Antimicrobial protection of cotton and cotton/polyester fabrics by radiation and thermal treatments. I. Effect of ZnO formulation on the mechanical and dyeing properties

Cotton and cotton/polyester fabrics were treated against microbial attack by applying a formulation based essentially on ZnO under high‐energy radiation and thermal curing. To achieve the homogeneity and the reactivity of the treating formulation, a binder (Impron MTP) and a dispersing agent (Setamol WS) were used with ZnO. The antimicrobial property of the fabrics was evaluated, in terms of mechanical properties, by a soil burial test. Moreover, the effect of antimicrobial finishing on the dyeing properties in terms of color strength was investigated. It was found that the best composition that affords the best antimicrobial protection to cotton fabrics contains 2% ZnO, 2% binder, and 1% dispersing agents. For the cotton/polyester blend, the best results were achieved at the same conditions except the ZnO was 1%. It was found that the treatment under the effect of electron‐beam irradiation is better than that of gamma irradiation and thermal curing. The results showed that when the finishing process was carried out before dyeing with a reactive dye, it affects the color strength rather than performing the finishing after the dyeing process. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1129–1137, 2003     

生物絮凝剂及其在水处理中的应用进展

介绍了微生物絮凝剂的种类、特点、絮凝机理和近几年来国内在不同废水处理中的应用情况，并对它的研究及应用前景做出展望。     

Potential of microbial growth control in water hydraulic systems by UV‐irradiation and filtration

Water hydraulic systems use water as a pressure medium and, thus, do not pose such adverse environmental impacts as oil hydraulics. Microbial deterioration of the pressure medium and biofouling of the surfaces restrict the applicability of the water‐based technology. The potential of microbial growth control by UV‐irradiation and filtration was studied in a pilot‐scale water hydraulic system. The UV‐irradiation (25 m Ws cm^?2) of the pressure medium reduced the total viable counts of bacteria by 1–2 log₁₀ cfu cm^?3, whereas the total microbial cell numbers and the numbers of surface‐attached microorganisms remained unaffected. Prefiltration (1.2 µm, absolute) of the pressure medium decreased the total microbial cell number in the water phase and retarded the attachment of bacteria. The filtration during the operation (2 µm, absolute) decreased the total numbers of microbial cells and the total viable counts in the pressure medium, and microbial attachment on the surfaces. Microbial attachment was not prevented by filtration. The microbial water quality obtained by pre‐ and on‐line filtration of the pressure medium was sufficient to ensure the long‐term operation of the water hydraulic system assuming that clean work practices are complied with in assembly and during the operation. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Extraction of Lipids from Municipal Wastewater Plant Microorganisms for Production of Biodiesel

Municipal wastewater treatment plants in the USA produce over 6.2 × 10⁶ t of dried sewage sludge every year. This microorganism-rich sludge is often landfilled or used as fertilizer. Recent restrictions on the use of sewage sludge, however, have resulted in increased disposal problems. Extraction of lipids from sludge yields an untapped source of cheap feedstock for biodiesel production. Solvents used for extraction in this study include n-hexane, methanol, acetone, and supercritical CO₂. The gravimetric yield of oil was low for nonpolar solvents, but use of polar solvents gave a considerably increased yield; however, the percentage of saponifiable material was less. Extraction of lipids with a mixture of n-hexane, methanol, and acetone gave the largest conversion to biodiesel compared with other solvent systems, 4.41% based on total dry weight of sludge. In situ transesterification of dried sludge resulted in a yield of 6.23%. If a 10% dry weight yield of fatty acid methyl esters is assumed, the amount of biodiesel available for production in the USA is 1.4 × 10⁶ m³/year. Outfitting 50% of municipal wastewater plants for lipid extraction and transesterification could result in enough biodiesel production to replace 0.5% of the national petroleum diesel demand (0.7 × 10⁶ m³).     

Transformations of residual fertilizer P in a semi-arid tropical soil under eight-year peanut-wheat rotation

Long-term transformations of residual phosphorus (P) governs the availability of phosphorus to crops. Very limited information is available on the transformations of residual fertilizer P in semi-arid tropical soils under long-term crop rotations. Therefore, using sequential phosphorus fractionation procedure, we studied changes in labile and stable forms of inorganic and organic P in a semi-arid alluvial soil (Typic Ustisamments) after eight years of annual fertilizer P application either to one crop (alternate) or to both crops (cumulative) in a peanut (Arachis hypogaea) — wheat (Triticum aestivum) rotation.Total residual fertilizer P in soil (P recovered from P-fertilized minus control plots) ranged from 62 to 176 mg P kg^–1. In the alternate P treatments (P applied to peanut or wheat only), on an average of 3 rates of applied P (13, 26 and 39 kg P ha^–1), in surface (0–15 cm) and subsurface (15 to 30 cm) soil, respectively, residual fertilizer P consisted of 14.8 and 2.2% resin-P, 8.6 and 2.8% NaHCO₃-P, 6.3 and 0% microbial-P, 31.4 and 4.2% NaOH-P, 7.8 and 3.0% aggregate protected-P, 12.5 and 3.0% HCl-P, 3.4 and 0% H₂SO₄-P. The corresponding values for surface and subsurface soils of cumulative P treatments (P applied to both peanut and wheat) were: 12.8 and 1.6% resin-P, 6.9 and 2.3% NaHCO₃-P, 4.7 and 0% microbial-P, 32.5 and 4.2% NaOH-P, 5.6 and 2.0% aggregate protected-P, 14.8 and 3.8% HCl-P, 6.7 and 2.1% H₂SO₄-P. Considerable lower values for the 15–30 cm depth indicate only a very small movement of residual P to the subsoil.Significantly lower amount of fertilizer P (28% and 44%) found in labile (resin, NaHCO₃ and microbial P) and semi-labile (NaOH and sonicated NaOH P) fractions for the cumulative P treatment than alternate P treatment (35 and 46%, respectively) suggests that increased rates and frequency of applied P tend to enhance the conversion of residual P to stable forms which are less available to plants. About 12 to 19% of residual fertilizer P found as organic P in labile and semi-labile forms confirmed that organic P increased with long-term fertilizer management. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that the alternate application of fertilizer P to a crop, as is shown for wheat, helps reduce the transformations of residual P to stable P forms.     

Modification of oxidizing activity of Thiobacillus ferroxidans by some particulate solids

Different particulate solids such as glass powder, various types of activated carbon and bentonite suspended in Thiobacillus ferrooxidans cultures produce very different effects on the oxidizing activity of the microorganism. The atmospheric oxygen uptake by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans in Warburg respirometer flasks containing 9K medium with ferrous sulfate as energy source and suspended bentonite is 2.8 times that in the absence of solids. The dissolution rate of pure pyrite in 250 cm³ shake flasks containing 9K medium and bentonite is considerably enhanced over that where the only solid phase is pyrite. Conversely, the oxidizing ability of the microorganism seems to be inhibited by all the activated carbons tested. The effect of ground glass seems to be related to its particle size distribution. Implications for the bioleaching of sulfide ores and coal pyrite are discussed in the light of current knowledge on the adsorption of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans cells on solid surfaces.     

Effects of Microbial Utilization of Phenolic Acids and their Phenolic Acid Breakdown Products on Allelopathic Interactions

Reversible sorption of phenolic acids by soils may provide some protection to phenolic acids from microbial degradation. In the absence of microbes, reversible sorption 35 days after addition of 0.5–3 mol/g of ferulic acid or p-coumaric acid was 8–14% in Cecil A_p horizon and 31–38% in Cecil B_t, horizon soil materials. The reversibly sorbed/solution ratios (r/s) for ferulic acid or p-coumaric acid ranged from 0.12 to 0.25 in A_p and 0.65 to 0.85 in B_t horizon soil materials. When microbes were introduced, the r/s ratio for both the A_p and B_t horizon soil materials increased over time up to 5 and 2, respectively, thereby indicating a more rapid utilization of solution phenolic acids over reversibly sorbed phenolic acids. The increase in r/s ratio and the overall microbial utilization of ferulic acid and/or p-coumaric acid were much more rapid in A_p than in B_t horizon soil materials. Reversible sorption, however, provided protection of phenolic acids from microbial utilization for only very short periods of time. Differential soil fixation, microbial production of benzoic acids (e.g., vanillic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid) from cinnamic acids (e.g., ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid, respectively), and the subsequent differential utilization of cinnamic and benzoic acids by soil microbes indicated that these processes can substantially influence the magnitude and duration of the phytoxicity of individual phenolic acids.     

Lipid hydrolysis and oxidation on the surface of milled rice

The changes in milled rice FFA content and composition and in conjugated diene (CD) content and bacterial, yeast, and mold counts were determined at 24, 37, and 50°C and 70% RH over 50 d. There was a rapid rate of FFA formation during the first few days of storage, which was optimal at 37°C, but that slowed after 2, 4, and 5 d at 37, 24, and 50°C, respectively. There was a second increase in FFA after about day 12 that increased with increasing temperature, indicating nonlipase hydrolysis. Linoleic and oleic acids were the main components of the total FFA produced on the surface of milled rice. The pattern of CD development followed that of FFA increase. Bacterial growth correlated with increased FFA levels after 12 d of storage, suggesting that bacterial lipase rather than bran lipase may be responsible for rice lipid hydrolysis     

水基(乳液)胶粘剂微生物污染及其罐内防腐效果测试

对广东省部分水基(乳液)胶粘剂生产企业微生物污染的来源和种群进行了调查,建立以微生物攻击挑战性试验来快速判定水基(乳液)胶粘剂罐内防腐效果的评价方法,探索该类胶粘剂微生物污染的有效防治技术。     

不同时期排泥对培养SBBR生物膜的影响

序批式生物膜反应器（sequencing biofilm batch reactor, SBBR）是应用广泛的污水处理方法。为探究不同时期排泥对SBBR污染物去除效果与微生物群落结构的影响，本研究设置了挂膜初期、中期和后期进行排泥的反应器处理生活污水，同时结合16S rDNA高通量测序技术对微生物群落结构进行分析，并采用机器学习（machine learning, ML）的方法，在传统的微生物优势种分析基础上，对测序数据进行深度挖掘，寻找造成组间差异的关键物种。水质测定结果显示，COD去除效果在不同时期排泥的SBBR间没有明显差异，出水COD均低于30mg/L。挂膜中期排泥的SBBR的NH₃-N去除率先达到稳定且高于前期和后期排泥的系统。高通量测序结果显示，各SBBR中微生物优势种均以降解有机物的物种为主。挂膜中期排泥的SBBR中，ML筛选得到的NH₃-N去除相关物种（Hydrogenophaga、Gemmata和Nitrospira）与差异关键物种丰度更高，微生物群落结构稳定性更强，可从微生物层面解释分析SBBR污染物去除效果的差异。