Intro4u2u

Thirty six years have elapsed since Grondin and associates published in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery the paper “The tricuspid valve: A surgical challenge.” Since then, and probably due to it, a lot of attention was placed in a valve whose patho-physiology was not very well understood at the time.

Surgeons now know that a severe degree of tricuspid regurgitation must be corrected at the time of mitral operation, and we now have in our armamentarium several techniques that have successfully passed the test of time to achieve a competent tricuspid valve. It is also true that we don’t know why so many patients, up to 20-25% according to different experiences, whose tricuspid valve was considered quite normal at the time of surgery, later develop right ventricular failure with concomitant severe tricuspid regurgitation. Once this situation is established neither medical nor surgical treatment are clearly effective.

After more than thirty years dealing with this problem and having visually explored many tricuspid valves of rheumatic and non-rheumatic patients at the time of surgery, we have the impression that most of the rheumatic valves have some degree of pathological changes in the leaflets or the subvalvular apparatus even in the absence of any tricuspid regurgitation detectable clinically or echocardiographically.

If these changes progress with time, the valve can became slightly incompetent and trigger a vicious circle that leads to the above mentioned situation with right ventricular failure. Could this vicious circle be interrupted by fixing the annulus with any of the available techniques?

If we admit this hypothesis, surely we are going to treat some patients unnecessarily. What is the price of that? To our knowledge, to wear a pair of sutures around the tricuspid annulus does not imply any risk in the long term. The low economical cost plus the short extra time of cardiopulmonary bypass necessary to perform a suture annuloplasty are added attractions. We lack the necessary experience to decide if such a policy will be applicable using prosthetic rings. Probably the relative high cost of rings can be an obstacle, especially in third world countries where rheumatic valvular disease is most prevalent.

Some technical tricks to properly perform a De Vega tricuspid annuloplasty:

• Place the sutures before doing anything in the mitral valve. Otherwise it may be difficult to place a good stitch in the antero-septal commissure.

• Try to keep your sutures as buried in the annulus as possible by going inside again close to the point you came out.

• If you just need to fix the annulus or to slightly reduce it, you don’t need a stitch at both ends; one suture doubly passed is enough. If you need to really reduce the annulus two sutures, one starting at either end, will produce a more uniform plication.

• In some cases, when the annulus is very much dilated, the plication can be done in two or even three parts. After the left heart valve surgery is completed, with the aortic clamp released, the sutures are tied over a progressive occluder.

Weight gain after quitting is a serious concern for some smokers. About 80 per cent of smokers put on weight when they quit. However most ex-smokers only gain a modest amount of weight. Women typically gain between 3 kilograms and 5.5 kilograms in the first year due to stopping smoking, while men tend to gain less. Research shows that in the long term, the average body weight of female ex-smokers is similar to women who have never smoked.

Smoking appears to change the distribution of fat in women to a less healthy male “apple” pattern. Women who smoke tend to put on more fat around their waist compared to women who do not smoke. Fat in this area is associated with risks such as stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and a general increased death rate. When women quit smoking, any weight gain that occurs is in the normal and safer female pattern, with a preference to the hips rather than the waist.

It is possible to quit smoking and minimise weight gain if you pay attention to diet and exercise. However, it can be helpful to be prepared to accept at least a small increase in weight. It can be difficult to quit cigarettes and manage weight at the same time, because both activities require effort and commitment. If this is the case for you, concentrate first on quitting. See your doctor or dietitian for further information and advice if weight gain is a problem.

The causes of weight gain
The two main causes of weight gain when quitting smoking are thought to be:

* The effect of nicotine on the body – nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco that causes smokers to continue their habit. Although nicotine isn’t thought to cause cancer, it does speed up the body’s food processing system, the metabolism. After many years of smoking, smokers tend to weigh slightly less than non-smokers. Researchers suggest that one of the reasons why some smokers tend to put on weight after quitting is because their metabolism slows down, and they burn fewer kilojoules than while they were smoking. This would explain why some ex-smokers put on weight even if they do not eat any more than usual.
* Eating more food – many smokers find their eating habits change when they quit cigarettes. Some smokers experience increased hunger as a withdrawal symptom, but research suggests that any increases in food intake after quitting eventually return to normal.

Eating instead of smoking
Some ex-smokers eat more, particularly in the first few days or weeks after quitting. Some of the reasons include:

* The restless, empty feeling of nicotine withdrawal can feel very similar to hunger pangs. The smoker may be ‘fooled’ into thinking they’re hungry when they are not.
* Missing the oral satisfaction of putting a cigarette into their mouths prompts some ex-smokers to substitute food for cigarettes. Instead of lighting up, they eat something.
* Food can be comforting. If an ex-smoker is having a hard time during the withdrawal period, they may reward themselves with treats and snacks in an attempt to feel better.
* Some smokers regularly skip meals – for example, breakfast may be a cup of coffee and a couple of cigarettes. Once you stop smoking, you may find that you don’t feel like skipping meals anymore.
* Many ex-smokers find that food tastes better, and this may lead to more helpings.

Tips on reducing weight gain
It is possible to maintain your current weight, or at least keep weight gain low, while you’re quitting cigarettes. Suggestions include:

* Exercise more often - being inactive is a risk factor for weight gain. Aim for around half an hour of moderate activity every day - for example, brisk walking, gardening, swimming or cycling. You can do 10 minutes of exercise at a time, adding up to a total of 30 minutes over the day, if you prefer.
* Muscle tissue burns more kilojoules than fat. You can boost your metabolic rate by including one or two weight training sessions into your weekly exercise program to build up muscle.
* Don’t crash diet. If you eat too few kilojoules, the body will respond by lowering the metabolism and burning muscle tissue for fuel.
* It can be tricky telling the difference between hunger pangs and withdrawal cravings. Get into the habit of ‘listening’ to your body before you decide to eat something.
* It takes about 15 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that it’s full, so wait before having second helpings. You might find you don’t want it after all.
* Find ways other than eating to cope with withdrawal cravings. Some people drink water, while others count to 100 – experiment until you find your own method.
* Put safe, non-edible items in your mouth if oral cravings bother you. For example, you could use toothpicks or cinnamon sticks, or chew on sugarless gum.
* If you need to snack, keep raw vegetable sticks and other low fat, low kilojoule foods on hand.
* Increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables and wholegrain foods.
* Cut back on high fat, high salt and high sugar products. You can do this easily by not stocking these types of foods in your kitchen pantry.
* Alcoholic drinks can contain many kilojoules. Try alternating with water or other low kilojoule drinks.
* Be kind to yourself if you do put on a few kilos. You are boosting your health by quitting.

If you put on weight
If you’ve gained weight despite your best efforts, don’t despair. A few extra kilograms are a much lower risk compared to the risk of continuing to smoke. You would have to gain over 40 kilograms above your recommended weight to equal the risk of heart disease posed by smoking.

Don’t think that taking up smoking again will mean you will shed the weight – sometimes it doesn’t. Concentrate on improving your diet and increasing your physical activity. See your doctor or dietitian for help and advice.

One packet of 25 cigarettes costs around $10.50, and the price keeps rising. If you need an added incentive to quit, think about how much of your pay packet is going up in smoke every week.

What could you do for yourself and your family with that extra money? More than you think. At today’s prices, if you smoke one pack of cigarettes per day for 10 years, you’ll spend over $38,000 – easily enough to buy a new car.

After one day
After one day of not smoking, you’ve got an extra $10.50 in your pocket. You could treat yourself to a café lunch or buy a couple of your favourite magazines.

The health benefits of not smoking for one day include:

* Most of the nicotine is cleared from your body.
* Your blood pressure and heart rate are dropping towards normal levels.

After two days
You’ve saved $21. You could go to the movies, hire in-line skates for a few hours or treat yourself to a nice bottle of wine.

The health benefits of not smoking for two days include:

* Your senses of smell and taste begin to improve.
* You notice that your skin, hair and breath smell fresher.
* Less carbon monoxide in your system means your lungs are more efficient.

After one week
Now you’ve got an extra $73.50 in your pocket. You could take someone to dinner or the theatre, or buy a few books, CDs or DVDs.

The health benefits of not smoking for one week include:

* The small hair-like structures that clean your lungs, called cilia, are starting to work again. Accumulated phlegm from smoking will loosen and you will start to cough it up.
* Your body is purged of most nicotine by-products.

After one month
You’ve saved $320. You could go away for a weekend, buy a new television or treat yourself to some new clothes.

The health benefits of not smoking for one month include:

* Your lungs are working more efficiently.
* Exercising is easier.
* Your blood pressure has returned to normal.
* Your immune system is starting to recover.

After three to six months
After three months you’ve saved over $950, enough for a return ticket to New Zealand with extra spending money or a new home theatre package including a DVD player and speakers. After six months, you’ve got $1,910 to spend. You could pay for a holiday in Queensland or a return ticket to London or the United States.

The health benefits of not smoking for three to six months include:

* You don’t cough and wheeze as much anymore. Your lung function has continued to improve.
* Blood flow to your extremities, like fingers and toes, improves.

After one year
You’ve saved $3,830, enough for an around-the-world plane ticket or a new computer system.

The health benefits of not smoking for one year include:

* Your increased risk of premature death from heart attack is halved.

Other cost-saving benefits of quitting
If you quit smoking, you’ll save money in many other ways, including:

* You’re less likely to suffer from respiratory infections, which means fewer trips to the doctor, less money spent on medications and fewer sick days.
* You won’t need so many visits to the dentist to have your teeth professionally cleaned.
* You don’t have to spend as much time and money on maintaining the house. For example, smoking inside your home discolours paint and wallpaper.
* You cut down on your cleaning bills because clothes, furniture upholstery and the interior of your car no longer stink of cigarette smoke.

Future benefits
The health and financial benefits of quitting continue as the years go by.

* Your chances of conceiving a baby improve. Smoking can cause fertility problems, such as impotence in men and increased risk of miscarriage in women.
* Within two to five years, your risk of stroke is substantially reduced. You’ve also saved between $7,500 and $19,000.
* After 10 years, your risk of lung cancer is less than half that of a continuing smoker and continues to decline (provided the disease is not already present). You’ve also saved over $38,000.
* After 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease is nearly the same as a lifetime non-smoker. You’ve also saved over $57,000.

Tobacco smoking is the single most common cause of ill health and premature death in Australia. Approximately 19,000 Australians die from tobacco-related diseases each year.

In many communities the smoking rates are very high. Help to stop smoking is available through doctors, health centres, pharmacists, migrant resource centres, community centres, ethnic organisations and Quit Victoria.

Smoking in different cultures
Australia has a very large population of people from diverse backgrounds. In Victoria, more than 20 per cent of the population speak a language other than English at home. Approximately 22 per cent of people born in Australia smoke tobacco. Rates are higher for people born in other Oceania countries (26%), about the same for those born in North African and Middle East countries, and lower for those from European and South-East Asian countries.

Smoking rates that combine both men and women can disguise the fact that, for many countries of origin, the smoking rates of men are very high and the female smoking rates are quite low. For example, a 1995 Australian survey shows that the male smoking rate for those born in Greece was four times that of the female smoking rate. Also, men born in Vietnam had a smoking rate of 36 per cent, while less than one per cent of women born in Vietnam smoked.

Resources to stop smoking
Resources to stop smoking – including brochures, information booklets and CDs – are available in a variety of languages and are distributed free of charge. They are available from Quit and may also be available at migrant resource centres, ethnic organisations, community centres, local community and social groups, pharmacies and doctors.

In Victoria, resources to help stop smoking are available in Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Croatian, Greek, Italian, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Education sessions
Trained bilingual educators are available to attend community groups, free of charge, to give talks on the health effects of smoking, passive smoking and information on how to quit in different languages. Sessions in English, adapted to suit the language level of the group, are also available for multicultural groups and for people learning English. Call Quit on (03) 9635 5535.

Ethnic media
Ethnic media are an important means of promoting the smoke-free message. Radio, newspapers, ethnic publications and community television promote information on stopping smoking in a variety of community languages.

Where to get help

* Quitline Tel. 137 848
* Your doctor
* Pharmacies
* Migrant resource centre
* Community centres
* Ethnic organisations

Around 17.6 per cent of the Australian population smoke every day, and most smokers want to quit. According to Quit statistics, 79 per cent of Victorian smokers have tried to kick the habit at least once, while about 40 per cent have made an attempt to stop in the previous year.

Smokers often make several attempts to quit before succeeding. Successful quitters see past attempts as practice and experience to learn from and build on.

Some people find that going ‘cold turkey’ - quitting completely and immediately - is the most successful method for them. However, if you haven’t succeeded in stopping smoking on your own, getting extra support can increase the likelihood that you will quit successfully.

Quit courses and telephone support can help you to become, and stay, a non-smoker. Nicotine replacement therapy is available from chemists, and your doctor can also prescribe medication to help you quit.

Benefits of quitting
Quitting at any age will reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic bronchitis and several other health conditions related to smoking. The earlier you quit, the greater the health benefit.

Your health will improve in the first few months after quitting, benefiting your heart and lungs, increasing blood flow to hands and feet and improving your immune system.

Smokers who quit by the age of 30 gain 10 years of life expectancy and avoid most smoking-related diseases. Even quitting at the age of 60 improves your life expectancy by a few years. If you already have a smoking-related disease, quitting will improve your condition and assist in your treatment.

Deciding to quit
Motivation and planning are central to quitting smoking. First, work out the main reasons you want to stop. Take a piece of paper and on one half write down the reasons you smoke. On the other half, write down all the reasons you can think of to quit.

Now you have a clearer idea of what you will lose and what you will gain from stopping smoking. Circle the most important reason for you to quit. Write it down on a separate piece of paper and keep it somewhere you can easily look at it when you need to.

If you seem to have more reasons to smoke than quit, you may want to talk to someone about this such as your doctor or a Quitline advisor.

Tackling barriers to quitting
Many people keep smoking because they feel it helps them in some way or they are afraid of the possible side effects of quitting. Some common concerns include:

* Cigarettes as stress relief – there are plenty of other ways to relax that are actually beneficial to the body, such as exercise and meditation.
* Fear of weight gain – not all smokers put on weight when they quit and most ex-smokers only put on a small amount of weight.
* Fear of depression – quitting cigarettes can often make a person feel better about themselves and in control. For people with a mental illness or who have had a mental illness, special support is available through your doctor and the Quitline.
* Fear of withdrawal – nicotine is an addictive drug and the effects of withdrawal can be unpleasant. However, these symptoms are only temporary.

Tips on quitting
Suggestions include:

* Decide on a quit date and stick to it.
* Ring Quitline on 13 7848. For the cost of a local call, professional telephone advisors provide encouragement and support to help smokers quit.
* The Quitline also provides a “call back” service, information on Quit’s courses, a free Quit pack and information on video, DVD, CD, audio tape or the internet.
* Tell your family and friends of your intention to stop smoking and ask for their support.
* Think about prior attempts to quit and what went wrong. Plan how to avoid the same pitfalls this time.
* Decide on your strategy. For example, do you intend to go cold turkey, use nicotine replacement therapy or attend group courses?
* Write a list of all the reasons why you want to stop smoking and refer to this list whenever you feel tempted to light up a cigarette.
* Throw away all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays in your home and car. If your partner smokes, suggest that he or she stops too, or only smokes outside the house and away from you.
* Plan for situations that you know make you want to smoke.
* Reduce possible weight gain by eating more fruit, vegetables and wholemeal cereals. Do some exercise you enjoy, such as walking or swimming.
* Your body will absorb more caffeine than usual in the few weeks after quitting. Cut down on coffee and tea for the first month or so to prevent caffeine-induced anxiety and restlessness.
* Treat yourself with the money you have saved. Your efforts deserve to be rewarded!
* If you do have a cigarette, it’s not the end of your quit attempt. A slip-up is a setback, not a defeat.

Cravings only last a few minutes. Get through them by using the 4Ds:

* Delay acting on the urge to reach for a cigarette
* Take Deep breaths
* Drink water
* Do something else to occupy your mind while your craving passes.

Nicotine replacement therapy and prescription drugs
Cold turkey, or suddenly stopping smoking without help, is a popular quitting strategy but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some people are so irritated by the associated withdrawal symptoms that they start smoking again.

Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes that makes smokers want to keep on smoking. There are nicotine skin patches, chewing gum, lozenges, tablets and inhalers available that can ease the withdrawal symptoms when you stop smoking and increase your chances of success. These products are available from chemists.

The prescription drug buproprion, sold under the brand name Zyban, can also reduce some nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Together with counselling, the drug can increase your chances of stopping smoking. This drug is approved by the PBS and must be prescribed by your doctor as it is not suitable for all people.

Stop smoking courses
There are courses available to help and encourage smokers to quit. Participating in a Quit Fresh Start course can be beneficial. Call Quitline for more information and referral.

There are other smoking cessation courses available. When you consider these courses, take note of the following suggestions.

* Full details of the course, including cost, length of sessions, duration and techniques, should be made available before you sign up and pay your money.
* Follow-up advice and information should be available after the course finishes.
* The course should make no guarantees about its success rate. To have a reasonable success rate, approximately 70 per cent of participants should stop smoking by the end of the course and at least 15 per cent remain non-smokers one year later.
* If claims such as no weight gain, anxiety or withdrawal symptoms seem too good to be true, they probably are.

Smoking is a major factor contributing to the early development of age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration is an eye condition caused by cardiovascular (heart) disease and it is the most common cause of blindness in the Western world. Smoking contributes to cardiovascular disease.

Cigarette smoking contributes to cardiovascular disease
Cigarette smoking speeds up the development of atherosclerotic plaques (collections of cholesterol and fat), in the walls of arteries. These are like porridge, gradually blocking arteries so that blood flow becomes limited.

Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke are thought to be important causes of arteries losing their elasticity. This means that arteries respond less well to fluctuations in pressure and are more likely to rupture.

Smoking, even passive smoking, increases heart rate and blood pressure. this leads to demanding more oxygen from the blood which contains high levels of carbon monoxide. Through a complex set of reactions, heart muscle function is impaired and other regulatory systems for insulin and lipid metabolism are compromised.

How the eye is affected
The macular area of the retina has the finest blood supply in the body, serving the retinal receptors that enable us to see minute detail clearly. Obstruction and failure of the blood supply to the macula happens even before other body functions may be affected. This blood vessel damage causes a gradual failure of vision. New vessel growth and leakage can result in scarring of the retina and severe vision loss.

The average age that people present with age-related macular degeneration in the first eye is about 65 years. The second eye becomes impaired at a rate of about 12 per cent each year and about 60 per cent of patients are legally blind in both eyes by their 70th birthday. There is no effective medical or surgical cure for age-related macular degeneration, but rehabilitation advice helps people to live more independently.

The impact of vision problems
Age-related macular degeneration has extensive implications. People who have it:

* Cannot read or see detail on the TV
* Cannot easily recognise faces
* Cannot drive
* Confuse medication labels and are at risk of other illnesses
* Fall more easily and suffer more serious complications from falling
* Lose independence and may require residential care earlier than if their vision was normal.

Quitting smoking, or not starting in the first place, is a way to ensure that good vision is maintained for as long as possible. Through its low vision clinics, Vision Australia provides optical and other devices to enable people with macular degeneration to make best use of their remaining vision and continue to live independent and fulfilling lives.

Where to get help

* Your doctor
* Your local community health centre
* Vision Australia’s Vision Information Line Tel. 1800 331 000.

Things to remember

* Smoking is a major contributing factor to the early development of age-related macular degeneration.
* There is no effective treatment for age-related macular degeneration.
* Quitting smoking, or not starting in the first place, is a way to ensure that good vision is maintained for as long as possible.

People who smoke may try to reduce the harm that smoking causes by cutting down or by smoking less damaging products

People who smoke may be unwilling or unable to stop smoking completely. Cutting down the number of cigarettes smoked daily or smoking less damaging products may reduce the harm caused by smoking. It may also be a step towards stopping smoking completely. This approach might, however, undermine the importance of quitting which has very clear health benefits. We found thirteen controlled trials that tested ways to help people to cut down the number of cigarettes they smoked. We did not find any randomized controlled trials which tested the effects of using products designed to reduce damage, such as Potentially Reduced Exposure tobacco Products (PREPs). Ten of the trials tested nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as an aid to cutting down. Our combined analysis of eight of these trials (3273 smokers) found that nicotine replacement roughly doubled the odds of reducing the number of cigarettes per day by 50% or more. However, levels of carbon monoxide and cotinine (markers within the body of exposure to tobacco smoke) did not reduce by the same proportion. This suggested that there may not be a direct relationship between the reduction in number of cigarettes and the reduction in harmful effects. Although NRT helped significantly more people to cut down, few were able to sustain the reduction over time. NRT also nearly doubled the odds of quitting completely. One trial failed to find a benefit of bupropion either for cutting down or for quitting. Four trials tested advice or instructions for reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and did not find clear evidence of a significant effect. We did not find any trials which reported the long-term effects on health of cutting down, and it remains uncertain how much health benefit there is from cutting down.

Bioremediation is the natural process of degrading organic materials to carbon dioxide, water and various ions. It is literally as old as life on earth. Microbes that exist naturally in all soil and water produce enzymes which breakdown hydrocarbons into smaller, less toxic materials.

Using modern biotechnology we have found ways to accelerate and improve the effectiveness of bioremediation. Naturally occurring microbes have been selectively adapted for their ability to digest specific hydrocarbon contaminants such as oil and gasoline. The Microbes are combined with nutrients, pH stabilizers, oxygen and surfactants. The result is a product which when applied to contaminated soil or water, optimizes the environment for bioremediation to take place. The remediation process is accelerated dramatically. The contamination is mineralized and the environmental hazard is reduced or eliminated.

In many cases, petroleum encountered in a site investigation has been chemically altered due to environmental exposure, and its property change - sometimes radically - resulting in a gas chromatographic trace with little resemblance to the unaltered product. To the untrained eye, these altered GC traces can be misinterpreted, leading to the wrong conclusions about source, transport and fate of petroleum in the study area.

Occasionally, samples collected from a site contain petroleum products or related wastes that have remained chemically intact since the time of release. Using well-established laboratory and gas chromatographic techniques, a laboratory analyst with reasonable experience can usually identify the petroleum present in such samples.

The three most commonly encountered weathering pathways that affect fugitive petroleum are microbial degradation, evaporation and solubilization.

Microbial degradation. There are indigenous microbial populations in most environmental media capable of degrading petroleum given favorable conditions such as availability of oxygen, water, and nutrients. Although almost all of the major chemical classes of petroleum are biodegradable, the normal alkanes are most susceptible to this weathering pathway, and are usually the first compounds to show evidence of degradation following a release.

Evaporation. Selective losses of low molecular weight compounds - molecular weight of about 150 a.m.u. and less due to evaporation can be a significant part of the weathering process. Obviously, the lighter the spilled product is gasoline as opposed to crude, for example, the more likely that evaporative losses will constitute a significant portion of the overall weathering.

Solubilization. Most hydrocarbons that make up petroleum have low solubility in water, however certain compounds, notably the lower molecular weight aromatics and some low molecular weight aliphatics -have reasonable was solubility. For example, the monoaromatic compounds, principally benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and the xylenes (BTEX), lesser alkylated benzenes (< C4), and naphthalene and its C1- analogues have notable solubilities, such as solubility of benzene at 1780 mg/L to 2-methylnaphthalene - 25 mg/L.

Armed with such knowledge, the site investigator can confidently identify and track fugitive petroleum at a study site. If faced with a weathered product that must be distinguished from other petroleum sources of like or different composition, it also allows the investigator to tailor further, more sophisticated chemical analyses and interpret those results in light of the weathering state of the in-place petroleum.

1.1    Chemical Used for Bioremediation

Surfactant can enhance bioremediation performance. Surfactants can act in two ways which are increase solubility and lower the interfacial tension by reducing the capillary forces.

(a)    BioSurfactant - BioSolve

BioSolve  is water based and biodegradable that will accelerate the bioremediation by:

i)    Increasing the speed of carbon substrate exposure to the microorganisms and the dispersion of the micro-organism’s’ enzymes
ii)    Desorbing and dispersing the contaminate into a more acceptable environment for micro-organisms ( aqueous phase)
iii)    Encapsulating VOC’s into the water to prevent volatilisation

(b)    Micro Nutrient - Desludge

Micro nutrient is an environmentally, bio degradable, non-toxic, non-hazardous product. It designed to be used with naturally occurring bacteria or with an enhanced bacteria package. It can keep the bacteria aerobic for longer time. Will consume more contaminated oil and faster. Does not contain enzymes, formaldehyde or chlorine; is not a biocide as well as practical and economical.

1.2 Application of BioSolve

l    Soil remediation
-    Enhance the microbe’s ability to metabolize the contaminated
l    Vapor Suppression
-  Encapsulates the source of the vapor rather than temporarily blanketing it like foam
l    Bioremediation
-    Produced excellent results when used in conjunction with nutrients
-    Shorter time frame and greatly reduced overall costs to remediate
l    Water Treatment
-    Proven effective in accelerating the degradation levels within legal discharge limits.
l    In Storage Tank
-    Proven effective in eliminating or reducing VOC vapors
l    Spill Clean –Up
-    Emulsifies and encapsulates the contaminants almost instantly
-    Helping to eliminate the danger
l    In Sewers
-    Successfully utilized by Emergency Response Teams in numerous instances of volatile hydrocarbon discharges into sewer systems.
-    Immediately helps reduce or eliminate the vapor release and the danger of fire or explosion.

1.3    Some others chemical groups that Biosurfactant can be used (other than
Hydrocarbon)
1.    Glycol Ether                    7.    Alcohols
2.    Glycol Ether Acetates (*)            8.    Aliphatic Solvents
3.    Jeffamine Ployoxypropleneamines(*)    9.    Aromatic Solvents
4.    Jeffcool Industrial Coolants (*)        10.    Esters
5.    Jeffox Polyethylene Glycols (*)        11.    Glycols
6.    Keytones
Note:    (*)    Commercial named group

1.4    Uses of BioSolve

Biosurfactant has a wide range of users and uses such as Environmental Clean-Up Companies, Petroleum Tank Farms, Oil Refineries, Fire Department Hazmat Teams, Water Treatments Facilities, Manufacturers, Utility Companies, Airports, Military Shipyards, Marinas, Drilling Platform and many more.

Solve can enhance the microbe’s ability to metabolise the contaminate by stripping the hydrocarbon off the soil particles and emulsifying it into the pore space
Hydrocarbon that has been stripped off from soil particles

BioSolve encapsulates the contaminate in water so that it can’t vaporize and to allow bacteria quickly metabolise the contaminate

Microorganisms digest hydrocarbon and convert it to carbon dioxide and water
Oil
Microbe
CO2 + H2O
CO2 + H2O
Microorganisms eat hydrocarbon or other organic contaminant
Microorganisms give off carbon dioxide and water

1.5    BioSolve Overview

BioSolve is a unique blend of biodegradable, water based surfactants, wetting agents and emulsifier developed after years formulation. Our team was developed for, and has been utilized by the environmental clean up for over 5 years as an effective solution to enhancing many technologies for contaminant mitigation. These technology include bioremediation, VOC vapor & odor suppression, tank entry, workover turnarounds, UST washouts, emergency response, spill mitigation, soil washing and sludge separation.

BioSolve can be stored for long-term storage, which is more than 10 years with no deterioration of quality in unopened container. It is effective with hard, soft, brackish or salt waters and also not affected by freezing, simply thaw and stir.

BioSolve is the result of tests on hundreds of formulations. It is a uniquely balanced blend of water based nonionic with a slight amount of anionic surfactant. BioSolve  does not contain cationic surfactants nor does it contain phosphates, nitrates or D-Limonene.

So far there is no one record highlighted the side effect of using our biosolve to the system treated and environment.

Asthma
An asthma attack is when something (such as dust, pollen, cigarette smoke) triggers a switch
in the person that causes their air passages to constrict, tighten, and spasm
causing the person to cough, wheeze and have difficulty breathing. They can also
be caused by anxiety and tension. Most people who suffer attacks on a rather
regular basis will carry their medication with them.
If someone you are with is having an attack:
l Help them assume an upright position, it will be for them to breathe than
if they were lying down. You may want to encourage the person to sit with
their legs crossed and their elbows on their knees as this is a relaxing position and may ease
breathing.
l Talk to the person calmly and try to help them to relax.
l Make sure they are in an area where there is a good supply of clean air (as
opposed to a dusty room).
l As soon as the person is sitting down, have them take their medication. If
they cannot then you will have to assist them. Shake the
puffer and give them one puff of reliever (with or without a spacer), they
should then hold that breath for 4 seconds then breathe in and out
normally 4 times. Repeat this step four times.
l Wait 4 or so minutes. If there is no improvement repeat the previous step
again.
l If there is still no improvement call an ambulance and continue repeating the process until help
arrives.
Hyperventilation
Hyperventilation is rapid short breathing, and the symptoms usually last 15 minutes to half an
hour, although to the person experiencing them it will seem much longer. It may be frightening but
hyperventilation is usually harmless and can be triggered by things such as:
Anxiety (most commonly)
Extensive physical injuries
Severe stomach pains
Heart or lung disease
If you are hyperventilating:
l Loosely cover your nose and mouth with a small paper bag.
l Slowly breathe into the bag and re-breathe the air in the bag about 10 times.
l Put the bag down and breathe normally for a few minutes before picking up the bag and
repeating the previous step again.
l Repeat these steps until the symptoms lessen or go away.
l Try to focus on your breathing and remain clam. Try to take one breath every 5 seconds.
If someone you are with is hyperventilating:
l Stay calm and speak to the person clearly and slowly, if possible make eye contact.
l Don’t crowd the person, give them space and make calming gestures and try to avoid- Breathing Problems
making a scene. If they are not already sitting, have the person sit down.
l Encourage them to breathe normally, and walk them through the breathing cycle
“breathe…slowly…hold…release…slowly…rest…breathe…” and do the cycle with them.
You’ll want to pause for 1-2 seconds while holding the breath, and before inhaling again.
l If they are doing it right, calmly encourage them to keep going while continuing to breathe
evenly and slowly.
Panic Attacks:
Panic attacks are brought on by social situation and activities that are perceived as a threat to
the person experiencing them. They can happen to anyone, and are usually not a serious threat. They
can however occur rapidly and repeatedly, and even after the attack the person may be highly anxious
for many hours afterwards.
Symptoms (not all will be present at once):
l Shortness of breath with rapid breathing, or hyperventilation
l Palpitations or accelerated heart rate (when you can ‘feel your heart pounding’)
l Trembling or shaking
l Choking
l Chills, or flushing
l Sweating
l Nausea
l Numbness, or pins and needles in the arms and legs
l Chest pain or discomfort in the chest region (if pains persist after attack see a doctor, it may be
signs of a heart attack)
l Fear of dying
l Fear of going crazy or doing something crazy
You treat a panic attack the same way you would treat someone who is hyperventilating.
l Stay calm and speak to the person clearly and slowly, if possible make eye contact.
l Don’t crowd the person, give them space and make calming gestures and try to avoid
making a scene. If they are not already sitting, have the person sit down.
l Encourage them to breathe normally, and walk them through the breathing cycle
“breathe…slowly…hold…release…slowly…rest…breathe…” and do the cycle with them.
You’ll want to pause for 1-2 seconds while holding the breath, and before inhaling again.
l If they are doing it right, calmly encourage them to keep going while continuing to breathe
evenly and slowly.