Because of their appreciable protein content apricot kernels could be used as a good source of food. However, their wide use for human or animal nutrition is dependent on their adequate detoxification. This is because apricot kernels have a strong bitter flavour that is caused by the presence of amygdalin, a toxic cyanogenic glycoside. The aim of the present work was to investigate an unusual method of detoxifying apricot kernels by soaking them in water. The method was energetically relatively inexpensive as uncrushed kernels and cold water were used. Furthermore, the use of intact kernels minimized the loss of nutritious soluble matter during the detoxification. On the basis of a simple but adequate mechanistic model, a mathematical description of the extractive detoxification of apricot kernels is proposed. The two-resistance mass transfer system is based on external film mass transfer and an effective solid diffusion. A linear equilibrium curve arises from the assumption that the concentration profile inside the solid phase can be well approximated with a second order polynomial calculation, this then leads to an analytical formulation of the mathematical model. The liquid-phase mass transfer coefficient and the internal diffusion coefficient in the kernels can be then determined. Finally, the model is used to describe extractor behaviour and predict process performance under real operation conditions.

Background: The overall aim of the interdisciplinary research project "PharmCycle" is to reduce the contamination of the aquatic environment with antibiotics by developing sustainable antibiotics, improving the environmental risk assessment of antibiotics, and reducing the discharges of antibiotics in the wastewater outlet. An overview of the holistic approach and first results are given. Results: The first step is to design sustainable antibiotics, which are effective against target organisms but, after their use, are less toxic, and are rapidly and completely degradable. To develop sustainable antibiotics, two different approaches (subprojects) are applied within PharmCycle: First, a redesign of the existing antibiotics with chemical and in silico methods ("Benign by Design"). Second, sustainable peptide-based antibiotics are produced with biotechnological methods. In the second step, the environmental risk assessment for antibiotics in the framework of the authorization process and for monitoring purposes is improved. There is a lack of data for the environmental risk assessment of antibiotics on the European market. With more transparency of these data, the environmental risk assessment for active substances and for the class of antibiotics can be improved. The aim is to increase the data availability by applying the Aarhus convention and by providing legal access to environmental information. Beside other shortages in the environmental risk assessment required by the European legislation, the effects of antibiotics directly applied in marine aquacultures are not assessed by marine prokaryotic test systems. Therefore, a marine cyanobacteria test was developed, which is more sensitive to selected priority antibiotics than the marine eukaryotic algae test (DIN EN ISO 10253) required by the European Medicines Agency. Marine cyanobacteria are of high importance for the nitrogen cycle and primary production. Moreover, they seem to play an important role with respect to climate change. To reduce the emission of antibiotics used as human pharmaceutical products to the aquatic environment, the third step focusses on the main pathway, the wastewater. Investigations to improve the wastewater treatment of

A process, called Bio-Denipho, for combined biological phosphorus and nitrogen removal in a combination of an anaerobic tank and two oxidation ditches is described. In this process the anaerobic tank consisting of three sections working in series is followed by two oxidation ditches. These too are working in series, but with both inlet to and outlet from the tanks changing in a cycle. The Bio-Denipho process is described specifically for the process itself and as a case study for the implementation of the process on a 265,000 pe wastewater treatment plant for the city of Aalborg in Denmark. The plant was designed and erected in two stages and the last stage was inaugurated October 31,1989. Lay-out and functions for the plant is described and design loads, plan lay-out and tank volumes are given in this paper together with performance data for the first year in operation.

According to the general wastewater administration rule, it is allowed for the single state authorities of Germany to make the minimal requirements on quality of wastewater discharge more restrictive then those given by the federal government. Schleswig-Holstein particularly has made extensive use of this rule in the past years. On addition of fluctuations due to tourism, industry or combined sewer system, the general criteria for the layout of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are presently unsatisfactory in order to meet these requirements. More detailed and comprehensive studies need to be carried out to fulfill these stricter demands. By illustrating four case studies of WWTP designs of size between 43,000 and 640,000 total number of inhabitants and population equivalents (PT), possible solutions will be presented. With the aid of land-registers, intensive measurement series and semi-technical and full scale experiments, design concepts including multi-stage and split flow treatment could be established.

Dissemination of multiresistant bacteria and high concentrations of micropollutants by hospitals and other medical facilities can be significantly reduced by a wide variety of on-site treatment approaches. Membrane filtration technologies, ranging from microfiltration to reverse osmosis, have been adapted in many studies and offer multiple purposes in advanced wastewater treatment configurations. While the direct rejection of pharmaceutical compounds and pathogens can only be achieved with nanofiltration and reverse osmosis processes, porous membranes are known for their pathogen removal capabilities and can be used in combination with other advanced treatment approaches, such as oxidation and adsorption processes. This review was conducted to systematically assess studies with membrane filtration technologies that are used as either stand-alone or hybrid systems for the treatment of hospital wastewater. In this review, four different databases were screened with a pre-set of search strings to thoroughly investigate the application of membrane filtration technology in hospital wastewater treatment. Hybrid systems that combine multiple treatment technologies seem to be the most promising way of consistently removing micropollutants and pathogens from hospital wastewater, but additional economic assessments are needed for an extensive evaluation.