F. Ribas
University of Barcelona
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Featured researches published by F. Ribas.
Water Research | 1992
J. Frias; F. Ribas; F. Lucena
Abstract In the last few years several methods have been proposed for determining biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) in waters. A modification of an original method for measuring BDOC is proposed. This method is suitable for discrete samples and for measuring the biodegradability of organic compounds dissolved in water. It consists of a dynamic procedure that measures the decrease in the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the sample of water. The sample is recirculated through a glass column containing a biofilm attached to a novel support medium. The method has been used to study waters at different steps in a water-treatment process and to measure the biodegradability of different dissolved organic substances in water.
Environmental Technology | 1991
F. Lucena; J. Frias; F. Ribas
Abstract A new approach to the determination of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) is proposed, specially suited to water industry needs. It is a dynamic approach which uses circulating water continuously pumped over a biofilm attached to sand particles inside a glass column. The BDOC value corresponds to the DOC decrement when inlet and outlet water samples are compared. The time taken by BDOC analysis is less than two hours.
Journal of Applied Microbiology | 2006
F. Lucena; F. Ribas; A.E. Durán; Sylvain Skraber; Christophe Gantzer; Claudia Campos; A. Morón; E. Calderón; Juan Jofre
Aims:u2002 The aim of this research was to determine the suitability of coliphages (bacteriophages) for assessing the microbial quality of groundwater.
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology | 2001
J. Frias; F. Ribas; F. Lucena
The growth of bacterial communities in drinking water distribution systems can lead to the development of problems incompatible with water quality requirements. This study was carried out in order to determine which factors promote bacterial growth in distribution networks. A pilot distribution system was used to perform these experiments. After addition of three different inorganic elements to the network (N, P and S) the results obtained show that they did not contribute to the growth or bacteria either in the circulating water or on the surface of the pipes of the distribution system. However, when organic carbon was added an increase in the number of circulating bacteria was observed though the number of bacteria in the biofilms of the network was constant. These results indicate that in the drinking water of the Barcelona distribution system the factor that controls the growth of bacteria is organic carbon. Moreover, bacteria from the biofilm growing on the surface of the pipes may cause the problems of bacterial growth.
Journal of Applied Microbiology | 2000
F. Ribas; J. Perramon; A. Terradillos; J. Frias; F. Lucena
The regrowth of micro‐organisms in the water distribution system is assisted by the presence of biodegradable organic matter (BDOC). The low concentration of available organic carbon in this type of water favours the growth of bacteria belonging to the Pseudomonadaceae family, as this group can grow better at low concentrations of substrate than other bacteria also present in the distribution system. Although the genus Aeromonas has already been adopted as an indicator of this potential regrowth, members of the Pseudomonadaceae have not yet been proposed as indicators of potential bacterial regrowth in the water distribution system. The results are presented of a year‐long study of the Barcelona distribution system in which the presence of Pseudomonas and Aeromonas was analysed and the validity of these micro‐organisms as indicators of potential regrowth in the distribution system was assessed. It seems that, at least in the drinking waters of the Barcelona area, Pseudomonas is a better indicator of potential bacterial regrowth than Aeromonas.
Water Research | 1997
F. Ribas; J. Frias; J.M. Huguet; F. Lucena
A new drinking water treatment train has been developed in the water treatment plant at Sant Joan Despi (Barcelona). It takes the raw water from the Llobregat river, which supplies water to Barcelona city and surroundings. We studied the efficiency of the different steps in this plant for the removal of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC). The processes, at the beginning of the monitoring, were break-point prechlorination, flocculation-sedimentation, filtration through granular active carbon (GAC) and postchlorination. A sand filtration step and an ozonation step, between sand filtration and GAC filtration, were then added. Results show that the combined effect of the processes between raw and sand filtered water caused a significant decrease in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), while it had no effect on BDOC. The ozonation process significantly increased BDOC. Finally, GAC filtration significantly decreased DOC and BDOC.
Water Research | 1995
J. Frias; F. Ribas; F. Lucena
In the last few years different methods for determining assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) in drinking water have been proposed. However, there is no agreement on the most suitable methods for the assessment of treatment processes. A comparison of six methods, one for AOC(P17) determination and five for BDOC determination, using water samples taken at different steps in a water-treatment process in Sant Joan Despi (Barcelona, Spain) is reported. Results show that the biodegradable matter values given by AOC measurements are substantially lower than those obtained using BDOC methods. The various BDOC methods do not differ significantly in their results.
Journal of Applied Microbiology | 2007
Anicet R. Blanch; Belén Galofré; F. Lucena; A. Terradillos; X. Vilanova; F. Ribas
Aims:u2002 To compare the bacterial coliforms detected from occurrences in three zones of a water distribution system supplied by two separate water sources.
Water Research | 1994
J. Frias; F. Ribas; F. Lucena
Abstract Assimilable organic carbon (AOC) is almost the only limiting factor for bacterial growth in water, and the main factor responsible for bacterial proliferation and related water quality deterioration. In distribution mains Pseudomonas fluorescens strain P17 is used as standard in a reproducible test for the determination of AOC in water. In order to establish the standard conditions for the use of this microorganism, a series of experiments was performed to determine growth yield in different conditions. These results indicate that the kinetics of the growth of P17 depends on several factors, which complicates its use in a standard method for AOC determination.
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology | 1991
F. Ribas; R. Araujo; J. Frias; J. M. Huguet; F. R. Ribas; F. Lucena
In order to assess the suitability of the Starch glutamate ampicillin penicillin-10C agar for the isolation ofAeromonas spp. from waters it was necessary to compare the properties of this medium with those of three others, Starch ampicillin agar, Ampicillin dextrin agar and m-Aeromonas medium, and to monitor different kinds of waters. A selection of forty eight samples were taken from moderately polluted river water, highly polluted river water, polluted sea water (littoral) and treatment & distribution water and monitored using these media. The results were similar with Ampicillin dextrin agar, m-Aeromonas medium and Starch glutamate ampicillin penicillin-10C, but the simplicity of composition and use and its selectivity recommends the last medium as the most adequate for the isolation ofAeromonas spp.