Photocatalytic inactivation of Escherichia coli bacteria in water using low pressure plasma deposited TiO2 cellulose fabric

Fabrics obtained from cellulose spinning, extracted from Spanish broom, were coated with TiO2 film, through the low pressure plasma sputtering technique, in order to get antibacterial activity. The obtained fabrics were used for the photocatalytic degradation of Escherichia coli, by irradiation with UV-light emitting diodes (UV-LED), in a batch photocatalytic reactor. Before and after functionalization treatments, cellulosic substrates were chemically characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. Water Contact Angle (WCA) measurements allowed obtaining information about the hydrophilicity of the materials, while their antibacterial efficiency was determined at several initial concentrations (from 103 up to 108 CFU mL−1) of bacteria in distilled water, bottled water and synthetic wastewater. It was found that photocatalytic reactions were capable of achieving up to 100% bacterial inactivation in 1 h of treatment, following a pseudo-first order kinetic model. No bacterial regrowth was observed after photocatalytic treatments in almost all experimental conditions. In contrast, during photolytic treatment (i.e. in the absence of the TiO2 coated fabrics) bacteria recovered their initial concentration after 3 h in the dark. Finally, the reusability of the plasma modified fibers to inactivate bacteria was studied

Disinfestazione di manufatti lignei da parassiti larvali mediante tecniche da vuoto

Wooden artifacts are subject to being heavily damaged by the attack of worms which develop in the wood through the eggs deposited by adult pests before their final transformation into flying insects. Among the most dangerous species are xylophagous (wood-boring) insects, whose larvae are responsible for one of the most efficient wood-destroying mechanisms in wooden cultural heritage. Their elimination has always been a huge problem for the conservation of wood. In this work, we present the experimentation of a simple vacuum technique to disinfest wood from the larval Hylotrupes bajolus. We will also introduce the possibility of treating large-sized wooden artifacts by means of a special vacuum chamber.I manufatti lignei sono soggetti ad essere fortemente danneggiati dall’attacco di parassiti che, nella loro forma adulta, prolificano nel legno depositando le loro uova. Tra le specie più pericolose ci sono gli insetti xilofagi, le cui larve sono responsabili di uno dei più efficaci meccanismi di degradazione dei manufatti artistici lignei. La loro eliminazione, da sempre, costituisce un problema enorme per lo stato di conservazione del legno. In questo lavoro, viene presentata la sperimentazione di una nuova semplice tecnica da vuoto per la disinfestazione del legno da parte del Hylotrupes bajulus nella sua forma larvale. Viene inoltre presentata la possibilità di trattare manufatti lignei di grandi dimensioni per mezzo di una speciale camera da vuoto

Removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals from water: adsorption of bisphenol-A by biobased hydrophobic functionalized cellulose

The aim of this study is to examine the efficiency of biobased Spanish broom (SB) surface modified cellulose fibers to remove bisphenol A (BPA), a well-known endocrine disruptor, from water. Spanish brooms are flowering plants, which are native and abundant to Mediterranean regions. The functionalized fibers (FF) were found to have the best adsorption efficiency at pH 5, due to the optimal hydrophobic interaction between the FF fiber and BPA. Adsorption kinetics of BPA was found to fit well a pseudo-second order reaction. Equilibrium isotherm data were fitted by Langmuir and Freundlich models. A very fast and simple regeneration method was developed and it was observed that adsorption capacity of the fibers was kept almost unchanged after 3 consecutive uses. Bottled water and synthetic wastewater were also tested to assess the efficiency of the process under more realistic water and wastewater treatment conditions. It was found that BPA removal was slightly decreased from 77% in ultrapure water to 64% in synthetic wastewater matrix, indicating that FF has a high selectivity toward BPA, even in the presence of other organic compounds. Overall, it was observed that SB-modified fibers can be a new promising green biotechnology for water purification

Electrical resistivity anomalies offshore a carbonate coastline : evidence for freshened groundwater?

Carbonate lithologies host considerable quantities of the Earth's freshwater resources and partially supply a quarter of the global population with drinkable water. In addition, carbonates constitute substantial amounts of the global coastlines, yet it is not known if and how they can sustain freshened groundwater offshore. Here, we use controlled-source electromagnetic, seismic reflection, and core sample data to derive a lithological model for the eastern margin of the Maltese Islands and identify four distinct resistivity anomalies within the Upper Coralline and Globigerina Limestone formations. The anomalies hosted in the former are likely associated with low porosities, whereas the anomaly within the latter is indicative of pore fluid freshening. Hydrogeological modeling suggests that freshened pore fluids, emplaced during sea-level lowstands and preserved in low permeability units, are potentially still found within carbonate shelves. However, resource potential is low due to its relict nature and low permeability host environment.peer-reviewe

Economic consequences of investing in anti-HCV antiviral treatment from the Italian NHS perspective : a real-world-based analysis of PITER data

OBJECTIVE: We estimated the cost consequence of Italian National Health System (NHS) investment in direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy according to hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment access policies in Italy. METHODS: A multistate, 20-year time horizon Markov model of HCV liver disease progression was developed. Fibrosis stage, age and genotype distributions were derived from the Italian Platform for the Study of Viral Hepatitis Therapies (PITER) cohort. The treatment efficacy, disease progression probabilities and direct costs in each health state were obtained from the literature. The break-even point in time (BPT) was defined as the period of time required for the cumulative costs saved to recover the Italian NHS investment in DAA treatment. Three different PITER enrolment periods, which covered the full DAA access evolution in Italy, were considered. RESULTS: The disease stages of 2657 patients who consecutively underwent DAA therapy from January 2015 to December 2017 at 30 PITER clinical centres were standardized for 1000 patients. The investment in DAAs was considered to equal €25 million, €15 million, and €9 million in 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. For patients treated in 2015, the BPT was not achieved, because of the disease severity of the treated patients and high DAA prices. For 2016 and 2017, the estimated BPTs were 6.6 and 6.2 years, respectively. The total cost savings after 20 years were €50.13 and €55.50 million for 1000 patients treated in 2016 and 2017, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study may be a useful tool for public decision makers to understand how HCV clinical and epidemiological profiles influence the economic burden of HCV

New non invasive conservation methods for cultural heritage

Dottorato di Ricerca in Medicina Traslazionale. Ciclo XXIXUniversità della Calabri

Modeling a Metamorphic Aquifer through a Hydro-Geophysical Approach: The Gap between Field Data and System Complexity

The productivity of metamorphic aquifers is generally lower than that of the more common alluvial and carbonates ones. However, in some Mediterranean areas, such as the Calabria region (Italy), water scarcity combined with the presence of extensive metamorphic water bodies requires the development of further studies to characterize the hydrodynamic properties of these groundwater systems in order to achieve their sustainable exploitation. The interest in this goal becomes even greater if climate change effects are considered. The purpose of this study was to provide the geological-structural and hydrogeological numerical modeling of a metamorphic aquifer, using direct and indirect data measurement, in a large area of the Sila Piccola in Calabria. The hydrodynamic characterization of the crystalline-metamorphic aquifer, constituted by granite and metamorphic rocks, is extremely complex. The MODFLOW-2005 groundwater model was used to simulate flow phenomena in the aquifer, obtaining hydraulic conductivity values of 2.7 × 10−6 m/s, which turned out to be two orders of magnitude higher than those obtained from the interpretation of the slug-tests performed in the study area. The mathematical model was also able to estimate the presence of a lateral recharge from a neighboring deep aquifer providing a significant water supply to the system under investigation

BTX Removal from Open Aqueous Systems by Modified Cellulose Fibers and Evaluation of Competitive Evaporation Kinetics

BTX stands for Benzene, Toluene, and Xylenes, which are volatile organic compounds contained in petroleum products such as gasoline. They have negative health effects and are sadly known for soil, air, and water contamination. This paper provides an investigation on BTX removal from open water systems like those represented by natural water bodies. In such systems, the evaporation process takes place, stealing the pollutants from the aqueous matrix by transferring them into the air, resulting in a secondary pollution. To prevent this situation, adsorption of these organic compounds on cellulose fibers, extracted from Spanish Broom vegetable, was studied. Raw and surface modified cellulose fibers were used for this purpose. The second ones were hydrophobized by two different green and low-cost functionalization systems (no solvent urethane functionalization and low pressure plasma treatments). Batch experiments were performed in an open system where BTX underwent two competing removing mechanisms: volatilization, and adsorption/desorption on/from the fibers dispersed in the water system. A mathematical model was implemented for the interpretation of the observed time-varying pollutant concentrations and the estimation of the kinetic constants for adsorption, desorption, and evaporation. The developed model, provided with the aforementioned parameters calibrated for each type of fibers, was then used for the prediction of their adsorption capacities both into open and closed systems

The Impact of Predicted Climate Change on Groundwater Resources in a Mediterranean Archipelago: A Modelling Study of the Maltese Islands

The effects of changes in climate predicted for 2100—reduction in recharge, increase in water demand and sea-level rise—on groundwater volume and saltwater intrusion have been quantified in the Maltese Islands, an archipelago located at the center of the Mediterranean Sea. A three-dimensional density dependent and heterogeneous model, working in transient conditions, was developed based on morphological and geological information. The hydraulic conductivity and porosity of the lithological formations were derived from previous tests and studies conducted on the islands. The complex fault system intersecting the area has also been included in the model. The results show that among the three considered factors affecting groundwater resources, the most significant is the increase in water demand, which is closely followed by the decrease in groundwater recharge. Sea-level rise plays a marginal role. The 80-year simulation period showed that these combined impacts would cause a loss of more than 16% of groundwater volume

Impianto pilota per estrazione automatica di fibra di ginestra

Dottorato di Ricerca in Igegneria Meccanica, Ciclo XXVII, a.a. 2015-2016La tesi di dottorato che è stata illustrata si colloca nell’ambito dell’ingegneria meccanica e più specificatamente nell’area di robotica e automazione. Lo scopo della tesi è stata la progettazione e realizzazione di un impianto automatizzato per l’estrazione di fibre dalla pianta di ginestra. L’impianto, attualmente allocato nel capannone dell’ex-Dipartimento di Difesa del Suolo Vincenzo Marone dell’Università della Calabria (località S. Antonello di Settimo di Montalto), consente di estrarre fibra di ginestra in maniera efficace. Come si è detto nei capitoli precedenti, le fibre di ginestra possiedono ottime proprietà fisico-chimiche e si prestano a molteplici applicazioni. Inoltre, si noti come in questi ultimi anni ci sia un interesse crescente nella ricerca di materiali di derivazione naturale e a basso impatto ambientale. I settori di utilizzo di questa fibra spaziano dal settore tessile alla bio-edilizia, dalla cosmetica alla medicina, ma anche nel settore automotive, nella depurazione dai metalli pesanti e in molte altre applicazioni industriali. Attualmente l’estrazione di fibre vegetali attraverso trattamenti di tipo chimicofisico o microbiologico è quasi esclusivamente affidato a lavorazioni manuali, ciò rende questa attività costosa e rischiosa per il lavoratore, che molto spesso entra in contatto con sostanze pericolose per la salute. Scopo dell’impianto realizzato è quello di estrarre fibra di ginestra in maniera automatizzata, per ridurre al minimo l’utilizzo di personale, e sopratutto annullare il contatto con sostanze potenzialmente nocive. Per progettare l’impianto, si è partiti dall’analisi della possibile sequenza di operazioni necessarie per estrarre le fibre di cellulosa e le ramificazioni esterne (vermene), che potrebbero essere utilizzate come isolante termico. Si sono divise le diverse operazioni, necessarie per la produzione della fibra, in sei stazioni di lavorazione fisicamente separate. Tutte le scelte effettuate evitano l’utilizzo di materiale monouso. Per questo motivo, quasi tutti i componenti sosono in acciaio inossidabile, anche per la presenza di sostanze corrosive nel ciclo. Per trasferire le piante da una stazione di lavoro all’altra sono state impiegate delle barre, appositamente progettate per velocizzare le operazioni di aggancio-sgancio delle ginestre. In più per ridurre al minimo il costo del lavoro, soltanto nella prima stazione sarà necessario l’intervento di un operatore, mentre tutte le rimanenti saranno automatizzate. Inoltre le sei stazioni sono state posizionate in una linea di montaggio a circuito chiuso, che parte dalla stazione di carico e termina con la stazione di separazione delle piante dalle barre, per riavviare il ciclo immediatamente dopo. La prima stazione è quella adibita al carico delle ginestre sulle barre. Questa è l’unica stazione controllata direttamente dall’operatore, che provvederà ad agganciare le ginestre sulle barre di acciaio inossidabile. Nella seconda stazione le barre porta ginestre vengono calate nella vasca di macerazione, contenente una soluzione al 5% di idrato sodico e tenuta alla temperatura di 80 °C. Le barre, quindi, vengono spostate da un’estremità all’altra della vasca e qui le ginestre macerano per un tempo di circa 20 minuti, arrivando così alla terza stazione. Terminata la fase di macerazione, sarà possibile prelevare la barra porta ginestre dalla vasca ed effettuare una prima spremitura delle ginestre. Si arriva alla quarta stazione che si occupa del lavaggio delle ginestre dalla soluzione di idrato sodico, che viene recuperata, filtrata e reimmessa nella vasca di macerazione. Dopo questa fase si arriva alla quinta stazione, dedicata al distacco delle fibre dalle piante di ginestra, utilizzando getti d’acqua in pressione e spazzole appositamente realizzate. In fine, nella sesta stazione, vengono liberate le piante prive di fibre dalle barre porta ginestre. La barra, oramai libera, verrà impegnata nuovamente nella prima stazione per avviare un nuovo ciclo di carico. Durante la progettazione e la costruzione dell’impianto di tesi, è stato redatto e approvato un brevetto [8], mentre un terzo brevetto, sulle spazzole di estrazione, è in fase di stesura. Nel prossimo futuro verranno ottimizzati i vari processi automatici dell’impianto agendo sul software di controllo e anche su alcuni meccanismi già realizzati, qualora fosse necessario. Ad esempio si potrebbero ridurre il numero di stazioni, unendo la quarta stazione con la quinta per effettuare lavaggio delle ginestre ed estrazione delle fibre in un unico passaggio. Oppure si potrebbero combinare la prima stazione con la sesta stazione per rendere più efficiente la procedura di carico e scarico delle barre porta ginestre. Tutto questo nell’ottica di poter continuamente migliorare l’impianto proposto in questa tesi e renderlo sempre più efficace ed efficiente. Inoltre non è esclusa la possibilità di utilizzare l’impianto anche per l’estrazione di fibra da piante quali canapa, lino, ecc. Terminata l’ottimizzazione dell’impianto pilota si cercherà di realizzare altri impianti in ginestreti già esistenti per effettuare estrazione di fibra in filiera corta e rendere remunerativi terreni altrimenti poco appetibili economicamente.Università della Calabri