Use of Preservative Agents and Antibiotics for Increased Poliovirus Survival on Positively Charged Filters

Environmental surveillance of poliovirus (PV) and other non-enveloped viruses can help identify silent circulation and is necessary to certify eradication. The bag-mediated filtration system is an efficient method to filter large volumes of environmental waters at field sites for monitoring the presence of viruses. As filters may require long transit times to off-site laboratories for processing, viral inactivation or overgrowth of bacteria and fungi can interfere with virus detection and quantification (Miki and Jacquet in Aquatic Microb Ecol 51(2):195–208, 2008). To evaluate virus survival over time on ViroCap^? filters, the filters were seeded with PV type 1 (PV1) and/or MS2 and then dosed with preservatives or antibiotics prior to storage and elution. These filters were stored at various temperatures and time periods, and then eluted for PV1 and MS2 recovery quantification. Filters dosed with the preservative combination of 2% sodium benzoate and 0.2% calcium propionate had increased virus survival over time when stored at 25 °C, compared to samples stored at 25 °C with no preservatives. While elution within 24 h of filtration is recommended, if storage or shipping is required then this preservative mixture can help preserve sample integrity. Addition of an antibiotic cocktail containing cephapirin, gentamicin, and Proclin^? 300 increased recovery after storage at 4 and 25 °C, when compared to storage with no antibiotics. The antibiotic cocktail can aid sample preservation if access to appropriate antibiotics storage is available and sample cold chain is unreliable. This study demonstrated that the use of preservatives or antibiotics is a simple, cost-effective method to improve virus detection from ViroCap cartridge filters over time.     

DNA Heat Treatment for Improving qPCR Analysis of Human Adenovirus in Wastewater

PCR inhibitory substances in complex sample matrices can cause false negatives or under-estimation of target concentration. This study assessed DNA heat treatment for reducing inhibition during qPCR analysis of human adenovirus (HAdV) in wastewater samples. Inhibition was reduced by heat treating DNA, where mean HAdV concentration was increased by 0.71 log₁₀ GC/L (and up to 3.04 log₁₀ GC/L in one case), and replicate variability and false negatives were reduced. DNA heat treatment should be further investigated for improving reliability of HAdV concentration estimates in water, which can support more accurate assessment of health risks associated with viral pathogen exposure.     

Assessment and Evaluation of an Integrated Hybrid Anaerobic–Aerobic Sewage Treatment System for the Removal of Enteric Viruses

The capability of a cost-effective and a small size decentralized pilot wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to remove enteric viruses such as rotavirus, norovirus genogroup I (GGI), norovirus genogroup II (GGII), Hepatitis E virus (HEV), and adenovirus was studied. This pilot plant is an integrated hybrid anaerobic/aerobic setup which consisted of anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB), biological aerated filter (BAF), and inclined plate settler (IPS). Both the UASB and BAF are packed with a non-woven polyester fabric (NWPF). Results indicated that the overall log₁₀ reductions of enteric viruses’ genome copies through the whole system were 3.1 ± 1, 3.3 ± 0.5, and 2.6 ± 0.9 log₁₀ for rotavirus, norovirus GGI, and adenovirus, respectively. Reduction efficiency for both norovirus GGII and HEV after the different treatment steps could not be calculated because there were no significant numbers of positive samples for both viruses. The overall reduction of rotavirus infectious units through the whole system was 2.2 ± 0.8 log₁₀ reduction which is very close to the overall log₁₀ reduction of adenovirus infectious units through the whole system which was 2.1 ± 0.8 log₁₀ reduction. There was no considerable difference in the removal efficiency for different rotavirus G and P types. Adenovirus 41 was the only type detected in the all positive samples. Although the pilot WWTP investigated is cost effective, has a small footprint, does not need a long distance network pipes, and easy to operate, its efficiency to remove enteric viruses is comparable with the conventional centralized WWTPs.     

三种观测标准的霾日与空气污染日对比分析

目前气象观测业务和空气污染分析中存在对霾日统计的分歧,甚至出现空气污染日无霾的现象,对霾观测标准的科学划分,显得非常重要和紧迫。利用2013—2015年廊坊市气象观测站能见度、相对湿度、霾人工观测资料和廊坊市环保局AQI、PM25浓度等气象环保资料,对目前观测业务和空气污染分析中常用的三种霾观测、统计方法进行了对比分析。分析发现:目前廊坊气象观测站所依据的记录霾天气现象的标准,与实际大气污染相趋甚远,不能反映实际的空气污染状况,建议国家及省级相关部门及早根据实际情况,更新霾观测标准,更好地为当前大气污染的防治工作提供客观依据。     

生物陶粒反应器的氢自养反硝化研究

利用氢自养反硝化生物陶粒反应器处理硝酸盐废水,探讨了生物陶粒反应器中氢自养反硝化生物脱氮的实现过程.考察了水力停留时间、进水硝氮负荷、进水pH值、温度、供氢量等因素对反应器脱氮效果的影响.结果表明,当水力停留时间为24 h和48 h时,反应器对硝酸氮的平均去除率分别达到94.54%和97.47%.在水力停留时间为5~16 h时,NO-3-N去除率随水力停留时间的缩短而降低;进水NO-3-N浓度较低时,NO-3-N的降解速率随其浓度的升高而增大,当NO-3-N浓度大于110mg·L-1时,氢自养反硝化反应受到抑制;中偏碱性环境较酸性或碱性环境更利于反应器对硝酸盐的去除;反应器有较宽的温度适应范围,最适温度为25~30℃;当反应器供氢不足时,脱氮效果明显降低,表明了氢自养反硝化菌对氢气利用的专一性.在整个运行阶段,出水中亚硝酸氮浓度一直保持在较低水平.     

含油污泥微乳化处理工艺研究

利用微乳化法对含油污泥进行资源化处理。通过对现场采得的SLGD含油污泥样品处理,得到该油泥的最佳微乳液组成为:SDS 0.16 g/mL,OTAC 0.04 g/mL,正丁醇0.47 g/mL,NaCl 0.034 g/mL,脱油率最高可达42.53%。最佳单次处理量为12 g(以10 mL水为基准);处理温度为30℃,最佳处理时间为30 min;在保证脱油率的前提下,微乳液可重复使用3次。     

生活垃圾填埋场老场扩建方式探讨

介绍了生活垃圾填埋场老场扩建工程中横向扩建、纵向扩建两种常用的方式及各自的设计要点。结合浙江西部某县城生活垃圾填埋场的扩建工程实例,分析了在填埋场扩建工程设计中应考虑的与老场系统衔接、扩建后新场垃圾堆体不均匀沉降及新场堆体稳定性等问题,并依照工程实际提出了解决方案。