Adsorption of acid dye onto activated carbons prepared from agricultural waste bagasse by ZnCl2 activation

A series of activated carbons were prepared from agricultural waste sugarcane bagasse by chemical activation with zinc chloride (ZnCl2) as an activating agent at 500 degrees C and 0.5 h soaking time. The Langmuir surface area and total pore volume were used to estimate the average pore diameter of the carbon products. The values of the surface area and pore volume increased linearly with increase in the impregnation ratio (IR) up to 100 wt%. The adsorption capacities of the derived adsorbents for Acid Orange 10 were measured at 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C to gain further insights into the acidic surface oxides of the adsorbent from the results of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis and pH measurement. Adsorption isotherms of the acid dye on adsorbents prepared were determined and correlated with common isotherm equations. It was found that the Langmuir model appears to fit the isotherm data better than the Freundlich model. The physical properties of these adsorbents were consistent with the parameters obtained from the isotherm equations.     

精密离心机机箱设计研究

本机箱是精密离心机的重要组件,它可为离心机旋转平台提供良好的气流环境,为电容测微仪提供稳定支承,对保证离心机稳定可靠的运行有重要意义。针对10-6级精密离心机的使用要求,通过功能分析,确定了光滑环形整流罩形式的机箱结构。在此基础上,完成了机箱的结构设计和工艺分析,并进行了力学计算和试验测试。分析和试验结果表明,所设计的机箱可改善离心机风阻力矩和风阻波动,可有效降低风阻对离心机精度的影响。     

The Hourglass: A Conceptual Framework for the Transport of Biologically Active Compounds from Agricultural Landscapes

Recent research has suggested that the fate of biologically active compounds (BACs) originating from point sources such as wastewater treatment plants is fundamentally different from that of similar compounds released from nonpoint sources through runoff from agricultural landscapes. Downstream from wastewater treatment plants, BACs will degrade via a variety of mechanisms; however, their concentration in the water adjacent to the point of discharge may not decrease over time, as the compounds are continually released. In contrast, in agricultural systems, BACs are episodically introduced to surface water during snowmelt and rainstorm events, and under these circumstances, may be found in water for only hours or days after a storm event. Recent research in our laboratories as well as others, has suggested that sediments play an important role in the persistence of herbicides and steroids in watersheds after nonpoint source loading events. Conceptually, the sediment serves as both a sink and a source, equilibrating with BACs during storm events then slowly releasing them back into the water over time, long after the initial pulse of chemicals has moved downstream.     

圆孔多孔板水力空化杀灭大肠杆菌的实验研究

在以圆形孔口多孔板为空化空蚀发生器的水力空化装置中,对含有大肠杆菌的水样进行灭菌处理.通过检测大肠杆菌的灭菌率,研究了水力空化对水中大肠杆菌的灭活效果.分析了大肠杆菌初始浓度,水流空化数,孔口流速,孔口排布,孔口数量,孔口大小,空化空蚀作用时间等参数对灭菌效果的影响.试验结果表明：提高流速,降低空化数,选取适当的初始浓度,延长空化空蚀作用时间,增加孔口数量,减小孔口大小以及改进孔口排布可以进一步提高大肠杆菌的杀灭率.水力空化的空化空蚀作用能够杀灭水中的大肠杆菌,是一种饮用水消毒的新技术.     

人体呼出气中内源性挥发性有机物筛选研究

人体代谢产生的内源性挥发性有机物（VOCs）可用作健康状况的标志物.本研究选择17~26岁无呼吸系统疾病的高校学生（73人）作为观察对象,使用气相色谱-火焰离子化检测器/质谱联用仪（GC-FID/MS）分析收集到的呼出气样本,对呼出气中VOCs的种类、浓度进行研究,发现了其5种卤代物的浓度高于室内浓度,其次是室外浓度.其中,在人体呼出气中1,1-二氯乙烯的浓度为室内浓度的近20倍,是室外浓度的近300倍,人体呼出气是环境中1,1-二氯乙烯的一个重要源.定量分析健康人呼出气,对比其与环境空气样本的浓度差异,并进行统计学检验,共筛选出1,1二氯乙烯、丙酮、1-己烯、甲基环己烷、2-戊酮、反-2-戊烯、2,4-二甲基戊烷、3-戊酮、四氯乙烯、对二氯苯、间二氯苯11种特征性内源性VOCs.     

The polymorphism of the human serum paraoxonase †

The activity of paraoxonase, the enzyme which hydrolyses paraoxon, 0,0‐diethyl‐0–4‐nitrophenylphosphate, in human serum shows a genetically determined polymorphism with strong interethnic differences. The serum paraoxonase genotype has a significant influence on the paraoxon clearance. Individuals with high serum paraoxonase activity may be better protected against the toxic effects of parathion (0,0‐diethyl‐0–4‐nitrophenylthiophosphate).

In Caucasians the polymorphism is governed by two alleles. The first allele has a gene frequency p _low of 0.67 to 0.78, and is manifested in both the form of a first homozygotic group with low activities and a second heterozygotic group with medium activities. About 50% of all Europeans belong to the low activity group. The second allele with a gene frequency q _high of 0.22 to 0.33 is manifested in the second heterozygotic and a third homozygotic group with medium resp. high activities. The Hardy‐Weinberg rule for a two allele model is valid for the distribution.

The percentage of the low activity group decreases as one moves from Europe to Africa and Asia. In most of the Mongoloids and Negroids only 5 to 20% of the population can be included in the low activity group, which is not even demonstrable in Aborigines, Maoris, Tonga and some African and Indian (Central America) tribes. The validity of the Hardy‐Weinberg rule for a two‐ or three‐allele model must be rejected in non‐Caucasians.     

The determination of partition coefficients of organic compounds in technical products and waste waters for the estimation of their bioaccumulation potential using reversed phase thin layer chromatography

Reversed phase thin layer chromatography (RPTLC) has been investigated for the estimation of octanol/water partition coefficients (P), an important parameter for the prediction of the environmental behaviour of organic chemicals. A strong correlation between P derived from the traditional octanol/water system and RPTLC has been established over five orders of magnitude. RPTLC data are likewise correlated to results obtained by high performance chromatography (HPLC). Due to the low costs, simplicity and separation power RPTLC is especially suited for the investigation and screening of mixtures of compounds before more complicated tests are involved.

Results from a round robin test on the determination of partition coefficients by HPLC, RPTLC and the batch method indicate the simplicity and accuracy of the RPTLC technique. Applications of the RPTLC‐technique on technical products and industrial waste waters are described.     

The human serum paraoxonase—Polymorphism and specificity

Human serum contains EDTA‐sensitive (Ca⁺⁺‐dependent) and EDTA‐stable (albumin) paraoxonases which hydrolyse paraoxon, 0,0‐diethyl,0–4‐nitrophenyl phosphate.

In Caucasians the EDTA‐sensitive enzyme shows a genetically determined polymorphism which is governed by two alleles. In typical Mongoloid or Negro populations this polymorphism is expressed to a lesser degree, and in a few samples (e.g. Aborigines) it cannot be observed at all. The distribution of the activity of the EDTA‐stable (albumin) paraoxonase is unimodal.

Many authors supposed that paraoxonase is an arylesterase (EC 3.1.1.2) which means that it is also able to hydrolyse phenylacetate or β‐naphthylacetate. New investigations have shown that the human serum fractions splitting paraoxon can be separated from those hydrolysing phenylacetate and related substrates.

The polymorphism of the EDTA‐sensitive human serum paraoxonase can be applied to investigations concerning specificity. From this it becomes evident that this enzyme is rather specific. Already slight changes of the paraoxon molecule lead to a decrease of activity. On the other hand the enzyme seems to hydrolyse also phosphonic acid esters and 4‐nitrophenylacetate in the same way like paraoxon (polymorphism).

There is a linkage relationship of paraoxonase with cystic fibrosis and DNA markers. According to these results the (EDTA‐sensitive) paraoxonase locus is on the human chromosome 7.

A high serum paraoxonase level actually protects serum cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) and has to be considered in biological monitoring of workers exposed to parathion.     

Patterns of serum calcium fractions,magnesium, phosphates and albumin in non‐insulin dependent diabetics (Nidd)

Blood level of calcium fractions (ionized and bound), phosphates, magnesium and albumin were measured in non‐insulin dependent diabetic patients (NIDD). Results were compared with healthy controls to elucidate the pathogenesis of probable changes of these elements. Total ionized calcium and magnesium showed significant decrease (p<0.001, p<0.05 and p<0.05) respectively. Phosphates showed non‐significant decrease while albumin reported nearly similar results. Positive correlation between inorganic phosphates and ionized calcium (r = 0.48, p<0.05) was observed only in healthy control group, not in diabetics. This may be attributed to alteration of ions excretions under diabetic condition through unknown mechanism. Additive increase of heparin sodium units in vitro to normal blood resulted in progressive fall in ionized calcium. Significant decrease was only observed upon addition of higher unit (5IU/ml). This must be taken into consideration biochemically for plasma determination of ionized calcium.     

Analyses of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and mutagenicity in raw and chlorinated water

Both raw water and chlorinated drinking water samples were collected from and the Liu‐Du water treatment plant in northern Taiwan from October 1990 to April 1992. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and mutagenicity in these water samples were analyzed by GC/MS and Ames test. The Mutagenicity/DMSO (Dimethyl Sulfoxide) ratio in S. typhimurium TA98 and TA100 with or without S9 mixture increased, even higher than 2, following the sequence of unit process. It was observed that the mutagenicity with TA98 (S9+) was highly related to most of PAHs in the raw water; while the mutagenicity with TA98 (S9+) was only correlated with DbA and BghiPr in the treated water. It could be expected that the mutagenicity level was controlled by other predominant components after the raw water was treated, for example, the chlorination process.