycled adsorbent that has been treated with a 1 M NaOH solution.

Performance of a membrane fabricated from high-density polyethylene waste for dye separation in water.

Industrial growth can have a good impact on a country's economic growth, but it can also cause environmental problems, including water pollution. About 80% of industrial wastewater is discharged into the environment without treatment, of which 17-20% is dominated by dyes, such as methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) from the textile industry. Only about 5% of a textile dye is used in the dyeing process and the rest is discarded. This problem, of course, requires special handling considering the harmful effects to health. On the other hand, the abundance of plastic waste is increasing by 14% or 85 000 tons per year. This problem must be solved due to its film-forming properties. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is one type of plastic used as a membrane material. Therefore, in this study, HDPE plastic waste was utilized as a membrane for dye removal. In this study, HDPE plastic waste was fabricated via a thermal-induced phase-separation method using mineral oil as a solvent at various concentrations of 8%, 10%, 13%, and 15% (w/w). All the membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. The results showed that the HDPE membrane at a concentration of 15% displayed the best performance compared to the others in terms of MB rejection. The negative charge (-36.9) of the HDPE membrane was more effective for cationic dye removal compared to the anionic dye. The flux and rejection of HDPE 15% for 100 ppm MB and MO removal were 2.71 and 4.93 L m-2 h-1, and 99.72% and 89.8%, respectively. The pure water flux of the membrane was 15.01 L m-2 h-1 and the tensile strength was 0.3435 MPa.

Surface Modification of UiO-66 on Hollow Fibre Membrane for Membrane Distillation.

The hydrophobicity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is critical in enhancing the separation process in membrane distillation. Herein, a new superhydrophobic University of Oslo 66 (UiO-66) MOFs was successfully constructed on the top of alumina hollow fibre (AHF) membrane for desalination purposes. The fabrication methodology of the membrane involved in situ growth of pure crystalline UiO-66 on top of AHF and post-synthetic modification by fluorosilane grafting. The resultant membrane was characterised to study the physicochemical properties of the pristine and modified membrane. A superhydrophobic UiO-66 with a contact angle of 163.6° and high liquid entry pressure was obtained by introducing a highly branched fluorocarbon chain while maintaining its crystallinity. As a result, the modified membrane achieved 14.95 L/m2∙h water flux and 99.9% NaCl rejection with low energy consumption in the direct contact membrane distillation process. Furthermore, the high surface energy contributed by UiO-66 is maximised to produce the maximum number of accessible sites for the grafting process. The synergistic effect of surface hydrophobicity and porous UiO-66 membrane in trapping water vapour shows great potential for desalination application.

Preparation and Characterization of PVDF-TiO2 Mixed-Matrix Membrane with PVP and PEG as Pore-Forming Agents for BSA Rejection.

Polymeric membranes offer straightforward modification methods that make industry scaling affordable and easy; however, these materials are hydrophobic, prone to fouling, and vulnerable to extreme operating conditions. Various attempts were made in this study to fix the challenges in using polymeric membranes and create mixed-matrix membrane (MMMs) with improved properties and hydrophilicity by adding titanium dioxide (TiO2) and pore-forming agents to hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The PVDF mixed-matrix ultrafiltration membranes in this study were made using the non-solvent phase inversion approach which is a simple and effective method for increasing the hydrophilic nature of membranes. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as pore-forming chemicals were created. Pure water flux, BSA flux, and BSA rejection were calculated to evaluate the mixed-matrix membrane's efficiency. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution was employed in this study to examine the protein rejection ability. Increases in hydrophilicity, viscosity, and flux in pure water and BSA solution were achieved using PVP and PEG additives. The PVDF membrane's hydrophilicity was raised with the addition of TiO2, showing an increased contact angle to 71°. The results show that the PVDF-PVP-TiO2 membrane achieved its optimum water flux of 97 L/(m2h) while the PVDF-PEG-TiO2 membrane rejected BSA at a rate greater than 97%. The findings demonstrate that use of a support or additive improved filtration performance compared to a pristine polymeric membrane by increasing its hydrophilicity.

Low-cost membrane from polyethylene terephthalate bottle waste for water purification and chromium removal: modification and application.

River water has become contaminated with numerous hazardous compounds due to the rapid rise in population and industry expansion. Due to unchecked population growth and the improper disposal of electroplating industrial waste, issues with river water filtration and the elimination of chromium contamination have developed. Various technologies have been developed to overcome these problems. One of the technologies that have been proposed until now is membrane technology. On the other hand, the waste from plastic bottles, which grows yearly and now weighs 381.73 million tons, can create thin films or layers. Therefore, there is a lot of potential in employing plastic bottle trash as a low-cost, sustainable, and eco-friendly membrane material. In this study, the immersion-precipitation phase inversion method was used in the membrane preparation process from plastic bottle waste by modifying fillers (zeolite-NaY) and additives (LiCl and PEG-400) to improve membrane performance. The effect of filler and additive modification on the fabricated membrane was studied for its performance in water purification and chromium ion contaminant removal. The results demonstrated that the modified LiCl membrane performed optimally for water purification and the removal of chromium ions, along with a reduction in turbidity to 1.42 NTU (from 400 NTU) and a 54.75% removal of chromium.

Hybrid Inorganic Organic PSF/Hap Dual-Layer Hollow Fibre Membrane for the Treatment of Lead Contaminated Water.

Lead (Pb) exposure can be harmful to public health, especially through drinking water. One of the promising treatment methods for lead contaminated water is the adsorption-filtration method. To ensure the cost-effectiveness of the process, naturally derived adsorbent shall be utilised. In this study, hydroxyapatite particles, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 (HAP) derived from waste cockle shell, were incorporated into the outer layer of polysulfone/HAP (PSf/HAP) dual-layer hollow fibre (DLHF) membrane to enhance the removal of lead from the water source due to its hydrophilic nature and excellent adsorption capacity. The PSf/HAP DLHF membranes at different HAP loadings in the outer layer (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 wt%) were fabricated via the co-extrusion phase inversion technique. The performance of the DLHF membranes was evaluated in terms of pure water flux, permeability and adsorption capacity towards lead. The results indicated that the HAP was successfully incorporated into the outer layer of the membrane, as visibly confirmed by microscopic analysis. The trend was towards an increase in pure water flux, permeability and lead adsorption capacity as the HAP loading increased to the optimum loading of 30 wt%. The optimized DLHF membrane displayed a reduced water contact angle by 95%, indicating its improved surface hydrophilicity, which positively affects the pure water flux and permeability of the membrane. Furthermore, the DLHF membrane possessed the highest lead adsorption capacity, 141.2 mg/g. The development of a hybrid inorganic-organic DLHF membrane via the incorporation of the naturally derived HAP in the outer layer is a cost-effective approach to treat lead contaminated water.

Visible-light-driven photocatalytic dual-layer hollow fibre membrane ameliorates the changes of bisphenol A exposure in gastrointestinal tract.

Various treatments of choice are available to overcome contamination of bisphenol A (BPA) in the environment including membrane technologies; however, the treatment still releases contaminants that threaten the human being. Therefore, the present study is conducted to investigate the degradation of BPA by recently developed visible-light-driven photocatalytic nitrogen-doping titanium dioxide (N-doped TiO2) dual-layer hollow fibre (DLHF) membrane and its efficiency in reducing the level of BPA in contaminated water. Fabricated with suitable polymer/photocatalyst (15/7.5 wt.%) via co-extrusion spinning method, the DLHF was characterized morphologically, evaluated for BPA degradation by using submerged photocatalytic membrane reactor under visible light irradiations followed by the investigation of intermediates formed. BPA exposure effects were accessed by immunohistochemistry staining of gastrointestinal sample obtained from animal model. BPA has been successfully degraded up to 72.5% with 2 intermediate products, B1 and B2, being identified followed by total degradation of BPA. BPA exposure leads to the high-intensity IHC staining of Claudin family which indicated the disruption of small intestinal barrier (SIB) integrity. Low IHC staining intensity of Claudin family in treated BPA group demonstrated that reducing the level of BPA by N-doped TiO2 DLHF is capable of protecting the important component of SIB. Altogether, the fabricated photocatalytic DLHF membrane is expected to have an outstanding potential in removing BPA and its health effect for household water treatment to fulfil the public focus on the safety of their household water and their need to consume clean water.

Synthesis and Optimization of Superhydrophilic-Superoleophobic Chitosan-Silica/HNT Nanocomposite Coating for Oil-Water Separation Using Response Surface Methodology.

In this current study, facile, one-pot synthesis of functionalised nanocomposite coating with simultaneous hydrophilic and oleophobic properties was successfully achieved via the sol-gel technique. The synthesis of this nanocomposite coating aims to develop a highly efficient, simultaneously oleophobic-hydrophilic coating intended for polymer membranes to spontaneously separate oil-in-water emulsions, therefore, mitigating the fouling issue posed by an unmodified polymer membrane. The simultaneous hydrophilicity-oleophobicity of the nanocoating can be applied onto an existing membrane to improve their capability to spontaneously separate oil-in-water substances in the treatment of oily wastewater using little to no energy and being environmentally friendly. The synthesis of hybrid chitosan-silica (CTS-Si)/halloysite nanotube (HNT) nanocomposite coating using the sol-gel method was presented, and the resultant coating was characterised using FTIR, XPS, XRD, NMR, BET, Zeta Potential, and TGA. The wettability of the nanocomposite coating was evaluated in terms of water and oil contact angle, in which it was coated onto a polymer substrate. The coating was optimised in terms of oil and water contact angle using Response Surface Modification (RSM) with Central Composite Design (CCD) theory. The XPS results revealed the successful grafting of organosilanes groups of HNT onto the CTS-Si denoted by a wide band between 102.6-103.7 eV at Si2p. FTIR spectrum presented significant peaks at 3621 cm-1; 1013 cm-1 was attributed to chitosan, and 787 cm-1 signified the stretching of Si-O-Si on HNT. 29Si, 27Al, and 13H NMR spectroscopy confirmed the extensive modification of the particle's shells with chitosan-silica hybrid covalently linked to the halloysite nanotube domains. The morphological analysis via FESEM resulted in the surface morphology that indicates improved wettability of the nanocomposite. The resultant colloids have a high colloid stability of 19.3 mV and electrophoretic mobility of 0.1904 µmcm/Vs. The coating recorded high hydrophilicity with amplified oleophobic properties depicted by a low water contact angle (WCA) of 11° and high oil contact angle (OCA) of 171.3°. The optimisation results via RSM suggested that the optimised sol pH and nanoparticle loadings were pH 7.0 and 1.05 wt%, respectively, yielding 95% desirability for high oil contact angle and low water contact angle.

Decreasing free fatty acid of crude palm oil with polyvinylidene fluoride hollow fiber membranes using a combination of chitosan and glutaraldehyde.

Crude palm oil (CPO) has emerged as a significant commodity in the economic and social development of producer nations. However, the presence of free fatty acids (FFAs) results in decreased CPO quality. Due to many advantages, the PVDF hollow fiber membrane has a higher potential to remove FFA from CPO than other polymeric membranes, despite the fact that FFA rejection performance remains poor. To solve this issue, membrane surface modification has emerged as one of the potential options for increasing electrostatic contact between the membrane surface and the FFA, resulting in high efficiency FFA separation from CPO. In this investigation, the membrane surface was coated with chitosan (CS) as a coating agent and glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinking agent. The findings of the characterization demonstrated that the presence of a CS/GA combination with a low CS weight on the membrane surface resulted in enhanced hydrophilicity, porosity, water flow, and surface roughness. Furthermore, as compared to the uncoated PVDF hollow fiber membrane, the performance of the CPO with PVDF/CS 0.5 hollow fiber membrane achieved a maximum result of FFA rejection of up to 14.99%. The use of a mixture of CS and GA on the PVDF membrane surface to improve FFA reduction has been shown to be a promising technique for scaling up membrane technology.

Research Trends in the Use of Polyaniline Membrane for Water Treatment Applications: A Scientometric Analysis.

Polyaniline (PANI), which is a member of the family of electrically conducting polymers, has been widely discussed as a potential membrane for wastewater treatment. Although a steady growth in PANI literature was observed, analyzing PANI literature quantitatively is still a novelty. The main aim of this study is to unearth the current research status, global trends, and evolution of PANI membranes literature and their use in water treatment applications over time. For this purpose, a scientometric study was performed consisting of bibliometric and bibliographic analysis. A total of 613 entities were extracted from Web of Science published during the last 50 years and were analyzed to map trends based on leading peer-reviewed journals, publication records, leading research disciplines, countries, and organizations. The study shows that the number of annual publications increased exponentially from 2005 to 2020 and is expected to keep increasing in the current decade. The Journal of Membrane Science published the highest number of articles and was identified as the most-cited journal in the field. China, India, and the USA were observed as the top three research hubs. The top-ranked authors in the field were Wang, Jixiao, and Wang, Zhi. To find research trends, four different clusters of keywords were generated and analyzed. The top five most frequent keywords turn out to be polyaniline, water, performance, membranes, and nanoparticles. The analysis suggests that the application of nanotechnology for modifying PANI membranes (using nanoparticles, nanotubes, and graphene specifically) is the future of this field. This study elucidates the research streamline of the field that may serve as a quick reference for early career researchers and industries exploring this field.

Adsorptive Membrane for Boron Removal: Challenges and Future Prospects.

The complexity of removing boron compounds from aqueous systems has received serious attention among researchers and inventors in the water treating industry. This is due to the higher level of boron in the aquatic ecosystem, which is caused by the geochemical background and anthropogenic factors. The gradual increase in the distribution of boron for years can become extremely toxic to humans, terrestrial organisms and aquatic organisms. Numerous methods of removing boron that have been executed so far can be classified under batch adsorption, membrane-based processes and hybrid techniques. Conventional water treatments such as coagulation, sedimentation and filtration do not significantly remove boron, and special methods would have to be installed in order to remove boron from water resources. The blockage of membrane pores by pollutants in the available membrane technologies not only decreases their performance but can make the membranes prone to fouling. Therefore, the surface-modifying flexibility in adsorptive membranes can serve as an advantage to remove boron from water resources efficiently. These membranes are attractive because of the dual advantage of adsorption/filtration mechanisms. Hence, this review is devoted to discussing the capabilities of an adsorptive membrane in removing boron. This study will mainly highlight the issues of commercially available adsorptive membranes and the drawbacks of adsorbents incorporated in single-layered adsorptive membranes. The idea of layering adsorbents to form a highly adsorptive dual-layered membrane for boron removal will be proposed. The future prospects of boron removal in terms of the progress and utilization of adsorptive membranes along with recommendations for improving the techniques will also be discussed further.

Metal-Organic Frameworks for Wastewater Decontamination: Discovering Intellectual Structure and Research Trends.

Due to their simple synthesis method and excellent properties, such as superior adsorption and regeneration capabilities, with a large surface area and tunable pores, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a suitable option for wastewater treatment. Although an exponential growth in MOF literature has been observed in recent years, conducting a quantitative literature analysis of MOF application in wastewater treatment is a novelty. To fill this gap, a total of 1187 relevant publications were extracted from the Web of Science, published during the last 50 years, and analyzed using bibliometric and content analysis techniques. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to reveal growing publication trends, leading journals, prolific countries, and organizations; whereas, a content analysis was used to highlight key research themes and hot topics in this field. The analyses revealed that there is a strong international collaboration among authors, countries, and organizations. Chemical Engineering Journal, Journal of Hazardous Materials, and Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering are the most prolific journals in this field. Furthermore, the use of MOFs for removing antibiotics from wastewater was identified as a recent hot topic. In addition, performance enhancements of MOFs, in terms of a higher adsorption capacity and water stability, were identified as topics of great interest. To cater to these issues, the application of graphene, graphene oxides, nanoparticles, and quantum dots was also observed in the research fronts in this field.

Ultra-Low-Pressure Membrane Filtration for Simultaneous Recovery of Detergent and Water from Laundry Wastewater.

Reusing water and excess detergent from the laundry industry has become an attractive method to combat water shortages. Membrane filtration is considered an advanced technique and highly attractive due to its excellent advantages. However, the conventional membrane filtration method suffers from membrane fouling, which restricts its performance and diminishes its economic viability. This study assesses the preliminary performance of submerged, gravity-driven membrane filtration­under ultra-low trans-membrane pressure (△P) of <0.1 bar­to combat membrane fouling issues for detergent and water recovery from laundry wastewater. The results show that even under ultra-low pressure, the membrane suffered from compaction that lowered its permeability by 14% under △P of 6 and 10 kPa, with corresponding permeabilities of 2085 ± 259 and 1791 ± 42 L/(m2 h bar). Filtration of a detergent solution also led to up to 8% permeability loss due to membrane fouling. During the filtration of laundry wastewater, 80−91% permeability loss was observed, leading to the lowest flux of 15.6 L/(m2·h) at △P of 10 kPa, 38% lower than △P of 6 kPa (of 25.2 L/(m2·h)). High △P led to both the membrane and the foulant compaction inflating the filtration resistance. The system could recover 83.6% of excess residual detergent, while most micelles were rejected (ascribed from 71% of COD removal). The TDS content could not be retained, disallowing maximum resource recovery. A gravity-driven filtration system can be self-sustained with minimum supervision in residential and industrial laundries. Nevertheless, a detailed study on long-term filtration performance and multiple cleaning cycles is still required in the future.

The Effect of BPA-Treated Water on the Small Intestine via an In Vivo Study.

Since the major route of BPA exposure is via the oral route, BPA may have effects on the gastrointestinal tract, especially on the intestinal barrier, where most digestion and absorption processes occur. In this study, the effects of BPA-treated water on the small intestine (SI) and SI tight junction proteins (TJPs) of both pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats and their fetuses were investigated. Previously, hybrid photocatalytic filtration treatment by a visible light driven N-doped TiO2 membrane has successfully removed up to 81.6% of BPA in water. The effect of BPA-untreated (5.00 ± ppm) and BPA-treated water (0.9 ± ppm) after 21 days of exposure on the jejunum and ileum, as well as the expressions of claudin proteins, were investigated by Western blotting (WB) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) in order to investigate the potential of the photocatalytic membrane in removing the detrimental effect of BPA. The results suggest that BPA exposure altered the morphology of villi, and affected the expression level of claudin-2, -3, and -4 proteins in the jejunum and ileum of both pregnant rats and their fetuses. Interestingly, villi and claudins expressions were undisrupted in a treated-BPA water group, which indicated that the degradation of BPA via membranes effectively mitigates the effect on BPA on gastrointestinal tract.

Utilization of mesoporous phosphotungstic acid in nanocellulose membranes for direct methanol fuel cells.

Nanocellulose (NC) composite membranes containing novel ternary materials including NC, imidazole (Im), and mesoporous phosphotungstic acid (m-PTA) were successfully fabricated by a phase inversion method. The single-particle size of NC was 88.79 nm with a spherical form. A m-PTA filler with a mesopore size of 4.89 nm was also successfully synthesized by a self-assembly method. Moreover, the fabricated membrane NC/Im/m-PTA-5 exhibited the best performances towards its proton conductivity and methanol permeability at 31.88 mS cm-1 and 1.74 × 10-6 cm2 s-1, respectively. The membrane selectivity was 1.83 × 104 S cm-3.