Prevention of surgical site infection under different ventilation systems in operating room environment

• The effectiveness of four different ventilation systems was compared in depth. • Airflow and bacteria-carrying particles concentration were quantitatively analyzed. • Vertical laminar airflow with high airflow rate could not achieve desired effect. • Temperature-controlled airflow ventilation could guarantee air cleanliness. Biological particles in the operating room (OR) air environment can cause surgical site infections (SSIs). Various ventilation systems have been employed in ORs to ensure an ultraclean environment. However, the effect of different ventilation systems on the control of bacteria-carrying particles (BCPs) released from the surgical staff during surgery is unclear. In this study, the performance of four different ventilation systems (vertical laminar airflow ventilation (VLAF), horizontal laminar airflow ventilation (HLAF), differential vertical airflow ventilation (DVAF), and temperature-controlled airflow ventilation (TAF)) used in an OR was evaluated and compared based on the spatial BCP concentration. The airflow field in the OR was solved by the Renormalization Group (RNG) k-e turbulence model, and the BCP phase was calculated by Lagrangian particle tracking (LPT) and the discrete random walk (DRW) model. It was found that the TAF system was the most effective ventilation system among the four ventilation systems for ensuring air cleanliness in the operating area. This study also indicated that air cleanliness in the operating area depended not only on the airflow rate of the ventilation system but also on the airflow distribution, which was greatly affected by obstacles such as surgical lamps and surgical staff.     

Solar-induced generation of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical in sewage wastewaters

Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) play an important role in the degradation of pollutants in surface waters. However, the mechanism underlying the photochemical generation of ¹O₂ and ·OH in wastewaters is poorly known. Here we studied the photo-induced generation of ¹O₂ and ·OH in different sewage treatment plant units. The correlation between the generation of ¹O₂ and ·OH and the water constituents was discussed. Our results show that in sewage units the ¹O₂ formation rate ranges from 2.19 × 10^?8 to 6.74 × 10^?8 mol L^?1 s^?1, and the ·OH formation rate ranges from 1.7 × 10^?11 to 3.06 × 10^?10 mol L^?1 s^?1. The average ¹O₂ formation rates in the various sewage units are similar to those in wetland and estuarine waters containing rich dissolved organic matter and 2–4 times higher than those in lake and seawater samples. The average ·OH formation rates of the sewage units are 5–50 times higher than for other water samples reported. The ·OH generation rate increased with the iron content with a correlation coefficient of 0.85, which indicates that the photo-Fenton reaction plays a dominant role in ·OH generation in sewage wastewater.     

农田土壤镉生物有效性及暴露评估研究进展

随着工业化和城市化进程的发展,我国在农田土壤污染领域面临较大挑战,其中镉(Cd)为最优先控制元素之一。农田土壤Cd污染风险类型为健康风险,其主要暴露途径为经土壤-植物系统,并经膳食进入人体。在当前的土壤Cd风险评估中,一般不考虑生物有效性问题,这使得风险评价中实际暴露评估的不确定性普遍偏高。所以,近年来欧洲国家有许多研究者提出将生物有效性因素放在土壤污染物风险评价框架内。基于此,本文立足于农田系统,并从土壤、植物、污染物及环境因素等4个方面详细综述了农田土壤Cd生物有效性的影响因素及其作用机理。其次,分别综述了近年来土壤Cd生物有效性预测模型和土壤Cd膳食暴露评估模型研究进展。最后,分析了我国土壤重金属风险评价中存在的不足,并对农田土壤Cd暴露评估发展态势和研究方向进行了初步预测,以期为农田土壤Cd健康风险评估及安全基准研究提供一定参考。     

混合污染物联合毒性评价模型曲线和实际浓度效应曲线之间交叉现象的研究进展

许多研究在使用评价模型进行混合物联合作用模式判别时发现,混合污染物的评价模型曲线和浓度效应曲线之间存在交叉的现象,表现为联合作用模式随混合物浓度发生变化。虽然交叉现象不断被报道出来,但是该现象形成机制的研究却非常欠缺。本文系统分析了文献中出现的交叉现象,探讨了交叉现象可能的形成原因和机制,提出了化合物的hormesis效应是导致交叉现象的关键因素:混合组分中某些化合物在低浓度时会对受试生物的某些蛋白、基因等的表达量产生刺激作用,影响其他化合物对机体产生的效应,从而改变混合组分的联合作用模式。该研究不仅为交叉现象形成机制的进一步探索提供了理论依据,还为混合物的生态毒理评估和环境风险评价提供理论指导。     

Measurement of Ultrafine Particle Size Distributions from Coal-, Oil-, and Gas-Fired Stationary Combustion Sources

Abstract

Currently, we have limited knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of emitted primary combustion aerosols and the changes in those properties caused by nucleation, condensation growth of volatile species, and particle coagulations under dilution and cooling in the ambient air. A dilution chamber was deployed to sample exhaust from a pilot-scale furnace burning various fuels at a nominal heat input rate of 160 kW/h^?1 and 3% excess oxygen. The formation mechanisms of particles smaller than 420 nm in electrical mobility diameter were experimentally investigated by measurement with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) as a function of aging times, dilution air ratios, combustion exhaust temperatures, and fuel types. Particle formation in the dilution process is a complex mixture of nucleation, coagulation, and condensational growth, depending on the concentrations of available condensable species and solid or liquid particles (such as soot, ash) in combustion exhausts. The measured particle size distributions in number concentrations measured show peaks of particle number concentrations for medium sulfur bituminous coal, No. 6 fuel oil, and natural gas at 40-50 nm, 70-100 nm, and 15-25 nm, respectively. For No. 6 fuel oil and coal, the particle number concentration is constant in the range of a dilution air ratio of 50, but the number decreases as the dilution air ratio decreases to 10. However, for natural gas, the particle number concentration is higher at a dilution air ratio of 10 and decreases at dilution air ratios of 20-50. At a dilution air ratio of 10, severe particle coagulation occurs in a relatively short time. Samples taken at different combustion exhaust temperatures for these fuel types show higher particle number concentrations at 645 K than at 450 K. As the aging time of particles increases, the particles increase in size and the number concentrations decrease. The largest gradient of particle number distribution occurs within the first 10 sec after dilution but shows only minor differences between 10 and 80 sec. The lifetimes of the ultrafine particles are relatively short, with a scale on the order of a few seconds. Results from this study suggest that an aging time of 10 sec and a dilution air ratio of 20 are sufficient to obtain representative primary particle emission samples from stationary combustion sources.     

Microwave Plasma Conversion of Volatile Organic Compounds

Abstract

A microwave-induced, steam/Ar/O₂ , plasma “torch” was operated at atmospheric pressure to determine the feasibility of destroying volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of concern. The plasma process can be coupled with adsorbent technology by providing steam as the fluid carrier for desorbing the VOCs from an adsorbent. Hence, N₂ can be excluded by using a relatively inexpensive carrier gas, and thermal formation of oxides of nitrogen (NO_x ) is avoided in the plasma.

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the technical feasibility of destroying VOCs from gas streams by using a commercially available microwave plasma torch and to examine whether significant byproducts were produced. Trichloroethene (TCE) and toluene (TOL) were added as representative VOCs of interest to a flow that contained Ar as a carrier gas in addition to O₂ and steam.The O₂ was necessary to ensure that undesirable byproducts were not formed in the process. Microwave power applied at 500–600 W was found to be sufficient to achieve the destruction of the test compounds, down to the detection limits of the gas chromatograph that was used in the analysis. Samples of the postmicrowave gases were collected on sorbent tubes for the analysis of dioxins and other byproducts. No hazardous byproducts were detected when sufficient O₂ was added to the flow. The destruction efficiency at a fixed microwave power improved with the addition of steam to the flow that passed through the torch.     

用微宇宙法研究稀土元素在富营养化水体中的归趋

本文利用静态实验室水生微宇宙的方法研究了轻、中、重三类五种稀土混合物（La,Ce,Sm,Gd,Y）在富营养水体、底泥、浮萍、大型蚤、螺蛳和金鱼中的分布和富集。结果表明,稀土在水生微宇宙各组分中的分布和积累的趋势为轻稀土>中稀土>重稀土。稀土元素在水体中6h后基本趋于平衡,其大部分为底泥所吸附;不同生物对稀土的分布和富集存在着较大的差异,其趋势为浮萍>大型蚤>螺蛳>金鱼。     

Development and Pilot Plant Evaluation of Silica- Enhanced Lime Sorbents for Dry Flue Gas Desulfurization

EPA’s efforts to develop low cost, retrofitable flue gas cleaning technology include the development of highly reactive sorbents. Recent work addressing lime enhancement and testing at the bench-scale followed by evaluation of the more promising sorbents in a pilot plant are discussed here.

The conversion of Ca(OH)₂ with SO₂ increased several-fold compared with Ca(OH)₂ alone when Ca(OH)₂ was slurrled with fly ash first and later exposed to SO₂ in a laboratory packed bed reactor. Ca(OH)₂ enhancement increased with the increased fly ash amount. Dlatomaceous earths were very effective reactivity promoters of lime-based sorbents. Differential scanning calorimetry of the promoted sorbents revealed the formation of a new phase (calcium silicate hydrates) after hydration, which may be the basis for the observed Improved SO₂ capture.

Fly ash/lime and diatomaceous earth/lime sorbents were tested in a 100 m³/h pilot facility incorporating a gas humidifier, a sorbent duct injection system, and a baghouse. The inlet SO₂ concentration range was 1000-2500 ppm. With once-through dry sorbent injection into the humidified flue gas [approach to saturation 10–20°C (18–36°F) in the baghouse], the total SO₂ removal ranged from 50 to 90 percent for a stoichiometric ratio of 1 to 2. Recycling the collected solids resulted in a total lime utilization exceeding 80–90 percent. Increased lime utilization was also investigated by the use of additives.     

An Equilibrium Analysis of Some Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Stoichiometric to Fuel-rich Post-flame Combustion Environments

The equilibrium composition of product gases from the combustion of chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHC) has been studied for varying ratios of C, H, Cl, and O under stoichiometric to fuel-rich conditions. An interactive, PC-compatible FORTRAN program, STANJAN, was utilized in conjunction with thermochemical data sources to calculate equilibrium compositions of gas mixtures as a function of temperature. The predicted results, when judiciously Interpreted, assist in the understanding of the potential for formation of residual organic substance emissions (ROSEs) in post-flame environments of an incinerator.

Arguments are presented for the potential formation of chlorinated species, which are stable at ambient temperature, if locally fuel-rich mixtures penetrate into the lower temperature zones of an incinerator. ROSEs that have been observed in field tests of incinerators burning chlorinated compounds are predicted to form under the fuel-rich condition. Furthermore, when the equivalence ratio is greater than unity by even a slight amount, the degree of chlorination of product gases increases markedly when the Cl/H ratio also exceeds unity. In that case, time, temperature, turbulence and an overall fuel-lean stoichiometry may not be sufficient to guarantee elimination of measurable levels of chlorinated products. Possible implications of the equilibrium calculations are discussed. Further systematic studies with additional CHCs, nitrogen?, sulfur?, and heavy metal-bearing compounds are recommended as well as continued efforts to carry out kinetic studies.     

Levels and patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils after forest fires in South Korea

Introduction  

To investigate the influence of biomass burning on the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils, temporal trends and profiles of 16 US Environmental Protection Agency priority PAHs were studied in soil and ash samples collected 1, 5, and 9 months after forest fires in South Korea.