Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “SANITARY ENGINEERING”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 811 records · Page 45Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

A simple, inexpensive method to minimize floor-drain obstructions while supporting environmental enrichment in primate facilities.

An important component of nonhuman primate environmental enrichment programs is affording the animals the opportunity to manipulate objects. Although these objects and various bulky food items enrich the quality of life for nonhuman primates, they complicate the duties of facility maintenance personnel. A prime example of these sometimes costly complications is a seemingly never-ending series of floor drain obstructions. We devised a simple, inexpensive modified drain cover that prevents large items from entering the drain. The total cost of materials for this device was 1.12 dollars, and it required only 15 min of labor for assembly. The design and implementation of this modified drain cover illustrate why the interaction between physical-plant personnel and animal-care personnel is key to the operation of a successful animal care and use program and proper maintenance of laboratory animal facilities.

Animal Welfare↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Future development of the "integrated water cycle"].

In this presentation problems connected to the usage and management of entire water cycle are illustrated. The solution has to be found in a reorganization of the national water system. When the regulation n. 36/94 (legge Galli) will be completely in force, an improvement of the efficiency of the entire organization of the integrated water cycle will be obtained.

Forecasting↗
PubMed2004

[Recent evolution of schistosomiasis in the water project of Sourou in Burkina Faso].

In order to help the hydro-agricultural projects in the management of water resources together with a schistosomiasis control programme, it is important to evaluate the extent of the problem. This is the reason why parasitological and clinical surveys were conducted in schools associated with malacological surveys in transmission sites of several water projects including the one from Sourou. The data-collecting for the research on molluscs was carried out in surface water and as for parasitologic investigations on school-aged children, urine filtration and Kato-Katz were used to evaluate the parasitic load. The levels of prevalence were respectively in Guiédougou, Niassan, Di and Toma-île, in 2000, 60.5%, 40%, 48.8% and 51.9% for the urinary schistosomiasis, 5.3%, 0%, 6.9% and 50.6% for the intestinal schistosomiasis and in 2002, 56%, 51.9%, 51.6% and 43.4% for the urinary schistosomiasis, 10.1%, 8.2%, 22.7% and 90.8% for the intestinal schistosomiasis. The molluscs species collected and identified were: Biomphalaria pfeifferi for the intestinal schistosomiasis and Bulinus truncatus rohlfsi and B. senegalensis for the urinary schistosomiasis. B. senegalensis and B. truncatus were found naturally infested by S. haematobium. Water projects constitute amplifying factors of the proliferation of the species and parasitic exchange. All the actors (developers, populations, scientists) are questioning the means at their disposal to reduce the development of schistosomiasis which decrease the expected benefit of hydro-agricultural installations.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2003

[Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Rome: experimental study of relevant control strategy parameters].

Since 1997, Aedes albopictus has colonised and then rapidly invaded the city of Rome (Italy) and its peripheral areas. Presently, the control of this mosquito in Italy relies mainly on larvicidal treatment of street storm sewer catch basins with the organophosphate temephos. We have therefore obtained baseline data on the susceptibility to temephos of the Roman Ae. albopictus population by laboratory bioassays on F1 fourth-instar larvae following standard WHO protocols. Estimated lethal concentrations were 0.014 mg/l (LC50) and 0.022 mg/l (LC90) indicating a lack of resistance to this compound. The persistence of temephos in sewer catch basins was evaluated by follow-up of catch basins treated with a dose of 1.5 mg of active ingredient. Mosquito larvae were recovered in 10% and 50% of the treated basins at 9 and 18 days posttreatment, respectively. In order to understand the relative contribution of this larval habitat to adult populations, we conducted a survey in the Zoo of Rome to estimate the larval density of mosquitoes breeding in sewer catch basins. A complete census of a 16.5 ha area mapped 243 catch basins, but only 25 (10.3%) contained water; of the latter 8 (32.0%) hosted mosquito larvae. All positive catch basins contained larvae of Culex pipiens, which were associated with Culiseta longiareolata and/or Ae. albopictus in 6 and 3 cases, respectively. A longitudinal survey of one catch basin over 4 months showed that the mean larval density of Ae. albopictus was markedly lower than that of Cx pipiens and Cs. Iongiareolata, ranging between 0 and 1.3 larvae/dip as compared to 0-33.2 and 0-22.7 larvae/dip, respectively. However, adult densities of Ae. albopictus in this area estimated during the same period with 20 ovitraps showed consistently high values (proportion of positive ovitraps around 100%). These preliminary observations suggest that whenever alternative larval biotopes other than sewer catch basins are widely available, they might be more productive and/or preferred substrates to catch basins for Ae. albopictus breeding.

Aedes↗
PubMed2004

Microbiological investigations on a nosocomial case of Legionella pneumophila pneumonia associated with water birth and review of neonatal cases.

A case of Legionella pneumophila 1 pneumonia, confirmed by positive serology and urinary antigen, occurred in a 7-day old neonate after water birth in hospital. As respiratory samples were not available for culture, further microbiological investigations were performed in neonate and environment, in order to recognize the source of infection. The hospital water supply was contaminated by L. pneumophila 1 strains (300-2000 cfu/L) of two monoclonal subtypes of Pontiac subgroup. L. spiritensis (10-225 cfu/L) was isolated from cold tap water of the patient's home. PCR from tap and humidifiers water of the patient's home was positive for Legionella spp, but not for L. pneumophila. Because L. pneumophila 1, responsible of child infection, was only isolated from the hospital pool water for waterbirthing, we conclude that the infant acquired the nosocomial legionellosis by prolonged delivery in contaminated water, perhaps by aspiration. Infection control measures for waterbirthing are highly recommended. A review of neonatal case of legionellosis is also presented. As this rare infection may have a high fatality rate if unrecognized, pediatricians should be aware of the possibility of the legionellosis in newborns.

Cross Infection↗
PubMed2004

Optimal reconstruction of historical water supply to a distribution system: A. Methodology.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), with support from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducted an epidemiological study of childhood leukaemia and nervous system cancers that occurred in the period 1979 through 1996 in Dover Township, Ocean County, New Jersey. The epidemiological study explored a wide variety of possible risk factors, including environmental exposures. ATSDR and NJDHSS determined that completed human exposure pathways to groundwater contaminants occurred in the past through private and community water supplies (i.e. the water distribution system serving the area). To investigate this exposure, a model of the water distribution system was developed and calibrated through an extensive field investigation. The components of this water distribution system, such as number of pipes, number of tanks, and number of supply wells in the network, changed significantly over a 35-year period (1962--1996), the time frame established for the epidemiological study. Data on the historical management of this system was limited. Thus, it was necessary to investigate alternative ways to reconstruct the operation of the system and test the sensitivity of the system to various alternative operations. Manual reconstruction of the historical water supply to the system in order to provide this sensitivity analysis was time-consuming and labour intensive, given the complexity of the system and the time constraints imposed on the study. To address these issues, the problem was formulated as an optimization problem, where it was assumed that the water distribution system was operated in an optimum manner at all times to satisfy the constraints in the system. The solution to the optimization problem provided the historical water supply strategy in a consistent manner for each month of the study period. The non-uniqueness of the selected historical water supply strategy was addressed by the formulation of a second model, which was based on the first solution. Numerous other sensitivity analyses were also conducted using these two models. Both models are solved using a two-stage progressive optimality algorithm along with genetic algorithms (GAs) and the EPANET2 water distribution network solver. This process reduced the required solution time and generated a historically consistent water supply strategy for the water distribution system.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2004

Optimal reconstruction of historical water supply to a distribution system: B. Applications.

In a recently completed case-control epidemiological study, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) with support from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) documented an association between prenatal exposure to a specific contaminated community water source and leukaemia in female children. An important and necessary step in the epidemiological study was the reconstruction of the historical water supply strategy of the water distribution system serving the Dover Township area, New Jersey. The sensitivity of solutions to: (1) pressure and pattern factor constraints, (2) allowable operational extremes of water levels in the storage tanks, and (3) the non-uniqueness of the water supply solution are analysed in detail. The computational results show that the proposed approach yields satisfactory results for the complete set of monthly simulations and sensitivity analyses, providing a consistent approach for identifying the historical water supply strategy of the water distribution system. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the alternative strategy obtained from the revised objective function and the variation of constraints did not yield significantly different water supply characteristics. The overall analysis demonstrates that the progressive optimality genetic algorithm (POGA) developed to solve the optimization problem is an effective and efficient algorithm for the reconstruction of water supply strategies in water distribution systems.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2004

Hygienization of municipal sludge in automatically operated chamber filter presses with thermal vacuum drying.

This paper presents the state of the art of thermal vacuum drying in chamber filter presses for unattended automatic operation. The achieved results are exemplified by the treatment of the two stage digested combined primary, chemical and biological sludge created by the VEAS concept for nutrient removal from municipal wastewater at VEAS. The water removal rate in each stage of the drying process is described, with comments on the low energy needs. The advantages of one-sided heating, the capacity and the drying potential are discussed. The hygienization potential of the process is demonstrated by the effect on thermostable coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, salmonella, the spores of sulfite reducing anaerobic bacteria, f-specific bacteriophages, the seeds of the weed, wild oat, Avena fatua, and the parasite eggs of the potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis. A more complete paper with the VEAS-concept is found on the VEAS homepage (www.veas.nu).

Animals↗