Removal of Zn(2+) from Electroplating Wastewater Using Modified Wood Sawdust and Sugarcane Bagasse

This paper describes the preparation of new adsorbents derived from sugarcane bagasse and wood sawdust (Manilkara sp.) to remove zinc (II) ions from electroplating wastewater. The first part deals with the chemical modification of sugarcane bagasse and wood sawdust, using succinic anhydride to introduce carboxylic acid functions into the material. The obtained materials (modified sugarcane bagasse MB2 and modified wood sawdust MS2) were then characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and used in adsorption experiments. The adsorption experiments evaluates Zn(2+) removal from aqueous single metal solution and real electroplating wastewater on both batch and continuous experiments using fixed-bed columns prepared in laboratorial scale with the obtained adsorbents. Adsorption isotherms were then developed using Langmuir model and the Thomas kinetic model. The calculated Zn(2+) adsorption capacities were found to be 145 mg/g for MS2 and 125 mg/g for MB2 in single metal aqueous solution, whereas for the industrial wastewater these values were 61 mg/g for MS2 and 55 mg/g for MB2.

Defining Relevant Product Markets for Pharmaceuticals

To identify the relevant product markets for Swedish pharmaceuticals, a spatial econometrics approach is employed. First, we calculate Moran’s Is for different market definitions and then we use a spatial Durbin model to determine the effect of price changes on quantity sold off own and competing products. As expected, the results show that competition is strongest between close substitutes; however, the relevant product markets for Swedish pharmaceuticals extend beyond close substitutes down to products included in the same class on the four-digit level of the Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical system as defined by the World Health Organization. The spatial regression model further indicates that increases in the price of a product significantly lower the quantity sold of that product and in the same time increase the quantity sold of competing products. For close substitutes (products belonging to the same class on the seven-digit level of the Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical system), as well as for products that, without being close substitutes, belong to the same therapeutic/pharmacological/chemical subgroup (the same class on the five-digit level of the Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical system), a significant change towards increased competition is also visible after 1 July 2009 when the latest policy changes with regards to pharmaceuticals have been implemented in Sweden.

City Of Toronto’S Approach On Implementing The New Federal Wastewater Effluent Regulations Using A GIS-Based Hydrologic And Hydraulic Model

Canada releases over 150 billion litres of untreated and undertreated wastewater into the water environment every year1. To clean up urban wastewater, new Federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) on establishing national baseline effluent quality standards that are achievable through secondary wastewater treatment were enacted on July 18, 2012. With respect to the wastewater from the combined sewer overflows (CSO), the Regulations require the municipalities to report the annual quantity and frequency of effluent discharges. The City of Toronto currently has about 300 CSO locations within an area of approximately 16,550 hectares. The total sewer length of the CSO area is about 3,450 km and the number of sewer manholes is about 51,100. A system-wide monitoring of all CSO locations has never been undertaken due to the cost and practicality. Instead, the City has relied on estimation methods and modelling approaches in the past to allow funds that would otherwise be used for monitoring to be applied to the reduction of the impacts of the CSOs. To fulfill the WSER requirements, the City is now undertaking a study in which GIS-based hydrologic and hydraulic modelling is the approach. Results show the usefulness of this for 1) determining the flows contributing to the combined sewer system in the local and trunk sewers for dry weather flow, wet weather flow, and snowmelt conditions; 2) assessing hydraulic grade line and surface water depth in all the local and trunk sewers under heavy rain events; 3) analysis of local and trunk sewer capacities for future growth; and 4) reporting of the annual quantity and frequency of CSOs as per the requirements in the new Regulations. This modelling approach has also allowed funds to be applied toward reducing and ultimately eliminating the adverse impacts of CSOs rather than expending resources on unnecessary and costly monitoring.

Does humor work in advertising of pharmaceutical products?

This thesis aims to evaluate whether humorous television commercials (TVCs) work for non-prescription drugs, known as “over-the-counter” (OTC). The construct humor in advertising is controversial since it involves complex and broad typology, and depends on the audience characteristics. Several studies within different product categories indicated that some consumer goods are better suited for humorous TVCs, while others, such as OTC drugs, may not take advantage from it. Paradoxically, drug announcers spend billions of dollars worldwide in humorous OTC ads. An experiment with real consumers was designed as between-and-within-subjects, to test three hypotheses. Sixty women were exposed to pairs of humorous and non-humorous TVCs, for each of the three drug categories (analgesics, vitamins, and laxatives). We used fictional brand names and real ads, and measured four dependant variables: attitude toward the advertising (AAD), attitude toward the brand (ABR), purchase intention (PI), and brand choice (BC), after subjects being exposed to manipulations of two independent variables: humorous vs. non-humorous TV commercials, for the drug categories. Conditional logit model confirmed that humor does not help to persuade respondents, whose choices, attitudes, and purchase intention were less favorable with humorous TVCs, in comparison to non-humorous executions. Future research is presented regarding marketing for pharmaceutical products.

Entry strategies into biosimilars: assessment of entry modes into the field of biosimilars from the perspective of pharmaceuticals, generics and biologics companies

Indústria farmacêutica de hoje está em transição. Como grandes blockbuster drogas estão perdendo ou estão prestes a perder a proteção de patente, e as grandes empresas farmacêuticas não estão substituindo os produtos com novas drogas químicas inovadoras, a indústria busca novas áreas de crescimento. Uma dessas áreas é o mercado de biossimilares, que está sendo inseridos por produtos farmacêuticos, genéricos e empresas de produtos biológicos. Mesmo que o grande potencial de mercado será acordado por volta de 2020, quando importantes blockbusters biológicos perder a proteção de patente, as empresas precisam decidir logo se querem participar ou não devido a elevadas barreiras à entrada técnicos, bem como de desenvolvimento de longo prazos. Como todas as empresas vêm de diferentes origens, compreendem capacidades diferentes e têm diferentes incentivos de entrada, a questão que surge é se esses fatos estão relacionados com as suas estratégias de entrada correspondentes. A tese utiliza estudos de caso de cada segmento da indústria farmacêutica - produtos farmacêuticos, biológicos e genéricos - e examina através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, por isso que os participantes do estudo de caso entrevistados explicitamente escolhido sua estratégia de entrada. Os dados de entrevistas será então ligada a quadros estratégicos da revisão da literatura e irá ser utilizado para uma comparação global e análise. O estudo revelou que o fundo do participante do mercado que influenciam a sua estratégia de entrada. Os principais pontos de influência derivam tanto as barreiras à entrada, bem como os incentivos de entrada. A tese não é possível determinar o sucesso futuro do modo de entrada analisados no novo mercado.

COMBUSTION and PYROLYSIS of A SLUDGE FROM WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

The possibility of thermal treatment plants of municipal wastewater is an alternative solution for the final disposition of the sludge produced on small cities as Barueri, a small town of São Paulo State, Brazil. Combustion and pyrolysis of that municipal waste, occurring respectively in air and nitrogen, have been studied by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The main steps of each case were analyzed and Kissinger plots were used to estimate respective activation energies. DTG peaks are more indicated to represent the condition of maximum reaction rates than DTA peaks.

Chronic contamination assessment integrating biomarkers' responses in transplanted mussels-A seasonal monitoring

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Chemical properties and enzyme activity in a sewage sludge-treated soil

A soil sample was taken from the top 0-20cm at Jaboticabal county, São Paulo State, Brazil, air dried, sieved to 5mm, and placed into pots (2700g per pot). Sewage sludge was air-dried, ground to 2mm, and thoroughly mixed to the top 0-10cm soil of each pot, which were irrigated with distilled water in a total volume equivalent to the last 30years average rainfall in the region. Sorghum was sowed 120days after sewage sludge incorporation and then the irrigation was made according to the plants' requirement. When the plants were about 10 cm high, they were thinned to two per pot. Soil samples (0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm depth) were obtained immediately after the incorporation of sewage sludge and at 30, 60, 120, and 170 days after, air dried, sieved to 2 mm and analyzed for organic matter (OM), pH (0,01 mol L-1 CaCl2), extractable P (resin), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), amylase and cellulase activity. Sewage sludge increased soil OM, pH, extractable phosphorus (P), K. Ca. amylase and cellulase activity, especially at the rate 16 t ha(-1). Organic matter, extractable P, K, Ca, Mg. and amylase activity were higher in the top 0-10cm, while pH was higher in the 20-30cm layer. Amylase activity was not affected by sampling depth. Organic matter, pH, extractable P. K, Ca, and Mg decreased during the experimental period. Amylase activity decreased until sorghum was sowed and increased afterwards. Cellulase activity increased until 90 days after sewage sludge application and then decreased. Sewage sludge used in the experiment should already contain some amylase activity or a substance that was a soil enzyme activator and also a substance that was an inhibitor of soil cellulase inhibitor. Sonic of the plant nutrients contained in sewage sludge, mainly P, did not migrate down the soil column. an indication that sewage sludge should be incorporated into the soil to improve nutrient bioavailability. Sorghum roots increased amylase activity but did not affect cellulase activity.

Use of Cassava Wastewater Treated Anaerobically with Alkaline Agents as Fertilizer for Maize (Zea mays L.)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Thermoeconomic analysis applied to an alternative wastewater treatment

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Thermoeconomic analysis applied in cold water production system using biogas combustion

In this paper is proposed the use of biogas generated in the Wastewater Treatment Plant of a Dairy industry. The objective is to apply a thermoeconomic analysis to the supplementary cold water production of an absorption refrigeration system (NH3 + H2O) by the burning of such gas. The exergoeconomic analysis is carried out to allow a comparison between an absorption refrigeration system and of an equivalent compression refrigeration system that uses NH3 as work fluid. The proposed exergoeconomic model uses functional diagrams and allows one to obtain the exergetic incremental functions for each component individually and for the system as a whole. The model minimizes the exergetic manufacturing cost (EMC) which represents the cost of supplementary cold water production at 1degreesC (exergetic base) needed for this dairy's cold storage. As a conclusion, the absorption refrigeration system is better than compression refrigeration system, when the biogas cost is not considered. 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a methodology for cost determination of wastewater treatment based on functional diagram

This work describes a methodology developed for determination of costs associated to products generated in a small wastewater treatment station for sanitary wastewater from a university campus. This methodology begins with plant component units identification, relating their fluid and thermodynamics features for each point marked in its process diagram. Following, its functional diagram is developed and its formulation is elaborated, in exergetic base, describing all equations for these points, which are the constraints for exergetic production cost problem and are used in equations to determine the costs associated to products generated in SWTS. This methodology was applied to a hypothetical system based on SWTS former parts and presented consistent results when compared to expected values based on previous exergetic expertise. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of simulated wastewater containing n-phenyl-n-isopropyl-p-phenylenediamine using electrolysis system with Ti/TiRuO2 electrodes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Bacillus lehensis-an alkali-tolerant bacterium isolated from cassava starch wastewater: optimization of parameters for cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase production

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Structure, properties and applications of rhamnolipids produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa L2-1 from cassava wastewater

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)