Formation of chloroform and carbon tetrachloride in foods treated with sodium hypochlorite

The formation of chloroform and carbon tetrachloride during the treatment of fresh vegetable homogenate with sodium hypochlorite was studied.When a n-hexane extract of the reaction mixture of fresh vegetables and sodium hypochlorite was analysed by gas chromatography, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride were detected, and many unidentified peaks were also observed. The formation conditions of chloroform and carbon tetrachloride were studied. The mechanism of chloroform formation may be different from that of carbon tetrachloride according to the study of pH on the formation of both compounds. The formation of chloroform is much greater than that of carbon tetrachoride.     

Control of common freshwater predatory fish, Channa punctatus, through Nerium indicum leaf extracts

The diethyl ether, chloroform, acetone and methanol extract of Nerium indicum leaf were evaluated for their piscicidal activity against common freshwater air breathing predatory fish Channa punctatus. The rank of order of toxicity (LC50) of the leaf extract was, diethyl ether extract (17.34 mg/l)>acetone (40.01 mg/l)>chloroform (40.61 mg/l)>and methanol (106.37 mg/l). There was a significant negative correlation between LC50 values and exposure periods. Thus increase in exposure period, LC50 decreases from 17.34 mg/l (24 h) to >13.58 mg/l (96 h) in the diethyl ether extract. Similar trends were also observed in acetone, chloroform and methanol extracts. Exposure of sub-lethal doses (40% and 80% of LC50) of the diethyl ether extract of N. indicum leaf (which has maximum piscicidal activity) for 24 or 96 h caused significant alteration in the level of total protein, total free amino acid, nucleic acid, glycogen, pyruvate, lactate and activity of enzyme protease, phosphatases, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and acetylcholinesterase in liver and muscle tissue. The alterations in all the above biochemical parameters were significantly (P<0.05) time and dose dependent. There was a significant recovery in all the above biochemical parameters, in both liver and muscle tissues of fish after the seventh day of the withdrawal of treatment. Thus, the leaf extracts of N. indicum have potent piscicidal activity against fish C. punctatus and also significantly affect both aerobic and anaerobic pathway of respiration in fish.     

Effects of aluminum on physiological metabolism and antioxidant system of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

We have found that rice bran effectively adsorbed chloroform from tap water. The amount of chloroform adsorbed was plotted against the equilibrium concentration of chloroform in solution on a logarithmic scale. A linear relationship was obtained, indicating that the adsorption reaction was a Freundlich type. The removal of chloroform by rice bran was attributed to the uptake into intracellular particles called spherosomes.     

Organic contaminates in water

Abstract

The carbon adsorption method was used for separating organic matter from large samples of drainage, river and tap water. The carbon chloroform extract (CCE) was separated into different solubility fractions and the neutral fraction was separated into aliphatic, aromatic and oxy‐compounds using column chromatography. The aromatic fraction was subjected to TLC, IR and UV analysis. The pesticide endrin was present in both river and tap water at concentrations of 0.7 and 1.5 ppb, respectively.     

The production and release to the atmosphere of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (methyl chloroform)

The results of an audited survey of production and use for methyl chloroform (1,1,1-trichloroethane) for the years 1970–1988 are presented.     

Formation of chloroform in spruce forest soil--results from laboratory incubation studies

The release of chloroform, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, tetrachloromethane, trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene from an organic rich spruce forest soil was studied in laboratory incubation experiments by dynamic headspace analysis, thermodesorption and gas chromatography. Performance parameters are presented for the dynamic headspace system. For spruce forest soil, the results showed a significant increase in chloroform concentration in the headspace under aerobic conditions over a period of seven days, whereas the concentration of the other compounds remained fairly constant. A biogenic formation of chloroform is suggested, whereas for the other compounds anthropogenic sources are assumed. The addition of trichloroacetic acid to the soil increased the release of chloroform from the soil. It is, therefore, suggested that trichloroacetic acid also contributed to the formation of chloroform. Under the experimental conditions, the spruce forest soil released chloroform concentrations corresponding to a rate of 12 microg m(-2) day(-1). Data on chloroform production rates are presented and compared with literature results, and possible formation mechanisms for chloroform are discussed.     

Identification of a potential source of chloroform in urban air: Preliminary Communication

A new potential source of elevated chloroform (CHCl₃) concentrations in urban air is reported. The exhaust gases from gasoline internal combustion engines operated on conventional “leaded” fuel and not equipped with catalytic converters contain parts-per-billion concentrations of chloroform which can, in congested urban areas, contribute significantly to the ambient concentration of chloroform. Exhaust gases from engines burning conventional “leaded” gasoline contain much higher levels of chloroform than do exhaust gases from engines equipped with catalytic converters and operating on “nonleaded” gasoline.     

Formation of chloroform by aqueous chlorination of organic compounds.

Thirty organic compounds were selected to investigate their chloroform formation characteristics during chlorination with sodium hypochlorite at pH-values 7.0 and 8.0. These experiments were conducted under conditions similar to those applied on the chlorination of raw water. The results indicated that the chloroform concentrations occurred by the all tested compounds was in the ppm range. The maximum levels of chloroform (11-13 mg/l) were determined during the reaction of resorcinol and phloroglucinol at pH-value 8.0.     

自来水二氧化氯消毒控制三氯甲烷研究

对自来水二氧化氯消毒控制三氯甲烷形成进行了试验研究 ,二氧化氯预消毒替代预氯化消毒可以降低水中的三氯甲烷 ,预消毒处理后形成三氯甲烷的反应受温度和反应时间的影响。使用二氧化氯与氯配制的混合消毒剂消毒时 ,随二氧化氯含量增加 ,水中的三氯甲烷将明显减少。     

Reductive dechlorination of chlorinated methanes and ethanes by reduced iron (II) porphyrins

The reaction of a reduced iron (II) porphyrin with a series of chlorinated methanes and ethanes was examined under neutral conditions in buffered aqueous solutions containing an excess of the reducing agent. Carbon tetrachloride, chloroform and 1,1,1-trichloroethane were reduced to lower chlorinated homologs, while methylene chloride, 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,1-dichloroethane did not appear to be degraded in this system.     

松花江饮用水氯消毒中氯仿形成的优化控制

通过对松花江水进行大量实验 ,找出TOC的含量、投氯量、温度和 pH值等对氯仿形成的定量关系 ,确定了饮用水氯化的优化条件 ,使饮用水氯化过程中形成的氯仿含量不超过国家饮用水的标准     

Mechanism for the destruction of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform DNAPLs by modified Fenton's reagent

The destruction of a carbon tetrachloride DNAPL and a chloroform DNAPL was investigated in reactions containing 0.5 mL of DNAPL and a solution of modified Fenton's reagent (2M H2O2 and 5mM iron(III)-chelate). Carbon tetrachloride and chloroform masses were followed in the DNAPLs, the aqueous phases, and the off gasses. In addition, the rate of DNAPL destruction was compared to the rate of gas-purge dissolution. Carbon tetrachloride DNAPLs were rapidly destroyed by modified Fenton's reagent at 6.5 times the rate of gas purge dissolution, with 74% of the DNAPL destroyed within 24h. Use of reactions in which a single reactive oxygen species (hydroxyl radical, hydroperoxide anion, or superoxide radical anion) was generated showed that superoxide is the reactive species in modified Fenton's reagent responsible for carbon tetrachloride DNAPL destruction. Chloroform DNAPLs were also destroyed by modified Fenton's reagent, but at a rate slower than the rate of gas purge dissolution. Reactions generating a single reactive oxygen species demonstrated that chloroform destruction was the result of both superoxide and hydroxyl radical activity. Such a mechanism of chloroform DNAPL destruction is in agreement with the slow but relatively equal reactivity of chloroform with both superoxide and hydroxyl radical. The results of this research demonstrate that modified Fenton's reagent can rapidly and effectively destroy DNAPLs of contaminants characterized by minimal reactivity with hydroxyl radical, and should receive more consideration as a DNAPL cleanup technology.     

Tracer test for the measurement of gas diffusion and non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) saturation in soil

During soil bioremediation, the diffusion of oxygen into the soil is an important prerequisite for aerobic biodegradation, and the decrease of petroleum products is the ultimate goal. Both processes need to be monitored. The aim of this work was to develop a gas tracer test that yields information on both, gas diffusion and residual saturation with non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in unsaturated soil heaps. One conservative tracer (methane) and 4 partitioning gas tracers (diethylether, methyl tert-butyl ether, chloroform and n-heptane) were injected as vapors into laboratory columns filled with unsaturated sand with increasing NAPL saturation. Breakthrough curves of gaseous compounds were measured at two points and compared to analytical solutions of an analytical diffusive-reactive transport equation. By fitting of methane data, robust results for effective diffusivity (tortuosity) were obtained. NAPL saturation was most accurately measured by the moderately water soluble tracers (ethers and chloroform). The hydrophobic tracer n-heptane did not partition into water-immersed NAPL. An easy and accurate way to assess air-NAPL partitioning constants from gas chromatography retention times is furthermore reported. It is concluded that gas tracer tests have the potential for measuring two important properties in soil bioremediation systems easily and quickly.     

Chloroform – concentration gradients in soil air and atmospheric air,and emission fluxes from soil

Since we demonstrated the natural formation of chloroform in soil, the question arose to which extent this contributes to the chloroform present in the atmosphere. Concentration gradients in soil air and atmospheric air of different forests were measured. Chloroform concentration gradients indicating emission occur in forest soils and the atmosphere under the canopy, whereas this was not observed for other chlorinated solvents. Above the canopy all concentration gradients observed for chloroform and 1,1,1-trichloroethane indicate deposition. The emission flux was measured using enclosures and calculated from the observed concentration gradients in soil air and atmospheric air. Wood-degrading areas and soils with a humic layer were found to emit up to 1000 ng chloroform m⁻² h⁻¹ and seem to be larger chloroform sources than the other areas of study. Rather unexpectedly, some points of one sampling site appeared to emit 1,1,1-trichloroethane, tetrachloromethane and tetrachloroethene. A reasonable agreement was found between the fluxes using enclosures and those derived from the concentration gradients in soil air and atmospheric air.     

基于荧光素酶发光检测体系的几种工业污染物综合毒性评价

利用化工污染物能抑制荧光素酶催化发光反应这一特性,对水质中6种化工化合物分别进行毒性测试,建立一种快速检测水质中化工污染物毒性的生物学方法。实验结果表明,对苯二酚、4-氨基酚、苯胺、氯仿、盐酸邻联甲苯胺和硫柳汞的EC50值分别为:5.563、10.225、20.236、38.432、8.827和0.6 mg/L,6种污染物毒性大小依次为:硫柳汞>对苯二酚>盐酸邻联甲苯胺>4-氨基酚>苯胺>氯仿,相关系数>0.95。该方法为进一步研究基于荧光素酶反应体系检测水质中化工污染物综合毒性的生物传感器方法奠定基础。     

活性污泥总DNA提取方法的比较

从处理某制药废水的MBR反应器中采集活性污泥，评价不同DNA提取方法对其总DNA提取效率的影响。DNA提取分细胞裂解和DNA纯化2步，对细胞裂解比较了珠磨匀浆法、反复冻融法、十二烷基磺酸钠（sodium dodecyl sulfate，SDS）裂解法等7种方法；对DNA纯化比较了酚/氯仿纯化法和胶回收纯化法。结果表明,SDS裂解法、酚氯仿纯化法最优。通过条件优化实验，确定SDS裂解酚/氯仿纯化法在污泥量1.1 g，10 000 r/min离心5 min的操作条件下，获得的DNA产量（10 774 μg/g泥重）和纯度（OD₂₆₀∶OD₂₈₀=1.84）等综合指标最好。     

Ultrasound-assisted emulsification-microextraction of fragrance allergens in water

A method based on ultrasound-assisted emulsification-microextraction (USAEME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed for the analysis of regulated fragrance allergens in water. Extraction conditions such as the type of solvent, extraction temperature, irradiation time, and salting-out effect were optimized using a multivariate approach. Compounds were extracted during 2 min in an acoustically emulsified media formed by 100 μL chloroform and 10 mL sample. The USAEME process provided an efficient and exhaustive extraction (enrichment factor ～100) and, after centrifugation, the extract was ready for GC analysis. Validation was performed using spiked ultrapure water as well as other most complex matrices such as sewage water. Recoveries between 75% and 110% were generally obtained, and precision was characterized by RSD values <10% in most cases. The limits of detection (LODs) were at the sub-nanogram per millilitre level. The proposed procedure was applied to the determination of allergens in several real samples including tap water, baby bathwater, recreational place water, public washing place water, and sewage water. The presence of some of the target compounds was confirmed in all the samples excluding tap water, demonstrating the ubiquity of this group of cosmetic and personal care products ingredients.     

Formation and decomposition of chloroaromatic compounds in chlorine-containing benzene/oxygen flames

Premixed chlorine-containing, fuel-rich, low-pressure benzene/oxygen flames were analysed for the formation of (oxygenated) chloroaromatic compounds and their radicals by means of the condensation/radical-scavenging method (Hausmann, M., Homann, K.-H., 1995. Ber. Busenges. Phys. Chem. 99, 853-862). Several chlorinated organic compounds (methyl chloride, t-butyl chloride, chlorobenzene, chloroform) were used as additives within a maximum concentration of 10% of total fuel. Product identification and quantification were performed by GC/MS. The extent of formation of chloroaromatic compounds in these flames was largest in the cases of chlorobenzene and chloroform as additives. For chlorobenzene, 12 different chloroaromatics could be analysed in between C7H7Cl and C12H9Cl. Their formation is mainly due to conversion of initial chlorobenzene into substituted or oxidised derivatives, or growth products. Additional chlorination of aromatics is shown to be of minor importance in chlorobenzene-containing flames. Three isomeric (o/m/p) scavenging products could be identified for the chlorophenyl radical. In the chloroform case, 15 chloroaromatics could be analysed in between C6H5Cl and C14H9Cl. The weak C-Cl bond in chloroform is responsible for the high extent of chloroaromatics formation, either by Cl abstraction from the additive or by chlorination reactions via Cl radicals. Additionally, specific pathways to (di)chloroaromatics and chlorinated fulvene-type structures are outlined via CHCl2 and CCl2 radicals.     

Impact of the toxicity of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Woloszynska) Seenayya & Subba Raju on laboratory rats in vivo

In vivo laboratory studies of toxicity were performed on Wistar rats using a methanol extract produced by the natural population of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (abundance of 2.13 × 10⁵ trichomes mL⁻¹) collected at Aleksandrovac Lake (Serbia). HPLC analysis showed that the extract contains 6.65 μg cylindrospermopsin (CYN) mg⁻¹. The rats were killed 24 or 72 h after a single intraperitoneal injection of C. raciborskii extract in concentrations of 1500, 3000, 6000 and 12,000 μg kg⁻¹ body weight (bw) and an equivalent amount of CYN as present in the highest dose of the extract (79.80 μg CYN kg⁻¹ bw). The genotoxic effect on the livers treated with C. raciborskii was evaluated using comet assay and potential induction of oxidative stress as the toxicity mechanism associated with the presence of CYN in extract. The results from the analyses of DNA damage in the comet tail length, tail moment and percentage of DNA in the tail in the liver indicated that administration of extract and CYN present statistically significant difference when compared with the negative control group. Although an increase in the frequency of selected parameters induced by the CYN was observed in the liver, this damage was less than the damage resulting from the administration of the highest dose of extract. The changes in the biochemical parameters of the hepatic damage showed that the application of single doses of the extract and CYN did not cause serious liver damage in rats. The extract and CYN significantly increased oxidative stress in rats’ liver after a single exposure.

     

The phytotoxic effect of C(1)/C(2)-halocarbons and trichloroacetic acid on the steppe plant Artemisia lerchiana

Artemisia lerchiana is a wormwood species of the Central Asian steppe regions, where it completely cover whole areas. For the first time it was possible to show through field experiments that C(1)/C(2) halocarbons (VCHCs), such as chloroform (CHL), tetrachloroethene (PER) and hexachloroethane (HEX), can be taken up by test plants of the species A. lerchiana via the soil/root pathway and metabolised inter alia into trichloroacetic acid (TCA) under semi-aride conditions. At the same time, chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements carried out on the test plants revealed a phytotoxic influence on plant vitality (max. decline in vitality of 52% with application of CHL) and less efficient energy flows in the photosynthesis mechanism of the A. lerchiana test plants. The authors examine possible links between the simultaneous appearance of VCHCs and additional drought stress in the acceleration of desertification processes.