Fungal biotransformation of 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol

Fungal degradation of 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH, C₆F₁₃CH₂CH₂OH) by two wood‐decaying fungal strains and six fungal isolates from a site contaminated with per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) was investigated. 6:2 FTOH is increasingly being used in FTOH‐based products, and previous reports on the microbial fate of 6:2 FTOH have focused on bacteria and environmental microbial consortia. Prior to this study, one report demonstrated that the 6:2 FTOH biotransformation by the wood‐decaying fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, generated more polyfluoroalkyl substances, such as 5:3 acid (F(CF₂)₅CH₂CH₂COOH), and diverted away from producing the highly stable perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs). Most of the fungi (Gloeophyllum trabeum and isolates TW4‐2, TW4‐1, B79, and B76) examined in this study showed similar degradation patterns, further demonstrating that fungi yield more 5:3 acid (up to 51 mol% of initial 6:2 FTOH dosed) relative to other metabolites (up to 12 mol% total PFCAs). However, medium amendments can potentially improve 6:2 FTOH biotransformation rates and product profiles. The six fungal isolates tolerated up to 100 or 1,000 milligrams per liter of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, and some isolates experienced increased growth with increasing concentrations. This study proposes that fungal pathways must be considered for the biotransformation of potential PFAS precursors, such as 6:2 FTOH, and suggests the basis for selecting proper microorganisms for remediation of fluoroalkyl‐contaminated sites.     

Preliminary investigation of greenhouse gas emissions from the environmental sector in Taiwan

The United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asks their Parties to submit a National Inventory Report (NIR) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on an annual basis. However, when many countries are quickly growing their economy, resulting in substantial GHG emissions, their inventory reporting systems either have not been established or been able to be linked to planning of mitigation measures at national administration levels. The present research was aimed to quantify the GHG emissions from an environmental sector in Taiwan and also to establish a linkage between the developed inventories and development of mitigation plans. The "environmental sector" consists of public service under jurisdiction of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration: landfilling, composting, waste transportation, wastewater treatment, night soil treatment, and solid waste incineration. The preliminary results were compared with that of the United States, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, and Korea, considering the gaps in the scopes of the sectors. The GHG emissions from the Taiwanese environmental sector were mostly estimated by following the default methodology in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guideline, except that of night soil treatment and waste transportation that were modified or newly developed. The GHG emissions from the environmental sectors in 2004 were 10,225 kilotons of CO2 equivalent (kt CO2 Eq.). Landfilling (48.86%), solid waste incineration (27%), and wastewater treatment (21.5%) were the major contributors. Methane was the most significant GHG (70.6%), followed by carbon dioxide (27.8%) and nitrous oxide (1.6%). In summary, the GHG emissions estimated for the environmental sector in Taiwan provided reasonable preliminary results that were consistent and comparable with the existing authorized data. On the basis of the inventory results and the comparisons with the other countries, recommendations of mitigation plans were made, including wastewater and solid waste recycling, methane recovery for energy, and waste reduction/sorting.     

Prenatal diagnosis of Hb H disease due to compound heterozygosity for South-East Asian deletion and Hb constant spring by polymerase chain reaction

A pregnant woman has two children affected by moderately severe Hb H disease due to compound heterozygosity of South-east Asian deletion and Constant Spring mutation. In her third pregnancy, transabdominal chorionic villus sampling was performed at the tenth gestational week to obtain fetal DNA. The polymerase chain reaction was used for detection of both the South-east Asian deletion and the Constant Spring mutation. Hb H disease was diagnosed in the fetus. After genetic counselling, the couple elected to have the pregnancy terminated.     

Analysis of business safety performance by structural equation models

Domestic safety performance, which has had gained increasingly greater importance in recent years, is the subject of many studies. However, studies on the application of the structural equation model (SEM) in systematic safety performance model fitness verifications remain scarce. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety performance with the aim at one private representative chemical and food company in Taiwan, for providing the strategy and improvement consult in safety management. In order to obtain the best-fit safety performance model, the Amos 17.0 (Analysis of Moment Structure 17.0) was used to construct a series of SEM competition models to confirm the four various orientations of the safety performance model through the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) method. The results showed that the first-order multi-factor oblique model and second-order single-factor safety performance model were the best-fit models. The results of this study will contribute to the related enterprises’ ability to assess the safety indicators and will also be an even greater contribution to the future development of enterprise security.     

A Marine Pollution Study of Northeast Coastal Water Off Taiwan Island

Abstract

The coastal water of northeast Taiwan island, called ‘Yin-Yang Hai’ for its distinct yellow colour compared with blue offshore water, was investigated from 1989 to 1990 by the authors. Biological study showed the dominant species of plankton to be Copepoda, Cladocera, planktonic eggs and Diatoma. Dominant species of benthos were young crabs, Amphipoda and Annelida, with Amphipoda usually occurring in heavily polluted areas. Heavy metal data showed that the concentration of copper was high. the copper and iron concentration in algae of the intertidal zone was also high. the concentrations of iron and copper in inshore water were also higher than in offshore water. By comparison of the pH and salinity distribution of this area, we conclude that this coastal water has been polluted by acid waste water from coastal industry. the suspended solids concentration in sea water is high. Flocculation occurring at the boundary of fresh and saline water might be a reason for the distinct yellow colour of the water of this area. Further study is required.     

Bio-Based Polymers and End-of-Life Vehicles

As new materials, such as bio-based plastics and composites, are introduced in vehicles for their improved environmental performance, it is necessary to understand how to efficiently recover these biodegradable materials. This paper provides an overview of the end-of-life phase for automobiles, focusing on the dismantling and shredding processes, and the recovery of materials. Targeted unit operations, such as dismantling of components from vehicles and pretreatment prior to shredding, along with design-for-environment principles, should enable the efficient recovery of materials at the end-of-life phase compared with popularly conceived all-in-one-approaches because of the diverse arrangement of material components.     

The kinetic of the catalytic decomposition of methyl isobutyl ketone over a Pt/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst

Environmental catalysis also can refer to catalytic technologies for reducing emission of environmentally unacceptable compounds. Catalytic decomposition also is one of the cost-effective technologies to solve the troublesome volatile organic compounds. This study treated methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) by a commercial catalyst, Pt/gamma-Al(2)O(3), in an isothermal fixed bed differential reactor. The effects of O(2) and MIBK content in carrier gas on the catalysis's reaction rate are also observed. Three kinetic models, i.e. the Mars and van Krevelen model, Langmuir-Hinshelwood model and power-rate law were applied to best fit the experimental results. The results indicate that the kinetic behavior of MIBK oxidation with catalysis can be accounted for by using the rate expression of the Mars and van Krevelen model and Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. Kinetic parameters are also determined on the basis of the differential reactor data. The experimental results are compared with those of the model predicted.     

Degradation of 2-chlorophenol via a hydrogenotrophic biofilm under different reductive conditions

This research studies the 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) degradation by the hydrogenotrophic biofilm cultivated in three silicone-tube membrane bioreactors under the conditions of denitrification (DN), sulfate-reduction (DS) and dechlorination (DC). Experimental results showed that after acclimation for more than four months with 2-CP, the respective 2-CP removal efficiency was 95% in DN, 94% in DS and 95% in DC reactors, under the condition of influent 2-CP 25 mg/l with hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 15 h. The metabolic pathway of 2-CP was different in different reactors. The 2-CP was thought to be utilized as carbon and energy source in DN and DS reactors, while the dechlorination occurred in the DC reactor in lack of nitrate and sulfate. The pH dramatically affected the 2-CP degradation in all reactors. Experimental results showed that the optimal pH range was around 6+/-0.2 in DN, 7+/-0.2 in DS, and 5.8-7.2 in DC reactors. Both nitrate and sulfate inhibited the 2-CP dechlorination, but the inhibition levels were different. Nitrate completely inhibited the dechlorination at once, while sulfate took a longer time to reach complete inhibition, only after the bacteria were adapted to the sulfate-reducing condition. Both inhibitions were accomplished by taking the place of 2-CP as electron acceptors. H2 served as an electron donor for dechlorination of 2-CP. The dechlorination was apparently stopped when lacking H2 and another pathway was responsible for the 2-CP degradation.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment and water reclamation plants in southern California

Nitrous oxide (N?O) is a long-lived and potent greenhouse gas produced during microbial nitrification and denitrification. In developed countries, centralized water reclamation plants often use these processes for N removal before effluent is used for irrigation or discharged to surface water, thus making this treatment a potentially large source of N?O in urban areas. In the arid but densely populated southwestern United States, water reclamation for irrigation is an important alternative to long-distance water importation. We measured N?O concentrations and fluxes from several wastewater treatment processes in urban southern California. We found that N removal during water reclamation may lead to in situ N?O emission rates that are three or more times greater than traditional treatment processes (C oxidation only). In the water reclamation plants tested, N?O production was a greater percentage of total N removed (1.2%) than traditional treatment processes (C oxidation only) (0.4%). We also measured stable isotope ratios (δN and δO) of emitted N?O and found distinct δN signatures of N?O from denitrification (0.0 ± 4.0 ‰) and nitrification reactors (-24.5 ± 2.2 ‰), respectively. These isotope data confirm that both nitrification and denitrification contribute to N?O emissions within the same treatment plant. Our estimates indicate that N?O emissions from biological N removal for water reclamation may be several orders of magnitude greater than N?O emissions from agricultural activities in highly urbanized southern California. Our results suggest that wastewater treatment that includes biological nitrogen removal can significantly increase urban N?O emissions.     

Incorporating stakeholders’ preferences into a multi-criteria framework for planning large-scale Nature-Based Solutions

Hydro-meteorological risks are a growing issue for societies, economies and environments around the world. An effective, sustainable response to such risks and their future uncertainty requires a paradigm shift in our research and practical efforts. In this respect, Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) offer the potential to achieve a more effective and flexible response to hydro-meteorological risks while also enhancing human well-being and biodiversity. The present paper describes a new methodology that incorporates stakeholders’ preferences into a multi-criteria analysis framework, as part of a tool for selecting risk mitigation measures. The methodology has been applied to Tamnava river basin in Serbia and Nangang river basin in Taiwan within the EC-funded RECONECT project. The results highlight the importance of involving stakeholders in the early stages of projects in order to achieve successful implementation of NBSs. The methodology can assist decision-makers in formulating desirable benefits and co-benefits and can enable a systematic and transparent NBSs planning process.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01419-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.