Ammonia and phosphorus removal were evaluated over four years monitoring of an experimental wastewater treatment plant in Brazil: initially a UASB reactor (real scale) + three shallow polishing ponds (pilot scale), afterwards a UASB + submerged aerated biofilter (BF) (real scale) + the same pond series. Shallow ponds (h < 0.90 m) provided considerable ammonia removal, but phosphorus removal was somewhat poorer. An equation was derived for the estimation of ammonia pond effluent, based on the same assumptions of the well known Pano and Middlebrooks model. According to the experimental data, an effluent suitable for aquaculture should be achieved with retention time of 25 days.

Raw water and filtered effluent of three drinking water treatment plants (WTP) at a town in Minas Gerais State, southeast Brazil, were monitored over a one-year period for Giardia, Cryptosporidium, microbiological and physical-chemical water quality indicators. High densities of Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected in two source waters, ranging from 2.0–140 cysts/L and 4.0–510 oocysts/L. Giardia and Cryptosporidium (oo)cyst concentration was not consistently associated with most of the parameters analysed, turbidity being the most promising indicator. It also seems that Giardia and Cryptosporidium concentration was influenced by rainfall. Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts were significantly associated in both waters, suggesting a similar pattern of occurrence and common contamination sources. In two of the three water treatment plants analyzed, Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected in filtered effluents, also in high densities, ranging from 0.066 to 5.5 cysts/L and 0.066 to 13.2 oocysts/L, respectively. Statistical trials to associate protozoa and indicator removal failed in nearly all cases. Nevertheless, the results are interpreted as neither reaffirming nor negating the use of turbidity as a protozoa removal indicator.

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Boron doped TiO 2 :xB (x = 0 mol.%, 1 mol.%, 2 mol.%, 4 mol.% and 8 mol.%) was quickly synthesized by a microwave-assisted solvothermic method at 140°C for 10 min. The nanoparticles obtained were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, field emission scanning electron microscopy, electron microscopy and diffuse optical reflectance. The photocatalytic properties were estimated against methylene blue dye. The antimicrobial activity was measured by the disc diffusion technique against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria. The XRD patterns show that there was no formation of secondary phases and that all the peaks correspond to the anatase phase of TiO 2 . Rietveld's refinement showed that the addition of B 3+ in the TiO 2 lattice promotes a reduction in the size of the crystallites and this reduction it effectively increases the degradation capacity of the methylene blue dye, which after 50 min the 8%B sample degraded completely, while the pure TiO 2 sample reduced its concentration by 95%. Boron-doped TiO 2 was effective when reused and after the third cycle the photocatalytic activity of the powders was maintained. In addition, the incorporation of 8%B in the TiO 2 lattice resulted in an increase from 8.66 mm to 15.61 mm and 9.04 mm to 13.65 mm in the inhibition halos of the S. aureus and E. coli bacteria, respectively.