气提式三重循环生物膜反应器处理制药废水中的甾体雌激素

为验证气提式三重循环生物膜反应器处理甾体雌激素的效能,建立了一套SPE/HPLC/MS/MS分析方法,对反应器进、出水中的甾体雌激素--甾酮(E1),17β-雌二醇(E2),雌三醇(E3)以及17α-乙炔基雌二醇(EE2)进行检测.该方法的加标回收率为88%～103%,精密度为4%～9%.该方法对E1,E2,E3和EE2的进水定量限(LOQ)分别为0.7,0.8,0.9和0.5 ng/L;对出水的定量限分别为2.0,1.0,2.0和 1.0 ng/L.CODCr和氨氮容积负荷最高为7.5和1.6 kg/(m3·d),出水依然能够保持稳定.进水pH稳定在9.0～10.5,而反应器的pH一直稳定在9.0以下,体系对pH变化造成的冲击比较适应.同时,反应器内形成了稳定的NO2--N积累,CODCr和氨氮的去除率分别达到了70%和73%.     

Osmoregulation in the euryhaline flagellate Brachiomonas submarina (Chlorophyceae)

Brachiomonas submarina Bohlin (Chlorophyceae), a euryhaline marine flagellate, can osmoregulate over a wide range of external salinity. The alga exhibits maximum water content at 100% artificial seawater (ASW), and shows only a small water loss (<15%) when salinity is increased to 300% ASW. The non-aqueous volume of the cells is increased at salinities higher than 100% ASW. This is partially attributable to the accumulation of glycerol. Glycerol is the major osmoregulatory organic solute in this flagellate. The alga also shows an accumulation of amino acids in response to increased salinity. The contribution of glycerol and amino acids to intracellular osmolarity is only 9% at 10% ASW, but accounts for 49% at 300% ASW. The remainder of the osmotic balance is due to uptake and accumulation of inorganic ions, particularly sodium, potassium and chloride.     

Age-specific life tagle of red cotton stainer (fabricius) (hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae)

The present studies on the age-specific life table of red cotton stainer suggest that the eggs and the initial immature stages are the most suceptible ones and a control measure if inflicted upon these, it might fetch the maximum result with the minimum usage of hazardous poisonous chemicals.     

Distribution,sources and pollution status of Pb in indoor and outdoor dusts of Kerman City,SE Iran

The aims of this study were to explore the status of pollution and the temporal/spatial distribution of indoor and outdoor dust-Pb in the city of Kerman (SE Iran), located in a dry playa and arid climatic zone. Flat panes were laid at appropriate locations, in the indoor and the outdoor spaces of selected one-story houses in different areas of the city, to collect dust samples. Forty-two samples were taken and analyzed using the ICP-MS method. The measurements have shown that the outdoor dust-Pb concentrations varied from 23.7 to 275.2?mg kg^?1, with a mean value of 71.8?mg kg^?1, and indoor dust-Pb concentrations ranged from 47.6 to 150.2?mg kg^?1, with a mean value of 89.6?mg kg^?1. Based on these measurements, Pb was enriched in the outdoor and the indoor dust samples up to 48.8 and 29.4 times, respectively. Dilution, as a result of prevalence of geogenic dust in the outdoor space, is expected to be the main cause of the temporal differences. This study has shown that the eastern part of the city is more polluted compared to the other parts, and, because of the stable air conditions, the concentration of Pb in the summer dust is higher than the other seasons.     

Dissipation of the herbicide clopyralid in an allophanic soil: laboratory and field studies

Soil dissipation of the herbicide clopyralid (3,6-dichloropicolinic acid) was measured in laboratory incubations and in field plots under different management regimes. In laboratory studies, soil was spiked with commercial grade liquid formulation of clopyralid (Versatill, 300 g a.i. L(-1) soluble concentrate) @ 0.8 microg a.i. g(-1) dry soil and the soil water content was maintained at 60% of water holding capacity of the soil. Treatments included incubation at 10 degrees C, 20 degrees C, 30 degrees C, day/night cycles (25/15 degrees C) and sterilized soil (20 degrees C). Furthermore, a field study was conducted at the Waikato Research Orchard near Hamilton, New Zealand starting in November 2000 to measure dissipation rates of clopyralid under differing agricultural situations. The management regimes were: permanent pasture, permanent pasture shielded from direct sunlight, bare ground, and bare ground shielded from direct sunlight. Clopyralid was sprayed in dilute solution @ 600 g a.i. ha(-1) on to field plots. Herbicide residue concentrations in soil samples taken at regular intervals after application were determined by gas chromatograph with electron capture detector. The laboratory experiments showed that dissipation rate of clopyralid was markedly faster in non-sterilized soil (20 degrees C), with a half-life (t1/2) of 7.3 d, than in sterilized soil (20 degrees C) with t1/2 of 57.8 d, demonstrating the importance of micro-organisms in the breakdown process. Higher temperatures led to more rapid dissipation of clopyralid (t1/2, 4.1 d at 30 degrees C vs 46.2 d at 10 degrees C). Dissipation was also faster in the day/night (25/15 degrees C) treatment (t1/2, 5.4 d), which could be partly due to activation of soil microbes by temperature fluctuations. In the field experiment, decomposition of clopyralid was much slower in the shaded plots under pasture (t1/2, 71.5 d) and bare ground (t1/2, 23.9 d) than in the unshaded pasture (t1/2, 5.0 d) and bare ground plots (t1/2, 12.9 d). These studies suggest that environmental factors such as temperature, soil water content, shading, and different management practices would have considerable influence on rate of clopyralid dissipation.     

Studies on the toxicity, metabolism, and anticholinesterase properties of acephate and methamidophos

The toxicity of acephate to four species of aquatic insects, as well as the metabolism and cholinesterase-inhibiting properties of the chemical in the rat were studied. The results indicated that mayfly larvae were very sensitive to the toxic effects of acephate, whereas larvae of the stonefly, damselfly and mosquito were much less sensitive. In the rat, orally-administered acephate was rapidly absorbed from the intestines and severely inhibited the cholinesterases in the blood and brain. The enzymes began to recover after 24 hours, while the chemical was completely eliminated within three days. The amount of methamidophos observed in the liver was extremely low. The cholinesterase-inhibiting properties of acephate and methamidophos were compared in vitro to that of paraoxon, a known strong anticholinesterase. Enzymes from four vertebrates were used. In all cases, except one, acephate was found to be six orders of magnitude weaker than paraoxon, whereas methamidophos was three orders weaker. Trout brain cholinesterase was the exception; it was as sensitive to paraoxon as it was to methamidophos. Finally, four cholinesterases were inhibited with methamidophos, and their ability to reactivate spontaneously or to recover by induction with pyridine aldoxime methiodide (PAM) in vitro were determined. The results suggested that methamidophos-inhibited cholinesterases did not reactivate spontaneously; instead the enzymes remained inhibited either in a phosphorylated or an aged state. The significance of these results are discussed in relation to the use of acephate for forest insect pests.     

Survey of discomfort glare from the headlamps of cars widely used in Iran

Objective: On 2-lane roads, discomfort glare can cause annoyance, discomfort, inconvenience, stress, and fatigue to drivers, posing a risk of accidents. The aim of this study is to evaluate discomfort glare from the headlamps of cars widely used in Iran.

Methods: The discomfort glare of new vehicles including Pride Saba model GTX, Pride Model 131SL, Samand Soren, Peugeot 405, Megane, and Peugeot Pars was examined at distances of 5 to 100 m at a background luminance of 50 cd/m² (late twilight/early dawn lighting) and 1 cd/m² (nighttime) using Schmidt-Clausen and Bindels model and de Boer's subjective scale.

Results: According to the de Boer scale, at a background luminance of 50 cd/m², the discomfort glare for all studied vehicles was between 1.98 and 4.05 in high-beam mode and between 3.5 and 5.4 in low-beam mode. At a background luminance of 1 cd/m², discomfort glare was between 0.41 and 2.48 in high-beam mode and between 1.93 and 3.84 in low-beam mode. In high-beam mode, the average levels of discomfort glare of these vehicles gradually increased when the distance between cars was reduced by up to about 20 m. In low-beam mode, there was no discomfort glare up to a vehicle distance of 40 m. In addition, at an angle of 1.15°–5.73° between the line of sight and light of vehicles in high-beam mode, the level of discomfort glare was increased, but at an angle of 5.73°–22.9° the level of discomfort glare was reduced. In low-beam mode at an angle of 2.86°–22.9°, the level of discomfort glare was almost identical. The results show that in high-beam mode and with a 100-m distance between vehicles as well as in low-beam mode at intervals of less than 40 m between cars, discomfort glare is created.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that by providing solutions such as installing road lighting system, an increase in luminance of roads, separating or widening road lanes, increasing the lateral distance between vehicles, and increasing the angle between lighted vehicles and drivers can noticeably reduce discomfort glare.     

Airbag deployment–related eye injuries

Objective: We studied the correlation between airbag deployment and eye injuries using 2 different data sets.

Methods: The registry of the Finnish Road Accident (FRA) Investigation Teams was analyzed to study severe head- and eyewear-related injuries. All fatal passenger car or van accidents that occurred during the years 2009–2012 (4 years) were included (n = 734). Cases in which the driver's front airbag was deployed were subjected to analysis (n = 409). To determine the proportion of minor, potentially airbag-related eye injuries, the results were compared to the data for all new eye injury patients (n = 1,151) recorded at the Emergency Clinic of the Helsinki University Eye Hospital (HUEH) during one year, from May 1, 2011, to April 30, 2012.

Results: In the FRA data set, the unbelted drivers showed a significantly higher risk of death (odds ratio [OR] = 5.89, 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.33–10.9, P = 2.6E-12) or of sustaining head injuries (OR = 2.50, 95% CI, 1.59–3.97, P = 3.8E-5). Only 4 of the 1,151 HUEH patients were involved in a passenger car accident. In one of the crashes, the airbag operated, and the belted driver received 2 sutured eye lid wounds and showed conjunctival sugillation. No permanent eye injuries were recorded during the follow-up. The calculated annual airbag-related eye injury incidence was less than 1/1,000,000 people, 4/100,000 accidents, and 4/10,000 injured occupants.

Conclusions: Airbag-related eye injuries occurred very rarely in car accidents in cases where the occupant survived and the restraint system was appropriately used. Spectacle use did not appear to increase the risk of eye injury in restrained occupants.     

Engineering of responsive polymer based nano-reactors for facile mass transport and enhanced catalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol

Silver nanoparticles with average diameter of 10 ± 3 nm were synthesized within the sieves of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-acrylic acid)(p(NIPAAm-HEMA-AAc))polymer microgels. Free radial emulsion polymerization was employed for synthesis of p(NIPAAm-HEMA-AAc) polymer microgels. Silver nanoparticles were introduced within the microgels sphere by in situ reduction method. Microgels and hybrid microgels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultra violet-visible spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering measurements. Catalytic activity of Ag-p(NIPAAm-HEMA-AAc) hybrid microgels was studied using catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol(4-NP) as a model reaction in aqueous media. The influence of sodium borohydride(Na BH4) concentration, catalyst dose and 4-NP concentration on catalytic reduction of 4-NP was investigated. A linear relationship was found between catalyst dose and apparent rate constant(kapp). The mechanism of catalysis by hybrid microgels was explored for further development in this area. The deep analysis of catalytic process reveals that the unique combination of NIPAAm, HEMA and AAc does not only stabilize silver nanoparticles in polymer network but it also enhances the mass transport of hydrophilic substrate like 4-NP from outside to inside the polymer network.