Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in indoor air and in serum among older residents of upper Hudson River communities

A study was conducted to evaluate the association between PCBs in residential indoor air and in the serum of older, long time residents of three upper Hudson River communities. Samples of indoor air and of serum were collected from 170 persons 55 to 74 years of age, and analyzed for PCBs using glass capillary gas chromatography. After adjusting for age, BMI, cigarette smoking, and Hudson River fish consumption with multiple linear regression analysis, the results indicated statistically significant associations between concentrations in indoor air and serum for PCB-28, a lightly chlorinated congener common in air that accumulates in serum, and PCB-105. Duration of exposure was an important factor, since among persons who had lived in their home for 39 years or more, 11 of the 12 most commonly detected congeners were significantly correlated, as was their sum (∑ PCB). Significant associations between indoor air and serum PCB concentrations also were more likely when collected in cooler months and if the two samples were collected within 20 d of each other. The study is among the first to indicate that PCB concentrations characteristic of residential indoor air are associated with a detectable increase in body burden.     

Fine particle removal performance of a two-stage wet electrostatic precipitator using a nonmetallic pre-charger

A novel two-stage wet electrostatic precipitator (ESP) has been developed using a carbon brush pre-charger and collection plates with a thin water film. The electrical and particle collection performance was evaluated for submicrometer particles smaller than 0.01- 0.5 micrometer in diameter by varying the voltages applied to the pre-charger and collection plates as well as the polarity of the voltage. The collection efficiency was compared with that calculated by the theoretical models. The long-term performances of the ESP with and without water films were also compared in tests using Japanese Industrial Standards dust. The experimental results show that the carbon brush pre-charger of the two-stage wet ESP had approximately 10% particle capture, while producing ozone concentrations of less than 30 ppb. The produced amounts of ozone are significantly lower than the current limits set by international agencies. The ESP also achieved a high collection rate performance, averaging 90% for ultrafine particles, as based on the particle number concentration at an average velocity of 1 m/sec corresponding to a residence time of 0.17 sec. Higher particle collection efficiency for the ESP can be achieved by increasing the voltages applied to the pre-charger and the collection plates. The decreased collection efficiency that occurred during dust loading without water films was completely avoided by forming a thin water film on the collection plates at a water flow rate of 6.5 L/min/m(2).     

Effects of various reaction parameters on solvolytical depolymerization of lignin in sub- and supercritical ethanol

Organosolv lignin was treated with ethanol at sub/supercritical temperatures (200, 275, and 350 °C) for conversion to low molecular phenols under different reaction times (20, 40, and 60 min), solvent-to-lignin ratios (50, 100, and 150 mL g⁻¹), and initial hydrogen gas pressures (2 and 3 MPa). Essential lignin-degraded products, oil (liquid), char (solid), and gas were obtained, and their yields were directly influenced by reaction conditions. In particular, concurrent reactions involving depolymerization and recondensation as well as further (secondary) decomposition were significantly accelerated with increasing temperature, leading to both lignin-derived phenols in the oil fraction and undesirable products (char and gas).     

Site Representativeness of Urban Air Monitoring Stations

Abstract

This paper describes a statistic to quantify spatial representativeness for the air measurements of an urban fixed-site ambient air monitoring station. The application of such a statistic of representativeness has also been successfully demonstrated by two data sets collected at the Gu-Ting monitoring station in Taipei. By measuring NO2 at 22 sites simultaneously around the Gu-Ting station, the statistic has characterized different degrees of spatial representativeness for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at various areas and microenvironments surrounding this fixed-site monitoring station. By measuring ambient air concentrations at six sites sequentially around the Gu-Ting station, the statistic has also characterized different degrees of representativeness for particulates less than 10 urn in size—(PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), NO2, nitrogen oxides (NOX), nitrogen monoxide (NO), total hydrocarbons (THC), and nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHQ—at an open area surrounding this fixed-site monitoring station. This statistical method identifies the Gu-Ting station is well representative of outdoor concentrations of all nine air pollutants for a period of three weeks at the areas within a 700 m radius around this station. The indoor NO2 concentrations, however, are not represented by the measurements at the fixed-site monitoring station.     

Fine Particle Removal Performance of a Two-Stage Wet Electrostatic Precipitator Using a Nonmetallic Pre-Charger

ABSTRACT

A novel two-stage wet electrostatic precipitator (ESP) has been developed using a carbon brush pre-charger and collection plates with a thin water film. The electrical and particle collection performance was evaluated for submicrometer particles smaller than 0.01～0.5 μm in diameter by varying the voltages applied to the pre-charger and collection plates as well as the polarity of the voltage. The collection efficiency was compared with that calculated by the theoretical models. The long-term performances of the ESP with and without water films were also compared in tests using Japanese Industrial Standards dust. The experimental results show that the carbon brush pre-charger of the two-stage wet ESP had approximately 10% particle capture, while producing ozone concentrations of less than 30 ppb. The produced amounts of ozone are significantly lower than the current limits set by international agencies. The ESP also achieved a high collection rate performance, averaging 90% for ultrafine particles, as based on the particle number concentration at an average velocity of 1 m/sec corresponding to a residence time of 0.17 sec. Higher particle collection efficiency for the ESP can be achieved by increasing the voltages applied to the pre-charger and the collection plates. The decreased collection efficiency that occurred during dust loading without water films was completely avoided by forming a thin water film on the collection plates at a water flow rate of 6.5 L/min/m2 Zukeran, A., Ikeda, Y., Ehara, Y., Matsuyama, M., Ito, T., Takahashi, T., Kawakami, H. and Takamatsu, T. 1999. Two-Stage-Type Electrostatic Precipitator Re-entrainment Phenomena under Diesel Flue Gases. IEEE. Trans. Ind. Appl, 35: 346–351. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar].

IMPLICATIONS Current two-stage electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) have several technical problems such as a drop in collection efficiencies by small-particle re-entrainment during rapping and corrosion of metallic electrodes of the ESPs by corrosive gases. This paper evaluates a novel two-stage ESP that uses a nonmetallic pre-charger and water film collection plates to avoid the above mentioned problems of other ESPs. This ESP can be used not only for industrial applications but also for residential purposes because it has a high removal performance for fine particles with low ozone generation and maintains its efficiency due to the continuous cleaning of the collection plates with water film.     

Comparative study of immobilized Trametes versicolor laccase on nanoparticles and kaolinite

Laccase from Trametes versicolor was immobilized on nanoparticles and kaolinite by physical adsorption or chemical covalence in which the supporters were activated by cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Thermal and pH stabilities of immobilized laccase on these different supporters were compared. The degradation efficiencies of these immobilized laccases on oxidation of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) were also compared. The results showed that the immobilized laccases on nanoparticles were more stable in resisting pH and thermal changes. After 48h oxidation, laccase immobilized on kaolinite using the covalent coupling method showed a higher efficiency of oxidation with the BaP residue of 23% in the presence of 1mM HBT and with BaP residue of 37% in 1mM ABTS as the mediator. The results also exhibited a significant inhibition by 1% surfactant Tween 80. According to the HPLC analysis, the oxidation products including 1,6-benzo[a]pyrene quinone, 3,6-benzo[a]pyrene quinone and 6,12-benzo[a]pyrene quinone were identified.     

Characteristics of leachate from pyrolysis residue of sewage sludge

The pyrolysis residue (SP) of sewage sludge (SS) produced at 500 degrees C was subjected to batch and column leaching tests to investigate the release of its organic and inorganic constituents and metals. For comparison, incineration ash (SI) obtained from a SS incinerator was also tested. Pyrolysis and incineration reduced organic matter of SS from 0.78 kg kg(-1)-dry SS to 0.16 and 0.01 kg kg(-1)-dry SS, respectively. Heavy metals remained in SP without being volatilized, although Cd and Pb were transferred into the off-gas during incineration. In the batch leaching test with the leaching liquid-to-solid mass ratio (L/S)=10, the pH of the SS, SP, and SI filtrates was 6.3, 7.9, and 11.0, respectively. The total organic carbon concentrations were in the order SS (877 l mg l(-1))>SP (99 mg l(-1))>SI (26 mg l(-1)). The SP and SI filtrates met the landfill standard for the Cd and Pb concentrations (<0.3 mg l(-1)). In the column tests, although the SP contained more organic matter than that of SI, its carbon discharge into the leachate under aerobic conditions was similar to that of SI under anaerobic conditions. The leaching of heavy metals, such as Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn, was also suppressed in SP during the active decomposition of organic matter. We demonstrated that pyrolysis reduces the potential release of pollutants from sewage sludge in landfill, making it a promising method of treating sewage sludge before landfilling.     

Predicting work performance in nuclear power plants

Diagnosis and monitoring are the major tasks of an operator in main control room of nuclear power plants (NPPs). The operator’s mental workload influences his/her performance, and furthermore, affects the system safety and operations. This study investigated the operator’s mental workload and work performance of the NPP in Taiwan. An experiment including primary and secondary tasks was designed to simulate the reactor shutdown procedure of the fourth nuclear power plant (FNPP). The performance of the secondary tasks (error rate), subjective mental workload (NASA Task Load Index, NASA-TLX) as well as seven physiological indices were assessed and measured. The group method of data handling (GMDH) was applied to integrate these physiological indices to develop a work performance predictive model. The validity of the proposed model is very well with R² = 0.84 and its prediction capability is high (95% confidence interval). The proposed model is expected to provide control room operators a reference value of their work performance by giving physiological indices. Besides NPPs, the proposed model can be applied to many other fields, e.g. aviation, air transportation control, driving and radar vigilance, etc.     

Effect of granular porous media on the composting of swine manure

This study investigated the feasibility of a bulking agent of granular porous media (GPM) for the composting of swine manure. Two lab-scale composting reactors were operated to evaluate the general performances and maturity parameters using GPM made of wastes from the Portland cement manufacturing processes as an alternative bulking agent. The overall volatile solid (VS) removal was 38.5% (dry basis). During the experiments, moisture content ranged between 41% and 53%, ensuring feasibility of microbial activity in composting. Cured compost showed proper maturity and low phytotoxicity, despite the slight decreases of CO(2) production and VS removal at the second batch operation. Various physico-chemical parameters of the cured compost met the regulatory standards reported elsewhere. The pH, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, ammonia nitrogen and soluble organic carbon (SOC) of the cured compost were significantly correlated to the germination index (GI) using the seeds of Chinese cabbage and lettuce, indicating the progressive biodegradation of phytotoxins as well as organic matter. Consequently, the results obtained in this study demonstrate that GPM could contribute to the environmentally friendly and economical composting of problematic swine manure as a recyclable bulking agent.