Background: Aerobic or anaerobic digestion is involved in treating agricultural and municipal waste, and the addition of biocarriers has been proven to improve them further. We synthesized novel biocarriers utilizing zeolites and different inorganic binders and compared their efficiency with commercially available biocarriers in aerobic and anaerobic digestion systems. Methods: We examined BMP and several physicochemical parameters to characterize the efficiency of novel biocarriers on both systems. We also determined the SMP and EPS content of synthesized biofilm and measured the adherence and size of the forming biofilm. Finally, we characterized the samples by 16S rRNA sequencing to determine the crucial microbial communities involved. Results: Evaluating BMP results, ZSM-5 zeolite with bentonite binder emerged, whereas ZSM-5 zeolite with halloysite nanotubes binder stood out in the wastewater treatment experiment. Twice the relative frequencies of archaea were found on novel biocarriers after being placed in AD batch reactors, and >50% frequencies of Proteobacteria after being placed in WWT reactors, compared to commercial ones. Conclusions: The newly synthesized biocarriers were not only equally efficient with the commercially available ones, but some were even superior as they greatly enhanced aerobic or anaerobic digestion and showed strong biofilm formation and unique microbiome signatures.

Background Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with multiple clinical presentations. Therefore, the correct clinical identification of SLE patients (Pts) may be an obstacle to epidemiological studies. In addition, the type of methodology applied to epidemiological research may greatly affect the results. In Italy, two epidemiological studies in SLE have been carried out. The first during the year 2002 in Florence, based on the registries of general practitioners (GPs). A Lupus Screening Questionnaire was administered by the GPs to screen Pts for SLE. The overall rate of SLE prevalence (P) was calculated as 71/100.000 adults (CI 49-92). The second study was carried out in Ferrara. Pts with SLE were identified by the international classification of disease code in the hospital discharge records. The P was calculated as 57.9/100.000 (CI 49-65) for the period 1996-2002 and the annual incidence (I) for 2000-2002 was estimated at 1.91/100.000 (CI 1,45-2,37). Our study was aimed at reassessing the P and I of SLE in Italy ten years after the first reports. In addition, we applied for the first time the capture-recapture (CR) methodology for estimating the size of the target population. Objectives To investigate the P of SLE during the year 2011 and the I for the period 2009-2011 in the area of Valtrompia in Italy. Methods Pts were recruited from two sources: 1) the records of 49/70 GPs in the area (70% of response), whose practices covered 67.615 individuals aged over 14 years; 2) the database of the main public hospital, where the only Rheumatology Unit of the area is located. The data from the two sources were analysed with the CR method. Results By matching the two sources, a total of 25 Pts (4 males, 21 females) were identified: 23 from GPs records, 24 from the hospital database; 22 pts were retrieved by both sources. After written informed consent, all the Pts underwent a clinical evaluation by a rheumatologist of the hospital to confirm the diagnosis of SLE (at least 4 of the American College of Rheumatology Criteria). By applying the CR analysis, we calculated the equation of Chapman and the estimated number of pts resulted to be 25.1. P of SLE was estimated at 40.5 cases among 100.000 individuals aged over 14 years of age (CI:24.6-56.3). Between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011, 4 new cases of SLE were diagnosed, with annual crude I rate of 2.14/100.000. Conclusions This is the third epidemiological study on SLE in Italy, but the first one to apply the CR analysis. This methodology allows to calculate the number of Pts by combining the number of Pts identified from multiple sources with the estimated number of “missed” pts. The area of Valtrompia consists in a 40 km long alpine valley, whose southern and only way-out corresponds to the main city where the only public Rheumatology Unit of the area is located. In addition, the close collaboration established with local GPs turned out in high rate of responses (70%). We found SLE P and I to be on line with the data from other Eu...

Traditionally, digestate is considered a waste, which is used as fertiliser in the agriculture industry. Recent studies focus on increasing the profitability of digestate by extracting reusable nutrients to promote biogas plants cost-effectiveness, sustainable management and circular economy. This review focuses on the post-treatment and valorization of liquor which is produced by solid–liquid fractioning of digestate. Nutrient recovery and removal from liquor are possible through mechanical, physicochemical and biological procedures. The processes discussed involve complex procedures that differ in economic value, feasibility, legislative restrictions and performance. The parameters that should be considered to employ these techniques are influenced by liquor characteristics, topography, climate conditions and available resources. These are key parameters to keep in mind during designing and manufacturing a biogas plant. In the following chapters, a discussion on available liquor treatment methods takes place. The present study examines the critical aspects of the available liquor treatment methods.

The physiological characteristics of liquid digestate retrieved from various biogas plants based in northern Greece are presented. Preliminary photocatalysis experiments on inoculated liquid di-gestate sampled showed that disinfection is possible when pre-treated digestate with a combination of centrifuge-flocculation-μFiltration after 5.5 hours of 0.7g/L suspended TiO2 under UVA illumination for the experimental conditions is used. A novel design photocatalytic nanofiltration reactor was implemented for disinfection experiments on pre-treated liquid digestate, giving promising results. This work sets the basis for the efficient operation and engineering application of technology collaboration with photocatalysis as the final step for liquid digestate sanitation and reusable water recovery.