An Outbreak of Norovirus Infections Among Lunch Customers at a Restaurant,Tampere, Finland, 2015

On January 29, 2015, the city of Tampere environmental health officers were informed of a possible foodborne outbreak among customers who had eaten lunch in restaurant X. Employees of electric companies A and B had a sudden onset of gastrointestinal symptoms. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify the vehicle, source, and causative agent of the outbreak. A case was defined as an employee of companies A or B with diarrhea and/or vomiting who ate lunch at Restaurant X on January 26, 2015. All employees of the companies attending the implicated lunch were invited to participate in the cohort study. Environmental investigation was conducted. Twenty-one responders were included in statistical analysis, of which 11 met with the case definition. Of the 15 food items consumed by participants, four food items were associated with gastroenteritis. Of four kitchen staff, three tested positive for norovirus GIP7, the strain was found earlier in the community. No patient samples were obtained. Level of hygiene in the kitchen was inadequate. Infected kitchen staff probably transmitted norovirus by inadequate hygiene practices. No new cases associated with Restaurant X were reported after the hygiene practices were improved.     

Iron-doped copper 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate as photo-Fenton catalyst for degradation of methylene blue

Abstract

A metal-organic framework of iron-doped copper 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate was synthesized and, for the first time, utilized as a heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst for degradation of methylene blue dye in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The synthesized materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The influence factors, kinetics, and stability of the synthesized catalysts were investigated in detail. Iron-doped copper 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate showed higher degradation efficiency than pure copper 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate. An almost complete degradation was achieved within 70?min under visible light irradiation at a solution pH of 6, a catalyst loading of 1?g?L^?1, a H₂O₂ dosage of 0.05?mol L^?1 and methylene blue concentration of 50?mg?L^?1. Recycling studies demonstrated that the iron-doped copper 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate is a promising heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst for long-term removal of methylene blue dye from industrial wastewater.     

Microalgae binary culture for higher biomass production,nutrients recycling,and efficient harvesting: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Microalgae are photosynthetic cell factories of global interest for fuels, food, feed, bioproducts, carbon sequestration, waste mitigation, and environmental...     

Remediation of pharmaceuticals from contaminated water by molecularly imprinted polymers: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The release of pharmaceuticals into the environment induces adverse effects on the metabolism of humans and other living species, calling for advanced remediation...     

Occurrence,toxicity and adsorptive removal of the chloramphenicol antibiotic in water: a review

Chloramphenicol is a broad-spectrum bacterial antibiotic used against conjunctivitis, meningitis, plague, cholera, and typhoid fever. As a consequence, chloramphenicol ends up polluting the aquatic environment, wastewater treatment plants, and hospital wastewaters, thus disrupting ecosystems and inducing microbial resistance. Here, we review the occurrence, toxicity, and removal of chloramphenicol with emphasis on adsorption techniques. We present the adsorption performance of adsorbents such as biochar, activated carbon, porous carbon, metal–organic framework, composites, zeolites, minerals, molecularly imprinted polymers, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The effect of dose, pH, temperature, initial concentration, and contact time is discussed. Adsorption is controlled by π–π interactions, donor–acceptor interactions, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions. We also discuss isotherms, kinetics, thermodynamic data, selection of eluents, desorption efficiency, and regeneration of adsorbents. Porous carbon-based adsorbents exhibit excellent adsorption capacities of 500–1240 mg g^?1. Most adsorbents can be reused over at least four cycles.

     

Characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air of a tropical mega-area,Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam: concentration,distribution, gas/particle partitioning,potential sources and cancer risk assessment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This is the first investigation on overall characteristics of 25 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (15 PAHs regulated by US-EPA (excluding...