AIMS The aim of this study was to assess the risk of postoperative endophthalmitis associated with different prophylactic protocols, using povidone-iodine disinfection of the skin and conjunctiva in patients undergoing cataract surgery over an 8-year period at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Kaohsiung, Taiwan). METHOD This was a retrospective, comparative, case-controlled study. Data were colle...

The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as a rapid alternative analytical method for monitoring recreational water quality at beaches. For qPCR to be considered for other Clean Water Act purposes, such as inclusion in discharge permits and use in Total Maximum Daily Load calculations, it is necessary to understand how qPCR det...

BACKGROUND This study assessed the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding disinfection procedures among nurses in Italian hospitals. METHODS A face-to-face interview gathered the following information: demographic and practice characteristics; knowledge about the healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the disinfection practices; attitudes towards the utility of guidelines/...

AIM To determine factors associated with microbiological safety of public drinking water systems in regional New South Wales (NSW), Australia. METHOD We analysed 107,000 end-user drinking water samples for an association between detection of Escherichia coli and drinking water system features, sample year and season using NSW Health Drinking Water Monitoring Program data, 2001-2007. We used n...

A small water disinfection system based on the combination of a strong single 25 mW LED with a wavelength of 285 nm and a short quartz tube with an outer rectangular cross section is presented. For the disinfection tests clear tap water and slightly turbid and yellow pond water are contaminated with high concentrations of Escherichia coli bacteria. These water samples are exposed to the germici...

Photocatalysis has attracted worldwide attention due to its potential in solar energy conversion. As a "green" advanced oxidation technology, it has been extensively used for water disinfection and wastewater treatment. This article provides a review of the recent progress in solar energy-induced photocatalytic disinfection of bacteria, focusing on the development of highly efficient photocatal...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Water shortage problems have led to find either new water resources or improve wastewater treatment technologies in order to reuse. Due to less performance of previous units in microbial removal, disinfection has become a necessary step in wastewater treatment plants. In the present study performance of hydrogen peroxide (HP) and modified Fenton's reagent (HP + Cu(++))...

Water borne pathogens present a threat to human health and their disinfection from water poses a challenge, prompting search for newer methods and newer materials. Disinfection of Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and Gram-positive coccal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus in aqueous matrix was achieved within 60 and 90 minutes respectively at 350C using solarphotocatalysis mediated by sono...

Water borne pathogens present a threat to human health and their disinfection from water poses a challenge, prompting the search for newer methods and newer materials. Disinfection of the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive coccal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus in an aqueous matrix was achieved within 60 and 90 min, respectively, at 35 °C using solar-photocatalysis m...

The production of different species of microalgae in consortium with other micro-organisms from wastewaters may represent an alternative process, to reduce the costs, for obtaining biofuels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of pre-ultraviolet disinfection (UV) in the production of lipids from biomass produced in high rate ponds. Two high rate algal ponds were evaluated: a pon...