Treatment of a landfill leachate from Casablanca city by a coagulation-flocculation and adsorption process using a palm bark powder (PBP)

The study aims to evaluate the efficiency of a combined landfill leachate treatment (coagulation with ferric chloride coupled with adsorption onto palm bark powder (PBP)) enhance a low cost bioadsorbent. The efficiency of this treatment, was assessed in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), color and turbidity removal. This bioadsorbent was subjected to physico-chemical and morphological characterization by different methods (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, pH at zero charge point (pHPZC) and Boehm titration method).The coagulation process reduced the turbidity by 90%, the COD by 50%, the color by 80% and the biological oxygen demand (BOD5) by 99% for the optimum dose of ferric chloride of 12 g Fe3+. L−1. Thereafter, the sequential treatment of a landfill leachate based on coagulation as a pre-treatment process and then adsorption onto PBP improves the removal of turbidity, COD and color to 99%, 59% and 90%, respectively.These results demonstrate that combined coagulation-flocculation and adsorption processes could be a useful option for the treatment of solid-waste landfill leachate

Alteration of the serine protease PRSS56 causes angle-closure glaucoma in mice and posterior microphthalmia in humans and mice.

Angle-closure glaucoma (ACG) is a subset of glaucoma affecting 16 million people. Although 4 million people are bilaterally blind from ACG, the causative molecular mechanisms of ACG remain to be defined. High intraocular pressure induces glaucoma in ACG. High intraocular pressure traditionally was suggested to result from the iris blocking or closing the angle of the eye, thereby limiting aqueous humor drainage. Eyes from individuals with ACG often have a modestly decreased axial length, shallow anterior chamber and relatively large lens, features that predispose to angle closure. Here we show that genetic alteration of a previously unidentified serine protease (PRSS56) alters axial length and causes a mouse phenotype resembling ACG. Mutations affecting this protease also cause a severe decrease of axial length in individuals with posterior microphthalmia. Together, these data suggest that alterations of this serine protease may contribute to a spectrum of human ocular conditions including reduced ocular size and ACG