Activated-Carbon-Doped Non-Solvent-Induced Phase-Inversion Membranes : A Comprehensive Study on Synthesis, Characterisation, and Performance Evaluation

Acknowledgments: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence to any Author-Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Fabrication and characterization of organic pervaporation membranes to recover ethyl acetate of aqueous solutions

García Ivars, J.; Alcaina Miranda, MI.; Iborra Clar, MI.; Iborra Clar, A. (2012). Fabrication and characterization of organic pervaporation membranes to recover ethyl acetate of aqueous solutions. Procedia Engineering. 44:678-680. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2012.08.527S6786804

Fabrication and performance of low-fouling UF membranes for 2 the treatment of Isolated Soy Protein solutions

[EN] Consumers are becoming more conscious about the need to include functional and nutritional foods in their diet. This has increased the demand for food extracts rich in proteins and peptides with physiological effects that are used within the food and pharmaceutical industries. Among these protein extracts, soy protein and its derivatives are highlighted. Isolated soy protein (ISP) presents a protein content of at least 90%. Wastewaters generated during the production process contain small proteins (8-50 kDa), and it would be desirable to find a recovery treatment for these compounds. Ultrafiltration membranes (UF) are used for the fractionation and concentration of protein solutions. By the appropriate selection of the membrane pore size, larger soy proteins are retained and concentrated while carbohydrates and minerals are mostly recovered in the permeate. The accumulation and concentration of macromolecules in the proximity of the membrane surface generates one of the most important limitations inherent to the membrane technologies. In this work, three UF membranes based on polyethersulfone (PES) were fabricated. In two of them, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was added in their formulation to be used as a fouling prevention. The membrane fouling was evaluated by the study of flux decline models based on Hermia's mechanisms.The Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Spain), through the project 2623 (PAID-05-10), funded this research.Garcia-Castello, EM.; Rodríguez López, AD.; Barredo Damas, S.; Iborra Clar, A.; Pascual-Garrido, J.; Iborra-Clar, MI. (2021). Fabrication and performance of low-fouling UF membranes for 2 the treatment of Isolated Soy Protein solutions. Sustainability. 13(24):1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413682S116132

Autoevaluación y co-evaluación continua del trabajo individual y grupal en una asignatura experimental

[EN] This work is based on the evaluation of fundamental competence "teamwork" in order to get an assessment that reflects the work of each student within their group in an experimental subject. For this, the student participates in both selfassessment and co-assessment. Each evaluation process includes qualitative assessment of the group performance and quantitative assessment of academic work according to their degree of involvement. The performance evaluation group is done through anonymous surveys based on the models of A. García-Carbonell and F. Watts. In them, each student carries out an evaluation of each of its members and himself in two different moments of the semester: initial and final. In the quantitative assessment, students distribute the mark of the academic work according to the evaluation criteria of P. Morales-Vallejo. Simultaneously teachers make an quantitative assessment of the academic work and the effectiveness of teamwork by means an assessment rubric. The aim of these assessment methodologies is to identify students that do not contribute to the effectiveness of the group. So the marks for the academic works will depend on the degree of participation of each student to get a fairer individual assessment in an entirely experimental subject, where the teamwork is essential.[ES] Este trabajo se basa en la evaluación de la competencia básica “trabajo en grupo” con el fin de obtener una evaluación que refleje el trabajo de cada alumno dentro de su grupo en una asignatura experimental. Para ello, el alumno participa en un proceso de evaluación tanto individual (autoevaluación) como del resto de compañeros del grupo (co-evaluación). Cada evaluación contempla la valoración cualitativa del funcionamiento de los miembros del grupo y la valoración cuantitativa del trabajo académico realizado en función del grado de participación. La evaluación del funcionamiento del grupo se realiza a través de encuestas anónimas basándose en los modelos de A. García-Carbonell y F. Watts. En ellas, cada alumno realiza una evaluación de cada uno de sus miembros y de él mismo en dos momentos diferentes del semestre: inicial y final. En la valoración cuantitativa, los alumnos distribuyen la nota obtenida en el trabajo académico según los criterios de P. Morales-Vallejo. Paralelamente los profesores realizan la valoración de los trabajos académicos realizados y la efectividad del trabajo en grupo a través de ‘rúbricas de evaluación’. Con estas metodologías de evaluación se pretende detectar a los alumnos que no contribuyen a la efectividad del grupo, de forma que la nota de los trabajos académicos dependa del grado de participación de cada alumno. En definitiva, obtener una evaluación individual más justa en una asignatura completamente experimental, donde el trabajo en grupo es clave.Bes Piá, MA.; Cuartas Uribe, BE.; Iborra Clar, A.; Iborra Clar, MI.; Garcia-Castello, EM. (2015). Autoevaluación y co-evaluación continua del trabajo individual y grupal en una asignatura experimental. En In-Red 2015 - CONGRESO NACIONAL DE INNOVACIÓN EDUCATIVA Y DE DOCENCIA EN RED. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2015.2015.1604OC

Exploring the extraction of the bioactive content from the two-phase olive mill waste and further purification by ultrafiltration

[EN] The two-phase olive mill waste is enormously produced in the Mediterranean area. This major waste is significantly rich in bioactive compounds that are highly valued by industry, such as phenolic and triterpenic compounds. Here, a thorough study of the most suitable solvent, extraction time and temperature for the largevolume, solid-liquid extraction of bioactive compounds has been made, in order to achieve maximum concentrations of the target compounds. Ultrasound effect has been considered. A deep characterization of the extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-qToF-MS) has contributed to evaluate the effect of the operational parameters on the extraction performance. Forty-four compounds have been found and classified in their corresponding chemical families. At the optimum experimental conditions (EtOH 50% (v/v), 40 degrees C, ultrasound-assisted), more than 6.8 mg/g of bioactive content was recovered, and it was later purified by means of ultrafiltration. The membrane UP005 retained a significant percentage of the organic matter, whereas most of the bioactive compounds were recovered in the permeate. This contributed not only to revalorize this waste, but also to reduce its organic load and phytotoxicity, thus protecting the ecosystem of the final disposal zone of the residue.Funding Grant CTM2017-88645-R, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF A way of making Europe. Additionally, the grant PRE2018-08524 was funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF Investing in your future. Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Politècnica de València.Sánchez-Arévalo, CM.; Iborra Clar, A.; Vincent Vela, MC.; Alvarez Blanco, S. (2022). Exploring the extraction of the bioactive content from the two-phase olive mill waste and further purification by ultrafiltration. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 165:1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2022.11374211216

Biological treatment of hypersaline wastewater from table olive processing: Process performance and protist population under different operating conditions

[EN] Biological treatment of fermentation brines from table olive processing (FTOP) entails many difficulties due to their very high salinity and high COD concentration, which include some phenolic compounds. These extreme conditions limit the biodiversity of the microbial population. Experiments treating FTOP were performed in laboratory sequencing batch reactors (SBR) changing operating conditions during their operation, in order to study the effects on the SBR performance and on the protist population. The statistical study showed that the SBRs with high influent COD, pH and volatile solids and low influent phenol concentration, hydraulic retention time and temperature achieved the highest COD removal efficiencies. These operational conditions also provided the highest ciliate population and the lowest flagellate presence. (C) 2017 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.The authors of this work thank the financial support of CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnologico Industrial) depending on the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. We also gratefully acknowledge Pedro Cuesta (Apoyo a la Docencia y la Investigacion. UCM) for his suggestions and help with the statistical analysis and the use of SPAD v8.0 software.Ferrer-Polonio, E.; Pérez Uz, B.; Mendoza Roca, JA.; Iborra Clar, A.; Pastor Alcañiz, L. (2017). Biological treatment of hypersaline wastewater from table olive processing: Process performance and protist population under different operating conditions. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 56:364-374. doi:10.1016/j.jiec.2017.07.033S3643745

Effect of alternating anaerobic and aerobic phases on the performance of a SBR treating effluents with high salinity and phenols concentration

The biological treatment of hypersaline wastewaters with high COD and phenols concentration requires long hydraulic retention times and much energy for aeration. In this work aeration time reduction in the reaction phase was studied in two sequential batch reactors (SBR) treating fermentation brine from table olive processing wastewater. To study the influence of an anaerobic phase on the SBR performance (for COD and phenolic compound removal efficiencies), different anaerobic/aerobic reaction times were evaluated. SBR-1 was operated with an anaerobic/aerobic hours ratio of 0/22, 8/14 and 14/8 and SBR-2 with a ratio of 22/0, 14/8 and 8/14. Results showed that the maximum organic matter reduction was obtained under aerobic reaction conditions (ratio 0/22) with a 82.3% and 77.9% of COD and total phenols removal, respectively. However, optimal conditions were considered to prevail for an anaerobic/aerobic ratio of 8/14, since the reactors performances were similar with lower energy consumption. Thus, 82.3% and 79.5% of COD and 77.9% and 78.3% of total phenols were removed in SBR-1 and SBR-2, respectively.The authors of this work thank the financial support of CDTI (Centre for Industrial Technological Development) depending on the Spanish Ministry of Science and InnovationFerrer-Polonio, E.; Garcia Quijano, NT.; Mendoza Roca, JA.; Iborra Clar, A.; Pastor Alcañiz, L. (2016). Effect of alternating anaerobic and aerobic phases on the performance of a SBR treating effluents with high salinity and phenols concentration. Biochemical Engineering Journal. 113:57-65. doi:10.1016/j.bej.2016.05.010S576511

Alternatives for the treatment of brines from olives processing: chemical and biological processes

[EN] The treatment of fermentation brine from Spanish style green table olives processing is difficult by to their very nature. These wastewaters are characterized by very high conductivity (77-99 mS/cm), high values of suspended solids (700-1.900 mg/L) and chemical oxygen demand -COD- (13.800-22.000 mg/L). Furthermore, these waters containing phenolic compounds (800-1.300 mg/L). In this work, fermentation brines have been exhaustively characterized, by analysing 20 samples from a packaging plant. Also, have been evaluated the alternatives below for their treatment: pH adjustment with sedimentation, adsorption and biological treatment.[ES] Las salmueras de fermentación procedentes del procesado de las aceitunas de mesa al estilo español (SFA) son difíciles de depurar debido a su naturaleza. Este tipo de aguas residuales se caracteriza por tener elevados valores de conductividad (77-99 mS/cm), sólidos en suspensión (700-1.900 mg/L) y demanda química de oxígeno - DQO- (13.800-22.000 mg/L). Además, contienen compuestos fenólicos (800-1.300 mg/L). En este trabajo se ha llevado a cabo la exhaustiva caracterización de las SFA, analizando 20 muestras procedentes de una planta de envasado. Además, se han evaluado las siguientes alternativas para su tratamiento: ajuste de pH con sedimentación, adsorción y tratamiento biológico.Pastor Alcañiz, L.; Doñate Hernández, S.; Ferrer-Polonio, E.; Mendoza Roca, JA.; Iborra Clar, A. (2014). Alternativa para el tratamiento de salmueras del procesado de la aceitunas: procesos químicos y biológicos. Tecnoaqua. (10):70-76. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/99459S70761

Biological treatment performance of hypersaline wastewaters with high phenols concentration from table olive packaging industry using sequencing batch reactors

Biological treatment of hypersaline wastewaters such as fermentation brine from table olive processing (FTOP), was carried out using four sequential biological reactors (SBRs). These wastewaters were characterized by conductivities higher than 90 mS·cm-1 together with COD and total phenols concentration values of more than 15 g·L-1 and 1000 mg·L-1, respectively. In order to increase the organic removal efficiency and to reduce the hydraulic retention time (HRT), extra nutrients were added and pre-treatment by adsorption was performed. Results showed that the COD/N/P relationship, in the FTOP, of 250/5/1 was appropriate for the biological process reaching COD removal efficiencies of around 80%. The FTOP adsorption pre-treatment with powder activated carbon for the reduction of phenols concentration to 400 mg·L-1 led to a HRT reduction from 40 to 15 days, maintaining the COD and total phenols removal percentages around 78% and 97%, respectively. On the other hand, γ-Proteobacteria was the main bacterial class, representing around 74% of the microbial community in the reactors.The authors of this work thank the financial support of CDTI (Centre for Industrial Technological Development) depending on the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Authors also thank Chiemivall for providing the activated carbons.Ferrer-Polonio, E.; Mendoza Roca, JA.; Iborra Clar, A.; Alonso Molina, JL.; Pastor Alcañiz, L. (2016). Biological treatment performance of hypersaline wastewaters with high phenols concentration from table olive packaging industry using sequencing batch reactors. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 43:44-52. doi:10.1016/j.jiec.2016.07.046S44524

Cambios metodológicos para la adquisición y evaluación de la competencia transversal “Conocimiento de los problemas contemporáneos”

[EN] This article refers to the changes introduced in the methodology of a master’s subject for the acquisition and evaluation of the transversal competence "Knowledge of contemporary problems" (CT-10 of the UPV). The need for introducing changes in the previous methodology arises from the evaluation carried out by the subject lecturers, when detecting that the levels of domain I (identification) and II (analysis) contemplated in the rubric of evaluation were not consolidated at the level of master, corresponding to domain III (proposal of solutions and evaluation). The methodological changes introduced are herewith justified. This work aims to be an example of teaching experience for the acquisition of this key competence. It has been revealed as a significant aspect for the students, the achievement of the best solutions for problems or challenges in any professional field, through the identification, analysis and evaluation of the proposed alternatives.[ES] En este trabajo se explican los cambios metodológicos introducidos, en una asignatura de máster, para la adquisición y evaluación de la competencia transversal “Conocimiento de problemas contemporáneos” (CT-10) de la UPV. La necesidad de realizar cambios en la metodología inical, que se definió en su momento, surge tras la evaluación realizada por el profesorado de la asignatura al detectar que los niveles de dominio I y II, contemplados en la rúbrica de evaluación de dicha competencia, no estaban consolidados a nivel de máster, correspondiente al nivel de dominio III. Los cambios metodológicos introducidos se justifican en cada etapa establecida. El trabajo pretende ser un ejemplo de experiencia docente para la adquisición de una competencia tan fundamental como es el conocimiento y búsqueda de la mejor solución, ante los problemas o retos que puedan surgir en cualquier campo profesional, a través de la identificación, análisis y evaluación de las soluciones propuestas.Bes Piá, MA.; Mendoza Roca, JA.; Iborra Clar, A.; Ferrer Polonio, E.; Zuriaga Agustí, E. (2019). Cambios metodológicos para la adquisición y evaluación de la competencia transversal “Conocimiento de los problemas contemporáneos”. En IN-RED 2019. V Congreso de Innovación Educativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1410-1420. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2019.2019.10347OCS1410142