Browse Topic: Water quality

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Pre-Treatment Solution for Water RecoveryTBMG-3959508/01/2021
The Pre-Treatment Solution for Water Recovery was developed by NASA Johnson to increase the amount of potable water recovered from the International Space Station’s urine processor assembly system. Turning wastewater, urine, or seawater into potable water requires three important steps: 1) pre-treatment, 2) distillation or membrane filtration, and 3) transport and storage of potable water and brine. This solution is added during the first step, consequently improving the next steps in the process primarily by reducing the formation of solid precipitates.
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Desalination Process Removes Toxic MetalsTBMG-3959608/01/2021
Desalination — the removal of salt — is only one step in the process of producing drinkable water from ocean or wastewater. Either before or after the removal of salt, the water often has to be treated to remove boron, which is toxic to plants, and heavy metals like arsenic and mercury, which are toxic to humans. Often, the process leaves behind a toxic brine that can be difficult to dispose of.
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RIDING ON AIR: Activated carbon aims at autos21AUTP02_0302/01/2021
An old piece of science is set to bring new applications across the mobility spectrum. Activated carbon may seem an esoteric piece of science in the automotive space, but it is quietly playing a key role in Audi A6 and A7 air-suspension systems. The technology also is promising for new applications in vehicle safety, comfort and acoustics. Carbon Air, a company spun off from a U.K. university, is developing activated carbon for use in cars, light trucks, heavy commercial vehicles, buses, motorcycles and even mountain bikes. The technology, which is based on activated charcoal, has long been used in other industry sectors including medical, agricultural, water treatment and food production. Its opportunities in mobility appear to be equally broad, the company noted.
Birch, Stuart
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Generating Renewable Hydrogen Fuel from the SeaTBMG-3835801/01/2021
Researchers have integrated water purification technology into a new proof-of-concept design for a sea water electrolyzer that uses an electric current to split apart the hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules. This new method for “sea water splitting” could make it easier to turn wind and solar energy into a storable and portable fuel.
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20 Years of Science on the International Space StationTBMG-3817712/01/2020
For the past two decades, the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have conducted science in a way that cannot be done anywhere else. Orbiting about 250 miles above Earth, the ISS is the only laboratory available for long-duration microgravity research.
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Facility Focus: U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyTBMG-3779210/01/2020
In early 1970, as a result of heightened public concerns about deteriorating city air, natural areas littered with debris, and urban water supplies contaminated with dangerous impurities, President Richard Nixon created a council to consider how to organize federal government programs designed to reduce pollution. The President sent to Congress a plan to consolidate many environmental responsibilities of the federal government under one agency: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Headquartered in Washington, DC, the EPA this year marks 50 years of preparing for, responding to, preventing, and mitigating natural and manmade disasters.
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Bacteria-Based Hydrogel Beads Clean Up Contaminated GroundwaterTBMG-3745108/01/2020
Hydrogel beads with the consistency of gummy candy are made with an ingredient used in processed foods to clean up groundwater contaminated with dangerous and widely used volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Among the contaminants addressed by the method are 1,1,1-trichloroethane, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, and 1,4-dioxane — degreasers commonly used by industry and the military. The chemicals can infiltrate groundwater through leaky underground storage tanks or runoff, or by simply being dumped on the ground.
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Use of Mass-Flux Measurement and Vapor-Phase Tomography to Quantify Vadose-Zone Source Strength and Distribution20AERP08_1008/01/2020
Use of advanced technologies could improve evaluation of vadose zone source impacts on groundwater and vapor intrusion, leading to improved remediation decisions. Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, Alexandria, Virginia The goal of this project was to demonstrate that the multistage vapor-phase contaminant mass discharge (MS-CMD) test and vapor-phase tomography (VPT) can effectively characterize persistent volatile organic compound (VOC) sources in the vadose zone and measure their associated mass discharge. It is anticipated that these technologies will improve evaluation of vadose zone source impacts on groundwater and vapor intrusion. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has focused significant effort on characterizing and treating chlorinated solvent sources in groundwater. There are two primary concerns associated with sites that contain vadose zone volatile organic compound (VOC) sources. First, discharge of contaminant vapor from the vadose zone source may
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Smart Sponge for Environmental RemediationTBMG-3744108/01/2020
Oil spill cleanup is an expensive and complicated process that often harms marine life and further damages the environment. Currently used solutions include burning the oil, using chemical dispersants to breakdown oil into very small droplets, skimming oil floating on top of water, and/or absorbing it with expensive, unrecyclable sorbents. Burning increases carbon emissions and dispersants are harmful for marine wildlife. Skimmers don’t work in rough waters or with thin layers of oil. Sorbents are not only expensive but generate a huge amount of physical waste.
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Wireless Aquatic Robot Cleans WaterTBMG-3738908/01/2020
Researchers have developed a tiny plastic robot, made of responsive polymers, that moves under the influence of light and magnetism. In the future, this wireless aquatic polyp should be able to attract and capture contaminant particles from the surrounding liquid or pick up and transport cells for analysis in diagnostic devices.
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Portable Tool Analyzes Microbes in the EnvironmentTBMG-3745508/01/2020
Researchers have developed a device that swiftly analyzes microbes in oceans and other aquatic environments, revealing the health of these organisms — too tiny to be seen by the naked eye —and their response to threats to their ecosystems. The portable device could be used to assess microbes, screen for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and analyze algae that live in coral reefs.
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Use of Mass-Flux Measurement and Vapor-Phase Tomography to Quantify Vadose-Zone Source Strength and DistributionTBMG-3737408/01/2020
The goal of this project was to demonstrate that the multistage vapor-phase contaminant mass discharge (MS-CMD) test and vapor-phase tomography (VPT) can effectively characterize persistent volatile organic compound (VOC) sources in the vadose zone and measure their associated mass discharge. It is anticipated that these technologies will improve evaluation of vadose zone source impacts on groundwater and vapor intrusion.
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Beyond LPW: Debunking the Myth that More is BetterTBMG-3719307/01/2020
There’s been a race to the top among industrial LED lighting manufacturers as they scramble to squeeze the maximum possible lumens per watt (LPW) out of their products. With luminaires now topping 220 LPW, and individual LEDs capable of output in excess of 300 LPW, it’s become a major competitive differentiator.
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Q&A: Simple Solar-Powered DesalinationTBMG-3637904/01/2020
Lenan Zhang and his team at MIT have developed a mathematical model for optimizing the performance of a small, economical, highly efficient device that can provide fresh water for an individual family, using only the sun for its energy input.
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Products of Tomorrow: February 2020TBMG-3596802/01/2020
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
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Smartphone System Tests for Lead in WaterTBMG-3599002/01/2020
Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards require lead levels in drinking water to be below 15 parts per billion. Currently available consumer test kits are not sensitive enough to accurately detect lead at that level. A new system has been developed using a smartphone and a lens made with an inkjet printer that can detect lead in tap water at levels commonly accepted as dangerous.
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Facility Focus: National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationTBMG-3579701/01/2020
In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson founded the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey to provide nautical charts to the maritime community for safe passage into American ports and along the coastline. The Weather Bureau was founded in 1870 and one year later, the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries was founded. Individually, these organizations were America's first physical science agency, America's first agency dedicated specifically to the atmospheric sciences, and America's first conservation agency.
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Process Turns Sand and Plant Materials into a Water Filtration ToolTBMG-3581901/01/2020
According to the United Nations, 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and the majority live in developing nations. A process was developed that uses sand and plant materials readily available in many developing nations to create a cheap and effective water filtration medium called “f-sand.” F-sand uses proteins from the Moringa oleifera plant, a tree native to India that grows well in tropical and subtropical climates. The tree is cultivated for food and natural oils, and the seeds are already used for a type of rudimentary water purification; however, this traditional means of purification leaves behind high amounts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the seeds, allowing bacteria to regrow after just 24 hours. This leaves only a short window in which the water is drinkable.
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2019 'Create the Future' Sustainable Technologies Category Winner: Wave-Powered Water DesalinationTBMG-3544911/01/2019
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Rose-Inspired Device Collects and Purifies WaterTBMG-3527610/01/2019
A new device, inspired by a rose, inexpensively collects and purifies water. The device is a new approach to solar steaming for water production — a technique that uses energy from sunlight to separate salt and other impurities from water through evaporation.
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New Imaging Method Aids in Water DecontaminationTBMG-3516609/01/2019
A breakthrough imaging technique developed by Cornell researchers shows promise in decontaminating water by yielding surprising and important information about catalyst particles that can't be obtained any other way.
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Products of Tomorrow: August 2019TBMG-3488608/01/2019
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
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Feasibility Study of Portable Water Desalination Systems for Water Contingencies at Remote Navy InstallationsTBMG-3486208/01/2019
The Department of the Navy (DON) has major installations located around the world. Twenty-two main installations operate outside the continental United States (OCONUS) and rely on on-base water processing facilities. These facilities serve a total population of 71,000 military and civilian personnel, and the water plants have a total production capacity of 15.7 million gallons per day.
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Feasibility Study of Portable Water Desalination Systems for Water Contingencies at Remote Navy Installations19AERP08_0708/01/2019
Navy explores ways to ensure an uninterrupted supply of potable water at remote installations. NAVFAC Expeditionary Program Office (NEPO), Washington Navy Yard, DC The Department of the Navy (DON) has major installations located around the world. Twenty-two main installations operate outside the continental United States (OCONUS) and rely on on-base water processing facilities. These facilities serve a total population of 71,000 military and civilian personnel, and the water plants have a total production capacity of 15.7 million gallons per day. A significant majority of these locations use a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system for water purification. At many of these installations, the RO systems provide the only reliable potable water source for personnel. Providing potable water is a critical and core mission of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC).
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Smartphone Test Spots Poisoned Water RiskTBMG-3473107/01/2019
Researchers have developed a biosensor that attaches to a smartphone and uses bacteria to detect unsafe arsenic levels. The device generates easy-to-interpret patterns similar to volume-bars that display the level of contamination.
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Researchers Create Smartphone System to Test for Lead in WaterTBMG-3442105/01/2019
Researchers at the University of Houston have created an inexpensive system that can detect lead in tap water at levels commonly accepted as dangerous, using a lens made with an inkjet printer and a smartphone.
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Products of Tomorrow: April 2019TBMG-3416204/01/2019
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
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Pre-Treatment Solution for Water RecoveryTBMG-3416904/01/2019
The Pre-Treatment Solution for Water Recovery technology was developed by NASA Johnson Space Center innovators to increase the amount of potable water recovered from the International Space Station’s urine processor assembly system. The solution increased the water recovery rate in the ISS distiller from 75 to 90 percent, doubled the volume of feed processed per cycle, reduced the volume of brine by half, and eliminated the formation of precipitate up to 90% water recovery.
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System Selectively Sequesters Toxins from WaterTBMG-3392403/01/2019
Traditional methods, such as reverse osmosis, that remove contaminants from water are expensive and energy-intensive. Researchers have developed technology to remove contaminants from water, but only as many as necessary.
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Products of Tomorrow: March 2019TBMG-3394003/01/2019
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
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High-Voltage Power Line Multi-Sensor SystemTBMG-3369402/01/2019
Government infrastructure facilities such as water treatment facilities, power plants, laboratories, and the like may be targets for terrorist attacks. Similarly, oil pipelines, power grids, warehouses, factories, laboratories, and the like in the commercial sector may be targeted by terrorists or persons engaging in industrial espionage and sabotage. When these facilities are remotely located, the limited or nonexistent power sources in the area may prevent or severely restrict the employment of cameras, sensors, and other intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) devices. Thus, there is a need to overcome these limitations while providing around-the-clock persistent support and similar capabilities.
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Products of Tomorrow: February 2019TBMG-3369602/01/2019
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
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Savannah River National LaboratoryTBMG-3368302/01/2019
The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) — located in Aiken, SC — is the applied research and development laboratory at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS). The laboratory applies state-of-the-art science to provide practical, high-value, cost-effective solutions to complex technical problems. SRNL technologies are used to detect weapons of mass destruction, clean up contaminated groundwater and soil, develop hydrogen as an energy source, support the need for a viable national defense, and safely manage hazardous materials.
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Products of Tomorrow: January 2019TBMG-3359401/01/2019
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
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5 Ws of the Lead-Detection Smartphone SystemTBMG-3358601/01/2019
Individuals needing or wanting to examine lead content in their drinking water on-demand and in virtually any environmental setting.
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Innovators Recognized for "Creating the Future" 2018TBMG-3340412/01/2018
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Analysis of Molecules in Liquids on a ChipTBMG-2887205/01/2018
Much can be detected in blood or urine — viral illnesses, metabolic disorders, or autoimmune diseases can be diagnosed with laboratory tests, for instance. But such examinations often take a few hours and are quite complex, which is why doctors hand the samples over to specialist laboratories.
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2017 Create the Future Design Contest: Sustainable Technologies Category WinnerTBMG-2781411/01/2017
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Performance Based Standard for Accelerated Exposure of Automotive Exterior Materials Using a Controlled Irradiance Xenon-Arc ApparatusJ2527_201709 (Current)09/19/2017
This SAE Standard specifies the operating procedures for a controlled irradiance, xenon-arc apparatus used for the accelerated exposure of various exterior automotive materials.
Textile and Flexible Plastics Committee
Technical Standard
Water-Based, Recyclable Membrane Filters all Types of NanoparticlesTBMG-2753409/01/2017
Separation technology is at the heart of water purification, sewage treatment, and reclaiming materials, as well as numerous basic industrial processes. Membranes are used to separate out the smallest nanoscale particles, and even molecules and metal ions. A new type of membrane was developed that could extend the life of a separation system, lower its cost, and in some cases, increase its efficiency as well.
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Clean Water with Sandia Sensor SolutionTBMG-2750809/01/2017
Water utilities have a Goldilocks problem: If they don't add enough chlorine, nasty bacteria that cause typhoid and cholera survive the purification process. Too much chlorine produces disinfection byproducts such as chloroform, which increase cancer risks. The amount of chlorine needs to be “just right” for safe drinking water.
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Ultralight, Scalable, High-Temperature-Resilient Ceramic Nanofiber SpongesTBMG-2752209/01/2017
Researchers have made ultralight, highly porous, compressible, and heat-resistant sponge-like materials from nanoscale ceramic fibers. The highly deformable material is made by tangling ceramic nanofibers into a sponge. The method used is inexpensive and scalable for making large quantities.
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Paper-Based Electrochemical Test Strip Detects Harmful BacteriaTBMG-2721807/01/2017
Borrowing concepts from medical diagnostic devices, researchers have created a simple, inexpensive set of handheld tests that can detect the presence of many water- or food-borne pathogens. If applied in the field, such tests could greatly reduce the number of expensive follow-up tests needed to keep the food supply safe from fecal contamination.
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System, Apparatus, and Method for Liquid PurificationTBMG-2686705/01/2017
Scientists at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed a unique water purification method that can be used for water recycling or point-of-use applications. Originally developed as a means to recycle water in space, this technology has applications in industrial water treatment, water recycling, and water purification for military bases, disaster sites, and regions without easy access to clean water. Relying on only electrical energy, this technology uses plasma-generated reactive species to decompose organic contaminants, ranging from submicron particles to water soluble organics like glycol, ethanol, and industrial dyes.
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Vulnerability Assessment ToolTBMG-2650103/01/2017
Malawi has not been spared from the severe impacts of climate change. In the past two decades, Malawi has experienced a number of adverse climatic hazards, the most serious being dry spells, seasonal droughts, intense and unpredictable rainfall, riverine floods, and flash floods. Some of these, especially droughts and floods, have since increased in frequency, intensity, and magnitude over the past decades, and have adversely impacted food and water security, water quality, energy, and sustainable livelihoods of most rural communities. With its narrow economic base, limited agroprocessing industries, over-dependency on rain-fed agriculture, and biomass for household energy, Malawi is highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. This situation is exacerbated by increasing poverty among rural communities, increasing population pressure on a limited land resource base, land degradation arising from agricultural expansion and the cultivation of
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Filtering Molecules with Nanotube TechnologyTBMG-2636002/01/2017
Innovators at NASA's Johnson Space Center have developed a filtration device to eliminate contaminants from water supplies. Originally developed to purify waste-water for reuse aboard the International Space Station, the innovation is applicable to numerous situations on Earth where there is a need to collect potable, medical-grade water from a contaminated water supply. The unique aspect of the technology is its use of acoustics, rather than pressure, to drive water through small-diameter carbon nanotubes. The invention requires less power than conventional filtration systems, and is well-suited to a variety of water processing needs.
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Argonne centers to focus on expediting commercialization of technology16OFHP02_0702/01/2016
When it comes to enablers for a variety of future technologies that will move the industry forward in terms of efficiencies and cleanliness of power and energy, it is most often advances in energy storage that rise to the top in terms of necessities, and close behind is the pinpoint exploitation of nanotechnology. As experts at Argonne National Laboratory see it, grid-level storage can help reduce carbon emissions through the increased adoption of renewable energy and use of electric vehicles while helping bring electricity to developing parts of the world. At the same time, nanotechnology is transforming the electronics industry and bringing a new set of powerful tools and materials to engineers who are developing new ways to generate, store, and transport energy through new catalytic nanomaterials.
Broge, Jean L.
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Habitat Water Wall for Water, Solids, and Atmosphere Recycle and ReuseTBMG-2302410/01/2015
A method was developed that allows water recycling, air treatment, thermal control, and solid residuals treatment and recycle to be removed from the usable habitat volume and placed in the walls of a radiation-shielding water wall. This design also provides a mechanism to recover and reuse water treatment (solid) residuals to strengthen the habitat shell.
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Products of Tomorrow: August 2015TBMG-2265908/01/2015
The technologies NASA develops don’t just blast off into space. They also improve our lives here on Earth. Life-saving search-and-rescue tools, implantable medical devices, advances in commercial aircraft safety, increased accuracy in weather forecasting, and the miniature cameras in our cellphones are just some of the examples of NASA-developed technology used in products today.
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Design and Engineering of Process Plants Based on the “Lego Principle”TBMG-2252808/01/2015
Manufacturers in the process industries need to adjust to smaller batches and different types of product in the same plant. Plants based on the “Lego principle” are designed and engineered precisely to the respective task, whether for the production of a specific product in units per time unit, or for the throughput of a specific substance in a quantity per time unit. The mechanical design of the plant as a whole is geared towards meeting specifications and guaranteeing the required performance data over the projected lifecycle of the plant. The corresponding automation is carried out using management systems comprising process-specific (control) components, operating and monitoring stations, as well as engineering stations. The entire process is centrally controlled by a single management system.
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