Four samples were collected from the wastewater of State Battery Manufacturing Company (SBMC); Babylon 2 factory in AL-Waziriya district, as triplicates. Physical and chemical measurements were carried out such as temperature, pH, Lead concentrations and their ranges were: (19.5-34.5) °C, (6.1-6.4) and (4.5-6.5) mg/L, respectively. Six dominant Bacillus spp. isolates were isolated from these samples; namely, Bacillus subtilis N1, Bacillus subtilis N2, Bacillus subtilis N3, Bacillus cereus N4, Bacillus cereus N5 , Bacillus cereus N6. These isolates were capable of removing Lead from aqueous solutions in a capacity reached 27.6 ± 1.4, 10.1 ± 1.7, 74.5 ± 0.7, 8.93 ± 2.8, 8.1 ± 3.5, 1.6± 0.7 mg/L, respectively. Whereas cell walls, extracted from the same isolates, were able to remove Pb with high efficiency reached 77.7 ± 0.3, 18.6 ± 1.2, 9.5 ± 0.7, 42.4 ± 6.3, 9.9 ± 0.9, 6.7 ± 2.1 mg/L, respectively. This study showed that there is high variation (P<0.05) in the ability of the isolated bacteria for lead biosorption. However, Bacillus subtilis N3 were the most efficient (P<0.05) in uptaking the lead from its aqueous solutions in average of (74.5 ± 0.7) mg/L compared to other bacterial species. FTIR spectrum illustrated that hydroxyl groups, carboxyl, amide, and carbonyl are the major sites for Pb binding. Cell walls of B. subtilis were able to remove almost all Pb ions from the wastewater sample (4.5 mg/L) taken from the wastewater treatment unit in the State Battery Manufacturing Company.
Age, hypertension, and diabetes can cause significant alterations in arterial structure and function, including changes in lumen diameter (LD), intimal-medial thickness (IMT), flow velocities, and arterial compliance. These are also considered risk markers of atherosclerosis and cerebrovascular disease. A difference between right and left carotid artery blood flow and IMT has been reported by some researchers, and a difference in the incidence of nonlacunar stroke has been reported between the right and left brain hemispheres. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences between the right and left common carotid arteries and internal carotid arteries in patient