Serum electrolyte changes during transurethral prostatic resections.

The pre-treatment of olive mill effluents (OME) by means of coagulation-flocculation coupling various inorganic materials and organic poly-electrolytes was investigated. Tests were conducted with two different OME with chemical oxygen demand (COD) contents of 61.1 and 29.3 g/L, total suspended solids (TSS) of 36.7 and 52.7 g/L and total phenolic contents (TP) of 3.5 and 2.5 g/L, respectively. Inorganic materials such as lime, iron, magnesium and aluminum as well as four cationic and two anionic commercial poly-electrolytes were employed either alone or in various combinations and screened with respect to their efficiency in terms of TSS, TP and COD removal, the amount of sludge produced and the phytotoxicity of the resulting liquid to lettuce seeds. Coupling lime or ferrous sulphate (in the range of several g/L) with cationic poly-electrolytes (in the range of 200-300 mg/L) led to quantitative TSS removal, while COD and TP removal varied between about 10-40% and 30-80%, respectively, depending on the materials and the effluent in question; separation efficiency generally decreased with decreasing coagulant and/or flocculant concentration. To enhance organic matter degradation, iron-based coagulation was coupled with H(2)O(2), thus simulating a Fenton reaction and this increased COD reduction to about 60%. The original, untreated OME was strongly phytotoxic to lettuce seeds even after several dilutions with water; however, phytotoxicity decreased considerably following treatment with lime and cationic poly-electrolytes; this was attributed to the removal of phenols and other phytotoxic species from the liquid phase.

Electrolytes↗

PubMed2005

Application of microwaves for sewage sludge conditioning.

The article focuses on the effect of microwave treatment on the de-waterability of sewage sludge. The specific resistance to filtration, capillary suction time, and dry matter content in centrifuged sludge cake were measured. The quality of sludge liquor obtained after microwave processing was also analysed. It was found out that microwaves improve sludge de-waterability. The quantitative improvement depends on sludge type-better effect of microwave processing were observed in the primary sludge compared to mixed or digested sludges. If microwave treatment is followed by polyelectrolyte conditioning, the effects are considerably better than while these conditioning methods are used separately. Microwave conditioning increased burden of organic matter (BOD(5), COD) in the sludge liquor.

Electrolytes↗

PubMed2005

Polyelectrolyte-protein complexes: structure and conformation of each specie revealed by SANS.

We report here the structure of complexes made of proteins (lysozyme, positively charged) and polyelectrolytes (PSSNa, negatively charged). We stay in conditions where the volume fractions of the components are of the same order and where PSS concentrations correspond to a semidilute regime. The final complexes structure is determined by SANS. We obtain three main types of structures: (i) For a protein excess and for long polyelectrolyte chains, the network preformed by PSS chains still exists but chains are partially shrunk due to cross-linking by lysozyme. Macroscopically, samples are gelled. (ii) For a protein excess and for short polyelectrolyte chains, PSS chains are locally shrunk and do not form a network anymore. Lysozyme and PSS chains are embedded in dense 3-D aggregates that arrange in a fractal network at a larger scale. Macroscopically, samples are liquid. (iii) For a polyelectrolyte excess and whatever the chain length, the internal structure of the lysozyme changes. After an initial strong electrostatic binding, lysozyme is progressively unfolded thanks to a hydrophobic contact with PSS. The two chainlike objects are finally organized in a homogeneous costructure. Macroscopically, samples are liquids.

Electrolytes↗