The application of the solar photocatalysis for the degradation of residual pollutants found in surface water was demonstrated. Semi-pilot scale flat-plate cascade reactor (FPCR) was used to study ...the degradation of model organic pollutants: enrofloxacin (ENRO), 17β-estradiol (E2) and 1H-benzotriazole (1H-BT) over TiO2 thin-film supported on glass fibers. A modular panel with full-spectra solar lamps with appropriate UVB and UVA irradiation levels was used as a simulation of sunlight. Pollutant degradation in FPCR was estimated using predictive models; intrinsic reaction rate constants (ki) for ENRO, E2 and 1H-BT independent of the reactor size, flow rate and irradiation conditions were determined: 9.60, 3.35 and 0.37 109 s−1 W−0.5 m1.5, respectively. Main degradation products (DPs), formed upon hydroxylation, ring opening and oxidation, were identified using LC-QTOF-MS. The ecotoxicological impact was assessed via T.E.S.T. and ECOSAR open-source tools showing the formation of less harmful DPs after sufficient reaction time. Pollutant degradation was simulated at four locations of interest, i.e. exhausts from urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs) in Zagreb, Croatia (45°N), Krakow, Poland (50°N), Sevilla, Spain (37°N) and Ioannina, Greece (39.6°N). Results have proved that a simple flat-plate system with supported photocatalysts can be easily scaled up and incorporated at the outlet of UWWTP for the reduction of pollutant load and related toxicity. The exhaust canal in Zagreb with the estimated length of a photocatalytic layer of 122 m for the > 90% degradation of all target pollutants was discussed as the best installation site among studied locations.
A multi-disciplinary approach to the tentative application of TiO2 solar photocatalysis outdoors to reduce pollutant loads and toxicity in surface waters was demonstrated. Possible application at four selected locations in Europe, as an additional step in water treatment after urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs) was discussed. Target pollutants were studied under environmentally relevant conditions (sunlight levels, water matrix, simulation of process on a real scale at selected geographical location), at both higher and low concentrations.
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•Simulation of solar photocatalysis at different geographical location was done.•Targeted pollutants were rapidly degraded over TiO2 immobilized on glass fibers.•Intrinsic reaction rate constants independent of solar irradiation were determined.•Main degradation products of targeted pollutants were identified using LC-QTOF-MS.•In silico toxicity was assessed for photolysis and photocatalysis under sunlight.
The work is focused on the assessment of possible methods for intensification of photocatalytic degradation of common water borne pollutants. Solar photocatalysis poses certain limitations for large ...scale application with several possible reactor designs which have shown an optimal performance. In the current study, a comparison between two types of pilot scale reactors was made: a flat-plate cascade reactor (FPCR) and tubular reactor with a compound parabolic collector (CPC). Apart from the reactor design, another aspect of possible intensification was a photocatalyst formulation. The efficiency of photocatalytic films that consisted of pure TiO2 nanoparticles was compared to the efficiency of films that consisted of TiO2/CNT composites. Intensification assessment was performed via detailed kinetic modelling, combining the optical properties of films, irradiation conditions and reactor mass balance. Intensification was expressed via intensification indices. Results showed the advantage of the CPC-based reactor design and an unbiased effect of sensitizing agent (CNT) in the photocatalytic film formulation.
We report on the first successful treatment of severe pharmacoresistant vasoplegic syndrome with angiotensin II acetate (ATII) in Croatia. ATII is a novel drug used to treat severe vasoplegic shock ...resistant to the administration of catecholamines or alternative vasopressors such as vasopressin or methylene blue. A 44-year-old patient with secondary toxic cardiomyopathy developed severe cardiopulmonary bypass-induced vasoplegic shock after scheduled implantation of a left-ventricular assist device. The cardiac output was maintained, but systemic vascular resistance (SVR) was extremely low. The patient had an inadequate reaction to the administration of high doses of norepinephrine (up to 0.7 µg/kg/min) and vasopressin (0.03 IU/min). At postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) admission, serum renin levels were unmeasurably high (>330 ng/L), and infusion of ATII 20 ng/kg/min was initiated. Soon after the start of the infusion, blood pressure increased. Vasopressin infusion was stopped, while the norepinephrine dose was decreased from 0.7 to 0.15 µg/kg/min. Serum lactate, mixed venous saturation, and glomerular filtration rate markedly improved. The patient was extubated 16 h after the ICU admission. Twenty-four hours after the start of the ATII infusion, serum renin dropped to 255 ng/L, and laboratory findings further improved. On postoperative day 3, the norepinephrine infusion was stopped. On day 6, renin further dropped to 136 ng/L, and the patient was hemodynamically stable and discharged from the ICU. In conclusion, ATII favorably affected the patient’s vascular tone, enabling rapid hemodynamic stabilization and shortening the ICU and hospital stay.
Severe COVID-19 pneumonia in which mechanical ventilation is unable to achieve adequate gas exchange can be treated with veno-venous ECMO, eliminating the need for aggressive mechanical ventilation ...which might promote ventilator-induced lung injury and increase mortality. In this retrospective observational study, 18 critically ill COVID-19 patients who were treated using V-V ECMO during an 11-month period in a tertiary COVID-19 hospital were analyzed. Biomarkers of inflammation and clinical features were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Survival rates were compared between patients receiving ECMO and propensity matched mechanically ventilated controls. There were 7 survivors and 11 non-survivors. The survivors were significantly younger, with a higher proportion of females, higher serum procalcitonin at ICU admission, and before initiation of ECMO they had significantly lower Murray scores, PaCO
, WBC counts, serum ferritin levels, and higher glomerular filtration rates. No significant difference in mortality was found between patients treated with ECMO compared to patients treated using conventional lung protective ventilation. Hypercapnia, leukocytosis, reduced glomerular filtration rate, and increased serum ferritin levels prior to initiation of V-V ECMO in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia may be early warning signs of reduced chance of survival. Further multicentric studies are needed to confirm these findings.
The utilization of valuable properties of waste and their reuse as raw materials is an imperative of the circular economy. Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is a significant source of ...valuable raw materials, certain metals, and rare earth elements that are the basis for highly sophisticated IT equipment production. It is estimated that the production of WEEE in Europe in 2019 was 16.20 kg/inhabitant, while quantities continue to grow at a rate of 3–4% per year. Waste liquid crystal displays used in televisions, laptops, desktops, and other devices represent a significant share of WEEE and contain 0.12–0.14% of liquid crystals whose main ingredient is indium—tin oxide. In order to investigate and determine the methods and conditions of indium recycling from waste LCDs, laboratory research was conducted. The influence of temperature, particle size, and retention time in different media with and without ultrasound treatment was monitored to provide the efficiency of indium leaching. The analysis of the results showed that 98% indium leaching was achieved with granulation samples of 10 × 10 mm at a temperature 40 °C/40 min in solution H2O:HCl: HNO3 = 6:2:1 under ultrasound conditions, while aqueous and alkaline media under the same conditions did not show significant efficiency. This study can be used as a practical reference for the recycling of indium from LCD panels.
One of most common types of municipal solid waste treatment is mechanical-biological treatment (MBT), which in practice has many variations depending on the method of conducting the technological ...process and it is possible to get different output fractions. In this paper is analysed waste generated after the MBT with biodrying, where waste after mechanical treatment undergoes process of biodrying, and then is RDF (recovery derived fuel) separated. Fine fraction remains with a high content of organic matter that without additional processing cannot be disposed of on a landfill.
The aim of this research was to determine the possibility of fine fraction composting in different conditions – in the open, in the open and covered area, and indoors. In each area are formed three compost piles: 100% fine fraction (KH1, KH4, and KH7), 70% fine fraction and 30% wood chips (KH2, KH5, and KH8), 50% fine fraction and 50% wood chips (KH3, KH6, and KH9). Moisture content, temperature and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were monitored.
Results show that after 13 weeks samples KH1, KH4, and KH7 (100% content of fine fractions) did not achieve DOC value less than 3 000 mg/l. The most effective composting in terms of reducing the DOC is achieved in samples KH3, KH6, KH9.
Based on results obtained, it can be concluded that by adding wood chips in fine fraction in ratio 50:50, the most effective and fastest reduction of organic matter is achieved in the analysed samples.
Cilj: Kroz povijest su korišteni različite metode procjena odogovora na ekspanziju intravaskularnog volumena: statički parametri, dinamički parametri te parametri provocirani manevrima kao što su ...porast porast središnjeg venskog tlaka (CVP) uzrokovan povećanjem pozitivnog tlaka na kraju ekspirija (PEEP) ili porast indeksa udarnog volumena srca (SVI) uzrokovan pasivnim odizanjem nogu (PLR). Cilj ovog istraživanja je procijeniti da li je porast CVP uzrokovan povećanjem PEEP pouzdan prediktor odgovora na nadoknadu volumena nakon velikih abdominalno kirurških zahvata. Metode: 50 sediranih i miorelaksiranih mehanički ventiliranih bolesnika primljenih u jedinicu intenzivne medicine nakon elektivnog abdominalno kirurškog zahvata izmjeren je srednji arterijski tlak (MAP), frekvencija srca (HR), CVP, SVI i varijacija pulsnog tlaka (PPV) u 5 vremenskih intervala: početni, nakon 3 minute povećanja PEEP sa 5 na 15 mbar, nakon spuštanja PEEP na 5 mbar, nakon 3 minute PLR i nakon povratka nogu u vodoravan položaj. Porast SVI ≥ 7% smatra se pozitivnim odgovorom na volumnu ekspanziju, a osjetljivost i specifičnost parametara procijenjena je ROC krivuljama. Rezultati: Volumno responzivni bolesnici imali su niži početni CVP i SVI i viši PPV. Obje skupine imale su statistički značajan pad SVI i MAP nakon povećanja PEEP, sa porastom PPV i CVP. Tijekom PLR obje skupine imale su značajan porast MAP i CVP i pad PPV, ali samo responzivni pacijenti imali su značajan porast SVI i indeksa srca (CI). Nakon provedene analize ROC krivulja Samo PPV pri 5 mbar PEEP (AUC=0.88), PPV na 15 mbar PEEP (AUC=0.83) i PLR uzrokovan pad HR (AUC=0.83) mogu se smatrati pouzdanim u kliničkoj praksi. Zaključci: Hemodinamske promjene uzrokovane porastom PEEP ne mogu se smatrati pouzdanima u procjeni volumnog statusa bolesnika u odnosu na PPV ili PLR induciran pad frekvencije srca. Daljna istraživanja potrebna su na nestabilnim bolesnicima ili bolesnicima sa ARDS.
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