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  1. An integrated life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis: Evaluation on the production of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) and UiO-66-NH2 as membrane materials
    Goh WHD, Lau HS, Yong WF
    Sci Total Environ, 2023 Sep 20;892:164582.
    PMID: 37277034 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164582
    Material synthesis requires an enormous amount of organic solvents which leads to huge environmental burdens. Being so, the necessity to utilize non-toxic chemicals is of growing interest in the global market. Harnessing a green fabrication strategy could be a sustainable remedy. Herein, life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) using a cradle-to-gate approach to select the green synthesis route for the production of main components in mixed matrix membranes such as polymer and fillers were studied. Five representative synthesis routes of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) and fillers such as UiO-66-NH2 (UiO: University of Oslo) were conducted. Our findings revealed that the tetrachloroterephthalonitrile (TCTPN) synthesized PIM-1 using a novel approach (e.g., P5-Novel synthesis) and solvent-free synthesized UiO-66-NH2 (e.g., U5-Solvent-free) demonstrated the least environmental impact and are most economically feasible. The environmental burden and cost of PIM-1 synthesized by P5-Novel synthesis route decreased by 50 % and 15 %, respectively, while that of UiO-66-NH2 produced via U5-Solvent-free route reduced by 89 % and 52 %, respectively. Additionally, solvent reduction was found to have an apparent effect on cost-saving, whereby the production cost declined 13 % with a 30 % solvent reduction. Alleviation of environmental burdens could also be found through recovering solvents or substituting with a greener alternative (e.g., water). The fundamentals gained on the environmental impacts and economic feasibility of PIM-1 and UiO-66-NH2 production from this LCA-TEA study may provide a preliminary evaluation for the development of green and sustainable materials.
  2. Fulltext State-of-the-Art Organic- and Inorganic-Based Hollow Fiber Membranes in Liquid and Gas Applications: Looking Back and Beyond
    Lau HS, Lau SK, Soh LS, Hong SU, Gok XY, Yi S, et al.
    Membranes (Basel), 2022 May 22;12(5).
    PMID: 35629866 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12050539
    The aggravation of environmental problems such as water scarcity and air pollution has called upon the need for a sustainable solution globally. Membrane technology, owing to its simplicity, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness, has emerged as one of the favorable technologies for water and air purification. Among all of the membrane configurations, hollow fiber membranes hold promise due to their outstanding packing density and ease of module assembly. Herein, this review systematically outlines the fundamentals of hollow fiber membranes, which comprise the structural analyses and phase inversion mechanism. Furthermore, illustrations of the latest advances in the fabrication of organic, inorganic, and composite hollow fiber membranes are presented. Key findings on the utilization of hollow fiber membranes in microfiltration (MF), nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO), forward osmosis (FO), pervaporation, gas and vapor separation, membrane distillation, and membrane contactor are also reported. Moreover, the applications in nuclear waste treatment and biomedical fields such as hemodialysis and drug delivery are emphasized. Subsequently, the emerging R&D areas, precisely on green fabrication and modification techniques as well as sustainable materials for hollow fiber membranes, are highlighted. Last but not least, this review offers invigorating perspectives on the future directions for the design of next-generation hollow fiber membranes for various applications. As such, the comprehensive and critical insights gained in this review are anticipated to provide a new research doorway to stimulate the future development and optimization of hollow fiber membranes.
  3. Efficacy of international web-based educational intervention in the detection of high-risk flat and depressed colorectal lesions higher (CATCH project) with a video: A randomized trial
    Iwatate M, Hirata D, Francisco CPD, Co JT, Byeon JS, Joshi N, et al.
    Dig Endosc, 2022 Feb 04.
    PMID: 35122323 DOI: 10.1111/den.14244
    OBJECTIVE: Three high-risk flat and depressed lesions (FDLs), laterally spreading tumors non-granular type (LST-NG), depressed lesions, and large sessile serrated lesions (SSLs), are highly attributable to post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (CRC). Efficient and organized educational programs on detecting high-risk FDLs are lacking. We aimed to explore whether a web-based educational intervention with training on FIND clues (fold deformation, intensive stool/mucus attachment, no vessel visibility, and demarcated reddish area) may improve the ability to detect high-risk FDLs.

    METHODS: This was an international web-based randomized control trial that enrolled non-expert endoscopists in 13 Asian countries. The participants were randomized into either education or non-education group. All participants took the pre-test and post-test to read 60 endoscopic images (40 high-risk FDL, 5 polypoid, 15 no lesions) and answered whether there was a lesion. Only the education group received a self-education program (video and training questions and answers) between the tests. The primary outcome was a detection rate of high-risk FDLs.

    RESULTS: In total, 284 participants were randomized. After excluding non-responders, the final data analyses were based on 139 participants in the education group and 130 in the non-education group. The detection rate of high-risk FDLs in the education group significantly improved by 14.7% (66.6% to 81.3%) compared with -0.8% (70.8% to 70.0%) in the non-education group. Similarly, the detection rate of LST-NG, depressed lesions, and large SSLs significantly increased only in the education group by 12.7%, 12.0%, and 21.6%, respectively.

    CONCLUSION: Short self-education focusing on detecting high-risk FDLs was effective for Asian non-expert endoscopists. (UMIN000042348).

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