Prenatal diagnosis of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung by fetal lung biopsy

A case of type III congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung was successfully diagnosed prenatally by fetal lung biopsy. We performed this procedure at 22 weeks of gestation, using a biopsy gun system under ultrasound guidance. The pregnancy was undisturbed by the procedure but as the condition was incompatible with life, an abortion was performed. The diagnosis was confirmed at post-mortem examination. Fetal lung biopsy appears to be a useful method for prenatal diagnosis of fetal lung disorders.     

Improvement of an efficient separation method for chemicals in diesel exhaust particles: analysis for nitrophenols

GOAL, SCOPE, AND BACKGROUND: Diesel exhaust is believed to consist of thousands of organic constituents and is a major cause of urban pollution. We recently reported that a systematic separation procedure involving successive solvent extractions, followed by repeated column chromatography, resulted in the isolation of vasodilatory active nitrophenols. These findings indicated that the estimation of the amount of nitrophenols in the environment is important to evaluate their effect on human health. The isolation procedure, however, involved successive solvent extractions followed by tedious, repeated chromatography, resulting in poor fractionation and in a significant loss of accuracy and reliability. Therefore, it was crucial to develop an alternative, efficient, and reliable analytical method. Here, we describe a facile and efficient acid-base extraction procedure for the analysis of nitrophenols. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) were collected from the exhaust of a 4JB1-type engine (ISUZU Automobile Co., Tokyo, Japan). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed with a GCMS-QP2010 instrument (Shimadzu, Kyoto, Japan). RESULTS: A solution of DEP in 1-butanol was extracted with aqueous NaOH to afford a nitrophenol-rich oily extract. The resulting oil was methylated with trimethylsilyldiazomethane and subsequently subjected to GC-MS analysis, revealing that 4-nitrophenol, 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol, 2-methyl-4-nitrophenol, and 4-nitro-3-phenylphenol were present in significantly higher concentrations than those reported previously. DISCUSSION: Simple acid-base extraction followed by the direct analysis of the resulting extract by GC-MS gave only broad peaks of nitrophenols with a poor detection limit, while the GC-MS analysis of the sample pretreated with (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane gave satisfactorily clear chromatograms with sharp peaks and with a significantly lowered detection limit (0.5 ng/ml, approximately 100 times). CONCLUSION: The present method involving an acid-base extraction, in situ derivatization, and GC-MS analysis has shown to be a simple, efficient, and reliable method for the isolation and identification of the chemical substances in DEP.     

Photodegradation of gaseous acetaldehyde and methylene blue in aqueous solution with titanium dioxide-loaded activated carbon fiber polymer materials and aquatic plant ecotoxicity tests

TiO₂-supported activated carbon felts (TiO₂–ACFTs) were prepared by dip coating of felts composed of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with either polyester fibers (PS-A20) and/or a polyethylene pulp (PE-W15) in a TiO₂ aqueous suspension followed by calcination at 250 °C for 1 h. The as-prepared TiO₂–ACFTs with 29–35 wt.% TiO₂ were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N₂ adsorption. The TiO₂–ACFT(PS-A20) samples with 0 and 29 wt.% TiO₂ were microporous with specific surface areas (S _BET) of 996 and 738 m²/g, respectively, whereas the TiO₂–ACFT(PE-W15) samples with 0 and 35 wt.% TiO₂ were mesoporous with S _BET of 826 and 586 m²/g, respectively. Adsorption and photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples were evaluated by measuring adsorption in the dark and photodegradation of gaseous acetaldehyde (AcH) and methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution under UV light. The TiO₂ loading caused a considerable decrease in the S _BET and MB adsorption capacity along with an increase in MB photodegradation and AcH mineralization. Lemna minor was chosen as a representative aquatic plant for ecotoxicity tests measuring detoxification of water obtained from the MB photodegradation reaction with the TiO₂–ACFT samples under UV light.     

Deleterious effects in mice of fish-associated methylmercury contained in a diet mimicking the Western populations' average fish consumption

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxin, and human beings are mainly exposed to this pollutant through fish consumption. Only a few contradictory epidemiological studies are currently available examining the impact of fish consumption on human populations. In the present study, we wanted to address whether a diet mimicking the fish consumption of Western populations could result in observable adverse effects in mice, and whether beneficial nutriments from fish were able to counterbalance the deleterious effects of MeHg, if any. In Europe and the United States, fish consumption varies widely between countries, from 11 to 100 g fish/day. A mid-range value of 25 g fish/day corresponds to a fish contribution to the total diet of 1.25% on a dry weight basis. We decided to supplement a vegetarian-based mouse diet with 1.25% of lyophilized salmon flesh (SAL diet), or 1.25% of a blend of lyophilized cod, tuna, and swordfish (CTS diet). Total mercury contents were 1.15±0.15, 2.3±0.1 and 35.75±0.15 ng Hg/g of food pellets for the control, SAL and CTS diets, respectively. After two months feeding, the CTS diet resulted in significant observable effects as compared to the control and SAL diets, encompassing decreased body growth, altered behavioral performance and increased anxiety level, modification of mitochondrial respiratory protein subunit concentrations in kidney and brain structures, modified gene expression patterns in kidneys, liver and muscles, and a decrease of dopamine concentrations in the hypothalamus and striatum. Our findings have health implications, firstly because 1.25% of CTS flesh in the diet corresponds to an average exposure to MeHg below the WHO provisory tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) (1.6 μg MeHg/kg of body weight/week), and secondly because many people in Western populations, among them women of child-bearing age, are exceeding the PTWI value (for instance, 35% of the French population inhabiting the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts).     

A level change in mutagenicity of Japanese tap water over the past 12 yr

A relative comparison study of mutagenicity in Japanese tap water was conducted for 1993 and 2005 surveys. It intended to assess the effects of advanced water treatment installations to water works, improvement of raw water quality and improvement of residual HOCl concentration controlling. Sampling points (taps) were the same in both surveys. The results of 245 samples obtained by the Ames Salmonella mutagenicity test (Ames test) were analyzed. The Ames tests were conducted by using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains with and without exogenous activation (S9). With the exception of TA100-S9, the other conditions needed no discussion as a factor in the mutagenicity level change. The average mutagenicity in 1993 and 2005 under the conditions of TA100-S9 were 2600 and 1100 net revertant L⁻¹, respectively. This indicated that the mutagenicity level of Japanese tap water decreased during the 12-yr period. Particularly a remarkable decrease in mutagenicity was observed in the water works where the advanced water treatments were installed during the 12-yr period. The advanced water treatments were effective in decreasing the mutagenicity of tap water. Mutagenicity also decreased in the water works with conventional water treatments; the improvement of residual HOCl concentration controlling was also considered to be effective in decreasing the mutagenicity of tap water.     

Decomposition of dichloromethane and in situ alkali absorption of resulting halogenated products by a packed-bed non-thermal plasma reactor

For an effective decomposition and removal of organic halogenated compounds, a packed-bed non-thermal plasma reactor with in situ absorption of the resulting halogenated products by alkaline sorbent incorporated was proposed. In the plasma reactor, α-Al₂O₃ particles of 1 and 3 mm (mean particle diameter) were packed as solid dielectric medium to enhance the plasma power density in the reactor. Further, alkaline sorbent of Ca(OH)₂ was doped onto the surface of α-Al₂O₃ particles, in order to remove halogenated products by in situ absorption with Ca(OH)₂. A high-voltage and high-frequency pulsed power of −15 to 15 kV and 1 kHz was applied to the wire electrode of the plasma reactor by means of a DC power source. In the present study, as the sample of an organic halogenated compound that is most popularly used, we selected dichloromethane (CH₂Cl₂), and 500 ppm of the initial concentration of CH₂Cl₂ was fed into the reactor accompanied by air at a fixed flow rate of 500 × 10⁻⁶ m³ min⁻¹ at room temperature. As a result, it was recognized that the amount of CH₂Cl₂ decomposed by non-thermal plasma in an α-Al₂O₃ particle bed increased with an increase in plasma input power. The ratio of decomposition of CH₂Cl₂ was almost 100% at 13 kV of electric power and 1 kHz frequency, and CO₂, CH₃Cl, COCl₂, HCl, and Cl₂ were observed as the major reaction products. On the other hand, when CH₂Cl₂ was introduced into the plasma reactor where α-Al₂O₃ particles doped with Ca(OH)₂ were packed, the ratio of decomposition of CH₂Cl₂ became higher, compared to the case that α-Al₂O₃ particles were not doped with Ca(OH)₂. Moreover, there were no halogenated by-product gases detected in the outlet gas from the reactor. As the solid reaction products, CaClOH and Ca(ClO)₂·4H₂O were detected on Ca(OH)₂ by X-ray diffraction. From these findings, it was recognized that CH₂Cl₂ was decomposed more effectively without producing unwanted harmful halogenated by-products in the proposed non-thermal plasma reactor where α-Al₂O₃ particles doped with Ca(OH)₂ sorbent were packed.     

Determination and potential importance of diterpene (kaur-16-ene) emitted from dominant coniferous trees in Japan

Reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to affect atmospheric chemistry. Biogenic VOCs (BVOCs) have a significant impact on regional air quality due to their large emission rates and high reactivities. Diterpenes (most particularly, kaur-16-ene) were detected in all of the 205 enclosure air samples collected over multiple seasons at two different sites from Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa trees, the dominant coniferous trees in Japan,. The emission rate of kaur-16-ene, was determined to be from 0.01 to 7.1 μg dwg⁻¹ h⁻¹ (average: 0.61 μg dwg⁻¹ h⁻¹) employing branch enclosure measurements using adsorbent sampling followed by solid phase-liquid extraction techniques. The emission rate was comparable to that of monoterpenes, which is known major BVOC emissions, collected from the same branches. In addition, total emission of kaur-16-ene at 30 °C was estimated to exceed that of total anthropogenic VOC emissions.     

Extraction of raw sewage sludge containing iron phosphate for phosphorus recovery

The objective of the present study was to establish an alkali extraction technology for FePO₄-containing sewage sludge obtained from a wastewater treatment system that includes phosphorous removal by iron electrolysis. By clarifying the extraction properties of phosphorous, organic matter, and inorganic matter, conditions for alkali extraction were optimized. As a result, it was suggested that unheated phosphorous extraction would be superior for FePO₄-containing sewage sludge. And, extraction methods and sewage sludge properties were also compared, and the noteworthy result that extraction of metals can be suppressed to extremely low amounts with alkali extraction as compared with acid extraction was obtained. A new insight was also gained that, as compared with the use of incinerated ash reported in previous studies, alkali extraction was more efficient when raw sewage sludge was used.