Effects of a composition change of ordinary Portland cement on waste utilization and CO2 emissions in Japan

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - This paper estimates the effects of a composition change of ordinary Portland cement on waste utilization and CO2 emissions in the Japanese cement...     

Determination of dioxin concentrations in fish and seafood samples using a highly sensitive reporter cell line, DR-EcoScreen cells

There is a strong need for the development of relatively rapid and low-cost bioassays for the determination of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in environmental and food samples. In this study, we applied a reporter gene assay using DR-EcoScreen cells (DR-cell assay), which is highly sensitive to dioxins, to the determination of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in fish and seafood samples. The PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs were extracted from homogenated samples (10 g) of 30 fish and shellfish, purified by clean-up procedure using a multilayered silica gel column and an alumina column, and applied to DR-cell assay. Interestingly, the bioanalytical equivalent (BEQ) values obtained from the DR-cell assay [<0.1 ∼ 5.4 pg BEQ g⁻¹ wet weight (ww)] were closely correlated with the toxicity equivalent (TEQ) values from conventional high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS) analysis (r² = 0.912), and the slope of regression line was 0.913. Therefore, we multiplied the BEQ values from the DR-cell assay by a conversion coefficient (1.095, the reciprocal of 0.913) to approximate the TEQ values from the HRGC-HRMS analysis. Furthermore, we used this DR-cell assay to perform a prescreening test of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in 16 fish and seafood samples purchased from a supermarket, revealing that a sample from the fatty flesh of a bluefin tuna exceeded 8 pg TEQ g⁻¹ ww (the European Union-tolerance limit). Taken together, these results suggest that the DR-cell assay might be applicable as a rapid and low-cost prescreening method to determine dioxin levels in fish and seafood samples.     

Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in blood and breast milk collected from 60 mothers in Sapporo City, Japan

We measured the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (non-ortho PCBs), and mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (mono-ortho PCBs) in paired samples of blood and breast milk collected from 60 mothers in Sapporo City, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The present study is one of the few studies in which PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs have been measured in blood and breast milk collected from 60 same mothers. Of these 60 mothers, 30 were primipara (mean: 30.1 years, median: 28.0 years) and 30 were multipara (mean: 32.2 years, median: 32.5 years). The arithmetic mean TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs in blood and breast milk of the primiparous mothers were 9.0, 3.3, 5.7, and 0.4 pg TEQ g(-1) lipid, respectively, and 5.2, 2.2, 4.5, and 0.4 pg TEQ g(-1) lipid, respectively, with the total TEQ concentrations of these dioxin-like compounds being 9.3-42.9 (mean: 18.4, median: 17.3) and 7.0-41.1 (mean: 12.3, median: 11.4) pg TEQ g(-1) lipid, respectively. In the case of multiparous mothers, the arithmetic mean TEQ concentrations of these dioxin-like compounds in blood and breast milk were 7.1, 2.7, 5.3, and 0.4 pg TEQ g(-1) lipid, respectively, and 3.9, 1.7, 3.8, and 0.4 pg TEQ g(-1) lipid, respectively, with the total TEQ concentrations being 3.4-28.1 (mean: 15.5, median: 13.9) and 2.7-20.0 (mean: 9.8, median: 9.2)pg TEQ g(-1) lipid, respectively. The total TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs in blood and breast milk of primiparous mothers in Sapporo City appeared to be generally lower than those recently surveyed throughout the greater area of Japan. Significant correlations were observed between age and the total TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs in the blood of primiparae and multiparae, and significant correlations were also observed between age and the total TEQ concentrations of these dioxin-like compounds in the breast milk of primiparae and multiparae. The total TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs in the blood of primiparous mothers showed a close correlation to those in their breast milk and also showed good correlations between the total TEQ concentrations of these dioxin-like compounds in the blood of multiparous mothers and those in their breast milk. The result of a comparison of the arithmetic mean concentrations of each congener of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs in blood and breast milk indicated that the transfer of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) from the blood to the breast milk was lower than those of other congeners. In contrast, among mono-ortho PCBs congeners, the arithmetic mean concentrations of 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PentaCB) (#118) and 2,3,3',4,4'-PentaCB (#105) in the breast milk were slightly higher than those in the blood, which suggested that breast-fed infants may be at higher risk from mono-ortho PCBs.     

Congener-specific analysis of non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in blood collected from 195 pregnant women in Sapporo City, Japan

We conducted a congener-specific analysis of non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (non-dioxin-like PCBs) in blood collected between July 2002 and July 2004 from 195 pregnant women living in Sapporo City of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The present study is one of the few studies in which full congener concentrations of non-dioxin-like PCBs have been measured in the blood of pregnant women. Of the 195 pregnant women, 101 were primipara (mean: 28.8 years, median: 28.0 years) and 94 were multipara (mean: 32.3 years, median: 33.0 years). Among the 197 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners, 58 congeners were identified in the blood of pregnant women. The arithmetic mean total concentrations of 58 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners in the blood of primiparous and multiparous mothers in Sapporo City were 42.2-329.3 (mean: 114.5, median: 98.6) and 31.5-258.0 (mean: 100.3, median: 91.4)ngg(-1)lipid, respectively. The results show that the contamination of non-dioxin-like PCBs in the blood of women has decreased compared to past levels in other domestic areas, in which the subject age was similar to that in this study. The results of the present study indicate that current levels of non-dioxin-like PCBs in the blood of Japanese women and can be used as baseline data for future temporal trends. The sums of the ratios of the concentrations of hexaCBs and heptaCBs to the total concentrations of 58 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners in the blood of primiparous and multiparous mothers were 78.5% and 77.7%, respectively. The hexaCBs ratios in the blood of primiparous and multiparous mothers were 45.4% and 44.7%, respectively. HexaCB-153 among hexaCBs congeners, the most abundant congener in the blood of primiparous and multiparous mothers, contributed approximately 22.0% and 21.8% to the total concentrations of 58 non-dioxin-like PCBs congeners that were measured in the blood, respectively. Among the non-dioxin-like PCB congeners measured in the present study, hexaCB-138, heptaCB-170, heptaCB-180, and heptaCB-182/heptaCB-187 also showed high ratios to total concentrations of 58 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners detected in the blood of primiparous and multiparous mothers. With regard to the relationship between the total concentrations of 58 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners in maternal blood and the number of deliveries or the age of primiparous and multifarious mothers, the total levels of these PCB congeners tended to decreases with increases in the number of deliveries and significantly increased with increasing maternal age in both groups. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between the total concentrations of these PCB congeners in blood and the age of primiparae and multiparae. The concentrations of hexaCB-153 in the blood of primiparous and multiparous mothers showed a close correlation to the total concentrations of these PCBs, suggesting that hexaCB-153 could be an indicator of total concentrations of non-dioxin-like PCB congeners in the blood of pregnant women.     

Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and non-ortho and mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls in blood of Yusho patients

We measured the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (non-ortho PCBs) and mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (mono-ortho PCBs) in blood collected from 279 Yusho patients living in Japan, 92 Yusho-suspected persons living in Japan and 127 normal controls living in Fukuoka Prefecture, and compared among the groups in terms the concentrations of these compounds. The total toxic equivalents (TEQ) concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs in the bloods of Yusho patients and Yusho-suspected persons were 161.4 and 51.2 pg TEQ/g lipid, respectively and were about 3.5 and 1.1 times higher than those of normal controls, respectively. Although the TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs among Yusho patients, Yusho-suspected persons and normal controls were nearly the same, the PCDFs levels of Yusho patients were significantly higher than those of Yusho-suspected persons and about 10.3 times higher than those of normal controls. In Yusho patients, PCDFs contributed about 65% to the total TEQ concentration. Among the PCDFs congeners for Yusho patients, the concentration of 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF) was about 11.3 times higher than that of normal controls. These findings indicated that Yusho patients even now, more than 34 years after the outbreak of Yusho, have much higher blood levels of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF in general than do unaffected persons.     

A case study of radon-222 transport from continental North-East Asia to the Japanese islands in winter by numerical analysis

A case study of the regional transport ( approximately 3000 km) of radon-222 ((222)Rn) from continental North-East Asia to the Japanese islands was performed by numerical analysis using five separate source areas (South, Middle and North China, Russia and Korea), while a seasonal northwest wind blew over the Japan Sea. The results for three periods (Term I: 16-18, Term II: 22-25 and Term III: 27-28 in December 1990) were compared with concentrations measured at the Kanazawa site (near the coast of the Japan Sea facing the seasonal wind) and the Nagoya site (overland and downwind on the shores of the Pacific Ocean). Most of the (222)Rn at the Kanazawa site was calculated to come from North China and Korea in Term I, Middle China, North China, and Korea in Term II, and Russia and Korea in Term III. The considerable differences in the origins of (222)Rn emanated from the continent were estimated between Terms I, II and III, even though the similar northwest wind was dominant over the Japan Sea. A contour line analysis indicated movement of (222)Rn emanated from Middle China in a northerly direction first and then a southeasterly direction, resulting from low pressure. The results suggest that the low-pressure systems play an important role in the transport of (222)Rn in North-East Asia.     

Evaluation of 14C abundance in soil respiration using acclerator mass spectrometry

To clarify the behavior of 14C in terrestrial ecosystems, 14C abundance in soil respiration was evaluated in an urban forest with a new method involving a closed chamber technique and 14C measurement by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Soil respiration had a higher Delta14C than the contemporary atmosphere. This indicates that a significant portion of soil respiration is derived from the decomposition of soil organic matter enriched in 14C by atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, with a notable time lag between atmospheric 14C addition and re-emission from soil. On the other hand, delta14C in soil respiration demonstrated that 14C abundance ratio itself in soil-respired CO2 is not always high compared with that in atmospheric CO2 because of the isotope fractionation during plant photosynthesis and microbial decomposition of soil organic matter. The Delta14C in soil respiration was slightly lower in August than in March, suggesting a relatively high contribution of plant root respiration and decomposition of newly accumulated and/or 14C-depleted soil organic matter to the total soil respiration in August.     

Recovery of coagulant from water supply plant sludge and its effect on clarification

Spent coagulant in water supply plant sludge was extracted with H₂SO₄ and the efficiency of the reused coagulant was studied. The optimum pH values for coagulant extraction and clarification with the reused coagulant were 3.0–4.0 and about 6, respectively. In treating raw influent obtained from a sewage treatment plant and wastewater from a coastal landfill site, the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen, and total phosphorous with the recovered coagulant was higher than that with commercial aluminum sulfate or polyaluminum chloride. In addition, the sludge settling properties, the extra sludge mass formation, the supernatant quality, and the cost of reagents were also studied. The coagulant recovered from water supply plant sludge by H₂SO₄ extraction could be successfully reused for the clarification of domestic and food industry wastewaters.     

基于同步辐射光源的X射线荧光分析技术研究匐枝青藓对铅污染的生物响应

为了研究苔藓植物对铅元素的富集特征和对铅污染的生物响应特性,选用多年生、植株体较大、分布广泛且易于采集的匐枝青藓(Brachythecium procumbens)为试验材料,在试验区使用不同浓度(0-3.0 mmol·L-1的Pb2+污染液对人工栽植的匐枝青藓进行了动态胁迫试验(7-28d).使用同步辐射光源的x射线...     

Effect of catchment land use and soil type on the concentration,quality, and bacterial degradation of riverine dissolved organic matter

We studied the effects of catchment characteristics (soil type and land use) on the concentration and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in river water and on the bacterial degradation of terrestrial DOM. The share of organic soil was the strongest predictor of high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (DOC, DON, and DOP, respectively), and was linked to DOM quality. Soil type was more important than land use in determining the concentration and quality of riverine DOM. On average, 5–9 % of the DOC and 45 % of the DON were degraded by the bacterial communities within 2–3 months. Simultaneously, the proportion of humic-like compounds in the DOM pool increased. Bioavailable DON accounted for approximately one-third of the total bioavailable dissolved nitrogen, and thus, terrestrial DON can markedly contribute to the coastal plankton dynamics and support the heterotrophic food web.