Thin-Film Composite Forward-Osmosis Membranes Reinforced on Woven Mesh and Nonwoven Backing Fabric Supports

Thin-film composite (TFC) forward-osmosis (FO) membranes were developed on different woven and nonwoven backing fabrics as support. Embedded backing fabrics have a significant effect on the membrane film sublayer by imparting porosity, membrane mechanical strength, and thickness. Woven and nonwoven backing fabric supports have been used for FO membranes cast on the commercial scale. There are also a few studies on the laboratory scale, but repeating them seems to be a challenge. The results herein show that TFC membranes with nonwoven incorporated substrates gain a higher water flux while keeping the specific reverse salt flux low

Removal of acetaminophen and ibuprofen from aqueous solutions by activated carbon derived from Quercus Brantii (Oak) acorn as a low-cost biosorbent

Acetaminophen (ACT) and ibuprofen (IBP) are two of the drugs which consume a lot in different countries. These compounds are not completely metabolized in the body and enter into the environment, especially aquatic environments, through urine and feces. In this study, activated carbon (AC) activated with basic and acidic solutions (NaOH, KOH, NH4Cl, and H3PO4) were used to remove ACT and IBP from aqueous solutions. Different factors including activator type, contact time, pH, adsorbent dose, pollutant content, solution ion strength and temperature were used to evaluate the sorption. The results showed that AC-KOH and AC-H3PO4 had the maximum sorption ability for ACT and IBP, respectively. The maximum sorption capacity for ACT (45.45 mg/g) and IBP (96.15 mg/g) was obtained at contact times of 150 min and 120 min and pH 3, respectively. The findings of kinetics and isotherms study also showed that the pseudo-second order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm models best fitted the data than other models. As well as, thermodynamic study showed that the sorption of ACT and IBP by the sorbent had an endothermic nature. On the basis of the results, this agricultural waste (oak acorn) can be effectively used as an alternative adsorbent for the removal of ACT and IBP in the aqueous phase

Aniline degradation from aqueous solution using electro/Fe2+/peroxydisulphate process

Non-degradation compounds are nowadays not being disposed into the environment, or are removed before being disposed into the environment. The aim of this study was to assess the degradation of aniline from aqueous media by electro/Fe2+/peroxydisulphate (PDS) process. The effects of different parameters like pH (3–9), electric current (EC; 10–30 mA/cm2), dose of PDS (10–40 mM), Fe2+ dose (5–20 mM) and initial aniline concentration (20–100 mg/L) on the degradation of aniline were investigated in the laboratory reactor in the batch condition. The results showed that the removal efficiency of aniline decreased by increasing the initial pH and pollutant concentration; however, with increasing EC and PDS doses and ferrous concentration, the removal efficiency increased. The maximum of aniline degradation, equalling 83%, was obtained at 60 min of reaction time. Also, for reaction time of 60-min runs, PDS only, EC only, PDS + Fe, PDS + EC and PDS + Fe + Fe, respectively, have 8.9%, 53%, 43%, 65% and 83% of the removal efficiency. The degradation efficiency of aniline from synthetic wastewater was significantly improved when the combined processes PDS/electro-conduction/Fe2+ was applied. © 2017 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved

Aniline degradation using advanced oxidation process by UV/Peroxy disulfate from aqueous solution

This study is focused on removing toxic aniline from aqueous solutions using advanced oxidation process by UV/ peroxy disulfate. In this study, the effect of various parameters including pH (3-9), the level of radiation (ultraviolet 30 watt lamp, number 2-5), peroxy disulfate dose (0.02 - 0.08 mol/l) and the initial concentration (20 - 100 mg/l) at different contact times (10 - 60 min) on the efficiency of aniline removal in a laboratory reactor with UV lamps and in a batch mode, was studied. The results of this study showed that the efficiency of removing aniline decreased by increasing and decreasing pH from 5 (maximum efficiency = 66.6, at pH= 5) and also by increasing the concentration of pollutant. But by increasing the amount of radiation and peroxy disulfate dosage (0.02 to 0.08 mol/l, the process efficiencies will be 46 to 82.8 after 60 min, respectively), the efficiency increased. The efficiency of removing aniline in the combined process of UV/peroxy disulfate increased significantly by using peroxy disulfate and UV, individually (96). In the process, the efficiency of removing aniline from aqueous solution was due to the production of UV effect on Peroxy disulfate and the production of strong oxidizing radicals. Therefore, due to the high performance and low cost raw materials, this process can be used for removing resistant compounds from industrial sewages

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in cosmetic products sold in Iran: the Monte Carlo simulation

Cosmetics can contain harmful compounds such as heavy metals. Several metals have a cumulative effect on the body, especially fatty tissues, and may have different health effects on the human body over the long term. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the health risks of heavy metals in cosmetics in Iran. Also, in this study, Monte Carlo simulation was used to investigate uncertainties. In this study, heavy metals data of cosmetics were extracted from studies carried out at intervals 2010�2018. International and Iranian databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Springer, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Irandoc, Magiran, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Information Institute for Scientific (ISC) were searched for this purpose. In this study, the index of the Margin of Safety was calculated to determine the risk of human contact with metallic impurities in cosmetic products used by humans. In the selected period, 11 studies were conducted on the measurement of heavy metals in cosmetics in Iran. In these studies, cosmetics such as eye shadow, eye pencil, powder, cream, and lipstick were studied. The Margin of Safety (MoS) values calculated for different metals were higher than the established safe standard by WHO. The highest and lowest amount of systemic exposure dosage in all types of cosmetic investigated (lipstick, cream, eye pencil, face powder, and eye shadow) was related to Fe and Hg. The mean hazardous quotient (HQ) for Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, and Hg was 1.05E-03, 1.03E-01, 7.95E-03, 2.59E-03, 1.05E-03, 4.98E-03, 7.22E-04, 1.85E-01, and 1.35E-05, respectively. The highest HQ (6.10E-01) was found for Pb, which was observed in the cream. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature