Less attention paid to waterborne SARS-CoV-2 spreading in Beijing urban communities

• A survey on individual’s perception of SARS-CoV-2 transmission was conducted. • Waterborne transmission risks are far less perceived by individuals. • Precautions of preventing wastewater mediated transmission are implemented. • The precautions for wastewater transmission are less favored by the public. • Education level differs the most regarding to waterborne transmission perception. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in various environmental media. Community and individual-engaged precautions are recommended to stop or slow environmentally-mediated transmission. To better understand the individual’s awareness of and precaution to environmental dissemination of SARS-CoV-2, an online survey was conducted in Beijing during March 14–25, 2020. It is found that the waterborne (especially wastewater mediated) spreading routes are far less perceived by urban communities. The precautions for wastewater transmission are less favored by the public than airborne and solid waste mediated spreading routes. Such risk communication asymmetry in waterborne transmission will be further enlarged in places with fragile water system. Furthermore, education level is the most significant attribution (Sig.<0.05) that causes the difference of awareness and precautions of the waterborne transmission among the respondents, according to the variance analysis results. Our survey results emphasize the urgent need for evidence-based, multifactorial precautions for current and future outbreaks of COVID-19.     

Public perception of air pollution sources across Europe

Air pollution is one of the primary concerns of our society for its effect on human health and the environment. Among the policy measures that can be put in place to limit air pollutant emissions, end-of-pipe technologies and/or regulatory instruments may be implemented through legislative acts. Also, equally important are behavioural measures, requiring citizens’ active involvement. The success of any measure to limit pollutant emissions requires the acceptance by the citizens that, in turn, implies a correct perception of the main pollutant emission drivers. We present here the comparison between the public perception of air pollution sources and the real-world situation through a survey carried out in seven European countries and involving 16 101 respondents. Our study shows a dramatic underestimation of the contribution of the agri-food sector to air pollution. This result is common to all respondents in the seven countries examined and only to a small extent depends on gender, age and socio-economic status of the respondents.     

Aerosol transmission,an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread: case study of a department-store cluster

• Aerosol transmission is an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread. • Different outbreak sites have different epidemiologic feature. • SRAS-CoV-2 can exist for a long time in aerosol. • SRAS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in aerosol in diverse places. • Some environmental factors can impact SARS-CoV-2 transportation in aerosol. Patients with COVID-19 have revealed a massive outbreak around the world, leading to widespread concerns in global scope. Figuring out the transmission route of COVID-19 is necessary to control further spread. We analyzed the data of 43 patients in Baodi Department Store (China) to supplement the transmission route and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in a cluster outbreak. Incubation median was estimated to endure 5.95 days (2–13 days). Almost 76.3% of patients sought medical attention immediately upon illness onset. The median period of illness onset to hospitalization and confirmation were 3.96 days (0–14) and 5.58 days (1–21), respectively. Patients with different cluster case could demonstrate unique epidemiological characteristics due to the particularity of outbreak sites. SRAS-CoV-2 can be released into the surrounding air through patient’s respiratory tract activities, and can exist for a long time for long-distance transportation. SRAS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in aerosol in different sites, including isolation ward, general ward, outdoor, toilet, hallway, and crowded public area. Environmental factors influencing were analyzed and indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 transportation in aerosol was dependent on temperature, air humidity, ventilation rate and inactivating chemicals (ozone) content. As for the infection route of case numbers 2 to 6, 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20 and 23, we believe that aerosol transmission played a significant role in analyzing their exposure history and environmental conditions in Baodi Department Store. Aerosol transmission could occur in some cluster cases when the environmental factors are suitable, and it is an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread.     

Effect of ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nicotine on the structure of Aβ42 protein

● B[a]P, nicotine and phenanthrene molecules altered the secondary structure of Aβ₄₂. ● β-content of the peptide was significantly enhanced in the presence of the PAHs. ● Nicotine made stable cluster with Aβ₄₂ peptide via hydrogen bonds. ● Phenanthrene due to its small size, interfered with the Aβ₄₂ monomer more strongly. Recent studies have correlated the chronic impact of ambient environmental pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, either by using statistical data from various cities, or via tracking biomarkers during in-vivo experiments. Among different neurodegenerative disorders, PAHs are known to cause increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, related to the development of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide oligomers. However, the complex molecular interactions between peptide monomers and organic pollutants remains obscured. In this work, we performed an atomistic molecular dynamics study via GROMACS to investigate the structure of Aβ₄₂ peptide monomer in the presence of benzo[a]pyrene, nicotine, and phenanthrene. Interestingly the results revealed strong hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bond based interactions between Aβ peptides and these environmental pollutants that resulted in the formation of stable intermolecular clusters. The strong interactions affected the secondary structure of the Aβ₄₂ peptide in the presence of the organic pollutants, with almost 50 % decrease in the α-helix and 2 %–10 % increase in the β-sheets of the peptide. Overall, the undergoing changes in the secondary structure of the peptide monomer in the presence of the pollutants under the study indicates an enhanced formation of Aβ peptide oligomers, and consequent progression of Alzheimer’s disease.     

水平管内不同煤质煤尘爆炸火焰传播特性实验研究

为研究水平管道空间不同煤质煤尘爆炸火焰传播特性，选取褐煤、长焰煤、不粘煤、气煤4种煤尘，对爆炸火焰焰峰特性、火焰加速传播特性、火焰传播距离与持续时间展开研究。研究结果表明:褐煤在500 ms内焰峰的形状由尖锐向平滑再向钝化不断演变，长焰煤与不粘煤在375 ms时焰峰前端出现明显焰体分离现象，分析认为这与管体冷壁效应、空间尺度效应及空间氧气消耗直接相关；气煤在375 ms时焰峰出现大面积火焰碎纹，说明气煤爆炸火焰猛烈传播的持续时间相对较短，整体爆炸强度相对较弱；褐煤与长焰煤爆炸火焰存在2次间断性加速，分析认为这与管体空间受限、常温管壁散热、局部助燃氧气瞬间不足等因素有关；褐煤在爆炸后400～600 ms内火焰2次加速完全，火焰传播距离达740 mm，明显大于长焰煤、不粘煤与气煤，说明低变质褐煤爆炸火焰持续时间更长，火焰传播距离更远且传播更剧烈；虽然气煤火焰最远传播距离比长焰煤大30 mm，但由于气煤火焰在375 ms左右出现大片火焰碎纹，因此气煤整体的爆炸强度小于长焰煤。     

混凝-生物强化联合处理环氧树脂高盐废水

环氧树脂高盐废水是目前较难处理的工业废水之一.采用混凝联合生物强化工艺:通过混凝过程进行预处理后,投加嗜盐菌进行生物强化考察盐度变化对系统降解有机物的影响以及污泥性状的变化情况.结果表明,当废水中氯离子浓度达到驯化目标10 g/L时,系统对COD的去除率仍稳定在85％左右;以没有投加嗜盐菌的反应器为对照组,在进水COD平均浓度为550 mg/L左右,氯离子浓度由12 g/L增至21 g/L时,对照组COD平均去除率由82％降至60％以下,而投加了嗜盐菌的反应器(投加组)则仍保持在85％以上;此外,盐度的变化同时影响污泥的活性及其沉降性能,随着盐度增大,两组中的污泥活性均有所降低,但投加组的污泥活性相对较高,其污泥的沉降时间和污泥体积指数(sludge volume in-dex,SVI)值也较低.采用本工艺处理环氧树脂高盐废水,使得生物处理过程能够长期稳定运行,且能够保持较高的耐盐度和COD去除率.     

石家庄市冬季大气中VOCs污染特征分析

为弄清石家庄市冬季大气中VOCs的污染特征,采用美国环保局TO-15方法对石家庄市冬季大气中VOCs组成进行了定性和定量分析。在此基础上,进行了VOCs的月度变化分析、春节期间的变化分析,并进行了VOCs与空气质量指数AQI、PM2.5等之间的相关性分析;根据VOCs组成及变化情况和相关性,分析了其可能的来源。结果表明,石家庄市冬季大气中VOCs的质量浓度为145.7~1 410.7μg/m3,VOCs组分主要有丙酮、二氯甲烷、苯、乙酸乙酯、甲苯、1,2-二氯丙烷、三氯甲烷。春节期间,大气中VOCs的浓度有大幅的下降,比日常均值下降了40.9%。AQI较高时,大气中VOCs浓度有所升高。石家庄市冬季大气中丙酮、二氯甲烷、乙酸乙酯等主要来源于医药化工生产活动,苯、甲苯主要来源于煤燃烧。     

基于环境卫星CCD数据的黄海浒苔遥感监测

2007年以来,黄海海域每年夏季都发生大面积浒苔绿藻潮,影响沿岸人民的生活、生产。考虑到其分布范围动则几千、上万平方公里,水面监测很难实施,尝试利用遥感技术对其分布和发展变化情况进行监测。基于中国自主产权的环境卫星(HJ1)数据,采用经典植被指数算法和人工辅助判读方法,对2013年黄海浒苔暴发全过程进行了连续遥感监测,分析了此次浒苔过程的分布和漂移路线。监测结果表明,浒苔绿藻潮首发于江苏盐城东部海域,由南向北逐渐漂移,面积逐渐扩大,结束于青岛东北部海域;该期间,浒苔最大覆盖面积达663.54平方公里。     

基于证据法学的环境监测原始记录设计

从证据法学概念的角度浅析了环境监测原始记录的证据范畴,根据其所属范畴的证据要求,归纳了环境监测原始记录的证据要求。结合实例,分析了环境监测原始记录存在的不足,并提出了改进建议。