South East Water (Australia)

Efficient solar steam generation and concurrent salt harvesting from saline water were achieved with both continuous operation and long-term stability.

In response to the World Health Organization (WHO) statements and international concerns regarding the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak, ISUOG is publishing the following guidance for ultrasound during pregnancy. With the current uncertainty regarding many aspects of the diagnosis and clinical course of ZIKV infection in pregnancy, potentially valuable information may be obtained by ultrasound practitioners that may help in counseling pregnant women and further improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of ZIKV infection in pregnancy. There is an outbreak of ZIKV infection in the Americas, Caribbean and South Pacific1, 2. The infection is spread mainly by Aedes mosquitoes, although a small number of cases from sexual transmission have been reported3. The wide distribution of the mosquito, combined with the lack of immunity in the population, has led to rapid evolution of the outbreak. Most cases of ZIKV infection are self-limiting and without sequelae, but there have been cases of Guillain–Barré disease post-infection. In addition, clusters of cases of brain anomalies and microcephaly in some areas with known ZIKV transmission have been reported. This increased number of children with microcephaly has led to a high level of concern among pregnant women living in or traveling to endemic areas. ZIKV can cross the placenta and has been detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of amniotic fluid of pregnancies affected with fetal structural brain abnormalities and microcephaly4, and ZIKV has been isolated postmortem from the brain of a fetus with microcephaly5. A causal relationship between in-utero exposure to ZIKV and microcephaly is now likely, though not yet fully established6. It should be remembered that, for fetal abnormalities to occur due to congenital infection, a number of steps are needed: maternal exposure; maternal infection; fetal infection; and fetal affection. How these steps progress in ZIKV infection is unknown: we do not know how many women exposed in pregnancy become infected, how many of those infected will transmit to the fetus, and what proportion of infected fetuses will suffer effects. It is also important to note that, although microcephaly has been observed, this may well represent the severe end of the spectrum of effects and the co-existence of other abnormalities, while unknown, is likely. The gestational age at which infection occurs is important in other congenital infections, such as cytomegalovirus and toxoplasmosis, and it is probable that ZIKV infection poses the greatest risk in early pregnancy, although effects throughout pregnancy cannot be excluded confidently7. As the situation is evolving rapidly, this guidance will be updated periodically. National guidelines should be followed regarding testing. Expert opinion should be sought from national reference laboratories. In general, testing for ZIKV is possible in maternal serum by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) or detection of ZIKV-specific IgM antibodies8, 9. The limitation of RT-PCR testing is that it can detect ZIKV only during, or immediately following, acute infection. ZIKV IgM testing is problematic because of cross-reactivity with other Flaviviruses and some immunizations. This may lead to an unreliably high false-positive rate of ZIKV serological testing, but negative serology results may be of value in ‘ruling out’ past ZIKV infection. Expert interpretation of both is required and is beyond the scope of this guidance. In pregnant women with ZIKV exposure and symptoms, positive Flavivirus serology or proven ZIKV infection, or in those with exposure and/or symptoms but who have not had positive serology results, referral for detailed ultrasound assessment is appropriate. A baseline ultrasound scan should be performed on referral. As a minimum this should involve the following. If ultrasound assessment shows a fetal HC of 2 SD below the expected mean for gestational age, or a fetal brain abnormality (such as intracranial calcifications or ventriculomegaly), referral to a specialist center for detailed assessment, including neurosonography of the fetal brain, should be undertaken12. Most fetuses in which the only finding is a HC of 2 SD below the mean would be expected to represent the lower end of the normal population distribution. An interval scan in 2–3 weeks should be arranged14, 15. Given the current uncertainty, existing evidence and experience from prenatal imaging findings in other infections should be taken into account; these include the presence of irregularly shaped ventricular margins, increased periventricular echogenicity with or without cystic lesions, intraventricular adhesions, calcifications, callosal or vermian dysgenesis, small TCD, enlarged cisterna magna and/or increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain4, 13. Depending on local laws, pregnancy termination may be discussed, based on GA and severity of the findings. Uncertainties regarding the condition should be made clear. Standardized HC measurements should be undertaken and plotted on standards that take into account GA at birth and sex16, 17. The use of a single cut-off regardless of GA is not recommended18. This Interim Guidance was produced by the ISUOG ZIKV Rapid Response Group, members of which are: A. T. Papageorghiou, Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's University Foundation Hospitals NHS Trust, London, and Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK B. Thilaganathan, Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's University Foundation Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK C. M. Bilardo, Department of Obstetrics, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands A. Ngu, East Melbourne Ultrasound, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia G. Malinger, Division of Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel M. Herrera, Maternal Fetal Medicine Department, Colombian University Clinic, Colsanitas Clinic, Bogota, Colombia L. J. Salomon, Department of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France L. E. Riley, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA J. A. Copel, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA This Interim Guidance should be cited as: ‘Papageorghiou AT, Thilaganathan B, Bilardo CM, Ngu A, Malinger G, Herrera M, Salomon LJ, Riley LE, Copel JA. ISUOG Interim Guidance on ultrasound for Zika virus infection in pregnancy: information for healthcare professionals. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2016; 47: 530–532.’ Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

The apparent unruliness of contemporary hypertexts arises, in part, from our lack of a vocabulary to describe hypertext structures. From observation of a variety of actual hypertexts, we identify a variety of common structural patterns that may prove useful for description, analysis, and perhaps for design of complex hypertexts. These patterns include: Cycle Counterpoint Mirrorworld Tangle Sieve Montage Split/Join Missing Link Feint

< 0.001) positive relationship between the concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and the levels found on the passive samplers, indicating that with further evaluation, these devices could yield semi-quantitative results in the future. Passive samplers have the potential for wide use in WBE with attractive feasibility attributes of cost, ease of deployment at small-scale locations, and continuous sampling of the wastewater. Further research will focus on the optimization of laboratory methods including elution and extraction and continued parallel deployment and evaluations in a variety of settings to inform optimal use in wastewater surveillance.

A novel thin-film nanocomposite forward-osmosis (FO) membrane was fabricated on hydrophilic nylon microfiltration (MF) support by interfacial polymerization with the assistance of an intermediate layer of graphene oxide and multiwall carbon nanotube (GO/MWCNT). The chemical composition, structure, and surface properties of the synthesized FO membranes were studied using various characterization methods. It was found that the GO/MWCNT composite layer not only provided ultrafast nanochannels for water transport but also reduced the thickness of the polyamide layer by up to 60%. As a result, the novel FO membrane exhibited a higher water flux and lower reverse salt flux compared with the membrane synthesized without the GO/MWCNT intermediate layer. This method offers promising opportunities to fabricate thin-film composite membranes on microfiltration substrates for FO application with inhibited concentration polarization phenomenon and expected separation performance.

A self-rotating solar evaporator is developed to overcome the challenge of salt accumulation during continuous solar desalination.

Conventional polymers are environmentally damaging materials; therefore, global efforts are being made to gradually replace these conventional polymers with bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics due to claims of being more sustainable than petroleum-based plastics. However, such claims may not be based on reality, and unregulated bio plastics may cause environmental anarchy similar to conventional plastics. The degradation of bioplastics has received significant attention because it is the parameter used to evaluate their end-of-life disposal and to assess their environmental shortcomings - where the bioplastics which degrade completely in different environments, thus, considered as an environmental-friendly polymers. Upon disposal, the bioplastics decompose in a bio-active medium by microorganisms such as algae, bacteria, and fungi or to humus, water, and CO 2 by marine water. Different standardization and certification bodies have set the standards for bioplastics, compostable, and biodegradable plastics to evaluate the environmental constraints of bioplastics. These standards support various industries in creating bioplastics. Thus, it is important to harness the regulatory power to bring all the standardization and certification bodies (both at the national and international levels) together in setting standards with a high threshold to classify bio-based plastics, biodegradable plastics, and compostable plastics. • Biodegradation mechanism and factors affecting biodegradability are summarized . • Chemical structure, bonding and conformation offer desired properties of bioplastics. • Biopolymer chemistry plays an important role in biodegradation of bioplastics. • Active microorganisms facilitate the rapid biodegradability of bioplastics. • B io-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics standards be tested in real conditions.

This study focuses on the conversion of biosolids to biochar and its further use in adsorbing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from contaminated water.

Summary 1. The effect of mechanical and natural mixing of water on phytoplankton community assemblages was compared in one reservoir with a destratification unit operating during the wet summer months (North Pine Reservoir) with two adjacent reservoirs without artificial mixing (Wivenhoe and Somerset Reservoirs) over 6 years in subtropical Australia. 2. All three reservoirs were dominated by cyanobacteria, with the same three genera representing 75–80% of the abundance, i.e. Aphanocapsa/Merismopedia/Cyanodictyon group, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Wołoszyńska) Seenayya et Subba Raju and Planktolyngbya . Associations between the dominant genera were consistent across all three reservoirs although there were reduced seasonal differences in abundance in North Pine Reservoir compared with the other reservoirs. 3. Peaks in abundance of the solitary filamentous species C. raciborskii and Planktolyngbya occurred earlier and the densities of the colonial species Aphanocapsa/Merismopedia/Cyanodictyon were lower in the reservoir where the destratification unit was switched on in spring compared with the naturally mixed reservoirs, possibly reflecting the differential effect of artificial mixing on colonial versus solitary filamentous species. 4. Phosphate concentrations were positively correlated with algal densities in the two naturally mixed reservoirs but not the artificially mixed reservoir where phosphate concentrations at the surface were near the limit of detection (0.06 μ m P). Artificial mixing may, therefore, promote the growth of species able to utilise and store low concentrations of phosphate, such as C. raciborskii .

This review summarizes recent advances and presents an overview of design strategies in interfacial-heating solar-thermal desalination devices.

Although two-dimensional (2D) materials have grown into an extended family that accommodates hundreds of members and have demonstrated promising advantages in many fields, their practical applications are still hindered by the lack of scalable high-yield production of monolayer products. Here, we show that scalable production of monolayer nanosheets can be achieved by a facile ball-milling exfoliation method with the assistance of viscous polyethyleneimine (PEI) liquid. As a demonstration, graphite is effectively exfoliated into graphene nanosheets, achieving a high monolayer percentage of 97.9% at a yield of 78.3%. The universality of this technique is also proven by successfully exfoliating other types of representative layered materials with different structures, such as carbon nitride, covalent organic framework, zeolitic imidazolate framework and hexagonal boron nitride. This scalable exfoliation technique for monolayer nanosheets could catalyze the synthesis and industrialization of 2D nanosheet materials.

Petroleum hydrocarbons represent one of the most common soil contaminants, whose presence poses a significant risk to soil biota and human health; for example, in Europe, hydrocarbon contamination accounts for more than 30% of contaminated sites. The use of biochar as a proposed alternative to the conventional remediation of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons has gained credence in recent times because of its cost-effectiveness and environmentally friendly nature. Biochar is a carbonaceous material produced by heating biomass in an oxygen-limited environment at high temperature. This review provides an overview of the application of biochar to remediate petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils, with emphasis on the possibility of biochar functioning as a biostimulation agent. The properties of biochar were also examined. Furthermore, the mechanism, ecotoxicological impact and possible factors affecting biochar-based remediation are discussed. The review concludes by examining the drawbacks of biochar use in the remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils and how to mitigate them. Biochar impacts soil microbes, which may result in the promotion of the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil. Linear regression between bacterial population and degradation efficiency showed that R2 was higher (0.50) and significant in treatment amended with biochar or both biochar and nutrient/fertiliser (p < 0.01), compared to treatment with nutrient/fertiliser only or no amendment (R2 = 0.11). This suggest that one of the key impacts of biochar is enhancing microbial biomass and thus the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Biochar represents a promising biostimulation agent for the remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. However, there remains key questions to be answered.

Abstract The Philip and DeVries theory and the “isothermal” theory were used to predict diurnal soil water fluxes near the soil surface. The predicted values were compared with those obtained by measurements of soil‐water content, soil temperature, and evaporation. Previously measured soil‐water diffusivities were used in the theoretical calculations. The thermal vapor diffusivities were calculated using both the “simple” and the “complete” theory of Philip and DeVries. Comparison of measured and calculated fluxes indicated that the theory of Philip and DeVries predicts the measured values better at intermediate water contents, but the “isothermal” theory predicts values better at high and very low water contents.

Although the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emergency status is easing, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect healthcare systems globally. It is crucial to have a reliable and population-wide prediction tool for estimating COVID-19-induced hospital admissions. We evaluated the feasibility of using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to predict COVID-19-induced weekly new hospitalizations in 159 counties across 45 states in the United States of America (USA), covering a population of nearly 100 million. Using county-level weekly wastewater surveillance data (over 20 months), WBE-based models were established through the random forest algorithm. WBE-based models accurately predicted the county-level weekly new admissions, allowing a preparation window of 1-4 weeks. In real applications, periodically updated WBE-based models showed good accuracy and transferability, with mean absolute error within 4-6 patients/100k population for upcoming weekly new hospitalization numbers. Our study demonstrated the potential of using WBE as an effective method to provide early warnings for healthcare systems.

Optimization of the microalgae culture conditions could significantly reduce the production costs of microalgae-derived biodiesel. In the current study, a new process of adding different forms using the multiple small-dose method was employed. The effects of different forms of nitrogen (NaNO3, NH4Cl, and CH4N2O) and their concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg L−1) on the growth and lipid production of Scenedesmus obliquus were studied. Algae density and lipid production increased with increasing nitrogen concentration for all different forms of nitrogen except NH4Cl. The Scenedesmus obliquus growth was promoted by adding NaNO3 and CH4N2O, but was inhibited by adding NH4Cl. Adding 2 mg N L−1 of CH4N2O daily yielded the highest cell density (1.7 × 107 cells mL−1) and lipid production (242.4 mg L−1). These conditions can thus maintain the biomass of Scenedesmus obliquus, increase its lipid accumulation, and decrease the costs of biodiesel production.

Many studies have identified the potential of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems to simultaneously augment potable water supply and reduce delivery of uncontrolled stormwater flows to downstream drainage networks. Potentially, such systems could also play a role in the controlled delivery of water to urban streams in ways which mimic baseflows. The performance of RWH systems to achieve these three objectives could be enhanced using Real-Time Control (RTC) technology to receive rainfall forecasts and initiate pre-storm release in real time, although few studies have explored such potential. We used continuous simulation to model the ability of a range of allotment-scale RWH systems to simultaneously deliver: (i) water supply; (ii) stormwater retention; and (iii) baseflow restoration. We compared the performance of RWH systems with RTC technology to conventional RWH systems and also systems designed with a passive baseflow release, rather than the active (RTC) configuration. We found that RWH systems employing RTC technology were generally superior in simultaneously achieving water supply, stormwater retention and baseflow restoration benefits compared with the other types of system tested. The active operation provided by RTC allows the system to perform optimally across a wider range of climatic conditions, but needs to be carefully designed. We conclude that the active release mechanism employing RTC technology exhibits great promise; its ability to provide centralised control and failure detection also opens the possibility of delivering a more reliable rainwater harvesting system, which can be readily adapted to varying climate over both the short and long term.

Transformation of soil Pb to pyromorphites and phosphates has the potential to be an effective strategy to immobilize this contaminant in situ. Soil treatment using monocalcium phosphate, a commercial fertilizer (NTS Soft Rock) and biochars prepared from poultry litter and from biosolids at three different temperatures (300, 400, and 500°C) and two doses (1 and 3%) were evaluated. Lead bioaccesibility, mobility, and solid speciation were measured. Leachable Pb (determined with the toxicity characterized leaching procedure) was not significantly ( > 0.05) changed after biochar addition, but a significant decrease in bioaccesible Pb was found for several treatments ( < 0.05). This was particularly notable for treatments receiving biosolids prepared at 400 and at 500°C or monocalcium phosphate at the 3% dose. The decrease in bioaccesible Pb concentration in the biochar treatments was similar to traditional phosphate amendments. Our research found transformation of Pb species to the more stable pyromorphite and Pb-phosphate to be partially responsible for the observed changes, although other mechanisms, including pH changes, might also play an important role. Overall, pyrolysis was an effective method to upgrade waste streams and facilitate Pb immobilization, although key pyrolysis parameters need to be selected carefully.

Abstract Biomass is the most versatile feedstock for renewable energy and chemical production. Biochemical techniques such as fermentation and biomethanation have been developed extensively for converting biomass into bioethanol, biogas, and high‐value platform chemicals. However, the techno‐economic feasibility of the various biochemical techniques for the production of a range of biofuels and chemicals has not been fully consolidated in a review. This paper reviews the techno‐economic studies of biochemical conversion of biomass in a comparative fashion between feedstocks, treatment methods, and product types. The review starts with an overview of various biomass treatment approaches and the need for pre‐treatment for processing second‐generation feedstocks. This is followed by a review of the main biochemical conversion processes, offering insights into process stages, product yields and quality, as well as commercialization prospects and challenges. The various techno‐economic aspects of biomass conversion via biochemical techniques, such as conversion efficiency, production capacity, minimum selling price, capital cost, unit production cost, and profitability metrics, are critically reviewed. It was found that bioethanol and biogas are the most commercially viable products from the biochemical processing of biomass. The production of other biofuels and chemicals such as biobutanol, biohydrogen, furfural, volatile fatty acids, succinate, levulinic acid, and sugar alcohols via biochemical techniques is still largely limited by low conversion, frail microbial strains, cost of enzymes, and separation, and refining challenges. Overcoming these technical bottlenecks, and addressing the issues of feedstock price and supply security, are crucial for enhancing the overall techno‐economic attractiveness of biochemical processes for fuels and chemical production from biomass resources. © 2023 Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley &amp; Sons Ltd.

The deterioration of concrete sewer structures due to bio-corrosion presents critical and escalating challenges from structural, economic and environmental perspectives. Despite decades of research, this issue remains inadequately addressed, resulting in billions of dollars in maintenance costs and a shortened service life for sewer infrastructure worldwide. This challenge is exacerbated by the absence of standardized test methods and universally accepted mitigation strategies, leaving industries and stakeholders confronting an increasingly pressing problem. This paper aims to bridge this knowledge gap by providing a comprehensive review of the complex mechanisms of bio-corrosion, focusing on the formation and accumulation of hydrogen sulfide, its conversion into sulfuric acid and the subsequent deterioration of concrete materials. The paper also explores various factors affecting bio-corrosion rates, including environmental conditions, concrete properties and wastewater characteristics. The paper further highlights existing corrosion test strategies, such as chemical tests, in-situ tests and microbial simulations tests along with their general analytical parameters. The conversion of hydrogen sulfide into sulfuric acid is a primary cause of concrete decay and its progression is influenced by environmental conditions, inherent concrete characteristics, and the composition of wastewater. Through illustrative case studies, the paper assesses the practical implications and efficacy of prevailing mitigation techniques. Coating materials provide a protective barrier against corrosive agents among the discussed techniques, while optimised concrete mix designs enhance the inherent resistance and durability of the concrete matrix. Finally, this review also outlines the future prospects and challenges in bio-corrosion research with an aim to promote the creation of more resilient and cost-efficient materials for sewer systems.

Facial skin resurfacing using the carbon dioxide laser has become an increasingly popular procedure. Improvements in carbon dioxide laser technology have made the procedure simpler and more reliable. However, difficulties in the postoperative period can lead to patient morbidity and physician anxiety. Common problems such as prolonged erythema, hyperpigmentation, acne, milia, dermatitis, and infection can be controlled or avoided with proper postoperative care. Less common sequela such as hypertrophic scarring and prolonged healing are often a results of errors committed in the postoperative period. The authors have performed laser resurfacing in almost 2100 patients in the last 4 years. Changes in the postoperative regimen to include no pretreatment, use of semipermeable dressings, antiviral and antibacterial prophylaxis, and early treatment with sunscreens and bleaching agents have made for a smoother recovery with more predictable results.