Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies

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Publications

Improving water efficiency in a municipal indoor swimming-pool complex: a case study

Publication . Silva, Flora; Geraldes, Ana Maria; Zavattieri, Carmem; Afonso, Maria João A.P.S.; Freire, Flávio; Albuquerque, António

This study aimed to determine the water demand of a municipal swimming pool complex to propose water use efficiency measures. Concomitantly, the possibility of recycling and reusing the water from filter backwashing was evaluated. The pools consumed 25.6% of water, the filter backwashing 24.5%, and the showers 34.7%. Despite the current impossibility of reducing water consumption in pools and filter backwashing, it is feasible to promote more efficient use of water through reducing water consumption by adopting simple water-saving initiatives for showers, taps, and flushing cisterns. These were organized into three distinct scenarios: (a) flushing cistern volume adjustment and the replacement of washbasin and kitchen taps; (b) flushing cistern volume adjustment and shower replacement and (c) flushing cistern volume adjustment, shower, washbasin, and kitchen taps replacement. Under scenarios 1, 2, and 3, the water consumption reduction was 8.0, 13.2, and 20.4%, respectively. The initial investment for scenario 1 was €2290.5, €859.0 for scenario 2 and €3149.5 for scenario 3; the annual water bill reduction was €7115.4, €11,518.1, and €17,655.9, respectively. Therefore, the turnover of the investment was four (scenario 1), one (scenario 2), and three months (scenario 3). The filter washings attained the required standard for irrigation after being subjected to 15 h of sedimentation.

2021Journal article

Open access

Biological and phytochemical evaluation of methanolic extracts from ennyroyal and lavender species of the portuguese flora

Publication . Serrano, Carmo; Barros, Lillian; Soares, Andreia; Pereira, Carla; Dias, Maria Inês; Alves, Maria José; Lopes, Violeta R.; Barata, Ana Maria; Farinha, Noémia

Medicinal and aromatic plants represent a healthier alternative to synthetic phenolic compounds, with a positive impact on therapeutic, aromatic and dietetic or gastronomic purposes. The in vitro biological activities of the phenolic compounds are an important parameter to select the most promising extracts for use in industrial applications. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial and cytotoxicity properties of 17 pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium L.) and 18 lavender (Lavandula pedunculata L.) accessions from the Portuguese flora, conserved in the Portuguese Genebank (BPGV), in order to select the accessions with the highest yield and high content of active ingredients for use in the different industrial sectors.

2022Conference object

Open access