Conventional membranes used in the process of premix membrane emulsification are prone to fouling, especially when biopolymers are employed as surfactants. An alternative to conventional membranes are dynamic membranes consisting of an unconsolidated porous medium. Dynamic membranes have the advantage of enabling easy cleaning of the inside of the pores. Experimental research carried out to date has focused on the application of hydrophilic dynamic membranes composed of glass microbeads for producing o/w emulsions. The aims of this study were to determine the efficiency of droplet size reduction in a w/o emulsion when passed through a dynamic hydrophobic membrane consisting of a bed of irregular polymer particles, and to assess the effect of multiple membrane passes on the properties of the w/o emulsion. The dynamic membranes evaluated in the tests were found to reduce the diameters of premix droplets when an appropriate pressure level was reached. Higher bed porosity was associated with greater fluxes achieved across the packed bed, but the resulting emulsions were less homogeneous. Multiple passes of the emulsion through the dynamic polypropylene membrane led to a further reduction in droplet size, but it was accompanied by a decline in emulsion homogeneity.

Due to the increasing problem resulting from environmental pollution with heavy metals, great emphasis is placed on the development of removal methods of these pollutants from the environment. This study presents a literature review on the methods for the removal of nickel ions from aqueous solutions such as sorption, especially using low-cost sorbents which are very popular in 21���� century, electrochemical processes and membrane techniques. It is often impossible to use a single technique for efficient removal of heavy metals from wastewater as the process depends on many factors, such as wastewater composition, pH, temperature and many others. The aim of this review is to present some selected removal techniques of nickel(II) from wastewater from the point of view of their efficiency and applicability.

Bacteriophages, viruses that can infect bacteria, are promising alternatives for antibiotic treatment caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains. For that reason, the production of bacteriophages is extensively studied. Mathematical modelling can lead to the improvement of bioprocess by identification of critical process parameters and their impact on the demanded product. Dynamic modelling considers a system (i.e. bioreactor or bioprocess) as a dynamic object focusing on changes in the initial and final parameters (such as biomass concentration and product formation) in time, so-called signals and treats the studied system as a “black box” that processes signals. This work aimed to develop a mathematical model that describes bacteriophage production process. As result, we created a dynamic model that can estimate the number of bacteriophages released from cells as plaque-forming units at specific time points based on the changes in the bacteria host-cell concentration. Moreover, the proposed model allowed us to analyze the impact of the initial virus concentration given by multiplicity of infection (MOI) on the amount of produced bacteriophages.

The main aim of the below presented work was to investigate the possibility of using impedance spectroscopy in the unpasteurized beer microbial contamination degree assessment. Advantages of the impedance spectroscopy method, a negligible number of similar published results as well as their practical aspect make the research important. Four different types of beerswere investigated whichwere unfit for consumption due to improper storage and were heavily microbiologically contaminated. Their impedance was measured in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 1 kHz before and after centrifugation. Based on the measured values, an innovative electrical equivalent circuit was proposed and the parameters of the circuit elements were fitted. The obtained results show significant differences (23 up to 35%) in the values of resistance modelling the diffusion phenomenon. Such large changes, resulting from the removal of biomass from the samples, prove the validity of impedance spectroscopy in the study of the properties of unpasteurized beer. According to the authors, it would be possible to use the proposed methodology during the production of beer.With some limitations, it should aid in the early detection of microbial contamination.

The practical applications of bacteriophages are associated with the problems related to the intensification, optimization of process production of this biomaterial and the search for new methods of production. The production of bacteriophages requires a fine balance between the dynamic growth of the bacteriophage and the host. The electromagnetic field (EMF) is a promising biotechnological method for the process production of bacteriophages. This study evaluates the use of various types of EMF to enhance the process. It was found that the process production of bacteriophages is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the influence of various types of EMF on the proliferation process of bacteria (host) was analyzed. Secondly, the process production of bacteriophage was implemented for the optimal infection conditions under the action of the various types of EMF. Moreover, the study demonstrated that the most effective bacteriophage production was the process with the application of the rotating magnetic field (RMF), pulsed magnetic field (PMF) and the static magnetic field (SMF) with negative polarity.

Titanium dioxide with its ability to be a UV light blocker is commonly used as a physical sunscreen in the cosmetic industry. However, the safety issues of TiO ₂ application should be considered more in-depth, e.g., UV light-induced generation of reactive oxygen species which can cause DNA damage within skin cells. The proper modification of titanium dioxide to significantly limit its photocatalytic properties can contribute to the safety enhancement. The modification strategies including the process conditions and intrinsic properties of titanium dioxide were discussed. The selected examples of commercially available TiO ₂ materials as potential components of cosmetic emulsions dedicated for sunscreens were compared in this study. Only rutile samples modified with Al ₂O ₃ and/or SiO ₂ showed inhibition of photocatalytic activity.