Use of hydrophilic and hydrophobic microfiltration membranes to remove microorganisms and organic pollutants from primary effluents.

Primary-effluent wastewater from the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (Pennsylvania) was used as a surrogate for combined-sewer-overflow waters contained in the sewershed. Pathogens contained in combined-primary-effluent wastewaters or combined-sewer overflows (CSOs) may pose a human-health threat to those coming in contact with such receiving waters. Polymeric ultra- and nano-membranes can be used to capture these microorganisms from CSOs. This research investigates the ability of polymeric hydrophobic and hydrophilic membranes, ranging in pore size from 0.2 to 0.8 microm, to remove pathogen-indicator organisms (Escherichia coli, enterococcus, and fecal coliforms). Membranes, with pore size 0.45 microm and smaller, were able to reduce the bacteria levels to nondetectable levels, with the sole exception of one membrane with pore size 0.3 microm.     

Biosorption of copper(II) and lead(II) onto potassium hydroxide treated pine cone powder

Pine cone powder surface was treated with potassium hydroxide and applied for copper(II) and lead(II) removal from solution. Isotherm experiments and desorption tests were conducted and kinetic analysis was performed with increasing temperatures.As solution pH increased, the biosorption capacity and the change in hydrogen ion concentration in solution increased. The change in hydrogen ion concentration for lead(II) biosorption was slightly higher than for copper(II) biosorption. The results revealed that ion-exchange is the main mechanism for biosorption for both metal ions. The pseudo-first order kinetic model was unable to describe the biosorption process throughout the effective biosorption period while the modified pseudo-first order kinetics gave a better fit but could not predict the experimentally observed equilibrium capacities. The pseudo-second order kinetics gave a better fit to the experimental data over the temperature range from 291 to 347 K and the equilibrium capacity increased from 15.73 to 19.22 mg g^?1 for copper(II) and from 23.74 to 26.27 for lead(II).Activation energy was higher for lead(II) (22.40 kJ mol^?1) than for copper(II) (20.36 kJ mol^?1). The free energy of activation was higher for lead(II) than for copper(II) and the values of ΔH* and ΔS* indicate that the contribution of reorientation to the activation stage is higher for lead(II) than copper(II). This implies that lead(II) biosorption is more spontaneous than copper(II) biosorption.Equilibrium studies showed that the Langmuir isotherm gave a better fit for the equilibrium data indicating monolayer coverage of the biosorbent surface. There was only a small interaction between metal ions when simultaneously biosorbed and cation competition was higher for the Cu-Pb system than for the Pb-Cu system. Desorption studies and the Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm and energy parameter, E, also support the ion-exchange mechanism.     

The return of the giants: ecological effects of an increasing elephant population

Northern Botswana and adjacent areas, have the world's largest population of African elephant (Loxodonta africana). However, a 100 years ago elephants were rare following excessive hunting. Simultaneously, ungulate populations were severely reduced by decease. The ecological effects of the reduction in large herbivores must have been substantial, but are little known. Today, however, ecosystem changes following the increase in elephant numbers cause considerable concern in Botswana. This was the background for the "BONIC" project, investigating the interactions between the increasing elephant population and other ecosystem components and processes. Results confirm that the ecosystem is changing following the increase in elephant and ungulate populations, and, presumably, developing towards a situation resembling that before the reduction of large herbivores. We see no ecological reasons to artificially change elephant numbers. There are, however, economic and social reasons to control elephants, and their range in northern Botswana may have to be artificially restricted.     

大型动物的种群恢复:大象种群增长的生态学效应

博茨瓦纳北部及其毗邻地区分布着世界上最大的非洲象种群(Loxodonta africana),而在100年前,由于过度捕猎,大象的种群数量极为稀少.