Manganese concentrations in maternal–infant blood and birth weight

Manganese (Mn) is an essential mineral nutrient in mammals. The physiological role of Mn in animal models is well documented, but little is known about the adverse effects of Mn deficiency or overexposure in humans, including pregnancy outcomes such as birth weight. We examined the relationship of the maternal and cord blood Mn levels with birth weight in a cohort of 172 mother–infant pairs born in Shanghai, China. Non-linear spline and quadratic regression models were used to test the hypothesis of an inverted U-shaped association between the Mn levels and birth weight. The median (range) levels of Mn in the maternal and cord blood were 5.38 (2.34–30.37) μg/dL and 7.66 (2.57–34.23) μg/dL, respectively. An inverted U-shaped relationship was observed between maternal Mn and birth weight after adjusting for potential confounders. The birth weight increased with Mn levels up to 4.18 μg/dL, and a slight reduction in weight was observed at higher levels. The cord blood Mn levels were not found to be associated with birth weight. Both lower and higher Mn exposures are associated with lower birth weight, which may influence important developmental parameters; the association of higher Mn levels with lower weight was weak and imprecise.     

Occurrence,distribution, and multi-phase partitioning of triclocarban and triclosan in an urban river receiving wastewater treatment plants effluent in China

Occurrence, distribution, spatial and seasonal variations, and partitioning between aqueous phase and suspended particulate matters (SPM) of triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS) in Xiaoqing River, which receives wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, were studied. The distribution of the total TCC and TCS levels in surface water and sediments along the river were discussed. The highest TCC and TCS concentrations were both found near the discharge port of WWTPs, and the TCC and TCS levels decreased downstream of the WWTPs as a result of their distances from the source of WWTP discharges. The mean values of TCC and TCS in low-flow season were 1.62 and 1.80 times, respectively, as much as in high-flow season in surface water. The study on partitioning of TCC and TCS between aqueous phase and SPM shown the mean level of dissolved TCC accounted for about 10 % of the total level in surface water, whereas the TCS level was about 30 %. The TCC concentrations detected in the surface sediment samples (0 to 5 cm) ranged from 226 to 1,956 ng/g, with a mean value of 733 ng/g. The TCS levels were between 85 and 705 ng/g, with a mean value of 255 ng/g. The distribution and variations of TCC and TCS in sediments along the river were highly consistent with those in the water phase. The TCC and TCS levels in deep sediments (5 to 10 cm) were significantly lower than those in surface sediments. The mean TCC level in surface sediments was about 2.4 times as much as in deep sediments, and the TCS level in surface sediments was 3.1 times as much as in deep sediments.     

Evaluation of interference to conventional and real-time PCR for detection and quantification of fungi in dust

Advances in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have permitted accurate, rapid and quantitative identification of microorganisms in pure cultures regardless of viability or culturability. In this study, a simple sample processing method was investigated for rapid identification and quantification of fungal spores from dust samples using both conventional and real-time PCR. The proposed method was evaluated for susceptibility to interference from environmental dust samples. Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus fumigatus were used as test organisms. The sensitivity of detection in pure culture was 0.1 spore DNA equivalents per PCR reaction corresponding to 20 spores ml(-1) in the sample. However, 1 spore DNA equivalent per PCR reaction corresponding to 200 spores ml(-1) in the sample was the lowest amount of spores tested without interference in dust samples spiked with spores of either fungal species. The extent of inhibition was calculated using conventional and real-time PCR reactions containing fungal spores, specific primers, specific probes (for real-time PCR) and various amounts of dust. The results indicate that the extent of inhibition by dust on PCR varies with the type and amount of dust, and number of spores. No interference in the analysis of spiked samples was detected from 0.2 mg ml(-1) of four real-life dust samples at p-value >0.05 using 2 x 10(4) spores for conventional PCR and 2 x 10(5) spores for real-time PCR. However, samples containing >0.2 mg ml(-1) real-life dust compromised the PCR assay. These results suggest the potential usefulness of a simple sample processing method in conjunction with PCR for monitoring the fungal content of aerosols collected from indoor environments.     

锰污染土壤根际微生物分离及耐Mn2+特性

为了研究锰污染土壤的生物修复,在湘潭锰矿不同植物根际土壤中分离得到7株真菌和8株细菌,依次命名为F1-7和B1-8。经耐锰性能测定,获得高耐锰性真菌3株,F3-5、细菌3株,B1、B2和B7。其中,F3耐锰浓度最高可达600mmol/L,细菌B7最高耐锰浓度为80 mmol/L。当Mn2+浓度小于300 mmol/L时,对3种真菌的生长均具有一定的促进作用,高于此浓度时,产生较大程度的抑制作用。在低Mn2+浓度(20~40 mmol/L)条件下,Mn2+对3种细菌的生长均表现出一定的促进作用,尤其是对B2作用明显。当Mn2+浓度逐渐增加到80 mmol/L时,抑制作用明显。在Mn2+浓度为300mmol/L时,F3对锰的吸附率约为60%,达到峰值。而在Mn2+浓度为60 mmol/L时,细菌B2对锰的吸附率约为70%,达最大值。     

氨改性中孔活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附

为讨论表面改性对活性炭吸附特性的影响,用氨改性活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附性能进行了研究。通过高温氨气吹扫对活性炭进行表面改性处理,观察了改性后活性炭物化性质的变化,研究了氨改性活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附等温关系与动力学,并对吸附前后氨改性活性炭的形貌进行了分析。结果表明,氨改性后活性炭比表面积和总孔孔容均略有增大,活性炭中N元素含量明显增高,含氧官能团数量减少,零电荷点增大。氨改性后活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附效果明显提高,吸附过程数据可用等温吸附方程描述,改性后活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附符合拟二级动力学。Pb(Ⅱ)在氨改性活性炭表面上的附着明显可见。通过红外光谱分析,活性炭表面含氮官能团与Pb(Ⅱ)发生缔合作用。     

路面径流的大肠菌群污染及其雨水花园处理

调查了上海市区路面径流中大肠菌群的污染状况,分析了径流中大肠菌群含量的主要影响因素,采用雨水花园模拟柱,考察雨水花园对城市路面径流中大肠菌群的去除效果。结果表明,上海市区地面道路径流中总大肠菌群、粪大肠菌群的均值分别为2.28×106、9.48×105 cfu/100 mL,污染较严重,径流中大肠菌群含量与气温呈正相关;雨水花园对径流中大肠菌群具有良好的去除效果,不同模拟柱平均去除率范围在92.4%~99.5%。填料深度和水力停留时间是影响雨水花园对大肠菌群去除效果的主要因素。长期运行后,填料中没有大肠菌群的积累,雨水花园对大肠菌群的去除效果可保持长期稳定。     

响应面法优化甘蔗渣-污泥复合活性炭的制备工艺

为了提高污泥活性炭的吸附性能以提升其实际应用价值,提出在污泥中掺杂甘蔗渣制备复合活性炭,并采用Plackett-Burman联用响应面法对影响复合活性炭碘值的条件进行筛选优化。通过Plackett-Burman实验筛选出热解温度、热解时间和甘蔗渣与污泥干重比为主要影响因素,对这3个因素进行Box-Behnken实验,经响应面优化得到影响碘值的二次响应曲面模型,模型显示热解温度与热解时间、热解温度与干重比的交互作用显著,并确定了最佳制备条件:热解温度550℃、热解时间30 min和干重比50%,此时复合活性炭碘值为814 mg/g,优于未优化条件下制备的复合活性炭。通过比表面积、孔结构和碘值的测定以及元素和扫描电镜分析得出,甘蔗渣的掺杂提高了复合活性炭的比表面积、微孔体积、碘值及含碳量。研究结果表明,甘蔗渣掺杂和制备条件优化是提高污泥活性炭吸附性能的有效手段。     

Effects of water-emulsified fuel on a diesel engine generator’s thermal efficiency and exhaust

Water-emulsified diesel has proven itself as a technically sufficient improvement fuel to improve diesel engine fuel combustion emissions and engine performance. However, it has seldom been used in light-duty diesel engines. Therefore, this paper focuses on an investigation into the thermal efficiency and pollution emission analysis of a light-duty diesel engine generator fueled with different water content emulsified diesel fuels (WD, including WD-0, WD-5, WD-10, and WD-15). In this study, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide were analyzed by a vehicle emission gas analyzer, and the particle size and number concentration were measured by an electrical low-pressure impactor. In addition, engine loading and fuel consumption were also measured to calculate the thermal efficiency. Measurement results suggested that water-emulsified diesel was useful to improve the thermal efficiency and the exhaust emission of a diesel engine. Obviously, the thermal efficiency was increased about 1.2 to 19.9%. In addition, water-emulsified diesel leads to a significant reduction of nitric oxide emission (less by about 18.3 to 45.4%). However, the particle number concentration emission might be increased if the loading of the generator becomes lower than or equal to 1800 W. In addition, exhaust particle size distributions were shifted toward larger particles at high loading. The consequence of this research proposed that the water-emulsified diesel was useful to improve the engine performance and some of exhaust emissions, especially the NO emission reduction.

Implications:The accumulated test results provide a good basis to resolve the corresponding pollutants emitted from a light-duty diesel engine generator. By measuring and analyzing transforms of exhaust pollutant from this engine generator, the effects of water-emulsified diesel fuel and loading on emission characteristics might be more clear. Understanding reduction of pollutant emissions during the use of water-emulsified diesel helps improve the effectiveness of the testing program. The analyzed consequences provide useful information to the government for setting policies to curb pollutant emissions from a light-duty diesel engine generator more effectively.     

高效脱硫菌的筛选及其性能研究

从高硫污染的活性污泥中富集培养,分离纯化得到一株可以降解噻吩的菌株s_4,并对该菌株的形态特征进行观察。应用Design—Expert8．0．5b软件进行响应面优化实验,研究了反应时间、噻吩浓度、微生物浓度3个因素的组合对菌株s_4脱硫效果的影响,并拟合得到多元二次回归方程,得出最佳实验条件。拟合结果表明,当反应时间27．46h,噻吩浓度为1．04％,微生物浓度4．04％时,预测噻吩降解率为14．8％,通过验证得最佳条件下的降解率为14．3％,与预测值相符。     

西安市及周边地区MODIS气溶胶光学厚度与PM10浓度关系模型研究

西安是空气污染监控和防治有代表性的西部大型城市。研究了西安市及周边地区上空气溶胶光学厚度与PM10浓度的关系模型。利用2011—2012年MODIS卫星气溶胶光学厚度（AOD）遥感产品,通过数据匹配,利用地面气象观测站点的能见度数据和相对湿度数据对AOD产品进行垂直标高订正和湿度订正,2项订正显著提高了AOD和地面PM10浓度的相关性,相关系数从0．36提高到0．65,按季节分类统计和订正春至冬四季的相关系数分别为0．57、0．71、0．62和0．87,夏季和冬季的订正更为有效,可用性更高,这可能由于受到不同季节气溶胶来源和特征的影响。为研究中国西部大型城市,特别是西安市空气环境监测和区域联防联控提供了一种有效方法。