Localized corrosion of (lean) duplex stainless steels in immersion units of urban wastewater treatment plants

With lower alloying cost and higher mechanical properties, lean duplex stainless steels can be an alternative to the more commonly used austenitic stainless steels. However, these alloys are still not the preferred choice, probably due to a lack of field experience. A study was thus initiated in view of defining the limits of use of selected (lean) duplexes for urban wastewater treatment units. The present paper shows the localized corrosion performance of selected lean duplexes in chloride contaminated solutions. The results are compared with austenitic S30403 and S31603 and with the more standard duplexes S82441 and S32205. The effect of welding was also investigated. Exposures in field municipal wastewater plants were conducted for 1 year in low and high chloride content units. The results show that lean duplexes S32101 and S32202 can be used as alternatives to S30403 and S31603 in low chloride electrolytes. At 500 ppm of chloride content, duplex stainless steel S32304 showed better corrosion resistance than S30403 and S31603. For higher chloride contents (1000 ppm and above) the standard duplexes S82441 and S32205 shall be preferred.     

WIRELESS BODY-AREA NETWORKS

The last decade has witnessed the convergence of three giant worlds:electronics,computer science and telecommunications.The next decade should follow this convergence in most of our activities with the generalization of sensor networks.In particular with the progress in medicine,people live longer and the aging of population will push the development of wireless person-     

Manual patient transfers: factors that influence decisions and kinematic strategies employed by nursing aides

While extensive literature has characterised factors that influence the acceptable mass of ‘boxes’ during MMH tasks, less is known about these factors when moving ‘people’ in healthcare settings. This study examined factors that influence decisions/approaches employed during manual patient transfers. Sixteen nursing aides manually-transferred a standardised ‘patient’; patient mass was adjusted (using a weight vest) to determine a maximum acceptable patient mass for this task (mass_max). Grip strength was the only worker characteristic significantly associated with mass_max (r?=?0.48). Older worker age was associated with smaller peak trunk flexion (r?= ?0.58) and shoulder abduction (r?= ?0.59), and greater trunk axial twist (r?=?0.52). Workers emphasised that patient characteristics (e.g. physical/cognitive status) influenced their decisions when performing transfers. These findings extend previous literature by suggesting that grip strength is a useful predictor of perceived work capacity, older workers adapt protective postural strategies during patient transfers and worker-patient dynamics are crucial during this high-risk occupational task.

Practitioner Summary: This study examined manual patient transfers performed by nursing aides. Worker grip strength (but not age or size) was associated with perceptions of maximum acceptable patient mass. Kinematic changes suggested more conservative strategies used by older workers. Workers emphasised that patient characteristics substantially influenced their decisions when performing transfer tasks.     

Effect of the plant waste onto the properties of use and the microstructure of phyllosilicates based ceramics

The present study aimed at using plant waste (Musa Paradisiaca) for manufacturing clay-based ceramics in order to promote lower sintering temperature while preserving the properties of use. Two kaolinic-illitic clays (NZ1 and KO) from Central African Republic were used mixed with 1 to 10 mass% of the plant waste (MP). The clays and the waste exhibited accessory phases: quartz and iron oxides, and K₂O respectively. MP was collected, dried and sieved (<100 μm) previously to its mixture with clays. According to the sintering behavior of KO and NZ1 derived from thermodilatometry, the densification was obtained after firing at 1200°C. Results showed that open porosity decreased from 35% to 17% with increasing temperature in the range 900 to 1200°C for KO and NZ1. This porosity remained in the range 30%-40% while increasing the MP content (firing at 1000°C for 1h.). The optimized MP content was 3 and 5 mass% for KO and NZ1 clay materials respectively. The compressive strength and thermal conductivities were improved compared to clay samples without MP fired at 1200°C. Moreover a significant decrease in the sintering temperature was achieved, leading to energy saving in line with sustainability issues.     

Meeting the challenge of water sustainability: The role of process systems engineering

This white paper is the result of discussions during the FIPSE-4 conference ( http://fi-in-pse.org ) in June 2018. It aims to highlight open problems and provide directions for future research in the area of water with emphasis on its agricultural usages. Some of the open problems discussed are: (a) the use of ecosystems as unit operations to understand their role in providing freshwater and in cleaning polluted water; (b) consideration of interactions and independencies between flows of water and other resources, such as food, energy, materials, ecosystem services, and environmental emissions; (c) challenges in modeling, sensing, and closed-loop control in precision irrigation. In particular, the development of agro-hydrological models that balance computing speed versus solution details and accuracy: (d) The use of state and parameter estimation approaches, through field measurements, to obtain soil moisture levels accurately; and (e) decision support systems to administer water and nutrient needs for optimum yields of agricultural products.     

Toxic effects of hexavalent chromium on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

Exposing brook trout to various concentrations of chromium [Cr(VI)] for up to 22 months (including reproduction) significantly increased alevin mortality at 0.35 mg Cr l⁻¹ and retarded growth of young brook trout at the lowest concentration tested (0.01 mg Cr l⁻¹). Eight month exposures of rainbow trout significantly increased alevin mortality at 0.34 mg Cr l⁻¹ and also retarded growth at the lowest concentration tested (0.10 mg Cr l⁻¹). Exposures of brook trout lasting 22 months showed, however, that growth was only temporarily affected, and therefore, it was not used as an end point to measure the affects of chromium on either species. Reproduction, and embryo hatchability of brook trout were unaffected at Cr(VI) concentrations that affected survival of newly hatched alevins. The maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) for brook and rainbow trout exposed to Cr(VI) in water with a hardness of 45 mg l⁻¹ (as CaCO₃) and a pH range of 7–8 lies between 0.20 and 0.35 mg Cr l⁻¹. The 96-h lc₅₀ for brook and rainbow trout was 59 and 69 mg Cr l⁻¹, respectively: therefore, the application factor (MATC/96-h lc₅₀) for both species lies between 0.003 and 0.006.     

两类典型碱活性岩石试体在碱溶液中的膨胀行为

为确定以Spratt硅质灰岩(SL岩石)和Pittsburg泥质白云质灰岩(PL岩石)为代表的两类典型碱活性岩石试体在碱性环境中的膨胀来源和发展评定岩石碱活性的方法,研究了不同条件下SL和PL岩石在砂浆和混凝土中的膨胀行为.研究结果表明:SL岩石在砂浆和混凝土中均呈高ASR膨胀性,尽管其中的少量白云石可发生去白云石化反应;决定PL岩石高膨胀性的机制是ACR,与传统的ASR有本质不同,尽管其中含有的少量微晶石英可参与与碱的反应并可能对岩石的膨胀有一定贡献.采用能保持岩石微观结构构造特征的颗粒尺寸是正确评估PL岩石碱活性的关键.利用ASR和ACR对粉煤灰等混合材及含锂化合物的不同响应,特别是LiOH的抑制ASR膨胀和引发ACR膨胀的双重效应,在实验室可以快速区别同时含有白云石和石英的灰岩类集料的活性来源.     

Evaluation of enrichment-free PCR-based detection on the rfbE gene of Escherichia coli O157--application to municipal wastewater

Escherichia coli O157 strains have emerged as important human enteric pathogens. Strains that express the O-antigen 157 are commonly associated with severe clinical manifestations, including bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. E. coli O157 strains may be transmitted in a variety of ways, including food, water and person-to-person or animal-to-person contact. Fecal contamination is one source of environmental contamination and is responsible for the presence of these pathogens in the environment. We used a specific and sensitive PCR assay based on the rfbE gene to detect low levels of these pathogens in wastewater. The set of primers used was designed to amplify an intragenic segment of the rfbE gene. The amplification assay detected 200 CFU of E. coli O157 in pure water. The prevalence of E. coli O157 in the effluents of 44 wastewater treatment plants was determined (7%).     

A long-term view of nutrient transfers through the Seine river continuum

A model (the Riverstrahler model) is used to describe nutrient transfer and transformation at the scale of the whole drainage network of the Seine based on information concerning the basic mechanisms governing N, P and Si inputs to the drainage network and in-stream transformation and retention. It was used to calculate the budget of these nutrients through the whole river continuum from land to sea. With the help of historical documents, the constraints used as forcing function in this model were reconstructed to express the changing conditions of land-use and urban population over the last five hundred years. The corresponding scenarios were run for different hydrological regimes including dry, mean and wet conditions. The results were validated on the long-term series of nutrient measurements spanning more than a century available at some stations on the Seine, upstream and downstream of the city of Paris. The model was also used to explore past and future trends in nutrient loading, retention and delivery to the coastal zone, in response to human management of the terrestrial watershed. Beside the initial pristine state, used as an idealized reference state (with N, P and Si delivered fluxes of about 45-110 kg N km(-2) yr(-1), 2-5 kg P km(-2) yr(-1), 510-1325 kg Si km(-2) yr(-1)), four periods were distinguished. The first one is that of the traditional cottage economy which prevailed, with quite a constant total population, until the end of the 18th century. N, P and Si fluxes were about 235-750 kg N km(-2) yr(-1), 15-60 kg P km(-2) yr(-1) and 425-1280 kg Si km(-2) yr(-1), depending on hydrological conditions. The second period, from the beginning of the 19th century to about the 1950's, corresponded to rapid increase in the total and urban population with a corresponding increase of point sources of N and P. From 1950 onwards, modern farming practices resulted in a dramatic increase in diffuse sources of nitrogen and to a lesser extent phosphorus: riverine N and P export reached 1320-2800 kg N km(-2) yr(-1), and 310-340 kg P km(-2) yr(-1): silica export remained fairly constant at around 410-1260 kg Si km(-2) yr(-1) depending on the hydrological conditions. In the 1990's, the fourth period is represented by a stabilized population and improved wastewater treatment, when the export of phosphorus is reduced to values as low as 40-60 kg P km(-2) yr(-1), but without as effective a reduction of nitrogen export. This represents an unprecedented situation for the marine coastal system, i.e. a shift from nitrogen to phosphorus limitation, as nitrogen is still delivered far in excess of the amount of silica available for diatom blooms.