Background Schools are high-risk settings for infectious disease transmission. Wastewater monitor... more Background Schools are high-risk settings for infectious disease transmission. Wastewater monitoring for infectious diseases has been used to identify and mitigate outbreaks in many nearsource settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, including universities and hospitals but less is known about the technology when applied for school health protection. This study aimed to implement a wastewater surveillance system to detect SARS-CoV-2 and other public health markers from wastewater in schools in England. Methods A total of 855 wastewater samples were collected from 16 schools (10 primary, 5 secondary and 1 post-16 and further education) over 10 months of school term time. Wastewater was analysed for SARS-CoV-2 genomic copies of N1 and E genes by RT-qPCR. A subset of wastewater samples was sent for genomic sequencing, enabling determination of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and emergence of variant(s) contributing to COVID-19 infections within schools. In total, >280 microbial pathogens and >1200 AMR genes were screened
Recycling rare earth elements (REEs) contained in electronic waste is of utmost importance due to... more Recycling rare earth elements (REEs) contained in electronic waste is of utmost importance due to their everincreasing use in the high-tech sector. In this context, the use of non-polluting techniques represents a real challenge for scientists. In this work, we demonstrated that a clean and energy-efficient process, diffusion dialysis, has great potential for the recovery of neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), contained in the Nd-Fe-B magnets of end-of-life computer hard disk drives (HDDs). Four kinds of polymer membranes were prepared by blending cellulose triacetate (CTA) and polyethylenimine (PEI) with the addition of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), tridodecylamine (TDDA), trioctylamine (TOA) or trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO). The membranes were first characterized by several techniques such as water uptake, contact angle, ATR-FTIR, SEM, XRD and zeta potential. They were further implemented in diffusion dialysis experiments in which diluted HDDs leachates were used as feed solutions. The relevance of the diffusion dialysis process for the recovery of REEs was demonstrated as it was possible to extract up to 15% of the boron by spontaneous diffusion through the CTA/ PEI/TOA membrane in 6 h with a lab-scale cell operating in batch mode. All membranes were positively charged under the operating conditions and then, REEs (present mainly in the form of trivalent cations Nd 3+ and Pr 3+) were strongly rejected. A fairly good correlation was found between the membrane water uptake and boron transfer, with boric acid molecules passing more easily through the more hydrated membranes. The selectivity factor between boron and REEs resulted from the interplay between the membrane structure, its water uptake ability and surface charge. It was also found to be dependent on the leachate composition. The CTA/PEI/TDDA membrane was found to exhibit the greatest B/REE selectivity factors, with values reaching up to 3706 and 140 for Nd and Pr, respectively. The lower selectivity towards Pr was explained by the weaker Gibbs energy of hydration of Pr 3+ cations compared with Nd 3+ .
Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including ... more Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including the author's name, the title of the work, publication details where relevant (place, publisher, date), pagination, and for theses or dissertations the awarding institution, the degree type awarded, and the date of the award.
A hepatitis A vaccine was prepared by formaldehyde inactivation of purified hepatitis A virus (HA... more A hepatitis A vaccine was prepared by formaldehyde inactivation of purified hepatitis A virus (HAV) LSH/S strain grown on human diploid MRC-5 cells. The vaccine was devoid of residual infectivity in vitro and failed to induce in marmoset monkeys any pathological features or variations of haematological and clinical chemistry values. Infectious HAV particles were not detected in faeces and sera of the vaccinated primates by ELISA or after passages in MRC-5 cells. The immunogenicity of the vaccine was evaluated by injecting guinea-pigs with 0.8, 0.2 or 0.05 micrograms of HAV antigen adsorbed onto 0.5 and 1 mg of Al (OH)3 or 0.3 mg of AlPO4. The antibody response, measured by a competitive radioimmunoassay, was dose- and adjuvant-dependent. One injection of 0.2 micrograms of AlPO4-adsorbed HAV antigen induced seroconversion in 100% of animals and high levels of specific and neutralizing serum antibodies. A further increase of antibody titres was observed after the second and third inoculations. These results show that this vaccine formulation is safe and immunogenic in animal models, and suggest that it should be evaluated further by human clinical studies.
The objectives of the workshop were to (a) provide insight into current and future applications o... more The objectives of the workshop were to (a) provide insight into current and future applications of Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry and (b) generate provocative discussions on the future of this emerging field and its potential impacts, both positive and negative, on the chemical sciences and society. The SAB is tasked with monitoring the developments in science and technology of relevance to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The SAB's guidance enables the OPCW Director-General to render science and technology advice relevant to the CWC, to the Conference of the States Parties, the Executive Council and States Parties. Every five years the OPCW holds a Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, otherwise known as a Review Conference. These Review Conferences serve as fora for the assessment and evaluation of the CWC's implementation and setting long-term views by providing strategic guidance to the OPCW. Particular focus is given to the verification regime, especially given the CWC's guidance that the OPCW consider measures to make use of advances in science and technology in undertaking its verification activities (Article VIII, paragraph 6), the changing context within which the regime is implemented and scientific and technological advances in chemistry, engineering, and biotechnology. The Fifth Review Conference was scheduled for 15-19 May 2023. To ensure that the OPCW Technical Secretariat and States Parties are apprised, the SAB prepares a report before each Review Conference which analyses
The progress of four pharmaceuticals (bezafibrate, carbamazepine, clarithromycin and ciprofloxaci... more The progress of four pharmaceuticals (bezafibrate, carbamazepine, clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin) is followed through the treatment stages (screened sewage, settled sewage and final effluent) of a large urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) employing activated sludge treatment. Concentrations at the inlet to the WWTP are generally higher than those predicted from consideration of local pharmaceutical consumption and typical excretion data. Percentage removal efficiencies are variable (22.5-94.3%) with carbamazepine being the most resistant to elimination.
... In: 43rd IUPAC General Assembly, 13 - 21 August 2005, Beijing, China. (Unpublished). Full tex... more ... In: 43rd IUPAC General Assembly, 13 - 21 August 2005, Beijing, China. (Unpublished). Full text is not in this repository. Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper). ... Deposited On: 24 Jun 2010 07:00. Last Modified: 29 Dec 2010 06:09. Repository Staff Only: item control page ...
In natural environments, heavy metals and metalloids are widely dispersed as a consequence of ant... more In natural environments, heavy metals and metalloids are widely dispersed as a consequence of anthropogenic (e.g. mining) and geological (e.g. volcanic eruption) activities. The toxicity of these metals/metalloids could adversely affect the ecosystem as well as causing major human health concerns. Mycoremediation (remediation by fungi) has received attention from many researchers as an alternative to conventional chemical and physical methods in removing toxic metals and metalloids. A number of regulatory mechanisms to control the concentrations and counteract the toxicity of these pollutants have been observed in fungi. These mechanisms include: (i) precipitation or binding to cell surface materials, (ii) intracellular chelation and precipitation, (iii) biotransformation and (iv) control of membrane transport systems. This chapter examines the use of fungi to bioremediate metals and metalloids and their detoxification mechanisms, with special focus on an extremophilic fungus, Acidomyces acidophilus, isolated from a disused tin mine in the UK, to illustrate some of the mechanisms involved. Future biotechnological and nanotechnological prospects of metal/metalloids bioremediation using fungi are also discussed.
International Journal of Phytoremediation, Sep 1, 2011
Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including ... more Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including the author's name, the title of the work, publication details where relevant (place, publisher, date), pagination, and for theses or dissertations the awarding institution, the degree type awarded, and the date of the award.
Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, Nov 19, 2022
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are part of everyday items such as cellular phones and computers, a... more Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are part of everyday items such as cellular phones and computers, and they constitute a significant proportion of e-waste. PCBs contain hazardous components but also valuable and critical materials such as copper, gold, silver and rare earth elements. Rare earth elements (REE) are crucial to modern hardware and due to their increasing demand and high supply risk, they are now considered to be amongst the most critical elements in the world. In this research, WPCBs were supplied by local recycling companies after crushing/grinding process and metal analysis of the material was carried out. The concentration of the REE and their distributions in particle sizes is determined, and the potential of WPCBs for REE bioleaching is also discussed.
Background Schools are high-risk settings for infectious disease transmission. Wastewater monitor... more Background Schools are high-risk settings for infectious disease transmission. Wastewater monitoring for infectious diseases has been used to identify and mitigate outbreaks in many nearsource settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, including universities and hospitals but less is known about the technology when applied for school health protection. This study aimed to implement a wastewater surveillance system to detect SARS-CoV-2 and other public health markers from wastewater in schools in England. Methods A total of 855 wastewater samples were collected from 16 schools (10 primary, 5 secondary and 1 post-16 and further education) over 10 months of school term time. Wastewater was analysed for SARS-CoV-2 genomic copies of N1 and E genes by RT-qPCR. A subset of wastewater samples was sent for genomic sequencing, enabling determination of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and emergence of variant(s) contributing to COVID-19 infections within schools. In total, >280 microbial pathogens and >1200 AMR genes were screened
Recycling rare earth elements (REEs) contained in electronic waste is of utmost importance due to... more Recycling rare earth elements (REEs) contained in electronic waste is of utmost importance due to their everincreasing use in the high-tech sector. In this context, the use of non-polluting techniques represents a real challenge for scientists. In this work, we demonstrated that a clean and energy-efficient process, diffusion dialysis, has great potential for the recovery of neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), contained in the Nd-Fe-B magnets of end-of-life computer hard disk drives (HDDs). Four kinds of polymer membranes were prepared by blending cellulose triacetate (CTA) and polyethylenimine (PEI) with the addition of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), tridodecylamine (TDDA), trioctylamine (TOA) or trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO). The membranes were first characterized by several techniques such as water uptake, contact angle, ATR-FTIR, SEM, XRD and zeta potential. They were further implemented in diffusion dialysis experiments in which diluted HDDs leachates were used as feed solutions. The relevance of the diffusion dialysis process for the recovery of REEs was demonstrated as it was possible to extract up to 15% of the boron by spontaneous diffusion through the CTA/ PEI/TOA membrane in 6 h with a lab-scale cell operating in batch mode. All membranes were positively charged under the operating conditions and then, REEs (present mainly in the form of trivalent cations Nd 3+ and Pr 3+) were strongly rejected. A fairly good correlation was found between the membrane water uptake and boron transfer, with boric acid molecules passing more easily through the more hydrated membranes. The selectivity factor between boron and REEs resulted from the interplay between the membrane structure, its water uptake ability and surface charge. It was also found to be dependent on the leachate composition. The CTA/PEI/TDDA membrane was found to exhibit the greatest B/REE selectivity factors, with values reaching up to 3706 and 140 for Nd and Pr, respectively. The lower selectivity towards Pr was explained by the weaker Gibbs energy of hydration of Pr 3+ cations compared with Nd 3+ .
Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including ... more Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including the author's name, the title of the work, publication details where relevant (place, publisher, date), pagination, and for theses or dissertations the awarding institution, the degree type awarded, and the date of the award.
A hepatitis A vaccine was prepared by formaldehyde inactivation of purified hepatitis A virus (HA... more A hepatitis A vaccine was prepared by formaldehyde inactivation of purified hepatitis A virus (HAV) LSH/S strain grown on human diploid MRC-5 cells. The vaccine was devoid of residual infectivity in vitro and failed to induce in marmoset monkeys any pathological features or variations of haematological and clinical chemistry values. Infectious HAV particles were not detected in faeces and sera of the vaccinated primates by ELISA or after passages in MRC-5 cells. The immunogenicity of the vaccine was evaluated by injecting guinea-pigs with 0.8, 0.2 or 0.05 micrograms of HAV antigen adsorbed onto 0.5 and 1 mg of Al (OH)3 or 0.3 mg of AlPO4. The antibody response, measured by a competitive radioimmunoassay, was dose- and adjuvant-dependent. One injection of 0.2 micrograms of AlPO4-adsorbed HAV antigen induced seroconversion in 100% of animals and high levels of specific and neutralizing serum antibodies. A further increase of antibody titres was observed after the second and third inoculations. These results show that this vaccine formulation is safe and immunogenic in animal models, and suggest that it should be evaluated further by human clinical studies.
The objectives of the workshop were to (a) provide insight into current and future applications o... more The objectives of the workshop were to (a) provide insight into current and future applications of Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry and (b) generate provocative discussions on the future of this emerging field and its potential impacts, both positive and negative, on the chemical sciences and society. The SAB is tasked with monitoring the developments in science and technology of relevance to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The SAB's guidance enables the OPCW Director-General to render science and technology advice relevant to the CWC, to the Conference of the States Parties, the Executive Council and States Parties. Every five years the OPCW holds a Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, otherwise known as a Review Conference. These Review Conferences serve as fora for the assessment and evaluation of the CWC's implementation and setting long-term views by providing strategic guidance to the OPCW. Particular focus is given to the verification regime, especially given the CWC's guidance that the OPCW consider measures to make use of advances in science and technology in undertaking its verification activities (Article VIII, paragraph 6), the changing context within which the regime is implemented and scientific and technological advances in chemistry, engineering, and biotechnology. The Fifth Review Conference was scheduled for 15-19 May 2023. To ensure that the OPCW Technical Secretariat and States Parties are apprised, the SAB prepares a report before each Review Conference which analyses
The progress of four pharmaceuticals (bezafibrate, carbamazepine, clarithromycin and ciprofloxaci... more The progress of four pharmaceuticals (bezafibrate, carbamazepine, clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin) is followed through the treatment stages (screened sewage, settled sewage and final effluent) of a large urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) employing activated sludge treatment. Concentrations at the inlet to the WWTP are generally higher than those predicted from consideration of local pharmaceutical consumption and typical excretion data. Percentage removal efficiencies are variable (22.5-94.3%) with carbamazepine being the most resistant to elimination.
... In: 43rd IUPAC General Assembly, 13 - 21 August 2005, Beijing, China. (Unpublished). Full tex... more ... In: 43rd IUPAC General Assembly, 13 - 21 August 2005, Beijing, China. (Unpublished). Full text is not in this repository. Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper). ... Deposited On: 24 Jun 2010 07:00. Last Modified: 29 Dec 2010 06:09. Repository Staff Only: item control page ...
In natural environments, heavy metals and metalloids are widely dispersed as a consequence of ant... more In natural environments, heavy metals and metalloids are widely dispersed as a consequence of anthropogenic (e.g. mining) and geological (e.g. volcanic eruption) activities. The toxicity of these metals/metalloids could adversely affect the ecosystem as well as causing major human health concerns. Mycoremediation (remediation by fungi) has received attention from many researchers as an alternative to conventional chemical and physical methods in removing toxic metals and metalloids. A number of regulatory mechanisms to control the concentrations and counteract the toxicity of these pollutants have been observed in fungi. These mechanisms include: (i) precipitation or binding to cell surface materials, (ii) intracellular chelation and precipitation, (iii) biotransformation and (iv) control of membrane transport systems. This chapter examines the use of fungi to bioremediate metals and metalloids and their detoxification mechanisms, with special focus on an extremophilic fungus, Acidomyces acidophilus, isolated from a disused tin mine in the UK, to illustrate some of the mechanisms involved. Future biotechnological and nanotechnological prospects of metal/metalloids bioremediation using fungi are also discussed.
International Journal of Phytoremediation, Sep 1, 2011
Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including ... more Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including the author's name, the title of the work, publication details where relevant (place, publisher, date), pagination, and for theses or dissertations the awarding institution, the degree type awarded, and the date of the award.
Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, Nov 19, 2022
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are part of everyday items such as cellular phones and computers, a... more Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are part of everyday items such as cellular phones and computers, and they constitute a significant proportion of e-waste. PCBs contain hazardous components but also valuable and critical materials such as copper, gold, silver and rare earth elements. Rare earth elements (REE) are crucial to modern hardware and due to their increasing demand and high supply risk, they are now considered to be amongst the most critical elements in the world. In this research, WPCBs were supplied by local recycling companies after crushing/grinding process and metal analysis of the material was carried out. The concentration of the REE and their distributions in particle sizes is determined, and the potential of WPCBs for REE bioleaching is also discussed.
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Papers by Hemda Garelick