Driving disability and dizziness

PROBLEM: People with dizziness caused by vestibular (i.e., inner ear) disorders complain of difficulty driving. Physicians occasionally warn their patients with vestibular disorders not to drive. Few studies have asked patients about their driving performance, so little data are available. METHOD: Using the Driving Habits Questionnaire, the authors did structured interviews with people with several different vestibular disorders and with normal subjects. The self-reported crash rate and rate of citations for moving violations did not differ between the subject groups. RESULTS: Patients report reduced driving skills, particularly in situations when visual information is reduced, rapid head movements are used, and specific path integration or spatial navigation skills are needed.     

PCBs污染土壤的CaO诱导低温热处理脱氯研究

研究了低温热处理脱氯技术对废弃电容器封存点附近污染土壤中多氯联苯脱氯的效果,考察反应温度、反应时间及CaO添加比例对PCBs去除率、脱氯率的影响以及反应前后土壤中污染物的组分变化.实验土样中PCBs浓度为107.7 mg/g,属于罕见高浓度PCBs污染土壤.当反应温度为400℃、停留时间4h、CaO添加比例为10%,PCBs的去除率为87.7%,脱氯率为85.3%.土壤样品中五氯联苯和四氯联苯反应后含量降低或未检出,部分反应后样品检出一氯联苯和联苯,说明在CaO诱导PCBs低温热处理脱氯反应中存在逐步脱氯/加氢反应途径.     

硅藻土固定化颗粒污泥对海水养殖废水除氨性能

针对实际海水养殖废水低碳高氮的特点,采用间歇式活性污泥法(SBR)和好氧活性污泥添加硅藻土载体的方式,考察硅藻土载体和活性污泥共同作用下的好氧曝气系统对海水养殖废水中氨态氮(NH4+-N)、亚硝酸态氮(NO2--N)和化学耗氧量(COD)的去除效果,以及对污泥沉降性能和硝化细菌特征的影响。实验结果表明,常温条件下,溶解氧(DO)≥ 4.5 mg/L,pH控制在7.0 ~ 8.0,HRT为11 h,沉降时间10 min,反应器可以处理NH4+-N浓度在50 mg/L左右的海水养殖废水,NH4+-N和COD去除率分别达到98.93%左右和76.62%以上,NO2--N出水浓度低于0.028 mg/L。载体污泥颗粒照片和扫描电镜结果表明,添加硅藻土载体内核后,颗粒污泥的成熟期缩短,颗粒的稳固度和沉降性能提高。在系统启动成功稳定运行后,通过FISH分析表明,在氨氧化菌(AOB)与亚硝酸盐氧化菌(NOB)成为优势菌群后,AOB大约占总菌群的33.5%,并且AOB与NOB菌群数量约为1:1.33,AOB和NOB两大类菌群之和约占总菌群的77.2%,成为系统中优势菌群。     

Indoor pollution and burning practices in wood stove management

This study evaluates effects of good burning practice and correct installation and management of wood heaters on indoor air pollution in an Italian rural area. The same study attests the role of education in mitigating wood smoke pollution. In August 2007 and winters of 2007 and 2008, in a little mountain village of Liguria Apennines (Italy), indoor and outdoor benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) concentrations were measured in nine wood-heated houses. During the first sampling, several mistakes in heating plant installations and management were found in all houses. Indoor BTEX concentrations increased during use of wood burning. Low toluene/benzene ratios were in agreement with wood smoke as main indoor and outdoor pollution source. Other BTEX sources were identified as the indoor use of solvents and paints and incense burning. Results obtained during 2007 were presented and discussed with homeowners. Following this preventive intervention, in the second winter sampling all indoor BTEX concentrations decreased, in spite of the colder outdoor air temperatures. Information provided to families has induced the adoption of effective good practices in stoves and fire management. These results highlight the importance of education, supported by reliable data on air pollution, as an effective method to reduce wood smoke exposures.

Implications:Information about burning practices and correct installation and management of wood heaters, supported by reliable data on indoor and outdoor pollution, may help to identify and remove indoor pollution sources. This can be an effective strategy in mitigate wood smoke pollution.     

A hybrid biological process of indoor air treatment for toluene removal

Bioprocesses, such as biofiltration, are commonly used to treat industrial effluents containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at low concentrations. Nevertheless, the use of biofiltration for indoor air pollution (IAP) treatment requires adjustments depending on specific indoor environments. Therefore, this study focuses on the convenience of a hybrid biological process for IAP treatment. A biofiltration reactor using a green waste compost was combined with an adsorption column filled with activated carbon (AC). This system treated a toluene-micropolluted effluent (concentration between 17 and 52 µg/m³), exhibiting concentration peaks close to 733 µg/m³ for a few hours per day. High removal efficiency was obtained despite changes in toluene inlet load (from 4.2 × 10^?3 to 0.20 g/m³/hr), which proves the hybrid system’s effectiveness. In fact, during unexpected concentration changes, the efficiency of the biofilter is greatly decreased, but the adsorption column maintains the high efficiency of the entire process (removal efficiency [RE] close to 100%). Moreover, the adsorption column after biofiltration is able to deal with the problem of the emission of particles and/or microorganisms from the biofilter.

ImplicationsIndoor air pollution is nowadays recognized as a major environmental and health issue. This original study investigates the performance of a hybrid biological process combining a biofilter and an adsorption column for removal of indoor VOCs, specifically toluene.     

pH、溶解氧、叶绿素a之间相关性研究Ⅰ:养殖水体

利用国内、外近20年的资料和饮用水水源地潘家口水库现场围隔实验结果,分析养殖水体中pH、溶解氧(dissolved oxygen,DO)和叶绿素a之间的相互关系.结果表明,当叶绿素a平均含量低于10μg/L时,水体交换弱的夏季和秋季养殖水域水体中pH、DO与叶绿素a无明显相关甚至无相关;水体交换强的夏季和秋季养殖水域水...     

高铝粉煤灰提取氧化铝后硅钙渣用作水泥混合材

为了使高铝粉煤灰提取氧化铝后所产生的硅钙渣被大量的用作水泥混合材,通过水泥强度、水化放热和干缩性实验研究了原状硅钙渣和脱碱硅钙渣对水泥强度和稳定性的影响。结果表明,当硅钙渣掺量达30%时,硅钙渣水泥强度仍可满足P·C 32.5水泥要求。且随硅钙渣掺入量的增加,水泥早期水化放热速率增加的同时水泥累计水化放热量和干缩率还会显著降低。与原状硅钙渣相比,在同等掺量的情况下,脱碱硅钙渣更有利于保持水泥强度,降低其水化热和改善干缩性。     

Heavy metal pollution in vegetables grown in the vicinity of a multi-metal mining area in Gejiu,China: total concentrations,speciation analysis,and health risk

A field survey was conducted to investigate the present situation and health risk of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in soils and vegetables in a multi-metal mining area, Gejiu, China. Furthermore, three vegetables (water spinach, potato, and summer squash) containing high metal concentrations were selected to further analyze metal speciation. The results showed that the average concentrations of five metals in soil exceeded the limiting values, and their bioavailable concentrations were significantly positively correlated to the total ones. Heavy metals in the edible parts of vegetables also exceeded the corresponding standards. The leaves of pakchoi, peppermint, and coriander had a strong metal-accumulative ability and they were not suitable for planting. Except the residue forms, the main forms of metals in the edible parts of three selected vegetables were ethanol-, NaCl-, and HAc-extractable fractions for As, Pb, and Cd, respectively; however, Cu was mainly presented as NaCl-extractable and Zn as HAc-extractable fractions. A high proportion of ethanol-extractable As showed that As bioactivity and toxic effects were the highest. Although the total and bioavailable Cd were high in soil, its speciation in vegetables was mainly presented as HAc-extractable fraction, which has a relatively low bioactivity. Lead and arsenic were imposing a serious threat on the local residents via vegetable consumption.     

煅烧的水滑石同时去除水体中砷和氟

为探讨水滑石类材料对水体中氟、砷离子的同时去除效果,采用共沉淀法合成(Mg∶Al=2∶1)纳米类水滑石(LDHs),用傅立叶转换红外光谱、电子扫描透射电镜、X射线晶体衍射等手段对合成的材料进行了表征,并研究纳米材料在不同初始浓度、pH、吸附时间、阴离子干扰条件下其同时除砷氟性能。结果表明,煅烧后的水滑石(LDOs)对砷最大吸附量为51.02 mg/g,对氟最大吸附量为36.63 mg/g。吸附动力学实验表明,煅烧水滑石对砷的吸附在前6 h内基本完成,对氟的吸附在前10 h内基本完成。砷氟共存溶液保持pH=4~10及pH=6~8时,水滑石分别对砷、氟保持良好的吸附效率。对比不同阴离子对水滑石共除砷氟效率的影响,水滑石除砷速率受到阴离子影响力大小为:HPO2-4CO2-3NO-3Cl-SO2-4;水滑石除氟速率受到阴离子影响力大小为:CO2-3HPO2-4SO2-4Cl-NO-3。材料再生循环利用4次后,对砷和氟的吸附效率均能达到90%以上。实验结果表明,所合成的水滑石是一种优秀的能共除砷氟的吸附剂。     

Ce-PbO_2/C电极的制备及其去除水中酸性红B

采用电沉积法制备铈修饰的PbO2/C电极,通过SEM、XRD、XPS及循环伏安对PbO2/C、Ce-PbO2/C电极进行表征,结果表明,Ce-PbO2/C电极比PbO2/C颗粒细小,表面均匀致密,电化学氧化能力较强,修饰电极中Ce以CeO2的形态存在。以Ce-PbO2/C为工作电极,电解浓度为1 000 mg/L的高盐酸性红B模拟活性染料废水,考察了电压、pH、电解质浓度、极间距对脱色率、氨氮去除率及COD去除率的影响。确定适宜工艺条件为：初始酸性红B溶液浓度为1 000 mg/L,pH值为6,电压10 V,电解时间1 h,电极间距1.5 cm,该条件下脱色率、氨氮去除率和COD去除率分别为99.98%、97.23%和90.17%。通过UV-Vis及GC-MS初步分析了降解过程可能存在的中间产物及降解途径。