The screening of organic matter in mineral and tap water by UHPLC-HRMS

A strategy for intelligent chemical profiling-guided precise quantitation of multi-components in traditional Chinese medicine formulae-QiangHuoShengShi decoction

Due to the tremendous clinical value, more and more Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) and their formulae are attracted by world's attention. QiangHuoShengShi (QHSS) decoction is one of classic TCM formulae, which is clinically used for treating various rheumatic diseases. However, the phytochemical constituents of QHSS have rarely been reported. A simple, intelligent, and comprehensive strategy was developed to characterize the phytochemical-fingerprint and quantify the chemical-markers for precise quality evaluation of QHSS. Firstly, a new deep-learning assisted mass defect filter (MDF) method was built for rapid and accurate classification of mass spectrum (MS) ions acquired by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS). Subsequently, herb species-specific chemical-category and characteristic identification were used for further characterization of multi-components. As the result, seven major types of compounds in QHSS were intelligently differentiated and 183 phytochemical compounds were tentatively identified. Finally, a sensitive scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (sMRM) detection method was applied to precisely quantify 37 target analytes in QHSS decoction. This integrated strategy would provide an alternative method for chemical-material basis study of more herbal medicine or natural products.

Renovated filter filled with poly-3-hydroxybutyrateco-hydroxyvalerate and granular activated carbon for simultaneous removal of nitrate and PPCPs from the secondary effluent

Reclaimed water is in huge demand in water-deficient cities. However, nitrogen, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are frequent contaminants in reclaimed water that are probable to bring environmental risks. To develop a technology for safe reclaimed water production, in this study, a renovated filter that integrates solid-phase denitrification (SPD) with biodegradable polymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption (SPD-GAC filter) was proposed and applied to remove nitrogen and target PPCPs (metoprolol and diclofenac) simultaneously. The influences of different ratio of the filled PHBV and GAC, and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the removal performances were investigated. The results showed that the filter with PHBV/GAC = 1 (25 cm PHBV/25 cm GAC) simultaneously achieved an average NO₃^--N removal efficiency of about 95% with no accumulation of ammonia and nitrite, and an average removal efficiency of PPCPs of about 80%. Compared with PHBV-based SPD system, the integrated SPD-GAC filter significantly improved the control of carbon release and the PPCP removals. SPD-GAC filter also exhibited a strong tolerance for the variation of influent NO₃^--N loading rate, achieving a highest denitrification rate of 0.76-0.82 g N·(L·d)^-1. The integrated SPD-GAC filter proves to be a promising technology for the simultaneous removal of nitrogen and PPCPs from the secondary effluent.

Home Water Purification System in Malaysia: Qualitative and Quantitative Study

Concern over tap water quality has led to the expansion of water filtration system in Malaysia. This study is important to ensure that brands of water filters that have dominated the market in Malaysia do not exceed the quality of water released by safe water filters and no other pollutants leach from the machine. An exploratory study was undertaken to determine the pattern and selection factor of a home water filter system through a set of questionnaires. The survey results indicated that the most popular brands in Malaysia is Brand A from reverse osmosis filtration system. In the experimental study, five most frequently used brands of home water filters were evaluated and compared. Among the 27 parameters studied for each home water filter system, all parameter of physical, chemical and bacteriological quality is complied with the guideline values of the Ministry of Health Malaysia. Parameter of bacteriological quality shows absence bacteria parameter was detected in all samples tested. Meanwhile, physical quality parameter was given best performance removal from brand E and chemical water quality was efficient removal from brand C. In most cases user apply the home treatment of tap water to ensure that the quality of water physically look better and safe to be consumed.