Environmental pollution by oil-based paint effluents is of great concern nowadays due to widespread applications of oil-based paints that cause discharge and accidental spillages into the environment. The present study sought to explore the potential use of indigenous bacterial isolates for biodegradation of oil-based paints. The oil-based-paint-biodegrading potential of three Bacillusspecies isolated from paint-polluted soil samples of different paint warehouses was investigated by the enumeration, screening and taxonomic characterization of oil-based-paint-degrading bacteria using soil enrichment technique in mineral salt medium (MSM). The screened isolates were identified based on morphological, biochemical and 16S rRNA gene sequence homology methods. The bioremediation potential of each bacterial isolate was determined for a period of 14 days at 37oC and 160 rpm in 250-ml shake flask containing 100 ml MSM plus oil paint (final conc. 300 ppm, w/v). The percent removal of oil-based paint was determined against a standard curve of oil-based paint prepared by using UV–Vis spectrophotometer at 285 nm (λ Max.). Three bacterial isolates, Bacillus subtilis strain NAP1 (GenBank: KJ872852), B. subtilis strain NAP2 (GenBank: KJ872853) and B. subtilis strain NAP4 (GenBank: KJ872855) were isolated and identified. All the isolated strains were characterized as potential oil-based paint degraders. Maximum oil-based paint removal was recorded with strains NAP1 (66.5 %), followed by NAP2 (61.4 %) and NAP4 (55.9 %). The oil-based-paint-polluted environments are a promising source of oil-based-paint-degrading bacteria. The bacterial isolates of present study offer substantial potential for future environmental applications.

Background: Plasmodium is efficiently transmitted majorly by female Anopheline mosquitoes: Anopheles funestus and Anopheles gambiae sensus lato. A gap exists with respect to primary vector control strategies; indoor residual spray requires expertise while long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) cover early night sleepers. Objectives: To cover the time between dinner and bedtime, there are commercial insecticidal paints for control of the malaria vector. It is important to monitor the efficacy of such paints. Therefore, this study was geared toward assessing the efficacy of insecticidal paint and monitoring the potency of insecticide in the paint over time. Methods: Four rooms were painted with an insecticidal paint, and another four rooms were painted with a non-insecticidal paint. Pyrethroid Spray Catch (PSC) was performed before the rooms were painted. Anopheles mosquito larvae collected from a breeding site were reared to adults in an insectary. Twenty-five-day-old non-blood fed female mosquitoes were exposed to the painted walls using a polyvinyl chloride cone. The knock-down of mosquitoes was monitored for 30 minutes. Mortality was decided by the inability of mosquitoes to move their legs or wings after 24 hours in the holding cup. A total of 11, 520 mosquitoes were used for the study. Results: Five mosquitoes were collected from PSC prior to painting, and none were caught post painting. A 100% knock-down rate was observed for wild mosquitoes in the first two months of exposure. The efficacy of the paint decreased in the third month, with a knock-down rate of 92. 5% in 10 minutes. Moreover, the knock-down rate was not significantly different (P > 0. 05) between the Kisumu and wild strains. Although the knock-down duration increased over time, none of the exposed mosquitoes survived. Hence, the paint is considered effective in malaria control.

Metal surface coating occupies an important place in the industry. The most important external factor on metal surfaces is corrosion. Corrosion is a natural process that occurs because of a chemical reaction between the metal surfaces and the medium. It causes the degradation of metals. Three methods are used the prevent corrosion. These methods are cathodic protection, anodic protection, and barrier coatings. In this study, it was aimed to develop environmentally friendly corrosion-resistant paint for the barrier coatings, by using zeolite material which has natural characteristics of corrosion resistance. In other words, it was aimed to gain the anticorrosive effect to the production of corrosion-resistant paint by adding modified natural zeolite to the paint. Microscale zeolite was modified by using lanthanum (III) nitrate, zinc acetate, and magnesium chloride solutions. The best results were obtained with a zeolite size of 0. 8869 μ, m and using a 60% zeolite/solution volume ratio. It can be said from the results of the experiments that,thin zeolite film applications are very successful for corrosion resistance paint production. Modified natural zeolite coatings show a very good ability to protect surfaces from corrosion. The results of these procedures are positive and promising. The best result is obtained by zeolite with size reduction and 60% zeolite/solution by volume ratio. The amount of zinc phosphate was greatly reduced. High and low contents of zinc phosphates have almost the same anticorrosive effect with zeolite-modified paint formulations. As a result, cation-exchanged zeolites can be considered a safe and efficient alternative to traditional hazardous pigments in protecting steel surfaces.