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At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Functional characterization of a putative aquaporin from Encephalitozoon cuniculi, a microsporidia pathogenic to humans.

The microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular parasitic protists that have been implicated as both human and veterinary pathogens. The infectious process of these organisms is believed to be dependent upon the rapid influx of water into spores, presumably via aquaporins (AQPs), transmembrane channels that facilitate osmosis. An AQP-like sequence of the microsporidium Encephalitozoon cuniculi (EcAQP), when cloned and expressed in oocytes of Xenopus laevis, rendered these oocytes highly permeable to water. No permeability to the solutes glycerol or urea was observed. Pre-treatment of EcAQP-expressing oocytes with HgCl(2) failed to inhibit their osmotic permeability, as predicted from EcAQP's lack of mercury-sensitive cysteine residues near the NPA motifs which line the AQP aqueous pore. EcAQP exhibits sequence identity to AQP A of Dictyostelium discoideum (26%) and human AQP 2 (24%). Further study of AQPs in microsporidia and their potential inhibitors may yield novel therapeutic agents for microsporidian infections.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Chemical and physical treatments of chemical mechanical polishing wastewater from semiconductor fabrication.

Wastewater from chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process of semiconductor fabrication was treated by physical methods. The CMP wastewater, as obtained from a large semiconductor manufacturer, was characterized by a high oxide particle content, high turbidity (NTU), and a chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration up to 500 mg/l. Due to these characteristics, treatment of the CMP wastewater by either filtration or by traditional activated sludge method was inadequate. In the present work, physical methods consisting of chemical coagulation and reverse osmosis were employed to tackle the turbidity and COD problems. Experimental tests were conducted to assess the effectiveness of the treatment and to identify the optimum operating conditions. Test results clearly demonstrated the complementary advantages of the two methods. The treatment was capable of realizing over 99% oxide particle removal and lowering the wastewater COD to below 100 mg/l. The overall water quality of the final effluent was excellent and can be considered for reuse. Preliminary treatment of the RO retentate by ozonation was also attempted. The COD removal achieved in the ozonation was over 80% in an hour, rendering the treated RO retentate suitable for direct discharge.

Chemical Industry↗
PubMed2005

Removal of organic contaminants by RO and NF membranes.

Rejection characteristics of organic and inorganic compounds were examined for six reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and two nanofiltration (NF) membranes that are commercially available. A batch stirred-cell was employed to determine the membrane flux and the solute rejection for solutions at various concentrations and different pH conditions. The results show that for ionic solutes the degree of separation is influenced mainly by electrostatic exclusion, while for organic solutes the removal depends mainly upon the solute radius and molecular structure. In order to provide a better understanding of rejection mechanisms for the RO and NF membranes, the ratio of solute radius (r(i,s)) to effective membrane pore radius (r(p)) was employed to compare rejections. An empirical relation for the dependence of the rejection of organic compounds on the ratio r(i,s)/r(p) is presented. The rejection for organic compounds is over 75% when r(i,s)/r(p) is greater than 0.8. In addition, the rejection of organic compounds is examined using the extended Nernst-Planck equation coupled with a steric hindrance model. The transport of organic solutes is controlled mainly by diffusion for the compounds that have a high r(i,s)/r(p) ratio, while convection is dominant for compounds that have a small r(i,s)/r(p) ratio.

2-Propanol↗
PubMed2005

Nutrient removal by NF and RO membranes in a decentralized sanitation system.

Decentralized treatment of domestic wastewater offers the possibility of water and nutrient reuse. In a decentralized sanitation system the household wastewater streams are separated in a large diluted stream (gray water) and a small and concentrated stream (black water) containing important nutrients like ammonium and phosphate. Nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes might be used to recover the nutrients from anaerobically treated black water. The permeate might be used in a water reuse scheme. In case of water reuse the produced permeate should meet guidelines for potable water or meet new guidelines which might be applied in the future for intermediate quality of water, for example toilet flushwater; when this is not possible the permeate should meet guidelines for discharge. The most stringent guidelines apply for ammonium and phosphate. The focus of this paper is to test commercially available NF and RO membranes to remove nutrients from anaerobically treated black water in order to meet the Dutch guidelines. A large number of commercial tubular, capillary and flat sheet NF and RO membranes was tested on laboratory scale on their performance to meet the Dutch guidelines for ammonium and phosphate. The ammonium and phosphate concentrations used were based on the effluent composition of anaerobically treated black water. Ammonium and phosphate rejection were both measured in synthetic single salt and multi-ion mixtures and in anaerobic effluent. The rejection for ammonium (30-95%) is neither sufficient for discharge nor potable water use. The rejection of phosphate (74-99%) is in most cases almost sufficient to meet the standards for potable water.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2005

Evaluation of an MBR-RO system to produce high quality reuse water: microbial control, DBP formation and nitrate.

A membrane bioreactor and reverse osmosis (MBR-RO) system was developed to assess potential reuse applications of municipal wastewater. The objective of the study was to examine the water quality throughout the system with a focus on waterborne pathogens, disinfection by-products (DBPs) and nitrate. This paper will discuss the presence of these contaminants in MBR effluent and focus on their subsequent removal by RO. This study has shown that high quality reuse water can be produced from municipal wastewater through the use of an MBR-RO system. The water meets California Title 22 reuse regulations for non-potable applications and US EPA drinking water limits for trihalomethanes (THM) (80 microg/L), haloacetic acids (HAA) (60 microg/L), chlorite (1.0 mg/L), total coliform (not detectable), viruses (not detectable), and nitrate/nitrite (10 mg N/L). However, THM formation (182-689 microg/L) attributed to cleaning of the MBR with chlorine and incomplete removal by subsequent RO treatment resulted in reuse water with THM levels (40.2+/-19.9 microg/L) high enough to present a potential concern when considering drinking water applications. Nitrate levels of up to 3.6 mg N/L, which resulted from incomplete removal by the RO membrane, are also a potential concern. A denitrification step in the MBR should be considered in potable water applications.

Bioreactors↗
PubMed2006

AFM study on the sorbed NOM and its fractions isolated from River Songhua.

Natural organic matter (NOM) and its fractions from River Songhua were concentrated and fractionated with the reverse osmosis technology and XAD resin. With the purpose of exploring the adsorbed morphology of NOM and its fractions from a specific water source, the tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM) was employed. The effect of solution properties (pH, Ca(2+)) on NOM microtopography was also verified. The results showed that NOM and its fractions displayed obviously diverse morphologies due to their different characteristics. The macromolecular compounds with large SUVA value were prone to adsorb on the mica surface. The particle-shaped NOM macromolecules were loosely adsorbed on the mica surface, and the molecular aggregation phenomena were proved to be ubiquitous in this experimental condition. With the increase of pH value, the surface coverage of mica decreased evidently. Spherical conformation with relatively smaller diameters was observed in the acidic condition compared with the neutral and basic condition. In the presence of 0.1 mol L(-1) NaCl, aggregation phenomena were observed in all pH conditions and obvious aggregates were presented with the addition of only 5 mmol L(-1) CaCl(2).

Adsorption↗
PubMed1969

Electroosmosis in membranes: effects of unstirred layers and transport numbers. I. Theory.

When a current is passed through a membrane system, differences in transport numbers between the membrane and the adjacent solutions will, in general, result in depletion and enhancement of concentrations at the membrane-solution interfaces. This will be balanced by diffusion back into the bulk solution, diffusion of solute back across the membrane itself, and osmosis resulting from these local concentration gradients. The two main results of such a phenomenon are (1) that there is a current-induced volume flow, which may be mistaken for electroosmosis, and (2) that there will generally develop transient changes in potential difference (PD) across membranes during and after the passage of current through them.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1973

Concentrating engines and the kidney. I. Central core model of the renal medulla.

Mass balance relations, valid for any counterflow system, are derived and applied to a central core model of the renal medulla, in which descending Henle's limbs (DHL), ascending Henle's limbs (AHL), and collecting ducts (CD) exchange with a central vascular core (VC) formed by vasa recta loops, assumed so highly permeable that the core functions as a single tube open at the cortical end, closed at the papillary. Solute supplied to the VC primarily by the water impermeable AHL may either enter the DHL to be recycled or remain in the core to extract water by osmosis from DHL and CD. If concentrations in core and descending flows are nearly equal, then for all degrees of recycling the ratio of entering DHL concentration to loop concentration is given by r = 1/[1 - f(T)(1 - f(U))], where f(T) is the fractional net solute transport out of AHL and f(U) is the ratio of CD flow to the sum of CD and AHL flows. Differential equations for a single solute are derived for core and AHL concentrations. Explicit analytic solutions are given for solute transport out of the AHL governed by Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Finally the energy requirements for concentration are analyzed.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1981

Osmotic shrinkage of giant egg-lecithin vesicles.

Osmotic shrinkage of giant egg-lecithin vesicles was observed by phase-contrast microscopy. The vesicles remained or became spherical when shrinking. Small and thick-walled vesicles formed visible fingers attached to the sphere. The water permeability of the single bilayer was found to be 41 micrometers/s. A variety of observations indicate that osmosis induces a parallel lipid flow between the monolayers of the bilayer, leading to a strong positive spontaneous curvature. They also suggest the formation of mostly submicroscopic daughter vesicles. The estimated coupling constant, 2 . 10(-6) mol/mol, is large enough to be biologically significant.

Lipid Bilayers↗
PubMed2002

Physico-chemical characteristics of full scale sewage sludges with implications to dewatering.

An investigation was carried out for a variety of different sewage sludges in order to establish correlations between sludge composition, structure and dewatering properties. Results indicated that the fraction of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in sludges was the most important parameter with respect to sludge structure. With high EPS contents, sludges had a lower shear sensitivity and lower degree of dispersion. This in turn lead to better filterability in terms of low resistance to filtration (SRF). The floc stabilising role of EPS components was not consistent with DLVO-theory, as the zeta-potential increased with increased EPS content due to increased EPS charge content. This indicates that polymer entanglement is a key factor to stable floc structure. This does not rule out the possible change in dispersion due to changed electrostatic repulsion for a given EPS content. While EPS had a good effect on floc stability and filterability, the cake dry matter content decreased with large EPS contents. This could be due to an osmotic pressure related to the polymer charge quantity, or it could be caused by water entrapment in the floc structures. A high degree of sludge dispersion increased the cake dry matter content in filtration. This mechanism is, however, impractical due to high SRF and not important to conditioned sludge. In practice, dewatering also includes sludge expression. Taking this into account, osmosis related to EPS charges is likely to be increasingly important (increasing the negative effect of EPS content on cake dry matter).

Filtration↗
PubMed2002

The application of membrane filtration for the removal of ammonium ions from potable water.

It is well recognized that soluble ammonia and nitrite in drinking water has chronic effects on humans. Ammonia has potential environmental health hazards, particularly to young children. European Union Standards limit the concentration of ammonia to 0.5 mg/l in drinking water. In Eskisehir (Turkey) drinking and tap water are supplied from a water treatment plant, consisting mainly of screening, sedimentation, filtration and sterilization units and having a capacity of 80.000 m3/d. Depend on the industrial and climatic effects the observed high ammonium concentration in treated water causes undesirable effects of water quality. Therefore, people in Eskisehir do not want to use tap water for drinking. The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of membrane processes, i.e. Nanofiltration and reverse osmosis to the removal of ammonium and Ca ions from plant effluent and recommend one of them for a subsequent pilot plant application.

Climate↗
PubMed2002

Characterization of copper complexation with natural dissolved organic matter (DOM)--link to acidic moieties of DOM and competition by Ca and Mg.

We investigated Cu complexation by three dissolved organic matters (DOMs) collected by reverse osmosis (RO). Alkalimetric titration, pH-stat Cu and Ca titrations, pH edges of Cu-DOM complexation, and Ca/Mg-Cu exchange experiments were investigated at 1 = 109-2)M for DOM samples of 10mg C/L. The proton and Cu binding characteristics indicated similarity for all three DOMs. All Cu titrations employed ion selective electrode measurement and indicated the presence of relatively small amounts of strong Cu-binding sites. Four distinct classes of Cu binding sites are required for FITEQL 4.0 to provide good fits to the entire curves. The estimated total Cu binding site density is 4.55 mmol/g C, much less than the total acidity but very close to the phenolic site content. Cu-DOM complexation increases approximately 10-fold per pH unit, even at relatively high pH (> 8). We suggest that sites characterized as phenolic based on alkalimetric titration, not carboxyl sites, account for the majority of Cu complexation under natural water conditions, and Cu-DOM complexation is principally through the replacement of H + by Cu2+ at the phenolic binding sites. The Cu-H exchange ratio is 1:1 for the first three sites and about 1:2 for the 4th site. This 4-site model describes well the pH dependency of Cu-DOM complexation and provides good estimates of free Cu concentrations throughout wide total copper (Cu(T)) and pH ranges. Comparison between Ca-DOM and Cu-DOM complexation demonstrated that (i) Ca-DOM complexation increases much less than an order of magnitude per pH unit and decreases at higher Ca concentration, different from that of Cu-DOM complexation; and (ii) Cu-DOM complexation is highly non-linear, in contrast to the much reduced extent of non-linearity of Ca-DOM complexation. Ca/Mg-Cu exchange experiments showed small competition effect, less than expected by a simple competition model, and the competition tended to reduce with increasing Ca or Mg concentrations. The extent of the competition by Mg and Ca are essentially comparable. Put all together, it suggests that Ca and Mg are preferably bound by carboxyl sites, especially at relatively high concentrations, resulting in a weakened apparent competition effect.

Calcium↗
PubMed2003

Fouling characteristics of NF and RO operated for removal of dissolved matter from groundwater.

A pilot study had been performed for about 6 months in order to investigate the removal efficiency of dissolved matter and its fouling potential during nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) of local groundwater that was pretreated with an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane system. After pilot plant operation, autopsy tests were performed to identify the characteristics of foulants that were attached to the membrane surface. In the autopsy tests, the flux recovery for each specific cleaning scheme (hydraulic washing, acid cleaning, and alkaline cleaning) was also measured using a dead-end filtration cell unit. The washing solution used in each chemical cleaning was analyzed to identify major components of the foulants, and the membrane surface was observed using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Among three kinds of membranes tested, one NF and two RO membranes, the NF and RO1 membranes showed a rapid flux decline after 100 days of operation. Especially, the RO1 membrane showed the more serious flux decline than the NF membrane. The RO2 membrane, with the lowest recovery rate, demonstrated a gradual flux decline. The removal efficiency of dissolved inorganic matter (as conductivity) for each NF, RO1 and RO2 membrane was 76.3%, 88.2% and 95.3%, respectively. The removal of dissolved organic matter (as total organic carbon) was found to be about 80% for both NF and RO membranes used in this study. During the membrane autopsy tests, five sections of the fouled membrane were cut along each NF and RO membrane module from the feed inlet side to the concentrate outlet side, the specific flux for each membrane section was measured before and after each cleaning step. As expected, the degree of fouling was intensified along the membrane surface as the feed flow approached the outlet. Based on the analysis results of wash water used in each cleaning step, the major foulants attached to the membrane surface appeared to be Ca bound with inorganic matter and Si bound with organic matter. Fe seemed to be a great contributor to irreversible fouling. The SEM analysis indicated that the organic matter was forming the first fouling layer close to the membrane and that the inorganic matter was layered top of the organic fouling layer in a tetragonal shape. Any evidence of biofouling was not observed in this study because most of microorganisms had been already removed by the UF pretreatment.

Equipment Failure↗
PubMed2003

A dual membrane UF/RO process for reclamation of spent rinses from a nickel-plating operation--a case study.

The objective of this work was to conduct treatability studies on rinse wastewater from process lines of a typical nickel-plating plant for reuse. The study comprised of three steps: (1) a plant process review and the treatability of different combinations of simulated spent rinses in the laboratory; (2) a variability monitoring of a combined rinse at the plant and a treatability study on a combined rinse in the laboratory; (3) a pilot study for reclamation of the combined rinse on site. The study established an optimum dual membrane ultrafiltration (UF)/reverse osmosis (RO) process for treating a combined liquor of spent alkaline, acidic and nickel-plating rinses which resulted in a treated water of a quality suitable for reuse as substitute for town water for the purpose of rinsing. The results of this study provided a good guide to the selection of a UF pretreatment combined with an RO membrane unit as the treatment system. The pilot plant had successfully operated for 6 months, consistently producing a high quality product water (< 95 microS cm-1) at an overall water recovery of 67.5%. The quality of reclaimed water was better than town water used at the factory. The product water from the pilot plant has been used as substitute of town water for in-process rinsing at the factory with no detrimental effects for 3 months.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2001

Sorption and desorption studies on chitin gels.

The aim of this work was to study various transport phenomena in chitin gels obtained by N-acetylation of chitosan in a water-alcohol mixture. Three kinds of transport were investigated: the sorption of solutes interacting with chitin, the desorption of solutes without significant interaction with the polymer, and osmosis phenomena. In the case of interactive sorption, dyes having different chemical structures such as C.I. Acid Blue 74, C.I. Reactive Violet 5 or C.I. Direct Red 28 were tested. Sorptions of C.I. Acid Blue 74 and C.I. Reactive Violet 5 depend on the charge density of the polymer network and, as a consequence, on DA, pH and the dielectric constant of the media. This result reveals the importance of electrostatic interactions. On the other hand, the sorption of C.I. Direct Red 28 is mainly due to hydrophobic interactions and H-bonding, it is limited to the extreme surface of the gel. Concerning the non-interactive desorption, solutes of different steric hindrance such as PP vitamin, B1 vitamin and caffeine exhibit similar diffusion coefficients located within 3.7-5.6x10(-6) cm(2) s(-1). Finally, the osmotic behaviour of the gel immersed in a concentrated solution of gelatin allows us to multiply by 25 the concentration of chitin in the gel without any penetration of gelatin.

Absorption↗
PubMed2001

An in vivo/in vitro comparison with a leuprolide osmotic implant for the treatment of prostate cancer.

An osmotically driven implantable system was designed and characterized for the delivery of leuprolide over a year-long duration. Leuprolide has been used in the treatment of prostate cancer since the 1980s. The DUROS implant consists of a titanium alloy cylinder, measures 4 mm in diameter by 45 mm in length and holds approximately 150 microl of formulation. Stability studies indicated that leuprolide was stable, as a solution formulation in DMSO, for several years at 37 degrees C. In vitro release rate testing, at weekly intervals, showed zero-order delivery for 1 year. DUROS implants demonstrated release rates that were reproducible and similar to one another after storage at 25 degrees C for 18 months prior to testing. In vivo studies, with implants placed subcutaneously, revealed delivery rates comparable to those observed under in vitro conditions. Leuprolide stability was also comparable between in vivo and in vitro conditions. Steady leuprolide serum levels produced by the implant resulted in the desired pharmacodynamic efficacy endpoint of testosterone suppression, both in canines and in humans. The good agreement between in vivo/in vitro delivery rates was as expected for a delivery system based on the principles of osmosis.

Alloys↗
PubMed1998

Transdermal permeation of neutral molecules by skin electroporation.

Electroporation of skin has recently been shown to enhance transport of charged molecules across skin by up to four orders of magnitude. This study demonstrates that high-voltage pulses can also increase transdermal permeation of two neutral model solutes, i.e. mannitol and water, up to 100-fold. The elevated flux results from the persistent increase in skin permeability following electroporation, rather than from electro-osmosis during pulsing. Control on transport was achieved by controlling the electrical parameters of the pulse, i.e. the pulse voltage, time constant and number.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Transport and kinetics in sandwiched membrane bioreactors.

A bioreactor in which living yeast cells are sandwiched between an ultrafiltration membrane and a reverse osmosis membrane was constructed, and experiments were performed for the conversion of substrate glucose to product ethanol. A set of equations that include both transport through a series of barrier layers and bioreaction rate were developed to predict the performance of the sandwich bioreactor. The above equations were solved by using numerical values for the transport parameter and the bioreaction rate constant, and the results are compared with the experimental data.

Biological Transport↗