Dataset Information

Factors influencing pigment production by halophilic bacteria and its effect on brine evaporation rates.

ABSTRACT: The disposal of reject brine, a highly concentrated waste by-product generated by various industrial processes, represents a major economic and environmental challenge. The common practice in dealing with the large amounts of brine generated is to dispose of it in a pond and allow it to evaporate. The rate of evaporation is therefore a key factor in the effectiveness of the management of these ponds. The addition of various dyes has previously been used as a method to increase the evaporation rate. In this study, a biological approach, using pigmented halophilic bacteria (as opposed to chemical dyes), was assessed. Two bacteria, an Arthrobacter sp. and a Planococcus sp. were selected due to their ability to increase the evaporation of synthetic brine. When using industrial brine, supplementation of the brine with an iron source was required to maintain the pigment production. Under these conditions, the Planococcus sp. CP5-4 produced a carotenoid-like pigment, which resulted in a 20% increase in the evaporation rate of the brine. Thus, the pigment production capability of halophilic bacteria could potentially be exploited as an effective step in the management of industrial reject brines, analogous to the crystallizer ponds used to mine salt from sea water.

SUBMITTER: Silva-Castro GA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6389849 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:PurposeTo evaluate demographic, clinical, imaging, and genetic factors associated with retinal pigment epithelium enlargement in Stargardt disease (STGD1) and to measure the agreement between short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence (SW-FAF) and near-infrared fundus autofluorescence (NIR-FAF).MethodsRetrospective cohort study of patients with STGD1 with ≥2 gradable SW-FAF images. RPE-atrophy areas were measured on SW-FAF and NIR-FAF at each visit and regressed against time to obtain the rate of RPE-atrophy enlargement. Agreement between SW-FAF and NIR-FAF with regards to baseline atrophic areas and rates of enlargement was evaluated. Baseline factors predictive of faster SW-FAF RPE-atrophy enlargement were investigated with linear mixed models.ResultsFifty-four eyes of 28 patients (median age: 45 years; 13 males) were included. SW-FAF and NIR-FAF agreed well for slow rates of RPE-atrophy progression, but agreement decreased as the rate increased. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) rate of RPE-atrophy expansion was 0.18 (0.10-0.85) mm2/year on SW-FAF and 0.24 (0.08-0.33) mm2/year on NIR-FAF. Larger baseline RPE-atrophy area (estimate: 0.057 mm2/year, P < 0.001), worse visual acuity (0.305 mm2/year, P = 0.005), multifocal disease (0.401 mm2/year, P = 0.02), and SW-FAF pattern (0.534 mm2/year, P =0 .03) were associated with a faster rate of progression (predictive R 2: 0.65).ConclusionsSW-FAF and NIR-FAF are not interchangeable in the evaluation of RPE-atrophy enlargement, and both imaging modalities may be required for optimal detection of disease progression. A multivariable model based on baseline clinical and imaging information may identify patients at higher risk of fast disease progression.Translational relevanceThe knowledge of the agreement of different FAF modalities, the estimated rates of RPE-atrophy enlargement, and factors predictive of faster anatomic decay in STGD1 may allow tailored clinical management and better clinical trials design.

Dataset Information

Factors influencing pigment production by halophilic bacteria and its effect on brine evaporation rates.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets