Anodic growth of nanoporous tin oxide layers in acidic electrolytes

The aim of this work was to synthesize SnO2 nanostructures with various morphologies by simple anodic oxidation (anodization) of metallic tin in acidic electrolytes. A series of Sn foil anodizations was performed in different electrolytes (oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid) with various concentrations. It was confirmed that anodic oxidation of tin in the oxalic acid results in the formation of nanoporous oxide layers with completely open pores on the surface of the electrode. On the other hand, when citric acid or tartaric acid were used as an electrolyte, porous oxide with a compact layer on the surface was formed during electrolysis

Rapid Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Risk for Fecally Contaminated River Water

This is the final version. Available on open access from the American Chemical Society via the DOI in this recordData availability: All software and data used within this study are available free of charge at https://github.com/JamieLab/CoV2-wastewaterFollowing the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), airborne water droplets have been identified as the main transmission route. Identifying and breaking all viable transmission routes are critical to stop future outbreaks, and the potential of transmission by water has been highlighted. By modifying established approaches, we provide a method for the rapid assessment of the risk of transmission posed by fecally contaminated river water and give example results for 39 countries. The country relative risk of transmission posed by fecally contaminated river water is related to the environment and the populations’ infection rate and water usage. On the basis of in vitro data and using temperature as the primary controller of survival, we then demonstrate how viral loads likely decrease after a spill. These methods using readily available data suggest that sewage spills into rivers within countries with high infection rates could provide infectious doses of >40 copies per 100 mL of water. The approach, implemented in the supplementary spreadsheet, can provide a fast estimate of the upper and lower viral load ranges following a riverine spill. The results enable evidence-based research recommendations for wastewater epidemiology and could be used to evaluate the significance of fecal–oral transmission within freshwater systems.European Union Horizon 2020Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

Multi-Sensor System for Remote Environmental (Air and Water) Quality Monitoring

In this paper realization of the low-power, portable, low-cost multi-sensor system for air and water quality monitoring is described. Developed system is battery-powered with solar panel-based charger unit, and it is intended for use in remote environmental monitoring by collecting information about air temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH), presence of volatile organic compounds (VOC) as well as water temperature and pH level. The hardware of the system is based on the ATmega128 microcontroller which acquires the sensors data and coordinates the work of all peripherals. To establish full standalone operation, peripherals such a TFT color LCD display, embedded keypad and SD card for data storage are included. Air quality parameters are collected with SHT11 (T and RH) and MQ-135 (VOC) sensors, while water temperature is monitored with encapsulated LM35 sensor. For pH level monitoring, TiO2-based thick film pH resistive sensor was fabricated and characterized. The pH sensor readout electronics, based on the integrated circuit AD5933, is designed in such way to ensure reliable in-situ measurements. Discussion of the applications of the proposed system in the more complex, a cloud-based, system for air and water quality monitoring in real-time, with the IBM Watson IoT platform is given as well

Technology of thick-film electroluminescent animated advertising

Because of the undeniable advantages of powder electroluminescent light sources the authors have designed and tested an animated thick film electroluminescent advertising panel. The paper describes the design steps and phases of the technological process. Finally, the brightness characteristics and influence of color translucent inks covering the segments are presented. The expected life time of the electroluminescent structure under normal exploitation conditions is evaluated

TiO2-Based Thick Film pH Sensor

Miniaturized electrochemical pH sensors are increasingly in demand for applications such as online monitoring of water quality and health monitoring. The metal oxides are the best candidates for sensing electrodes of such sensors as they offer high chemical stability. In this paper, we present a novel approach to obtain interdigitated conductimetric pH sensor using screen printing of TiO 2 thick film on an alumina substrate. The microstructural and crystalline properties of the TiO 2 sensitive film were examined with scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The impedance spectroscopic studies of the fabricated thick film sensor were carried out in the frequency range of 5-20 kHz for the test solutions in the pH range of 4-10 and it was observed that the impedance of the film is distinctly dependent on pH. Using the measured impedance data, we have also proposed an equivalent RC network model for the fabricated pH sensor. The physical meaning of the model parameters was determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopic analysis, and through statistical analysis it was found that all parameters are distinctly pH-dependent

Automatic station for oil spill detection

Artykuł przedstawia zagadnienia badawcze, które należało podjąć, aby zrealizować prototyp autonomicznej stacji, będącej elementem systemu wykrywania skażeń wody produktami ropopochodnymi. Stacja ma postać pływającej platformy i przeznaczona jest do stosowania na akwenach lądowych (rzeki, jeziora). Podstawowym wymogiem konstrukcyjnym jest autonomiczność oraz bezobsługowość urządzenia. Omówiono zastosowane rozwiązania konstrukcyjne w aspekcie konstrukcji mechanicznej, systemu zasilania oraz metody wykrywania zanieczyszczeń ropopochodnych.This paper describes a research problem which should be undertaken to create a prototype structure and practical implementation of an autonomous floating station destined for an automatic oil spill detection system. The device has the form of a floating platform, applicable for use on inland waters (lakes, rivers). The main requirement for such a device is that it should be autonomous and not require maintenance. The paper describes in detail the solutions applied, in particular with respect to the mechanical construction, photovoltaic power supply system and method of oil spill detection