Assessment of urinary protein composition in response to consecutive days of wildland firefighting

The purpose of this study was to examine the pattern of urinary protein excretion induced by 3 consecutive days of wildland firefighting. Eighteen male active-duty military personnel served as the participants. All testing on the 3 consecutive days was conducted at a Northwestern USA fire camp. All participants consumed military-based foods containing 2620–2864?kcal/day. The work activity was evaluated with an accelerometer in association with body weight and hydration markers over the experimental period. Urinary samples were collected pre and post workshift on days 1 and 3 to assess glomerular and tubular protein excretion (total protein, albumin, β₂-microglobulin, N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase and creatinine). The urinary levels of glomerular and tubular protein were not significantly different. The main findings of the present study indicate that similar alterations of urinary protein composition can be observed over consecutive days of wildland firefighting, which appears to be dependent on intensity rather than total work output.     

Response of streamflow to climate variability and changes in human activities in the semiarid highlands of northern Ethiopia

Regional Environmental Change - Climate variability and human activities are two major drivers influencing changes in streamflow response of a watershed, and thus assessing their relative effect is...     

Feasibility of a monitoring system for detecting changes in dioxin concentrations of both in flue gas and fly ash in incineration plants

Surrogate measurements should be low in cost and quick to perform. To examine its feasibility, continuous surrogate monitoring was performed using an organic halogen compound (OHC) analyzer. Surrogates for dioxins (DXNs) from waste incinerators were examined by changing the operating conditions such as the atomized volume of activated carbon added and the temperature at the inlet of the dust collector. OHCs were measured along with DXNs in flue gas at the inlet and the outlet of the dust collector of two waste incinerators over five runs; the fly ash was sampled at the same time. Although the final flue gas concentration of DXNs at the incineration plants was below the regulation criteria, this does not mean complete reduction of DXNs. In addition, the de novo synthesis of DXNs inside the dust collectors was studied by analyzing the mass balance for DXNs concentrations in flue gas and fly ash. Semivolatile chlorinated organic compound concentrations at the outlet of the bag filter were basically well correlated with DXNs levels at the inlet of the bag filter in the test runs. When advanced flue gas treatment is applied by using a bag filter and lime/activated carbon adsorbent, DXNs that may be generated during flue gas cooling processes move to the fly ash, and this amount determines the mass balance of the entire system. It may be useful to monitor surrogate organic halogens for detecting changes in DXN concentrations of both flue gas and fly ash in incineration plants.     

Field survey of a sustainable sanitation system in a residential house

Sustainable sanitation is an approach for more ecological and sustainable water resources management. In this paper, we proposed one of the new integrated waste treatment systems： an ＂sustainable sanitation system＂ that includes separation of the black water from water system by a non-flushing toilet （bio-toilet）, and a gray water treatment based on a biological and ecological concept. Sustainable sanitation system also converts the domestic waste to soil conditioners and fertilizers, for farmland use. As one of the case studies, Environmentally Symbiotic Housing in which people actually live using the bio-toilet for the black water treatment and the household wastewater treatment facility for the gray water was introduced. The availability of this system was investigated by analyzing the sawdust used in the bio-toilet and the quality of the effluent in the household wastewater treatment facility. As the result, the water content of the sawdust did not exceed 60% in any of the sampling points and the BOD and COD of the effluent of the household wastewater treatment facility were below 10 and 20 mg/L respectively, due to the low loading. Compared to the pollution load on the water environment created by the conventional system, it was found that the effluent of the house has a lower load than the tertiary treatment and the volume of the water consumption is 75% of the conventional system.     

Characteristics of electrolysis, ozonation, and their combination process on treatment of municipal wastewater.

The characteristics of municipal wastewater treatment by electrolysis, ozonation, and combination processes of electrolysis and aeration using three gaseous species (nitrogen [N2], oxygen [O2], and ozone [O3]) were discussed in this research using ruthenium oxide (RuO2)-coated titanium anodes and stainless-steel (SUS304) cathodes. Electrolysis and electrolysis with nitrogen aeration were characterized by a rapid decrease in 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BODs) and total nitrogen and a slow decrease in chemical oxygen demand (COD). In contrast, ozonation, electrolysis with oxygen aeration, and electrolysis with ozone aeration were characterized by transformation of persistent organic matter to biodegradable matter and preservation of total nitrogen. The best energy efficiency in removing BOD5 and total nitrogen was demonstrated by electrolysis, as a result of direct anodic oxidation and indirect oxidation with free chlorine produced from the chloride ion (Cl-) at the anodes. However, electrolysis with ozone aeration was found to be superior to the other processes, in terms of its energy efficiency in removing COD and its ability to remove COD completely, as a result of hydroxyl radical (*OH) production via cathodic reduction of ozone.     

Effects of low protein diet and sex difference on the amounts of metallothionein in liver and kidney of cadmium-administered rats

Cadmium (Cd) was orally administered in a dose of 100 μg daily for a total of 100 times to investigate the effects of the intake of low (5%) protein diet and sex difference on the amounts of metallothionein (MT) in the liver and kidney. The amount of MT in the liver was significantly increased by the intake of low protein diet. In females, the increase in the amount of MT was proportional to the amount of Cd accumulated. The concentration of copper-thionein in the liver was higher in females than in males and further increased after intake of low protein diet. The levels of MT, cadmium-thionein, zinc-thionein and copper-thionein in the kidney were not influenced by the intake of low protein diet nor did show a sex difference.     

Detection of Asian dust aerosols using meteorological satellite data and suspended particulate matter concentrations

The advection and dispersion of Asian dust events from China to the Pacific Ocean around Japan during 2000–2002 were investigated using the meteorological satellite data of NOAA/AVHRR and GMS-5/VISSR. Aerosol vapour index images, taking the brightness temperature difference between 11 and 12 μm, are very effective for monitoring the Asian dust phenomenon in the East Asia region, with their capacity for detection during the day or night. We discuss the dust events, focusing on the advection patterns shown in satellite images, which are classified into three types as ‘dry slot’, ‘high-pressure wedge’ and ‘travelling high’, based on synoptic patterns. The results are compared with suspended particulate matter concentrations measured at Japanese surface stations and with ground-based observations of Sakurajima volcano by a web camera system at Kagoshima in Kyushu, Japan. We found that the passage of cold fronts caused a rapid increase of suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations, which exceeded 100 μg m⁻³, and that deep low-pressure complexes strengthened the dust phenomenon. The ‘high-pressure wedge’ type is seen much more clearly in satellite images than the ‘travelling high’ type, but SPM concentrations and visibility were similar in both owing to the differences in the vertical distribution of the dust and in viewing conditions.     

Studies on materials containing polysaccharides as soil amendments 1: effects on animal waste water purification in a potting experiment

A potting experiment was carried out to determine the effects of soil amendments containing polysaccharides and earthworms on a land application system for the purification of animal waste water. The following soil amendments were used: purified Konjak powder (KP, powder containing glucomannan made from the root system of devil's tongue, Amorphophalus rivieri Dur.), crystallized cellulose (CC), and a mixture of the two (MX). These soil amendments were added to the pots, and then Chrysanthemum corondria were planted in the earthworm pots (A pots), the nonearthworm pots (B pots), and the control pots (C pots); the first two plots received primary-treated animal waste water, and the other one received tap water. The following items were then measured: pH, electrical conductivity, chemical oxygen demand (COD_Mn), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus, the volume of drained water from each pots, the height and dry matter weight of plants, and the water permeability into the soil. The MX-A pots, i.e., the pots containing both soil amendments and earthworms, gave good results, especially for water permeability, plant growth, the purification of COD_Mn, and TN. These results suggest that the presence of soil amendments and earthworms may enhance the improvement of water quality in land application systems using vegetation. Received: December 9, 1998 / Accepted: February 8, 2000     

Antibiotic-resistant E. coli in surface water and groundwater in dairy operations in Northern California

Generic Escherichia coli was isolated from surface water and groundwater samples from two dairies in Northern California and tested for susceptibility to antibiotics. Surface samples were collected from flush water, lagoon water, and manure solids, and groundwater samples were collected from monitoring wells. Although E. coli was ubiquitous in surface samples with concentrations ranging from several hundred thousand to over a million colony-forming units per 100 mL of surface water or per gram of surface solids, groundwater under the influence of these high surface microbial loadings had substantially fewer bacteria (3- to 7-log₁₀ reduction). Among 80 isolates of E. coli tested, 34 (42.5 %) were resistant to one or more antibiotics and 22 (27.5 %) were multi-antibiotic resistant (resistant to ≥3 antibiotics), with resistance to tetracycline, cefoxitin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and ampicillin being the most common. E. coli isolates from the calf hutch area exhibited the highest levels of multi-antibiotic resistance, much higher than isolates in surface soil solids from heifer and cow pens, flush alleys, manure storage lagoons, and irrigated fields. Among E. coli isolates from four groundwater samples, only one sample exhibited resistance to ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline, indicating the potential of groundwater contamination with antibiotic-resistant bacteria from dairy operations.