Application of Combined Integrated Pretreatment Rotating Biological Contactor Followed by Planted Soil Filter for Domestic Wastewater Treatment

Depletion of water resources including deterioration of water quality in Palestine is a very important environmental theme that requires direct and urgent measures. Average per capita water use is among the lowest in the world (60L/C/D) and the average cost of making water available to the public is among the highest (20 NIS/CM). Moreover, groundwater resources are rapidly deteriorated for different reasons; one is due to the infiltration of untreated wastewater that influencing directly the quality and availability of this scarce and essential resource. Moreover, lack of wastewater management has a direct impact on problems related to public health, marine and coastal pollution in Gaza, deterioration of nature and biodiversity as well as landscape and aesthetic distortion. In spite of the fact that Israel prevent the construction of wastewater treatment facilities it still imposes penalties on the Palestinian Water Authority accusing Palestinians of deteriorating the environment. Due to water scarcity and high population growth in Palestine 3.75 %, water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource and planners are forced to consider any sources of water which might be used economically and effectively to promote further development. In this study, the feasibility of using partially submerged rotating contact reactor followed by horizontal subsurface flow soil filter constructed wetland for the treatment of domestic raw wastewater in the study site Langenreichenbach (Saxony), and the feasibility to transfer the technique to Palestine was investigated. The performance of a rotating biological contactor (RBC) followed by horizontal soil filter (HSF) due to high strength raw wastewater treatment application in the treatment pilot plant Langenreichenbach was the subject of this study. The selection of rotating biological contactor (RBC) to pre- treat the influent of horizontal soil filter constructed wetland (HSF), was due to its proved efficiency of high COD and nitrification removal, while using the HSF as demonstrated tertiary treatment for hygienic removal. In addition, taking in consideration the cost effective of such combination system appealed for developing countries. Effects of major process variables such as COD concentration and loading rate, ammonia concentration and loading rate in addition to constant feeding wastewater flow rate on the rate of COD removal, nitrification and nutrients removal efficiency were investigated. The reduction of parasitical load was also investigated. The system was operated under three different condition phases (Initial, Phase1 and Phase 2), where the third operation (Phase2) was the targeted phase with 109 L/h feeding rate. HSF was put into operation on 23/6/2006 and the mode at this was continues flow with loading rate (60 L/m².d = 14 L/h). HSF adapted to work under phase2 operation conditions where average SS concentration inflow into HSF was at the lowest level during this operation phase. The results obtained reflected the high purification level achieved within such combination system that the final effluent met the German and Palestinian (Class A) standard for reuse treated wastewater in irrigation purposes. Recommendations drawn from the results, presented that composite sample must take place to present the raw wastewater influent. However, raw wastewater must be properly pretreated to eliminate the SS and to avoid the excessive sludge at the RBC effluent, as iv well as proper and well designed ST must take place after RBC system to eliminate SS to allowable concentration for HSF influent

BM-MSCs alleviate diabetic nephropathy in male rats by regulating ER stress, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptotic pathways

Introduction: Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a chronic kidney disease, is a major cause of end-stage kidney disease worldwide. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become a promising option to mitigate several diabetic complications.Methods: In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in a rat model of STZ-induced DN. After the confirmation of diabetes, rats were treated with BM-MSCs and sacrificed at week 12 after treatment.Results: Our results showed that STZ-induced DN rats had extensive histopathological changes, significant upregulation in mRNA expression of renal apoptotic markers, ER stress markers, inflammatory markers, fibronectin, and intermediate filament proteins, and reduction of positive immunostaining of PCNA and elevated P53 in kidney tissue compared to the control group. BM-MSC therapy significantly improved renal histopathological changes, reduced renal apoptosis, ER stress, inflammation, and intermediate filament proteins, as well as increased positive immunostaining of PCNA and reduced P53 in renal tissue compared to the STZ-induced DN group.Conclusion: In conclusion, our study indicates that BM-MSCs may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of DN and provide important insights into their potential use as a novel therapeutic approach for DN

Social value and management of water in Egypt : final report (technical)

Includes CD-ROM with final reports and appendice