Assessing the Removal Efficiency of Murine Norovirus 1, Hepatitis A Virus,and Human Coronavirus 229E on Dish Surfaces Through General Wash Program of Household Dishwasher

Food and Environmental Virology - The performance of dishwashers in removing live viruses is an important informative value in practical applications. Since foodborne viruses are present in...     

Particle Surface Hydrophobicity and the Dechlorination of Chloro-Compounds by Iron Sulfides

Halogenated aliphatic compounds (HACs) can be reduced by iron sulfides in aqueous systems. Generally, the thermodynamics and kinetics of dehalogenation reactions are controlled by the mineralogical and particle surface characteristics of the iron sulfide, the composition of the HAC and reaction conditions such as component concentrations, pH and Eh. In this theoretical and experimental investigation of CCl₄ and C₂Cl₆ reduction by FeS and FeS₂, the roles of hydrophobic and hydrophilic sites on the iron sulfides were analyzed. Experimental data obtained through zeta potential measurements, were used along with the Gouy-Chapman model and the simple two-layer surface complexation model to relate iron sulfide surface hydroxyl densities to the degree of HAC dehalogenation. The surface hydroxyl site densities of FeS and FeS₂ were found to be 0.11 sites/nm² and 0.21 sites/nm², respectively. During the dehalogenation reaction process, CCl₄ was found to decrease to its first intermediate product CHCl₃ within the first 20 hours followed by a slower process of conversion to CH₂Cl₂. The results also show that FeS is less hydrated (more hydrophobic) than FeS₂. For CCl₄ and C₂Cl₆, FeS is a better dehalogenator than FeS₂. These results imply that particle surface hydrophobicity is a critical factor in surface-mediated dehalogenation of chlorinated compounds.     

Glass recycling in cement production--an innovative approach

An innovative approach of using waste glass in cement production was proposed and tested in a laboratory and cement production plant. The laboratory characterization of 32 types of glass show that the chemical composition of glass does not vary significantly with its color or origin but depends on its application. The alkali content of glass, a major concern for cement production varies from 0 to 22%. For the glass bottles mainly found in Hong Kong waste glasses, the alkali content (Na2O) ranges from 10 to 19% with an average around 15%. There is no significant change of the SO2 content in the gas exhaust of the rotary kiln when about 1.8 t/h of glass bottles were loaded along with the 280-290 t/h raw materials. The content of NOx, mainly depends on the temperature of the kiln, does not show significant change either. The SO3 content of the clinker is comparable with that obtained without the loading of glass. The alkaline content shows a slight increase but still within three times the standard deviation obtained from the statistical data of the past year. The detailed analysis of the quality of the cement product shows that there is not any significant impact of glass for the feeding rate tested.     

Characteristics of the vibrating-mesh minimum ignition energy testing apparatus for dust clouds

A novel apparatus for testing the minimum ignition energies of flammable dusts is introduced. Unlike the conventional apparatus (the Hartmann tube), this new apparatus employs a vibrating mesh to produce a dust cloud. Using three kinds of powders, namely lycopodium, anthraquinone and polyacrylonitrile, which are designated as the samples for calibration by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC, 1994) standards, fundamental characteristics were experimentally investigated. Concerning the minimum ignition energies (MIEs), the new testing apparatus worked well for two samples, lycopodium and polyacrylonitrile. The MIE for anthraquinone, however, was by far larger than the expected value. We concluded that the aggregation of anthraquinone particles is the main cause of the difference and is attributable to both the tribo-charges acquired by the particles when passing through the mesh and the filamentary shape of the crystal. Other essential factors for characterizing the testing apparatus, such as the concentration of dust, the shape and spacing of the sparking electrode system, and the impedance of the sparking circuit are discussed.     

Assessment of soil and soil-gas radon activity using active and passive detecting methods in Korea

Radon ((222)Rn) is a carcinogenic gas produced by the radioactive decay of radium ((226)Ra). It has been reported that soil and soil-gas are primary factors that could cause indoor radon problems. Six sites were selected for this study--Sanbook, Gangcheon, Jikyeong, Choojung, Geumsung and Homyoung--each was classified according to bedrock type. In order to investigate soil-gas radon activities and radon emanating power, innovated active and passive detecting methods were developed and applied under both field and laboratory conditions. Statistical analysis of results confirmed that the radon activity values measured using either active or passive methods under field or laboratory conditions could be interchangeable with each other.     

Photocatalytic bacterial inactivation by polyoxometalates

The photocatalytic inactivation (PCI) of Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Bacillus subtilis (Gram-positive) was performed using polyoxometalate (POM) as a homogeneous photocatalyst and compared with that of heterogeneous TiO₂ photocatalyst. Aqueous suspensions of the microorganisms (10⁷–10⁸ cfu ml⁻¹) and POM (or TiO₂) were irradiated with black light lamps. The POM-PCI was faster than (or comparable to) TiO₂-PCI under the experimental conditions employed in this study. The relative efficiency of POM-PCI was species-dependent. Among three POMs (H₃PW₁₂O₄₀, H₃PMo₁₂O₄₀, and H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀) tested in this study, the inactivation of E. coli was fastest with H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀ while that of B. subtilis was the most efficient with H₃PW₁₂O₄₀. Although the biocidal action of TiO₂ photocatalyst has been commonly ascribed to the role of photogenerated reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl radicals and superoxides, the cell death mechanism with POM seems to be different from TiO₂-PCI. While TiO₂ caused the cell membrane disruption, POM did not induce the cell lysis. When methanol was added to the POM solution, not only the PCI of E. coli was enhanced (contrary to the case of TiO₂-PCI) but also the dark inactivation was observed. This was ascribed to the in situ production of formaldehyde from the oxidation of methanol. The interesting biocidal property of POM photocatalyst might be utilized as a potential disinfectant technology.     

Implementation of a windblown dust parameterization into MODELS-3/CMAQ: Application to episodic PM events in the US/Mexico border

Windblown dust is known to impede visibility, deteriorate air quality and modify the radiation budget. Arid and semiarid areas with unpaved and unvegetated land cover are particularly prone to windblown dust, which is often attributed to high particulate matter (PM) pollution in such areas. Yet, windblown dust is poorly represented in existing regulatory air quality models. In a study by the authors on modeling episodic high PM events along the US/Mexico border using the state-of-the-art CMAQ/MM5/SMOKE air quality modeling system [Choi, Y.-J., Hyde, P., Fernando, H.J.S., 2006. Modeling of episodic particulate matter events using a 3D air quality model with fine grid: applications to a pair of cities in the US/Mexico border. Atmospheric Environment 40, 5181–5201], some of the observed PM₁₀ NAAQS exceedances were inferred as due to windblown dust, but the modeling system was incapable of dealing with time-dependent episodic dust entrainment during high wind periods. In this paper, a time-dependent entrainment parameterization for windblown dust is implemented in the CMAQ/MM5/SMOKE modeling system with the hope of improving PM predictions. An approach for realizing windblown dust emission flux for each grid cell over the study domain on an hourly basis, which accounts for the influence of factors such as soil moisture content, atmospheric stability and wind speed, is presented in detail. Comparison of model predictions with observational data taken at a pair of US/Mexico border towns shows a clear improvement of model performance upon implementation of the dust emission flux parameterization.     

Performance of an electrochemical COD (chemical oxygen demand) sensor with an electrode-surface grinding unit

An electrochemical COD (chemical oxygen demand) sensor using an electrode-surface grinding unit was investigated. The electrolyzing (oxidizing) action of copper on an organic species was used as the basis of the COD measuring sensor. Using a simple three-electrode cell and a surface grinding unit, the organic species is activated by the catalytic action of copper and oxidized at a working electrode, poised at a positive potential. When synthetic wastewater was fed into the system, the measured Coulombic yields were found to be dependent on the COD of the synthetic wastewater. A linear correlation between the Coulombic yields and the COD of the synthetic wastewater was established (10-1000 mg L(-1)) when the electrode-surface grinding procedure was activated briefly at 8 h intervals. When various kinds of wastewater samples obtained from various sewage treatment plants were measured, linear correlations (r(2)> or = 0.92) between the measured EOD (electrochemical oxygen demand) value and COD of the samples were observed. At a practical wastewater treatment plant, the measurement system was successfully operated with high accuracy and good stability over 3 months. These experimental results show that the application of the measurement system would be a rapid and practical method for the determination of COD in water industries.     

Reductive dechlorination and biodegradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol using sequential permeable reactive barriers: laboratory studies

The reductive dechlorination and biodegradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) was investigated in a laboratory-scale sequential barrier system consisting of a chemical and biological reactive barrier. Palladium coated iron (Pd/Fe) was used as a reactive barrier medium for the chemical degradation of 2,4,6-TCP, and a sand column seeded with anaerobic microbes was used as a biobarrier following the chemical reactive barrier in this study. Only phenol was detected in the effluent from the Pd/Fe column reactor, indicating that the complete dechlorination of 2,4,6-TCP was achieved. The residence time of 30.2-21.2h was required for the complete dechlorination of 2,4,6-TCP of 100 mg l(-1) in the column reactor. The surface area-normalized rate constant (k(SA)) is 3.84 (+/-0.48)x10(-5)lm(-2)h(-1). The reaction rate in the column tests was one order of magnitude slower than that in the batch test. In the operation of the biobarrier, about 100 microM of phenol was completely removed with a residence time of 7-8d. Consequently, the dechlorination prior to biodegradation turns out to increase the overall treatability. Moreover, the sequential permeable reactive barriers, consisting of iron barrier and biobarrier, could be recommended for groundwater contaminated with toxic organic compounds such as chlorophenols.     

Atmospheric bulk deposition of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the vicinity of an iron and steel making plant

An IRA-743 resin bulk sampler was validated to monitor long-term bulk deposition of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Six consecutive sampling campaigns (2008-2009) were conducted at four sites around steel complexes in Pohang, South Korea to investigate spatial and seasonal variations of PCDD/F bulk deposition. The bulk deposition within the steel complex showed the highest ∑_4-8PCDD/F (Tetra-Octa) fluxes, ranging from 204 to 608 (mean: 352) pg m⁻² d⁻¹, indicating steel complexes were major sources of PCDD/Fs. The homologue profiles were dominated with lower chlorinated PCDFs. Furthermore, the prevailing winds were confirmed to influence the spatial distribution of PCDD/F deposition. There were apparent seasonal variations of the bulk deposition at each site, and seasonal homologue patterns of PCDD/Fs were clearly observed. According to the passive air sampling, however, no significant seasonal change of ambient air concentrations of PCDD/Fs was observed. Therefore, it was concluded that the seasonal variations of deposition fluxes of PCDD/Fs probably resulted from temperature-dependent gas/particle partitioning.