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In this study the removal of Mn (II) ions from wastewater using magnetite nanomaterial was investigated. Some factors influencing the wastewater treatment process were studied such as: treatment time, pH and the concentration of Mn (II) ions from wastewater. The results showed that using magnetite nanomaterial adsorbent lead to a wastewater treatment efficiency higher than 97%. Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to describe the adsorption process. The correlation coefficients (R2) showed that both models are applicable to the experimental data obtained.

Brewing yeast biomasses may be converted into valuable products, including supplements for ruminant diets. This paper presents experimental data on a nutraceutical suspension formulation containing post-fermentation brewing yeasts and the brewing yeast strain, Saccharomyces pastorianus ssp. carlsbergensis W34/70, which was intended to be administered to ruminants. The brewing yeast biomass is a component of oral suspensions designed as dietary supplements that prevent digestive acidosis in ruminants. The brewing yeast strain W34/70 was cultivated using molasses (M) and glucose (G) as carbon sources and was lyophilized at different freezing temperatures (0�C, �10�C, �20�C, �30�C, and �40�C). The post-fermentation brewing yeast biomass was spray dried (AAY) and lyophilized (ALY). Both dried yeast biomasses were analyzed in terms of wettability using a contact angle (CA�) evaluation at the solid/liquid interface. Suspensions were subsequently formulated and tested. Their physical and aggregative stability was established in connection with controlled sedimentation and flocculation. The assays were performed following quality by design (QbD) principles. The critical process parameters (CPPs) corresponding to the technological process of yeast production, as well as the critical quality attributes (CQAs) for suspension formulations, were pointed out as preamble determinants when designing oral nutraceuticals destined to be included in ruminant diets.

A spent biomass, which results from the biopharma industry, is stabilized and functionalized by biosorption with microelements. The efficiency of this new biomaterial was tested in two experiments: 1) In a mixture with soil to determine its effects of the germination capacity of cereals and vegetables, and 2) in a formulation of mixed fertilizers to determine its influence on the development and production of the two types of vegetables. The results obtained during germination experiments performed in pots showed that at a biomass concentration less than 20%, the germination output was greater than 95% and the germination index was almost 1. The experiments performed in land on vegetables (including Solanum lycopersicum and Capsicum annuum) featured six types of fertilizers formulated with new biomaterials. The obtained results indicated that two types of fertilizers (N 10:0:0 and NP 5:5:0), which were formulated with functionalized biomass and featured the microelements Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, exhibited significant effects when compared with vegetables cultivated on unfertilized soil surfaces (the untreated variant). The studies regarding the effect of the new fertilizers obtained based on spent biomass from biopharma industry indicate the following: a) This material, even if it is stabilized and functionalized, cannot be used as such as a germination substrate for vegetables, in addition, it cannot be introduced into soil together with cereals seeds (during the autumn work), because the germination can be affected negatively, b) the functionalized biomass can be used in the formulation of different types of fertilizers, if these fertilizers are introduced into soil with the autumn plowing, then they may have a positive influence on the yield of some species of vegetable, such as Solanum lycopersicum and Capsicum annum. The new fertilizers have a major environmental impact due to: 1) Removal of waste, which results from pharmaceutical biosyntheses, with significant impact on soil pollution, due to its storage in the form of waste dumps, on the soil, 2) recovery and reinsertion into the natural circuit of nutrients like C, N, P, K, Mg, and Ca contained in spent biomass, by their reuse in agriculture, and 3) high content of compounds with C from spent biomass can improve in time the content of fulvic and humic acids in soil, with a positive effect on soil characteristics from an agronomic point of view.

Microbiological and chemical characteristics of white bread during storage in paper-packages modified with Ag/TiO2-SiO2, Ag/N-TiO2 or Au/TiO2 were investigated. The whiteness and the water retention of the modified packages were slightly superior to those exhibited by the reference sample, as the color of the composite was lighter. The water retention was very good especially for the Ag/TiO2-SiO2-paper. These improvements can be associated with the high specific surface area and with the low agglomeration tendency of Ag nanoparticles in comparison with the Au ones. The preservation activity of the composites for the bread storage is positively influenced by photoactivity and presence of nano-Ag. Packages Ag/TiO2-SiO2-paper and Ag/N-TiO2-paper can find their applicability for extending the shelf life of bread by 2 days as compared with the unmodified paper-package. No influence of the Au/TiO2 on the extending the shelf life of bread was observed.

The study aimed at evaluating antibiotic residues in raw milk coming from two categories of providers: dairy farmers and processed milk producers. The analyses were carried out in a private laboratory at the request of the providers. 210 samples, collected monthly during 2012 (January to December) were analyzed (n = 210). Of the 210 samples of raw milk, 45.71% (n = 96) came from dairy farmers and 54.29% (n = 114) came from processed milk producers. The milk samples were tested using the Beta Star Combo method based on chemical reactions with reagents attached to gold particles. All milk samples had a pH ranging between 6.6-6.9. The presence of tetracycline and beta-lactam antibiotic was analyzed as these are the most used antibiotics in the treatment of mammary glands diseases in dairy cows. Of all the 210 samples, antibiotic residues were detected in 66 samples of which 42 contaminated samples came from dairy farmers. Beta-lactam antibiotics residues have been detected in 12 samples and tetracycline in 30 samples. In the contaminated samples coming from the processed milk producers, only traces of tetracycline were found. These results are a warning signal showing antibiotics entering the human food chain in this way, this being even more alarming if we take into consideration the fact that milk, in general, is a product mainly consumed by children and the elderly.