Copper-boron-ferrite (CuBFe) composites may be prepared and immobilized on graphite electrodes in a silica-based sol-gel, e.g., from rice husks. Different bimetallic loading ratios can produce fast in-situ electrogeneration of reactive oxygen species, H.sub.2O.sub.2 and .OH, e.g., via droplet flow-assisted heterogeneous electro-Fenton reactor system. Loading ratios of, e.g., 10 to 30 wt. % Fe.sup.3+ and 5 to 15% wt. Cu.sup.2+, can improve the catalytic activities towards pharmaceutical beta blockers (atenolol and propranolol) degradation in water. Degradation efficiencies of at least 99.9% for both propranolol and atenolol in hospital wastewater were demonstrated. Radicals of .OH in degradation indicate a surface mechanism at inventive cathodes with correlated contributions of iron and copper. Copper and iron can be embedded in porous graphite electrode surface and catalyze the conversion of H.sub.2O.sub.2 to .OH to enhance the degradation. Inventive cathodes can be stable catalytically after 20 or more cycles under neutral and acidic conditions.

A method to prepare a coated current collector electrode of a flow through capacitor. The method includes preparing a coating paste includes: 10-50 weight % of carbon having a specific surface area of at least 500 m.sup.2/g; 0.3-5 weight % of a binder; 10-50 weight % based on the total paste of a first solvent having a first boiling point; and 10-50 weight % based on the total paste of a second solvent having a second boiling point. The method further includes applying the coating paste on a current collector; and allowing the second solvent in the coating paste applied on the current collector to evaporate at a temperature lower than the first boiling point.

An aerated wetland system used for wastewater treatment is disclosed. The system includes a main frame with an entrance and an output opening. The wastewater is entered into the system with maximum velocity via the entrance and via a racetrack. The racetrack comprises an agitated flow pattern with a plurality of baffles along the longitudinal axis of the racetrack to deflect the wastewater and create turbulent flow into the wastewater. The racetrack further includes at least four intersecting sections. The at least two intersecting sections include washed soils and an aeration system and other two intersecting sections include washed soils and a plurality of wetland plants respectively, thereby subjecting the influent wastewater to anaerobic and aerobic conditions respectively, along the racetrack to effectively purify and treat volatile compounds in the influent wastewater. The outlet opening directs out effluent wastewater from the aerated wetland system via the effluent device.

The invention relates to a multi-stage medical sewage sterilization device and method based on graphene nano technologies. The multi-stage sterilization device comprises multiple stages of graphene nano composite sterilization grids, a graphene photocatalytic sterilization tank, a graphene-modified diatom ceramic disinfection tank, an ultrasonic sterilization tank and a laser and near-infrared sterilization device. Compared with a traditional method, the present invention has a more thorough killing or blocking effects on pathogenic bacteria, parasite eggs and the like in various medical sewages. In addition, the device of the present invention can be disassembled and cleaned regularly, and has a long service life, thus the process cost is reduced.

The present invention provides a method for extracting polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which comprises a pre-process step and an extraction step: removing water from waste sludge containing microorganisms in the pre-process step so that the waste sludge containing microorganisms has a water content of less than 40%; and applying a high-voltage pulsed electric field to the waste sludge during the extraction step to destroy the microorganisms and release the PHAs, wherein the high-voltage pulsed electric field is between 50 volts and 400 volts, an application time of the high-voltage pulsed electric field is between 5 seconds and 90 seconds, and an application frequency of the high-voltage pulsed electric field is between 500 Hz and 1000 Hz, thereby extracting the PHAs in the case of few chemicals.

A batch process for the treatment of an aqueous solution so that the treated product is more desirable for disposal includes obtaining an influent batch of aqueous solution for treatment, treating the batch of solution by an advanced oxidation process. The advanced oxidation process including causing ozone to be mixed with the solution, maintaining the mixture of solution and ozone at a pressure above atmospheric for a time of at least two seconds. An embodiment of the process includes continuously recirculating the fluid to be treated, through a recirculation conduit, the recirculation conduit including an ozone injector and the ozone injector is adapted to inject ozone into the aqueous solution as the aqueous solution circulates through an ozone injector. Influent to be treated may be selected from the group including sewage, septage, leachate, ballast or other aqueous solutions where it is desirable to treat the fluid prior to disposal, further treatment, or reuse. The process is carried out to improve a level of disinfection and/or denutrification of the effluent. The process may include back-to-back processing of batches one after the other, more or less continuously. The process may include overlapping processing, in which part of a treated previous batch is retained to mix with an incoming untreated batch. The process may include off-gassing between stages of adding ozone, and the process may involve repetitive high pressure and low pressure cycles. The process may include post processing steps, such as permitting at least a portion of a treated batch to be retained without the addition of ozone for a period of time to permit floculates longer to form. The process may include post process filtering, which may be single or multi-stage filtering, such as may allow for the removal of floculates. The process may include simultaneous post-processing of part or all of one batch while another batch is being processed. The process may include the treatment of solutions containing pharmaceuticals to break down the pharmaceuticals.

Fusion proteins containing a targeting sequence, an exosporium protein, or an exosporium protein fragment that targets the fusion protein to the exosporium of a Bacillus cereus family member are provided. Recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing such fusion proteins are also provided. Genetically inactivated Bacillus cereus family members and recombinant Bacillus cereus family members that overexpress exosporium proteins are also provided. Seeds coated with the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members and methods for using the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members (e.g., for stimulating plant growth) are also provided. Various modifications of the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members that express the fusion proteins are further provided. Fusion proteins comprising a spore coat protein and a protein or peptide of interest, recombinant bacteria that express such fusion proteins, seeds coated with such recombinant bacteria, and methods for using such recombinant bacteria (e.g., for stimulating plant growth) are also provided.

The invention pertains to a method (200, 300, 400) of at least partly removing at least one micropollutant from wastewater (104) comprising carbogenous compounds and at least one micropollutant. The method comprising the steps of: (a) dividing the wastewater (104) into a main stream (105) and a side stream (106); (b) treating main stream (105) with bacteria to reduce the content of carbogenous compounds to provide depleted wastewater (107) comprising at least one micropollutant; (c) treating the depleted wastewater (107) with a second portion of microorganisms (162), having the ability of degrading the at least one micropollutant, to, at least partly, remove the at least one micropollutant thereby providing treated water (170), wherein the second portion of microorganisms (162) have been enriched by feeding the side stream (106) to it before using the second portion of microorganisms (162) in treating the depleted wastewater (107); and (d) feeding a first portion of microorganisms (161), having the ability of degrading the at least one micropollutant, with the side stream (106), to enrich them for subsequent use in treating the depleted wastewater (107) to at least partly remove the at least one micropollutant.

Copper-boron-ferrite (CuBFe) composites may be prepared and immobilized on graphite electrodes in a silica-based sol-gel, e.g., from rice husks. Different bimetallic loading ratios can produce fast in-situ electrogeneration of reactive oxygen species, H.sub.2O.sub.2 and .Math.OH, e.g., via droplet flow-assisted heterogeneous electro-Fenton reactor system. Loading ratios of, e.g., 10 to 30 wt. % Fe.sup.3+ and 5 to 15% wt. Cu.sup.2+, can improve the catalytic activities towards pharmaceutical beta blockers (atenolol and propranolol) degradation in water. Degradation efficiencies of at least 99.9% for both propranolol and atenolol in hospital wastewater were demonstrated. Radicals of .Math.OH in degradation indicate a surface mechanism at inventive cathodes with correlated contributions of iron and copper. Copper and iron can be embedded in porous graphite electrode surface and catalyze the conversion of H.sub.2O.sub.2 to .Math.OH to enhance the degradation. Inventive cathodes can be stable catalytically after 20 or more cycles under neutral and acidic conditions.

A method and a system for isolating potentially harmful medical substances, such as antibiotics, is disclosed. Blackwater ejected from vacuum toilets contains potentially harmful medical substances present in dissolved state in bodily waste. The ejected blackwater is subjected to an initial treatment including a bacteria reduction and a fragmentation for producing an initially treated blackwater slurry. The blackwater slurry is transferred via one or more buffer tanks to a central vaporization unit in which water is vaporized from the blackwater slurry for producing a water-reduced waste material containing said potentially harmful medical substances. The waste material is transferred into one or more replaceable waste containers. The waste material may be subjected to a further water reduction, optionally before the waste containers are removed.