Biosorption of chromium(VI), nickel(II) and Remazol blue by Rhodotorula muciloginosa biomass

The passive removal of commonly used reactive dye and two heavy metals, from aqueous solutions by inexpensive biomaterial, yeast Rhodotorula muciloginosa biomass, termed biosorption, was studied with respect to pH, initial dye concentration and initial metal ion concentration. The biomass exhibited maximum dye and chromium(VI) uptake at pH 5 and pH 6 for nickel(II) in media containing 50 mg/L heavy metal and 50 mg/L remazol blue. It was found that the highest chromium(VI) removal yields measured were 31.3% for 49.0 mg/l initial chromium(VI) concentrations. The nickel(II) removal yield was 32.5% for 22.3 mg/L. Higher R. Blue removal yields were obtained, such as 77.1% for 117.5 mg/L. The maximum dye biosorption yield was investigated in medium with a constant dye (approximately 50 mg/L) and increasing heavy metal concentration. In the medium with 48.8, 103.8 and 151.8 mg/L chromium(VI) and constant dye concentration, the maximum chromium(VI) biosorption was 7.4, 9.3 and 17.1%, whereas the maximum dye biosorption was 61.6, 56.6 and 55.9%. The maximum nickel(II) biosorptions in the medium with dye were 38.1, 22.1 and 8.8% at 23.7, 37.7 and 60.1 mg/L nickel(II) concentrations. In these media, dye biosorptions were 93.9, 86.4 and 93.3%, respectively.     

Porous dye affinity beads for albumin separation from human plasma

Porous polymeric beads were obtained by the suspension polymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). Poly(HEMA–EGDMA) beads were characterized by surfacearea measurements, swelling studies, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental analysis. Poly (HEMA–EGDMA) beads had a specific surface area of 56 m²/g. SEM observations showed that the poly(HEMA–EGDMA) beads abounded macropores. Poly(HEMA–EGDMA) beads with a swelling ratio of 55%, and containing different amounts of Reactive Red 120 (9.2–39.8 μmol/g) were used in the adsorption/desorption of human serum albumin (HSA) from aqueous solutions and human plasma. The nonspecific adsorption of HSA was very low (0.2 mg/g). The maximum HSA adsorption amount from aqueous solution in phosphate buffer was 60.1 mg/g at pH 5.0. Higher HSA adsorption value was obtained from human plasma (up to 95.7 mg/g) with a purity of 88%. The equilibrium monolayer adsorption amount, Q_max was determined as 172.4 mg/g. The dimensionless separation factor (R_L) value shows that the adsorption behavior of HSA onto the Reactive Red 120 attached poly(HEMA–EGDMA) beads was favorable (0 < R_L < 1). Desorption of HSA from Reactive Red 120 attached poly (HEMA–EGDMA) beads was performed using 0.1M Tris/HCl buffer containing 0.5M NaCl. It was observed that HSA could be repeatedly adsorbed and desorbed with Reactive Red 120‐attached poly(HEMA–EGDMA) beads without significant loss in the adsorption amount. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Trace elements in edible tissues of three shrimp species (Penaeus semisulcatus,Parapenaeus longirostris and Paleomon serratus)

Accumulation levels of trace elements in edible tissues of three shrimp species (Penaeus semisulcatus, Parapenaeus longirostris and Paleomon serratus) from the Gulf of Antalya, Turkey were investigated. Copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The lowest Cu (1.33 mg kg^?1) and Cd (0.23 mg kg^?1) and highest Mn (1.52 mg kg^?1) concentrations were found in P. longirostris, the lowest Zn (6.25 mg kg^?1), Fe (1.84 mg kg^?1) and Mn (0.25 mg kg^?1) concentrations in P. serratus and the highest Cu (6.19 mg kg^?1), Cd (2.36 mg kg^?1), Zn (30.84 mg kg^?1) and Fe (33.89 mg kg^?1) concentrations in P. semisulcatus. The Cd levels detected in P. semisulcatus and P. serratus were above legislative limits. Our results show that there were significant differences in trace element concentrations among the three shrimp species. The highest levels of the five trace elements investigated, with the exception of Mn, were found in edible tissue of P. semisulcatus. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis of polydimethylsiloxane‐block‐polystyrene‐block‐polydimethylsiloxane via polysiloxane‐based macroinitiator in supercritical CO2

Polydimethylsiloxane‐block‐polystyrene‐block‐polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS‐b‐PS‐b‐PDMS) was synthesized by the radical polymerization of styrene using a polydimethylsiloxane‐based macroazoinitiator (PDMS MAI) in supercritical CO₂. PDMS MAI was synthesized by reacting hydroxy‐terminated PDMS and 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanopentanoyl chloride) (ACPC) having a thermodegradable azo‐linkage at room temperature. The polymerization of styrene initiated by PDMS MAI was investigated in a batch system using supercritical CO₂ as the reaction medium. PDMS MAI was found to behave as a polyazoinitiator for radical block copolymerization of styrene, but not as a surfactant. The response surface methodology was used to design the experiments. The parameters used were pressure, temperature, PDMS MAI concentration and reaction time. These parameters were investigated at three levels (?1, 0 and 1). The dependent variable was taken as the polymerization yield of styrene. PDMS MAI and PDMS‐b‐PS‐b‐PDMS copolymers obtained were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy. The number‐ and weight‐average molecular weights of block copolymers were determined by gel permeation chromatography. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Boron removal from seawater using high rejection SWRO membranes — impact of pH, feed concentration, pressure, and cross-flow velocity

The main objective of this work was to investigate boron removal from seawater using two commercial high rejection SWRO membranes. The impact of solution pH, feed concentration, pressure, and cross-flow velocity on boron rejection and permeate flux was determined. The membranes used were the Toray™ UTC-80-AB and Filmtec™ SW30HR. A lab-scale cross-flow flat-sheet configuration test unit was used for all RO experiments. Seawater sample was collected from the Mediterranean Sea, Alanya-Kızılot shores, south Turkey. For all experiments, mass balances were between 91% and 107%, suggesting relatively low loss of boron on membrane surfaces during 14 h of operation. Operation modes did not have any impact on boron rejection, indicating that boron rejection were independent of feedwater boron concentrations up to 6.6 mg/L. For both membranes, much higher boron rejection were obtained at pH of 10.5 (>98%) than those at original seawater pH of 8.2 (about 85–90%). Permeate boron concentrations less than 0.1 mg/L were easily achieved at pH 10.5 by both membranes. The dissociated boron species are dominant at this pH, thus both electrostatic repulsion and size exclusion mechanisms are responsible for the higher boron rejection. The rejection of salts in seawater did not correlate with boron rejection at constant conditions. For each membrane type, permeate fluxes at constant pressure were generally lower at pH of 10.5, which may be partially explained by membrane fouling and enhanced scale formation by Mg and Ca compounds from concentration polarization effect at higher pH values. While somewhat higher boron rejection was found for one membrane type as the pressure was increased from 600 to 800 psi, increasing pressure did not affect boron rejection for the other membrane. Feed flowrate thus the cross-flow velocity (0.5–1.0 m/s) did not exert any significant impact on boron rejection at constant conditions.     

Synthesis and in vitro antimicrobial characterization of Boron-PVA Electrospun nanofibers

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) electrospun nanofibers and boric acid (BA) complexes of these nanofibers were synthesized with and without using TritonX-100(TX-100) as a water soluble surfactant (PVA, PVA/BA, PVA/TX-100, PVA/TX-100/BA). The electrospun nanofibers were characterized by SEM, FTIR and TGA. Preliminary results showed that certain amount of boric acid decreased the number of Stapylococcus aureus from 6,8x10⁷(CFU/mL) to 3x10⁷(CFU/mL). In the preparation of polymer, boric acid was used as a crosslinker and antimicrobial agent whereas TX-100 was used as surfactant. The viscosity and conductivity measurements indicated that the BA increased viscosity but decreased conductivity. In contrast, TX-100 increased conductivity without considerable effect on viscosity, which affects the production and resulting nanofiber properties such as diameter and bead formation. The antimicrobial activities of the nanofibers were assayed in vitro by Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive(S. aureus) bacteria. It was observed that PVA/TX-100/BA showed better antibacterial activity against S.aureus bacteria compared to PVA and PVA/TX-100 nanofibers.     

The Circuit Implementation of a Wavelet Function Approximator

This paper describes the analog synthesis of a wavelet function approximator using sigmoidal mother wavelet. Any finite energy multivariate function can be approximated by this analog circuit using the multiresolution approximation property of the wavelet decomposition. The approximator circuit includes bipolar junction transistors, operational amplifiers and linear passive circuit elements.     

Removal of cadmium from phosphoric acid solution by solvent-impregnated resins (sirs) - sorption kinetics and equilibria studies

Cyanex-302 (bis [2,4,4-trimethylpentyl] monothiophosphinic acid) was impregnated into macroporous Diaion HP-10 and HP-1MG polymeric resin matrices and used as an extractant to recover cadmium from concentrated phosphoric acid. The optimum conditions for batchwise extraction of cadmium were established, and equilibrium data in the concentration range 0-200 mg/L Cd were obtained in 40% H 3 PO 4 solution. A Langmuir adsorption isotherm gave the best fit of the adsorption equilibrium data. A preliminary kinetic study was carried out in order to elucidate the rate-controllingmechanism. The uptake of trace cadmium onto Cyanex 302 containing solvent-impregnated resins from 40% phosphoric acid appears to be particle diffusion controlled.     

Solvent-impregnated resins (SIRs) – Methods of preparation and their applications

Interest in the development of solvent-impregnated resins (SIRs) and their applications for the separation of metal ions and organic compounds from water in the form of a hybrid polymeric adsorbent material has intensified over the past thirty years. SIRs are particulate adsorbers that possess a combination of the advantageous features of both liquid–liquid extraction and ion exchange and this renders them applicable to a wide range of potential liquid–solid separation and recovery processes. This paper reviews the extensive published literature on methods of synthesis of SIRs, attempts to stabilize hybrid solvent-impregnated resins and various applications of SIRs.