Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) formed upon drinking water treatment are often cytotoxic and genotoxic, and have been related to health risks, such as bladder cancer. Large DBPs, with more than two carbon atoms, are produced in large quantities and great diversity, and contribute substantially to observed toxicity, but their composition and structure remain largely unknown. While a few studies have explored high-resolution detection methods, we here focus on the extraction and elution procedures of these >2 carbon DBPs, before using negative electrospray ionization (ESI[-]) and detection by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Samples were collected from three drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in Sweden, of which two use hypochlorite and one uses monochloramine for disinfection. A reversed-phase SPE sorbent (Hyper Sep) showed high complementarity with a hybrid carbon sorbent (Carbon S), which captured a subset of polar saturated DBPs not retained by the commonly used reversed-phase materials. Stepwise elution using solvents of varying polarity reduced sample complexity and ionization suppression and further extended the DBP diversity detected. Extraction at pH 8, investigated for one DWTP, also extended DBP diversity but that impact was smaller. The classic methanol elution on reversed phase may miss proportionally more DBPs in chloraminated drinking water.

Formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water production constitutes a health hazard. The total amount of DBPs is usually measured as adsorbable organic halogens (AOX). We determined AOX in samples from four full-scale drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in Sweden using different types of raw waters and treatments. Raw water, water before and after chlorination or chloramination and tap water were sampled on five occasions during one year without applying quencher to stop chlorination reactions. Coagulation removed most (> 95

Originally derived from graphite, high-quality single-layer graphene is an excellent anti-wear and -friction additive in metal matrix. Here, the tribological performance of 3 different commercialized graphene derivatives (e.g., graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)) as additives in a Cu matrix, were investigated from an industrial perspective. To increase the interaction of graphene derivatives with Cu particles, and addressing the aggregation problem of the graphene derivatives, different binders (polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)) were introduced into the system. Benefiting from such a strategy, a uniform distribution of the graphene derivatives in Cu matrix was achieved with graphene loading up to 5 wt%. After high-temperature sintering, the graphene is preserved and well distributed in the Cu matrix. It was found that the GNP-containing sample shows the most stable friction coefficient behavior. However, GO and RGO also improve the tribological performance of Cu under different circumstances.

Improved characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in source waters used for drinking water treatment is necessary to optimize treatment processes and obtain high drinking water quality.

Copper plating of industrial components is common. However, the application of copper to moving parts is limited due to its poor tribological properties. In this study, a novel nickel-flashed, graphene nanoplatelet-reinforced copper matrix coating (referred to as ML(Ni)) on AISI 52100 steel exhibited stable and long-lasting friction coefficients (μ < 0.2) that were substantially lower than from similarly-prepared coatings that omitted nickel and graphitic material. Chemical, structural and mechanical analysis of the wear tracks on ML(Ni) after pin-on-disk testing identified key contributions that promote lubrication synergy. Moreso, the roles of individual components (Ni, Cu and GnP) within ML(Ni) were probed in detail to demonstrate that its hybrid composite structure is a promising candidate for use in high-load engineering applications.

Potentially harmful disinfection by-products (DBPs) are formed upon drinking water treatment when disinfectants react with organic matter in the water. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) provides information on the compositions of individual DBPs in the unknown, toxicologically relevant fraction, comprising non-volatile, high-molecular weight DBPs. This review evaluates current applications of FT-ICR-MS for DBP analysis to assist improved analysis with this technique. Four methodological aspects are in focus, 1) The use of quenching agents, 2) The choice of extraction method 3) The choice of ionization techniques/modes, and 4) Data processing including DBP formula verification and interpretation. Quenching can lead to decomposition or adduct formation and needs to be further evaluated or avoided. There is a large potential to expand FT-ICR-MS DBP analysis by applying different SPE sorbents and ionization techniques, and improved systematic verification procedures are important to ensure reliable non-target analysis.

Chemical disinfection of water has been commonly applied to protect public health from waterborne infectious diseases. Chemical disinfectants are strong oxidants that react with the building blocks or alter the metabolism of pathogenic organisms, killing them as the final consequence. These oxidative reactions are not substrate-specific, and thus, all organic and inorganic constituents of the water may be involved. The changes of the organic matter and the disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed are dependent of the disinfectant used and the organic and inorganic precursors present in the water. The present work aims at investigating these aspects in disinfected water from four water treatment plants in Sweden. The waterworks investigated were selected according to the type of disinfectant used (chlorine or chloramine) and the characteristics of water entering the plant (groundwater, surface water, or artificially recharged groundwater). Specific and generic extraction approaches, and target, suspect and non-target screening approaches using advanced mass spectrometry have been used to investigate DBPs formed and to characterize the organic matter before and after the chemical disinfection process. Acknowledgments: CP acknowledges support from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences through the August T Larsson Guest Researcher Programme. This work was supported by the Government of Catalonia (Consolidated Research Groups 2017 SGR 01404- Water and Soil Quality Unit) and by the Swedish Research Council FORMAS (grant 2013-01077).

The ability to accurately predict lithium-ion battery life-time already at an early stage of battery usage is critical for ensuring safe operation, accelerating technology development, and enabling battery second-life applications. Many models are unable to effectively predict battery life-time at early cycles due to the complex and nonlinear degrading behavior of lithium-ion batteries. In this study, two hybrid data-driven models, incorporating a traditional linear support vector regression (LSVR) and a Gaussian process regression (GPR), were developed to estimate battery life-time at an early stage, before more severe capacity fading, utilizing a data set of 124 battery cells with lifetimes ranging from 150 to 2300 cycles. Two type of hybrid models, here denoted as A and B, were proposed. For each of the models, we achieved 1.1 % (A) and 1.4 % (B) training error, and similarly, 8.3 % (A) and 8.2 % (B) test error. The two key advantages are that the error percentage is kept below 10 % and that very low error values for the training and test sets were observed when utilizing data from only the first 100 cycles.The proposed method thus appears highly promising for predicting battery life during early cycles.

A novel electroanalytical method, the intermittent current interruption (ICI) technique, has recently been promoted as a versatile tool for battery analysis and diagnostics. The technique enables frequent and continuous measurement of battery resistance, which then undergoes statistical analysis. Here, this method is implemented for commercial Li-ion cylindrical cells, and combined with a physics-based finite element model (FEM) of the battery to better interpret the measured resistances. Ageing phenomena such as solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and metallic Li plating on the surface of the negative graphite particles are considered in the model. After validation, a long-term cycling simulation is conducted to mimic the ageing scenario of commercial cylindrical 21700 cells. The large number of internal resistance measurements obtained are subsequently visualized by creating a 'resistance map' as a function of both capacity and cycle numbers, providing a straight-forward image of their continuous evolution. By correlating the observed ageing scenarios with specific physical processes, the origins of ageing are investigated. The result shows that a decrease of the electrolyte volume fraction contributes significantly to the increase of internal resistance and affect the electrolyte diffusivity properties. Additionally, effects of porosity and particle radius of the different electrodes are investigated, providing valuable suggestions for battery design.

To date, there is no analytical approach available that allows the full identification and characterization of highly complex disinfection by-product (DBP) mixtures. This study aimed at investigating the chemodiversity of drinking water halogenated DBPs using diverse analytical tools: measurement of adsorbable organic halogen (AOX) and mass spectrometry (MS)-based target and non-target analytical workflows. Water was sampled before and after chemical disinfection (chlorine or chloramine) at four drinking water treatment plants in Sweden. The target analysis had the highest sensitivity, although it could only partially explain the AOX formed in the disinfected waters. Non-target Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) MS analysis indicated that only up to 19 Cl and/or Br-CHO formulae were common to all disinfected waters. Unexpectedly, a high diversity of halogenated DBPs (presumed halogenated polyphenolic and highly unsaturated compounds) was found in chloraminated surface water, comparable to that found in chlorinated surface water. Overall, up to 86 DBPs (including isobaric species) were tentatively identified using liquid chromatography (LC)-Orbitrap MS. Although further work is needed to confirm their identity and assess their relevance in terms of toxicity, they can be used to design suspect lists to improve the characterization of disinfected water halogenated mixtures.

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are potentially toxic compounds formed when drinking water is treated with disinfectants, such as chlorine or chloramine. A large proportion of the exposure to DBPs ...

The formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during drinking water treatment has been associated with various health concerns but the agents, i.e., the DBPs that cause these health concerns, are still unknown.

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are potentially toxic compounds formed upon chemical disinfection of drinking water. This study evaluate how treatment approaches affect DBP formation and composition.

Patienter med overvikt och fetma loper en okad risk att drabbas av foljdsjukdomar sasom hypertoni, hjart-/karlsjukdom eller diabetes typ-2. Forakt, skuldbelaggning och stigmatisering ar nagot patie ...

A war crime may be defined as a serious violation of a rule of international humanitarian law (IHL) which brings about individual criminal liability. To establish whether an act constitutes a war crime it is thus necessary to establish that IHL applied to and regulated the act. Hence, it must also be established that an international or non-international armed conflict existed at the time and place where the act occurred, and that the act had sufficient nexus to the armed conflict. The present article focuses on the classification of conflict and the nexus between the act and the conflict in Swedish legislation and case law in the light of international law. This article is part of a volume on investigation and prosecution in Scandinavia of international crimes.

The current study aims to investigate the predictive power of Attitudes, Past experiences, Comfort with differences, Participation in cultural activities, Moral, Free will and Altruism on voting behavior formulated as Degree of liberal. The study is a quantitative one with a sample of 144 Swedish students in Lund. Data was collected via an internet survey consisting of three scales: Personal Beliefs Scale (PBS), Attitudinal and Behavioral Openness Scale (ABOS) and Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) containing the seven predictors. A multiple regression analysis was performed. Results show that the seven predictors together had a significant predictive power on Degree of liberal (R2adjusted = .13, p = .001, 95%). Moral was the only variable with single significant predictive power on Degree of liberal (β = .24, p =.005). A reliability analysis showed a low Cronbach’s Alpha for Moral (α=.462) which complicates the possibilities of drawing a clear conclusion regarding the results. Furthermore two sources of error are identified in explaining the results: a cultural discrepancy in the translations of the tests and a target variable that was poorly adjusted for the sample. (Less)

The present work focuses on the treatment of VOC emissions from industrial processes, since they represent a very severe environmental hazard. For removing the VOC, an AOP (Advanced Oxidation Process) stage based on UV light and ozone was considered, analyzing the methods for the unit scale-up. An innovative CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) model, combining UV irradiation, reaction kinetics and fluid dynamics, describing the behavior of UV reactors in the laboratory scale, was developed. This model was verified against experimental results, displaying good agreement. Therefore, we concluded the CFD model could adequately describe relevant features regarding the performance of UV reactors. After analyzing the laboratory reactors, two designed and scaled up prototypes, were simulated using the CFD model. While the first prototype has a standard lamps configuration, the second presents an innovative lamps distribution. As for the laboratory cases, the most relevant features in terms of irradiation and reaction were described for the prototypes, comparing their performance. We evaluated both the overall VOC conversion and VOC conversion per UV lamp, analyzing the energy efficiency of each configuration with adequately accuracy. Therefore, we conclude the developed CFD model to be an important tool for reactor scale-up as a result of the good prediction of experimental results and the accurate description of the governing phenomena. By using the developed model, the scale-up process of UV reactors can be quickly improved, by screening various configurations with the simulator before testing them, saving significant time and effort in the development of full-scale reactors.

Disinfection of drinking water using chlorine can lead to the formation of genotoxic by-products when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter (NOM). A vast number of such disinfection by-products (DBPs) have been identified, making it almost impossible to routinely monitor all DBPs with chemical analysis. In this study, a bioanalytical approach was used, measuring oxidative stress (Nrf2 activity), genotoxicity (micronucleus test), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation to evaluate an innovative water treatment process, including suspended ion exchange, ozonation, in-line coagulation, ceramic microfiltration, and granular activated carbon. Chlorination was performed in laboratory scale after each step in the treatment process in order to investigate the effect of each treatment process to the formation of DBPs. Suspended ion exchange had a high capacity to remove dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and to decrease UV absorbance and Nrf2 activity in non-chlorinated water. High-dose chlorination (10 mg Cl2 L-1) of raw water caused a drastic induction of Nrf2 activity, which was decreased by 70% in water chlorinated after suspended ion exchange. Further reduction of Nrf2 activity following chlorination was achieved by ozonation and the concomitant treatment steps. The ozonation treatment resulted in decreased Nrf2 activity in spite of unchanged DOC levels. However, a strong correlation was found between UV absorbing compounds and Nrf2 activity, demonstrating that Nrf2 inducing DBPs were formed from pre-cursors of a specific NOM fraction, constituted of mainly aromatic compounds. Moreover, high-dose chlorination of raw water induced genotoxicity. In similarity to the DOC levels, UV absorbance and Nrf2 activity, the disinfection-induced genotoxicity was also reduced by each treatment step of the innovative water treatment technique. AhR activity was observed in the water produced by the conventional process and in the raw water, but the activity was clearly decreased by the ozonation step in the innovative water treatment process.

Non-target analysis of potentially toxic disinfection by-products at four waterworks in Sweden.

Owner questionnaires may be used to assess osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs. The validated American College of Veterinary Surgeons’ (ACVS) Canine Orthopaedic Index Questionnaire quantifies quality of life in dogs with orthopaedic disease. This index was modified and translated into Swedish and evaluated for validity, reliability and sensitivity. One group with confirmed moderate elbow dysplasia (n = 117) and one healthy control group (n = 146) without radiographic elbow disease and without lameness were included. Telephone interviews with the dog owners were conducted throughout the study using owner-completed questionnaires. A 16-item questionnaire developed from an initial data set including 22 items, were able to differentiate between the affected group and the control group with good readability. Validity was measured through factor analysis which yielded a three-factor model accounting for 66.3% of the variance. Cronbach’s α was 0.89 for the total instrument, > 0.7 for stiffness, lameness and function, but < 0.7 for quality of life. Based on the process the modified questionnaire can be used in Swedish, as the ACVS COI, to make intra-patient comparisons and evaluation of disease progression. A sound owner-completed questionnaire translated into Swedish and modified, able to differ healthy dogs from dogs suffering from chronic osteoarthritis is presented. Performed statistical analysis show the items of the instrument to be reasonable and have high construct validity. The questionnaire may be used in the clinical setting and for research.