Concentrations of formaldehyde and other carbonyls in environments affected by incense burning

Burning incense to pay homage to deities is common in Chinese homes and temples. Air samples were collected and analyzed for carbonyls from a home and a temple in Hong Kong where incense burning occurs on a daily basis. Carbonyls in the air were trapped on a solid sorbent coated with O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)-hydroxylamine, followed by thermal desorption and subsequent GC/MS analysis. The carbonyls identified include formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, 2-furfural, benzaldehyde, glyoxal, and methylglyoxal. The levels of the above carbonyls correlate with the intensity of the incense-burning activities. The total mixing ratios of the carbonyls in the temple exceed those in the ambient air outside the temple by 11-23 times. Formaldehyde is the most abundant species, contributing to approximately 55% of the total carbonyl mixing ratios in both the temple and the home environments during incense burning. The mixing ratio of formaldehyde ranges from 108 to 346 ppbv in the temple and averages 103 ppbv in the home during incense burning. These values exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guideline of 100 microg m(-3) (88 ppbv) for formaldehyde. The highest formaldehyde level in the temple exceeds the WHO guideline by 3 times at peak incense burning hours. The mixing ratio of acrolein in the temple ranges from 20 to 99 ppbv, approaching or exceeding the WHO air quality guideline of 50 microg m(-3) (22 ppbv) for acrolein. Our measurements indicate that incense burning significantly elevates the concentrations of a number of carbonyls, most notably formaldehyde and acrolein, in the surrounding environments. This study provides preliminary insights on indoor air quality problems created by incense burning.     

Porous silica spheres as indoor air pollutant scavengers

Porous silica spheres were investigated for their effectiveness in removing typical indoor air pollutants, such as aromatic and carbonyl-containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and compared to the commercially available polymer styrene-divinylbenzene (XAD-4). The silica spheres and the XAD-4 resin were coated on denuder sampling devices and their adsorption efficiencies for VOCs evaluated using an indoor air simulation chamber. Real indoor sampling was also undertaken to evaluate the affinity of the silica adsorbents for a variety of indoor VOCs. The silica sphere adsorbents were found to have a high affinity for polar carbonyls and found to be more efficient than the XAD-4 resin at adsorbing carbonyls in an indoor environment.     

Addressing analytical uncertainties in the determination of trichloroacetic acid in soil

Soil is an important compartment in the environmental cycling of trichloroacetic acid (TCA), but soil TCA concentration is a methodologically defined quantity; analytical methods either quantify TCA in an aqueous extract of the soil, or thermally decarboxylate TCA to chloroform in the whole soil sample. The former may underestimate the total soil TCA, whereas the latter may overestimate TCA if other soil components (e.g. humic material) liberate chloroform under the decarboxylation conditions. The aim of this work was to show that extraction and decarboxylation methods yield different TCA concentrations because the decarboxylation method can also determine "bound" TCA. Experiments with commercial humic acid solutions showed there was no additional chloroform formation under decarboxylation conditions, and that all TCA in a TCA-humic acid mixture could be quantitatively determined (108 +/- 13%). Anion exchange resin was used as a provider of solid-phase TCA binding; only 5 +/- 1% of a TCA solution mixed with the resin was present in the aqueous extract subsequently separated from the resin, yet the decarboxylation method yielded mass balance (123 +/- 22%) with TCA remaining in the resin. In aqueous extraction of a range of soil samples (with or without added TCA spike), the decarboxylation method was able to satisfactorily account for TCA in the extractant + residue post-extraction, compared with whole-soil TCA (+ spike) pre-extraction: e.g. mass balances for unspiked soil from Sikta spruce and larch forest were 99 +/- 8% and 93 +/- 6%, respectively, and for TCA-spiked forest and agricultural soils were 114 +/- 13% and 102 +/- 2%. In each case recovery of TCA in the extractant was substantially less than 100%(<20% for unspiked soils, <55% for spiked soils). Extraction efficiencies were generally lower in more organic soils. The results suggest that analytical methods which utilise aqueous extraction may underestimate whole-soil TCA concentrations. Application of both methodologies together may enhance insight into TCA behaviour in soil.     

The simultaneous stripping of arsenic and selenium from wastewaters using hollow-fibre supported liquid membranes

The extraction of total arsenic and selenium using hollow-fibre supported liquid membranes (HFSLMs), with specific interest in the optimal conditions for the extraction in wastewater, is reported. The extraction time, type of liquid membrane, sample and donor pH and stirring rate were optimised, and thereafter, the developed method was tested in real wastewater samples. The optimal HFSLMs adopted, after optimisation tests, comprised of Aliquat 336, 0.8 M NaOH, 200 rpm and 80 min as the extractant, stripping phase, stirring rate and reaction time, respectively. The developed method had reasonable-to-high extraction efficiencies in real wastewater samples with the final effluent recording as high as 73 and 78 % removal efficiencies for Se and As, respectively. Considering the initial concentrations found in the samples, use of this developed method could bring down the concentrations to levels admissible by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) and World Health Organisation (WHO).     

Development of a personal monitoring method for nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide with Sep-Pak C18 cartridge sampling and ion chromatographic determination

Personal monitoring methods for the determination of hourly integrated concentrations of NO2 and SO2 in ambient air have been developed. Triethanolamine (TEA)-impregnated C18 Sep-Pak cartridges were used to collect NO2 and SO2 simultaneously. After sampling, NO2 and SO2 as their nitrite, nitrate, sulfite and sulfate analogues were stripped from the cartridges with a solution of 5% methanol in distilled, deionized water (DDW) and then determined by ion chromatography. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the sampling rate, collection and recovery efficiencies, breakthrough volumes, absorption capacity, interference and sample stability on the cartridge during storage. NO2 and SO2 detection limits of 0.3 and 0.4 ppb respectively for 1 h samples were obtained. Recoveries for both NO2 and SO2 exceeded 85%.     

Evaluation of a fluorometric method for measuring low concentrations of ammonia in ambient air

A fluorometric method developed for measuring low concentrations of ammonium in marine and freshwater ecosystems was adapted for the analysis of ammonia in ambient air. The modified method entails collection of samples on an acid-treated solid adsorbent followed by analysis using a fluorometer. Optimal results were obtained using a commercially available sorbent tube containing 100 mg of acid-treated silica gel for sample collection, and an analytical protocol consisting of sample desorption in DI water, addition of orthopthaldialdehyde (OPA) working reagent, and room temperature incubation. Method accuracy and precision were evaluated by comparing experimentally determined quantities of ammonia to expected levels for sample loadings ranging from 0.16 [micro sign]g to 550 [micro sign]g-accuracy was generally within +/-20%. The estimated LOQ for the method is 0.08 [micro sign]g ammonia per sample which represents a 25-375-fold improvement in sensitivity compared to current NIOSH and OSHA methods for the measurement of ammonia in ambient air. The new method should be useful for applications requiring measurement of low concentrations of ammonia using personal sampling equipment or in the characterization of short-term fluctuations of ammonia concentrations in air.     

镀金石英砂吸附-AMA 254测汞仪测定大气中痕量汞的研究

采用镀金石英砂来富集大气中的气态总汞,AMA 254测汞仪测定。结果表明,不同采样时间下的单级吸附管的吸附效率均在90%以上,采样40min时的相对标准偏差为5%左右。与巯基棉吸附和吸收液吸收方法的对比显示,该方法具有吸收效果好、多次采样的精密度高、操作简便并且可以再生重复使用等优点。运用该法,对徐家汇等几个地点的大气总汞进行了测定。     

Development of a method for bacteria and virus recovery from heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters

The aim of the work presented here is to study the effectiveness of building air handling units (AHUs) in serving as high volume sampling devices for airborne bacteria and viruses. An HVAC test facility constructed according to ASHRAE Standard 52.2-1999 was used for the controlled loading of HVAC filter media with aerosolized bacteria and virus. Nonpathogenic Bacillus subtilis var. niger was chosen as a surrogate for Bacillus anthracis. Three animal viruses; transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), avian pneumovirus (APV), and fowlpox virus were chosen as surrogates for three human viruses; SARS coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and smallpox virus; respectively. These bacteria and viruses were nebulized in separate tests and injected into the test duct of the test facility upstream of a MERV 14 filter. SKC Biosamplers upstream and downstream of the test filter served as reference samplers. The collection efficiency of the filter media was calculated to be 96.5 +/- 1.5% for B. subtilis, however no collection efficiency was measured for the viruses as no live virus was ever recovered from the downstream samplers. Filter samples were cut from the test filter and eluted by hand-shaking. An extraction efficiency of 105 +/- 19% was calculated for B. subtilis. The viruses were extracted at much lower efficiencies (0.7-20%). Our results indicate that the airborne concentration of spore-forming bacteria in building AHUs may be determined by analyzing the material collected on HVAC filter media, however culture-based analytical techniques are impractical for virus recovery. Molecular-based identification techniques such as PCR could be used.     

2 ,4-二硝基苯肼固相吸附/高效液相色谱法测定车内空气中醛酮类物质

建立了2，4-二硝基苯肼固相吸附／高效液相色谱同时测定车内空气中4种醛酮类物质的方法，研究了固相吸附采样和前处理方法，优化了试验条件。4种醛酮类物质在一定质量范围内工作曲线线性良好，甲醛、乙醛、丙烯醛、丙酮的检出限分别为0．075μg／m^3、0．207μg／m^3、0．715μg／m^3、0．159μg／m^3（按采样体积12L计），实际样品测定的RSD为7.5％-9．7％。     

长沙市大气中醛酮类化合物浓度变化特征

参照美国环保署EPA-TO11标准方法,于2014年7—10月监测了长沙市大气中醛酮类化合物的质量浓度。主要监测到的醛酮类化合物为甲醛、乙醛、丙酮、丙醛、甲基丙烯醛,夏季质量浓度最高的是甲醛(13.86 mg/m³),其次是乙醛(7.28 mg/m³)、丙酮(7.14 mg/m³),秋季质量浓度最高的是甲醛(10.31 mg/m³),其次是丙酮(8.37 mg/m³)、乙醛(5.78 mg/m³)。夏季醛酮类化合物的总量高于秋季,甲醛、乙醛、丙酮的质量浓度最大值基本出现在13:00—15:00。C1/C2(甲醛/乙醛)、C2/C3(乙醛/丙醛)的平均值分别为2.02、10.19。分析了醛酮类化合物之间的相关性以及它们可能的来源。丙醛和甲醛、乙醛的相关性较好,三者有共同的人为来源。夏季大气中除丙酮外,其他醛酮类化合物的相关性均较好。夏季甲基丙烯醛和甲醛、乙醛、丙酮有相同的自然来源。综合分析可知,长沙大气中醛酮类化合物质量浓度受自然因素和人为因素的双重影响。     

Changes in the heavy metal and nutrient contents of dried feather mosses during long-term storage

This study measured heavy metal and nutrient concentrations of two feather mosses during the periods of dry storage. Samples (Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi) were collected in the nationwide moss surveys carried out on the permanent sample plots of the 8th Finnish National Forest Inventory in 1985–86, 1990, 1995 and 2000. A small amount of each moss sample was analyzed soon after collection, and the remainder was dried and stored at the Paljakka environmental specimen bank (ESB). The 108 stored samples from 27 plots were reanalyzed in 2008. Concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn) and nutrients (Ca, K, Mg, P) were determined and compared for each survey year. Overall, Fe, Pb and Cr concentrations decreased, and Cu concentrations increased significantly during storage. The greatest decrease was observed in samples from plots where their initial concentrations were the highest. Changes in the concentrations of Cd, Ni and Zn were less pronounced. The loss of heavy metals is likely due to drying when cell membranes rupture and some of the surface material is lost. K, P and, to some extent, Mg concentrations increased during storage, whereas Ca did not change significantly. Nutrient increase is probably due to their movement from older to younger growths during the initial phase of drying. Ca is mostly bound to cell walls and is not easily released. Results emphasize the importance of establishing the intended use of a stored moss prior to sampling, in order to select and optimize an appropriate storage technique.     

Feasibility of detection and quantification of gas-phase carbonyls in indoor environments using PFBHA derivatization and solid-phase microextraction (SPME)

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was evaluated for the detection and quantification of the gas-phase carbonyls: citronellal, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and beta-ionone. Prepared air samples containing the carbonyl compounds were collected at a flow rate of 2.8 L min(-1) in an impinger containing a 25% reagent water/75% methanol collection liquid. The aqueous samples were then derivatized with O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA), extracted with a PDMS/DVB coated SPME fiber, and analyzed by GC-MS. Detection limits with a sample air volume of 76 L were calculated to be 0.03 ppbv, 0.34 ppbv, 0.12 ppbv, and 0.28 ppbv for citronellal, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and beta-ionone, respectively.     

动态顶空气相色谱法测定水中极性水溶性有机物

采用动态顶空气相色谱FID法测定水中乙醛、丙酮、甲醇、丙烯醛、丙烯腈、乙腈、吡啶等7种极性水溶性有机物，通过优化动态顶空条件，使该方法在0．157mg／L～7．92mg!L之间线性良好。方法检出限在0．008mg／L～0．048mg／L之间，空白水样的加标回收率为103％～111％，RSD为5．4％～8．7％。用该方法测定某制药企业排口污水和地表水，只有污水中甲醇、乙腈、吡啶有响应值。     

Changes of carbon,nitrogen, phosphorous,and potassium content during storage of vermicomposts prepared from different substrates

The study was conducted to determine the optimum storage time for vermicompost without significant loss of nutrients; nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). Cattle manure, paddy straw, municipal solid wastes, and fly ash were used for vermicompost preparations. The dynamics of N, P, and K in the vermicomposts were studied during 180 days of incubation at 28–32 °C. In general, N concentration increased in the first 90–105 days of incubation and then gradually decreased until the 180th day while P and K concentrations steadily decreased over the length of the study, with the rate of loss leveling off after 150 days. The rate of nutrient loss was directly related to the initial level, decreasing the fastest for the nutrients with the highest initial concentrations. Optimum storage times were substrate and N dependent.     

Carbon disulfide at a Chinese viscose factory external and internal exposure assessment

This article presents the results of carbon disulfide exposure measurements in a Chinese viscose rayon factory. The objectives of the study were to identify the external exposure levels at a large factory and to investigate the 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) concentrations in the urine of the subjects who were exposed to carbon disulfide in the working place atmosphere. The metabolism of carbon disulfide in the exposed subjects was also studied in order to demonstrate the best points in time for the internal exposure sampling. The measurement of the amount of personal exposure to carbon disulfide in the air of the workplace was performed by GC-FPD; the presence of TTCA in the workers urine was analyzed by use of a modified HPLC method. The kinetics of TTCA excretion was studied by analyses at different time-points both during and after exposure to carbon disulfide in the subjects. A total of 155 personal samples were obtained. The carbon disulfide concentration in the staple viscose hall was 13.72 +/- 1.12 mg m-3 in terms of the geometric mean +/- geometric standard deviation, and was 20.05 +/- 1.33 mg m-3 in the filament spinning hall. The TTCA values in the subjects who worked in the staple spinning hall were 1.18 +/- 0.43 mg g-1 creatinine and 1.07 +/- 0.38 mg g-1 creatinine for subjects working in the filament spinning hall. The best time for TTCA sampling is at the end of the working shift, the TTCA excretion was stable for a period of 4-12 h after exposure of the subjects to the carbon disulfide. It might be that the Chinese have different anthropometric characteristics; a sampling bias may therefore appear among different races.     

Determination of CH4, CO2 and N2O in air samples and soil atmosphere by gas chromatography mass spectrometry, GC-MS

A method for determination of the climate gases CH4, CO2 and N2O in air samples and soil atmosphere was developed using GC-MS. The method uses straightforward gas chromatography (separation of the gases) with a mass spectrometric detector in single ion mode (specific determination). The gases were determined with high sensitivity and high sample throughput (18 samples h(-1)). The LOD (3sigma) for the gases were 0.10 micro L L(-1) for CH4, 20 microL L(-1) for CO2 and 0.02 microL L(-1) for N2O. The linear range (R2 = 0.999) was up to 500 microL L(-1) for CH4, 4000 microL L(-1) for CO2 and 80 microL L(-1) for N2O. The samples were collected in 10 mL vials and a 5 microL aliquot was injected on column. The method was tested against certified gas references, the analytical data gave an accuracy within +/-5% and a precision of +/-3%. The presence of < or = 10% by volume of C2H2 (often used experimentally to prevent N2 formation from N2O) did not interfere with detection for the targeted trace gases.     

Solid phase extraction and determination of Cr(III) by spectrophotometry using cefaclor as a complexing reagent and FAAS

The present study reports on the application of modified groundnut shell as a new, easily prepared, and stable sorbent for the extraction of trace amount of Cr(III) in aqueous solution. 2-Hydroxybenzaldiminoglycine was immobilized on groundnut shells in alkaline medium and then used as a solid phase for the column preconcentration of Cr(III). The elution was carried out with 3 mL of 2 mol?L^?1 HCl. The amount of eluted Cr(III) was determined by spectrophotometry using cefaclor as a complexing reagent and by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Different experimental variables such as pH, amount of solid sorbent, volume and concentration of eluent, sample and eluent flow rate, and interference of other metal ions on the retention of Cr(III) were studied. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration curves were found to be linear over the concentration range of 13–104 and 10–75 μg?L^?1 with a detection limit of 3.64 and 1.24 μg?L^?1 for spectrophotometric method and FAAS, respectively. An enrichment factor of 200 and RSD of ±1.19–1.49 % for five successive determinations of 25 μg?L^?1 were achieved. The column preconcentration was successfully applied to the analysis of tap water and underground water samples.     

Determination of ultra-trace amounts of cadmium by ET-AAS after column preconcentration with a new sorbent of modified MWCNTs

The present research reports on the application of modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a new, easily prepared, and stable solid sorbent for the column preconcentration of ultra-trace amounts of cadmium in aqueous solution. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were oxidized with concentrated HNO₃ and modified with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol and then were used as a solid phase for the column preconcentration of Cd(II). Elution was carried out with 0.5 mol?L^?1 HNO₃. The amount of eluted Cd(II) was measured using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Various parameters such as pH, sample and eluent flow rate, eluent concentration, breakthrough volume, and interference of a great number of anions and cations on the retention of analyte on sorbent were studied. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.67 ng?L^?1 to 5.0 μg?L^?1 and the detection limit (3S_b, n?=?7) was 0.14 ng?L^?1 in initial solution. A preconcentration factor of 300 and relative standard deviations of ±3.6 % for seven successive determinations of 3 ng of Cd(II) were achieved. The column preconcentration was successfully applied to the analysis of river water, waste water, and Persian Gulf water sample.     

吹扫捕集-气相色谱法同时测定水中的乙醛、丙烯醛和甲醛

研究了吹扫捕集-气相色谱法同时测定水中乙醛、丙烯醛和甲醛的方法并优化了实验条件.实验结果表明,该方法操作简便,灵敏高效,目标化合物的检出限分别为0.037、0.012、0.0006mg/L,相对标准偏差在3.9％ ～15.8％之间,实际水样的加标回收率在73.0％ ～118％之间,能很好满足《地表水环境质量标准》中相关项目的要求.     

Trace metal speciation during dry and wet weather flows in the Tama River, Japan, by using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT)

The labile species of Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in the Tama River, an urban river in Tokyo, Japan, were measured using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) method under dry and wet weather conditions, and the results were compared with total dissolved concentrations in hourly samples collected in parallel. A total of 10 DGT deployments were made and 251 hourly samples were collected during 2 rounds of sampling, conducted between August and October, 2006. Two types of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) devices-DGT-RG for labile inorganic and DGT-APA for total (inorganic and organic) labile species-were applied throughout the samplings. The proportions of metals measured by DGT, compared with the dissolved metal concentrations (filtered using a membrane of 0.5 microm pore size), were 38 +/- 5% (RG) and 45 +/- 8% (APA) for Ni and 45 +/- 22% (RG) and 53 +/- 23% (APA) for Zn. No labile Cu was detected throughout the sampling; Cu was assumed to be in stable complexed forms. Labile Pb was detected in 3 out of 10 deployments only; the rest were lower than the detection limit. Dissolved and labile Cd concentrations were below the detection limits. Three rain events encountered during the sampling periods were evaluated. Rains brought considerably higher loads of metals in dissolved form, and DGT measurements indicated that labile metal loads also increased. Selected DGT measurements were compared with the WHAM 6 speciation model and found to be similar to the model-computed results.