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The durability and safe operation of electrical equipment and devices with mixed insulation systems (solid/fluid - electro-insulating paper/oil) is determined by the insulation aging under simultaneous and synergic actions of electrical, thermal and chemical stress factors etc. In this context, degradations of insulating paper exposed to thermal aging in 5 different types of electro-insulating fluid have been studied experimentally. Liquid chromatography determinations have shown that the total content in furan products (resulting from cellulose degradation) in mineral oils is substantially higher than in electro-insulating fluid sorts based on of synthetic ester and/or natural ester (vegetable oil). This is due to the temperature between 90 oC and 130 oC when the activation energy of the furans formation process is up to 7.5 times lower in mineral oils than in ester-based oils. Degree determinations of cellulose polymerization (viscosimetric method) before and after exposure to heat treatment indicated that mineral oils degrade the electro-insulating paper much more strongly than ester-based oils (both synthetic and natural). Obtained results by liquid chromatography and by viscosity are in accordance with the images obtained by optical microscopy (at X 100).

In this work, diatomite particles were modified to improve the bondability of diatomite particles with pulp fibers and filler retention via a complex of cationic starch-sodium hexametaphosphate coating method. The particle size, FTIR spectroscopy characteristic and morphology of the resulting modified diatomite were studied to confirm the successful modification. The SEM results illustrated that the surface of modified diatomite particles was covered by the complex coatings. The coating efficiency of the complex of cationic starch-sodium hexametaphosphate on diatomite surface was up to 98%. Compared with the handsheet filled unmodified diatomite, the handsheet filled with modified diatomite had higher strength properties and lower bulk. When cationic starch dosage was 7%, and filler dosage was 25% , the resulting tensile strength of filled modified diatomite handsheet was 22.1% higher than the handsheet filled unmodified diatomite. Furthermore, with the filler loading of 30%, compared with that of unmodified diatomite, filler retention of modified diatomite was increased by 20.4%. The larger particle size and higher zeta potential of modified diatomite were benefitial to increase retention of modified diatomite filler.

In order to evaluate the possibility of reuse of some mixed waste from plastic and paper, composite samples of both HDPE and PP basis were made with different filler contents of crushed postage envelope waste. From the morphostructural characterization (SEM images) of the samples obtained it was observed that the HDPE and PP samples had had a homogeneous single-phase structure in contrast to the composite samples with filler from mixed plastic and paper waste. The latter, have a biphasic heterogeneous structure in which the cellulose particles are uniformly distributed. Determinations performed through the dielectric spectroscopy technique indicated that the cellulose content of the composite samples leads to a systematic increase of the dielectric losses (up to about 40% for the HDPE samples, respectively about 30% for the samples with PP), the increases being in direct correlation with the cellulose content of the composite.Mechanical determinations have shown that the average values of tensile strength recorded on the achieved samples, systematically decrease at the increase in the chips content of the samples - decreases up to 10% at an addition up to 15% chips from the waste are explained by the substantially lower mechanical strength of waste paper than that of the HDPE, respective PP.

The paper addresses the usage of the intrinsic security features which is a challenge for lowering the document protection costs. Three types of papers were investigated using ESEM-EDS and ED(P)-XRFS in order to identify and characterize overt and covert intrinsic items. The paper shows that some of the intrinsic morphological features of document paper can be successfully used as taggants. The chemical compositions can be used as internal marks for forensic authentication of the ballpoint pen imprints. Two new ways are proposed for enhancing the document safety protection: the usage of the fractal dimension of the paper pattern and the intentional admixture into paper mass of cheaper substances as taggants in conjunction with SEM and XRF techniques.

The behaviour of copper and insulation paper in various electrical insulating fluids (transformer oils) exposed to thermal ageing at 110�30C for 1000 hours in closed vessels (without access to atmospheric oxygen) has been studied. The processing of the comparative experimental data revealed in all cases that the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the investigated oils decreases exponentially during the heat treatment. In the presence of the copper foil, the oxygen is almost depleted (the dissolved oxygen concentration is approaching zero), indicating a higher affinity of the copper to oxygen than the affinity to oxygen of the investigated oils. In the presence of the copper foil and / or of the insulation paper, the degradation processes of the mineral oils have a pronounced character, explained by the catalytic activity of the Cu2O film that has been formed and by the paper degradation, respectively. A high thermo-oxidative stability was noticed in the case of natural triglyceride oils, particularly for the synthetic ester-based oil.

The behaviour of some insulating fluids in contact with copper foil and / or insulation paper under thermal stress (110�30C for 1000 hours), in a closed system (the access of atmospheric oxygen being limited), has been studied by determining the changes in viscosity and concentration of CO2 and CO. The experimental data revealed that, following the applied heat treatment, the change in viscosity of the esters-based insulating fluids (both synthetic and vegetable) is approximately 7 times lower than in the case of the investigated mineral oils. It has also been found that, following the thermal ageing, the gas content of the mineral oils is substantially higher than in the esters-based oils (8 times higher for CO2 and 4 times higher for CO, respectively). The experimental results indicate superior values for the thermal stability and compatibility with the insulation paper of ester-based insulating fluids.

Caseinase is involved in the breakdown of milk protein casein and converts casein into smaller simple sugars which can be easily utilized by the body for the production of ATP and Fat. Casein can be an instant energy source to the body and involves in muscle building. Caseinase enzyme can be extensively used at the industrial scale for Milk, Textile, Dairy, Paper industry and several other medical purposes. In view of the importance of caseinase, the current research deals with the isolation and identification of caseinase producing bacteria from soil. This is followed by the production of enzyme and its purification. The study also includes its kinetic characterization using the parameters Temperature, pH as well as Carbon and Nitrogen Sources. The organism which was isolated from soil and capable of producing the caseinase enzyme was identified to be Bacillus subtilis based on the Biochemical tests and 16S rRNA sequencing result. The optimal carbon and nitrogen sources were identified to be Glucose and casein respectively. Regarding the optimal conditions, the suitable temperature for maximum enzyme production was found to be 40 0C and pH was 9. When the organism was cultured under the optimal condition using casein as a nitrogen source and glucose as the carbon source, at 40 0C and pH 9, 1590 ng/mL of enzyme production was estimated.

With the depletion of the world�Ls petroleum supply, there has been an increasing worldwide interest in alternative, non-petroleum based sources of energy. Ethanol derived from biomass has the potential to be renewable transportation fuel that can replace gasoline. Moreover bioethanol can play an important role in reducing green-house gas emission. Ethanol use will increase because of its biodegradable, renewable and performance qualities. It is a high performance fuel in internal combustion engines and burns relatively cleanly, especially as the amount of gasoline with which it is blended decreases. The largest potential feedstock for ethanol includes materials such as agricultural residues, forest residues, wood, grass, waste paper and municipal wastes. In the present work, potatoes were used as example of starch-based biomass. Different variables were studied for their effect on the percent of bioethanol produced as a result to saccharification and fermentation of the raw material, which included: quantity of enzyme (��-amylase and/or Aspergillus niger (AN), addition of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC)), temperature during fermentation, separate saccharification and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). The maximum percent of alcohol was 56% (b.w.) at 40��C when 3g of ��-amylase and 8g of yeast were added using SSF strategy. A comparison between obtained results and published data and strategies were presented.

The formacell process produces black liquor that damages the environment. Previous research has shown that black liquor can be used as a cooking solution for pulping. The pulping process using formacell waste on oil palm empty bunches produces a dark color; therefore, it requires a bleaching process. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the type of cooking solution (fresh pulping solution and leachate residual from pulping) and bleaching time (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 h) on pulp yield, cellulose content, permanganate number, and score on whiteness degree. The bleaching process used 35% peracetic acid and was conducted at 80�C. The best results were obtained at a bleaching time of 2 h, which resulted in yields of 76.1%�81.2%, cellulose contents of 53%�62.5%, permanganate numbers of 6.3�7.4, and scores of color of 3.78 (yellowish white) to 4.7 (white).

The objective of the present paper was to investigate the effects of sewage sludge application on metals (Cu, Mn, Zn, Cd, Co, Pb) accumulation in oat (Avena sativa L.) grains, Somesan variety. It were used various doses of sewage sludge corresponding to equivalent doses of 0-600 kg N/ha associated or not with NPK mineral fertilization. The results evidenced that copper and zinc levels in oat grains increased significant with sewage sludge fertilization starting with a dose equivalent with 200 kg N/ha. Mineral fertilization led to significant decrease of copper content in comparison with sewage sludge treatments only. For manganese, fertilization with sewage sludge has produced a significant decrease, this trend being accentuated up to the equivalent dose of 300 kg N/ha. For cadmium, application of sewage sludge in an equivalent dose of 200 kg N/ha led to concentrations in oat grains higher than 1 mg Cd/kg (imposed limit for grains used for animal feed). This behavior is a consequence of high cadmium content of sewage sludge (of 7.2 times over maximum admitted limit). Cobalt contents of oat grains increased with sewage sludge doses, but the levels are between normal values and concordant with literature data. Application of sewage sludge in an equivalent doses of 500 and 600 kg N/ha generated a significant increase of lead content in oat grains, average values being 1.87 and 2.17 mg Pb/kg, respectively.

Biodiesel plays an important role in reducing the dependency of petroleum fuels and reduce environmental pollution. Biodiesel has attracted attention as a renewable, non-toxic, and biodegradable fuel. In the past years, researchers have expanded their work to new methods of obtaining biodiesel. In this work, biodiesel production using soybean oil from the industry is described. Biodiesel was further analyzed and compared with the EN biodiesel specifications. The characterization of biodiesel was performed in order to obtain density, viscosity and flash point. Moreover, the study was focused in optimized the biodiesel yield, obtain from soybean oil using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). The variable parameters were molar ratio between methanol and oil, reaction temperature and catalyst quantity. The paper concludes that the ANN can be successfully used to optimize the biodiesel yield.

The main environmental problems comprise two main directions: air and water. Water treatment plant is a critical infrastructure, especially in large cities. The activated sludge process is a typical example of highly nonlinear system. The associated models found in literature are mainly analytical and complex. In this paper there are proposed data-driven models obtained from plant operation data. A factor reduction procedure, namely principal component analysis is used to find meaningful correlations between process measurements. The selected correlations are obtained via simple and multiple regression algorithm. The resulted models are specific to the studied plant, simpler than the analytical ones, and with sufficient accuracy if used in plant monitoring and operation. The proposed procedure of using data-driven models for inferential measuring decreases the analysis costs (even eliminating the necessity of measuring equipment). If the experience in operating the plant is used to predict parameter trends this procedure can provide a useful tool for developing a decision support system for the plant operator. A real time prediction module associated with a warning system can be applied for every active sludge process, having as condition the availability of plant operating data.

The purpose of the paper and related research is to identify a quality parameter most closely correlated with the wheat baking potential and to be an efficient criterion for qualitative selection and homogenization of the cereal lots. In this respect, 772 samples of wheat from the 2005-2016harvests were analyzed in terms of physical and chemical quality parameters, namely: Hectolitre mass (HM, Kg/hl), Moisture (M, %), Protein content(PC, %), Wet Gluten (WG, %), FallingNumber (FN, s), Gluten Deformation Index (GDI, mm) and Gluten Index (GI), the latter two being given special attention. Following the milling of the wheat on pilot mill, alveographic parameters were determined on 419 samples,namely: Resistance (P, mm), Extensibility (L, mm), alveographic Mechanical work (W, 10E-4 J/g) and P/L ratio. Also, for 35 samples, baking tests were performed in order to evaluate the bread volume (ml/100 g). The results showed that the Gluten Index parameter alone is not a predictive criterion for wheatquality.Nevertheless, rated as WetGluten remaining on the Sieve (WGS)at centrifugation, itmay become the most strongly correlatedparameter with the wheat baking potential and as such capable of being an effective criterion for theselection and qualitative homogenization of the cereal lots. Thus, the results showed that WGS established higher correlation coefficients with alveographic Mechanical Work (r=0.731***, p [ 0.001) and volume of bread (r=0.712***, p [ 0,001), compared to the Gluten Index parameter (r=0.262***, p [ 0.001, respectively 0.292 ns).

Due to the continuous decrease in the level of oil resource, nowadays researchers from all fields are concerned with the creation of new bio plastics with special properties. The present work presents a series of such properties, which become achievable when reinforcing organic fibre materials obtained by reactive extrusion of thermoplastic Polyurethan (TPU) with Polylactid-Acid (PLA) in a twin-screw extruder and covalently linked into PLA-TPU-Blends, through the innovative one-step process technology, using the IMC Krauss Maffei injection moulding compounder, at the IKT University of Stuttgart. The elongation at break of PLA-TPU-Blends and the impact strength could be increased without significant reduction of strength and stiffness. A balanced relation between improved impact strength and reduced stiffness can be achieved by varying of the blend components. By using the partially biobased Polyurethane and natural fibres, a biobased content of more than 90% could be achieved. More and more advanced technologies allow the manufacture of components with reinforcements made of glass fibres, natural or carbon fibres obtained from polypropylene or Lignin. Due to their low specific weight compared to glass, carbon fibres are preferred for lightweight structures in the automotive or aeronautics industries. Green Carbon fibres, made in innovative ways from acrylonitrile resulting in the production of Bio-Diesel from algae, can successfully replace the conventional carbon fibres of Polypropylene, having identical properties. Fibre reinforcement aims to improve mechanical strength and impact resistance and increases the dimensional stability under heat of the composite. This feasibility study shows a method to realize fibre-reinforced materials using Green Carbon fibres with remarkable stability and rigidity similar or better than aluminum and steel for lightweight constructions.

In the present work, electrocoagulation and adsorption were applied as environmentally friendly methods to treat produced water (PW) obtained from East Baghdad oil field. Electrocoagulation was applied using iron-iron and aluminum-aluminum electrodes while modified silica was used as adsorbent material to remove total dissolved solids (TDS) and reduce electrical conductivity (EC) of produced water. XRD, SEM and AFM were used to characterize the modified silica. The experiments were achieved using different adsorbent doses (0.2 and 0.4 mg/L) and contact times (30-180 min) at room temperature. The results showed that the electrocoagulation failed to treat the produced water. The surface roughness of modified silica had a significant role in adsorbing TDS. The lowest values of TDS and EC were 513 mg/L and 781 μS/cm, respectively, obtained using adsorbent dose of 0.4 mg/L modified silica at a contact time of 180 min. These results were within the permissible limit according to the specifications of the WHO to provide the possibility of reuse of produced water when re-injected into oil wells.

Anaerobic digestion of organic matter with high moisture content has proven to be a suitable method for disposal of wet organic residuals with several advantages compared to other treatment technologies. This paper aimed at evaluating the theoretical and experimental biomethane potential of food processing residuals that are responsible for negative environmental impact, with exemplification for the potato processing waste. The biomethane potential is a useful parameter to assess the economic efficiency of anaerobic digestion processes as it can considerably influence the efficiency and the economic feasibility of the energy recovery technologies. Both experimental and theoretical biomethane potentials of potato waste in mesophilic anaerobic digestion as well as biodegradability of the substrate were estimated. Moreover, effects of microalgal extract addition on the digestion of potato waste were examined in an attempt to stimulate the anaerobic digestion. Cone model and a modified Gompertz model were used to predict the dynamics of biomethane production.

Exploitation system of laying hens is a very important exogenous factor which influences both their morph-productive performances and also the qualitative characteristics of the obtained eggs. In the last period of time the emphasis is increasingly high on egg production obtained from hens which were reared in alternative systems. But the opinions are quite diverse regarding the quality of eggs obtained through such systems. Having in view the multitude of opinions and especially the demands of consumers for eggs obtained in free range system, by the current paper we aimed to analyse from qualitative point of view the eggs obtained in such conditions. So, were analysed 100 eggs gathered from Lohmann Brown hens, distributed as follows: 50 eggs were gathered from hens exploited in free range system - batch LE and 50 eggs provided from hens reared in EU approved batteries - batch LC. Eggs were chemically analysed, through basic chemical analysis (were determined dry matter, water, organic substances, proteins, lipids, non-nitrogenous extractive substances and minerals) and physically by evaluation of mass, thickness of mineral shell, breaking up resistance and colouring level of yolk. At the end of research we noticed that eggs obtained in free range system had superior values for the majority of analysed parameters face to the eggs obtained in conventional system. However, the differences were very low, statistically insignificant, which means that also in conventional system could be obtained eggs with a very good quality. The sole parameter were differences were notable was yolk pigmentation, an indicator appreciated by the great majority of consumers.

This paper presents the impact on the atmospheric environment of organic solvents used in pharmaceutical industry, investigated by FTIR gas analysis. The experimental data emphasized that this technique represents a fast and efficient method of analysis for gaseous emissions from studied solvents (ethanol, methanol, acetic acid). The study of the spectra samples indicates a good capability of the method to detect gases in indoor air from different concentrations and volumes of solvents in mixed solutions up to units of ppm and hundreds of micro liters. The results emphasized a good correlation between the concentrations of the solvents in the gaseous phase from the environment and the concentration of the solvent from the analyzed solutions. Moreover, the study shows the persistence in time of the air pollution in the technological areas of pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

In this paper, the influence of enzymatic pretreatment on the microwave assisted extraction (MAE) of polyphenols from artichoke leaves is described. Prior to enzymatic pretreatment, the influence of different parameters (extraction time, stirring rate, and extraction temperature) on the extraction process was studied. The total phenolic content (TPC) increases with the stirring rate. To avoid degradation of polyphenols, the extraction time and temperature should not be too high. The antioxidant capacity is in concordance with the TPC results. The enzymatic pretreatment, for the best extraction conditions, enhances the concentration of polyphenols compared with the extracts obtained without pretreatment.

A consecutive optimization based on statistical approach was applied for a-glucosidase production by both wild and mutant T. dupontii. Plackett Burman design (PBD) with two levels was employed in order to screen the significant effect of different nutritional and physical parameters through submerged fermentation. Among all nine variables tested in PBD, incubation time, inoculum size and ammonium sulphate concentration were selected. The Box-Behnken approach was further applied for process optimization. The a-glucosidase production for both wild and mutant T.dupontii was obtained at 72 h of incubation, 1.25 mL inoculum size and 0.25% ammonium sulphate concentration with relatively 95% correlation between the experimentally predicted and observed values. The duration of maximum enzyme production in RSM was cost-saving and fast. The quadratic model was in satisfactory adjustment with the experimental data with high R2 value which describes 98.90% of response variability of the model. Moreover, the novel approach of this present work is that, consecutive optimization were applied for maximum a-glucosidase production using response surface methodology by both wild and mutant thermophillic T. dupontii. Results revealed that thermophillic mutant T. dupontii could be potential candidate for industrial applications.

In this study, the SO42-/TiO2-La2O3-Fe2O3 catalyst was prepared and tested in the conversion of fructose to ethyl levulinate . The catalyst was characterized from the point of view of the textural analysis, FT-IR analysis, acid strength distribution, X-ray powder diffraction and pyridine adsorption IR spectra. The influence of the reaction parameters on the ethyl levulinate yield was study. The maximum yield of 37.95% in levulinate esters was obtained at 180 �C, 2 g catalyst and 4 h reaction time. The effect of ethyl levulinate addition to diesel-biodiesel blend in different rates, i.e, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 (w.t %) on density, kinematic viscosity and flash point was evaluated and compared with the European specification.

This study investigates the effect of pollutant initial concentration on the sequential biosorptive removal of Reactive blue 19 dye and Pb(II) ions on rapeseed waste. The initial concentrations of both organic and inorganic pollutants positively influence the sequential biosorption of the dye and metal ion under study on rapeseed meal waste. The most significant increase was found in the removal of Reactive blue 19 dye by using rapeseed previously loaded with lead ions. In this case, the increase of the initial concentration from 15 mg/L to 100 mg/L results in an increase of the biosorption capacity of almost 6.8 times. Taking into account the frequent quantification of the wastewater treatment efficiency through the biosorption capacity generated from equilibrium studies, the obtained experimental data have been modelled by using five two-parameters (Langmuir, Freundlich, Halsey, Temkin and Harkins-Jura) and five three-parameters (Sips, Redlich-Peterson, Toth, modified BET and Hill) nonlinear isotherms. Linearized forms of Langmuir and Freundlich were also discussed. The optimal description for the sequential biosorption of the reactive dye is provided by the Hill and Langmuir isotherms, whereas the retention of lead on rapeseed waste is provided by the Freundlich isotherm.

Microextraction in solid phase from headspace and GC-MS analysis was the method of studying the flowers of Hypericum perforatum in fresh and dry form.The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation was also analyzed by GC-MS. Identification of the substances was made by comparison of mass spectra with NIST library and standard alkanes were used for the calculation of the linear retention index. The identified compounds were grouped into classes of substances: monoterpene hydrocarbons, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes, oxygenated sesquiterpenes, non-terpene hydrocarbons. The main common constituents were as follows: caryophyllene, β-ocimene, α-pinene, β-pinene, octane-2-methyl. The abundance of the majority compounds, common to the three forms of the plant: essential oil,fresh, and dried plants, was compared.

Wastewater produced from wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) process contains large amounts of suspended solids (SS), heavy metals and salinity. Compared to traditional chemical coagulation, electrocoagulation (EC) technology is a novel technology to remove these pollutants with lower O&M costs and simplified facilities. In order to achieve better EC effects, the speciation change of flocs generated from two kinds of sacrificed electrodes (e.g., Al and Fe) is investigated in various operation parameters. The results show that iron anode performed better compared to aluminium anode. At 20V of voltage and 6cm of electrode gap, the percentage of polymeric species of iron flocs can reach more than 50%. The significant domination of polymeric species under the optimal conditions during electrocoagution is responsible for the turbidity removal.

This study presents the use of Citrullus lanatus peels for the removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) using batch mode. Their chemically modified acid and base treated forms were utilized for biosorption studies by optimizing all parameters. Results indicated that base modified Citrullus lanatus peels were more effective for removal of these metal ions. Removal efficiency for cadmium and lead was found to be 92.32-94.1 % and 91.94-92.58 %, respectively. Isothermal and thermodynamic investigations were carried out to find sorption mechanism and their suitability to use on bulk scale. Promising sorption capacity values for Cd(II) 19.310 mg/g and Pb(II) 25.775 mg/g, along with pseudo-second order mode and exothermic thermodynamic nature; all these favour their use for industrial scale water treatment.

The ability of root canal sealers to provide apical seal depends on their physicochemical properties. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare physicochemical properties of different root canal sealers. The pH, solubility, dimensional change and flow rate of four commonly used root canal sealers were evaluated. All of the tested sealers showed a significant solubility and dimensional change. The findings of the present study indicated that the calcium-hydroxide based Sealapex has satisfactory physicochemical properties, but from clinical point of view Adseal might be the most suitable for use.

The global concern in wastewater recycling technologies has grown steadily since the early 1990s and is gaining more and more interest due to the increase in water supply needs. This growing need affects many global regions and leads to an increase in the strictness of environmental regulation, both in developing and developed countries. Many countries, cities and local governments are trying to recycle wastewater as a potential source of water for various uses, especially non-potable uses, such as land use, water for toilets and industrial processes. Analysts and statisticians around the world are trying to provide a perspective on an industry that is poised to see significant developments in the next decade. The researches summarize the experimental tests carried out using a new cellulosic adsorbent material to purify the wastewater resulted from the industrial processes for leather manufacturing. The study highlights the influence of the pH used for the wastewater depollution. The tracked and measured parameters include the pH, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, ammoniac nitrogen, organic compounds extractable in organic solvents and the solid residue adsorbed by the material. The obtained values were discussed in concordance with the national legislation for wastewater treatment and the levels accepted for releasing the used water in the surface waters.

Sweet, semi-dry and semi-sweet red wine samples from two vine-growing regions in Romania: Vrancea and Recas were analyzed aiming to show their main chemical properties including heavy metal content, and, microbiological characteristics. The chemical analysis showed that the semi-dry wine (W1) has a high polyphenol content, permanganate index and content of Fe, Zn and Cu, but the lowest content of anthocyanins, sugar and Mn; the total acidity of semi-sweet wine W3 was the highest, while the semi-sweet wine W2 contained the highest concentrations of anthocyanins and SO2. No contamination with yeasts, molds and bacteria was found when opening the wine bottles, these colonies having grown one month after opening. The importance of this article comes from the comprehensive presentation of the connections among the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of sweet to semi-sweet red wines, or to semi-dry from two vine-growing regions in Romania: Vrancea and Recas.

The biosorption performance of both batch and liquid-solid fluidized bed operations of dead fungal biomass type (Agaricusbisporus ) for removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution was investigated. In batch system, the adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of dead fungal biomass were evaluated. In fluidized bed system, the experiments were conducted to study the effects of important parameters such as particle size (701-1400�m), initial dye concentration(10-100 mg/L), bed depth (5-15 cm) and solution flow rate (5-20 ml/min) on breakthrough curves. In batch method, the experimental data was modeled using several models (Langmuir,Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkviechmodels) to study equilibrium isotherms, the experimental data followed Langmuir model and the results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity obtained was (28.90, 24.15, 21.23 mg/g) at mean particle size (0.786, 0.935, 1.280 mm) respectively. In Fluidized-bed method, the results show that the total ion uptake and the overall capacity will be decreased with increasing flow rate and increased with increasing initial concentrations, bed depth and decreasing particle size.

The widespread use of detergents has raised concern with regard to the environmental pollution caused by their active substances, which are biorefractory, toxic or persistent. Even though anionic and non-ionic surfactants often used in commercial detergents composition are reasonably degradable under aerobic conditions and not particularly toxic at low concentrations, high concentration of surfactants influenced the activated sludge activity and are harmful for the aquatic environment. In the literature, data on the biodegradability and/or ecotoxicity of a certain type of surfactant (anionic, nonionic, cationic) are usually presented. Our study aimed to assess the biodegradability of a mixture of two types of surfactants (anionic mixed with non-ionic) and also, effects caused by their presence of elevated concentrations to the activated sludge micro-organisms, within a batch experiment. We performed a biodegradability test (according Zahn-Wellens method) on 2 synthetic solutions with high concentrations of anionic surfactant �methyl dodecylbenzene sulfonate (15-25 mg/L) and non-ionic surfactant -4-nonylphenyl-polyethylene glycol (10 mg/L). The study established different percent of biodegradability (measured by COD decrease and surfactants removal) depending on initial concentrations of anionic and nonionic surfactants in the tested solutions. High surfactants concentrations modulated the activity and morphology of activated sludge, so its degradation efficiency of the organic substrate has decreased. Surfactant solutions resulting from biodegradability experiment have been tested for toxicity to planktonic crustaceans (Daphnia magna).

A preliminary stage in developing numerical simulations of a biological process for wastewater treatment consists in evaluating the kinetic parameters of the studied process. The study shows results obtained by experimental and numerical evaluation of mixed microalgae-bacteria granules kinetical parameters. The results showed that operational parameters modulated the main kinetic parameters of biological processes involved in removal of organic load and nutrients from wastewater such as biomass production coefficient, endogenous decomposition rate, specific peak rate of growth, semisaturation constant, specific rate of nitrification and the specific denitrification speed. These key parameters were determined over time to evaluate the performance of microbial populations in microalgae-bacteria granules in different operational conditions. Tests have been carried out for various wastewater compositions to determine the versatility and adaptability of the technology.

Romanian Merino wool was tested as a natural sorbent for oil spill cleanup. Rebco crude oil placed in distilled water was used as an oily water model. Experiments of batch sorption were performed under various conditions. The effects of process factors, i.e., initial density of packed bed sorbent (0.05-0.99 g/cm3), initial volume ratio of oil and water (0.25 and 0.14 cm3/cm3), and contact surface between adsorbent and oily water, on wool sorption capacity (6.4-11.8 g/g) were evaluated. Experimental data were fitted using pseudo-first order rate and pseudo-second order rate models.

In the last years, researchers, governments, and industries spent significant resources towards biofuels production. Biodiesel has attracted attention as a renewable, non-toxic, and biodegradable fuel. In this work, biodiesel production using waste oil from the margarine industry is described. Another objective of this paper is additivation of biodiesel with glycerol ketals in order to improve the physicochemical properties. Biodiesel blends with additives were further analyzed and compared with the EN biodiesel specifications. The characterization of biodiesel blends revealed the improvement of their density, viscosity, cold filter plugging point, flash point, and iodine index.

The balance between biotechnological useful microorganisms species, as well as the aerobic sludge granules morphology influences the treatment plant performance. This paper presents an attempt to correlate the experimental results on wastewater treatment performance with aerobic granular sludge structural community. The experiments were conducted in two lab scale bioreactors operated in parallel at different retention times. Treatment performances achieved in both systems lead to an effluent that complies NTPA001 limits, both systems being able of simultaneous nitrification / denitrification and phosphorus removal. For qualitative and quantitative analysis of aerobic granular sludge specific microorganisms, DNA has been succeesfully isolated and purifyied from sludge samples, thus obtaining bacterial DNA extracts in concentrations of up to 56 ng/mL and 78% purity. The resulted DNA extracts were used for qPCR amplification. Amplification was carried out in the presence of a series of 10 pairs of primers for the detection / quantification of specific bacteria and genes involved in the treatment process: universal bacteria; Micotrix parvicella; Ammonia oxidizing archaea; Ammonium monooxigenase; Nitrobacter Sp.; nitrite reductase; N2O reductase; phosphorus accumulating microorganisms. The experimental results showed a qualitative and quantitative improvement of the sludge quality in terms of species distribution and share of biotechnologically useful bacteria.

Novel results on combustible microemulsions prepared with diesel (D), blends of diesel and rapeseed oil (RSO), and mixtures of eco-friendly amphiphiles are presented. Water solubilization in oil/amphiphile systems was estimated by pseudo-ternary diagrams whereas the phase behavior by Winsor (W) diagrams. The extent of single-phase microemulsion (SPM) area depends on the amphiphile and oil phase composition. The presence of cosurfactant in the anionic-nonionic surfactant mixture increases very much the SPM area, but no effect is observed when half of D is replaced by RSO. In the pseudo-ternary phase diagram, the addition of organic electrolyte decreases the SPM areas. The microemulsions were characterized by the oil/water interfacial tension (gow), and the oil and water solubilization parameters (SPo) and (SPw). The results obtained reveal that the W III microemulsions have minimal goow values, whereas SPo and SPw are maximal. The work connects the phase behavior with the interfacial tension and the solubilization parameters of oil and water and is useful for obtaining and developing optimal microemulsions as alternative fuels.

In the experimental study was studied the malachite green colorant biodegradation in biological sludge with biological activity. The biodegradability tests were carried out in laboratory bioreactors, on aqueous solutions of green malachite contacted with microorganisms in which the dominant species is Paramecium caudatum, in a pH range between 8 and 12, temperatures in the ranges 25-350C, using pH neutralizing substances and biomass growth promoters. The colorant initial concentrations and those obtained after biological degradation depending on the contact time, at certain pH values, were established through UV-Vis spectrometry. The studies have shown the measure of possible biological degradation of some organic substances with extended uses, with largely aromatic structure, resistance to biodegradation of microorganisms, commonly used in wastewater treatment plants.

The study describes a method for the determination of ascorbic acid (AA) with the technique of high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (UV-HPLC) modified for routine analysis of agricultural products. For successful use of the method in the test laboratory practice, the reliability of using this method has been confirmed by validation. The repeatability of method has been observed, which is 2.80 - 5.55% for the various crops. Relative combined standard uncertainty has a value of 6.2%. The accuracy of the method is 103.2% and calculated as recovery of the standard addition. The value of the LOQ computed from the upper limit of reliability is 26.7 mg kg-1, which ensures safe determination of AA in every major agricultural crop.

The interest for vegetable oils, as a source of fuels and chemicals, boosted in the last two decades amid concerns related to oil depletion. The fast pyrolysis is a process of industrial consequences. In the present study, original experimental data in fast pyrolysis are processed in order to find the parameters of ASEM- an analytical semi-empirical model developed by the Clean Combustion Technology Laboratory (CCTL), University of Florida. The parameters, constants and coefficients of the model equation (w, To, D, p and q), were calculated for each main product with satisfactory accuracy and results were compared with other authors�. The results were discussed based on similarities and differences between slow and fast pyrolysis. The conclusion was that ASEM is a valid model which can be applied with confidence in very different process conditions.

This article investigates the efficiency of phosphorus removal in the municipal wastewater treatment plants in five counties of Romania from 2013 to 2017. This study focused on evaluation of the performance of phosphorus elimination using biological methods in order to respect the admissible effluent discharge limits. The yearly average of inflow total phosphorus varies from 3.64 mg/L to 4.22 mg/L comparing with 1.02 mg/ L and 1.59 mg/L the average of outflow. Chemical and biological methods are utilized to remove phosphorus. The efficiency of the numerous process available for the phosphorus removal is quite inadequate by comparing the effluent degree of purification and the removal cost.

Organic wastes have been used in agriculture many years ago, due to its capacity to improve soil quality. The manure was used before the occurrence of chemical fertilizers and treated / untreated sewage sludge, started to be used as a fertilizer a few years ago. The aim of the study is to evaluate the organic matter, organic carbon, organic content and soil composition, after application in greenhouse conditions, of mixtures made from sewage sludge biochar and cattle manure compost. The biochar and compost used in different concentrations, at 5 t/ha and 30 t/ha, application rates, in greenhouse conditions, for a period of 90 days, improved organic matter, organic carbon and organic content from the soil used in experiment. The sewage sludge biochar and the cattle manure compost had similar effects on the parameters determined in the study. Organic and inorganic soil components, identified by the ATR-FTIR method, have not been modified by application of sewage sludge biochar and cattle manure compost.