Influence of mixed molten carbonate composition on hydrogen formation by steam gasification

Steam gasification in the presence of carbonate compounds is an effective method to recover useful materials from electronic waste streams by converting plastics into gaseous products that can be used for energy production and avoiding the expensive manual disassembly process. We investigated steam gasification of activated carbon in the presence of various mixtures of lithium carbonate, sodium carbonate, and potassium carbonate. The activated carbon was almost completely converted into hydrogen and carbon dioxide at 700°C under 0.1 MPa pressure in the presence of carbonate mixtures. Carbon dioxide was also derived from partial decomposition of lithium carbonate. Steam gasification was accelerated in the presence of various carbonate mixtures and at increasing steam partial pressures. These experimental results show that fluidity of carbonates, the potassium content of the carbonate, and the steam partial pressure are important factors in accelerating steam gasification.     

Polychlorinated biphenyl levels in the blood of Japanese individuals ranging from infants to over 80 years of age

Individuals’ exposure to various persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and its adverse health effects have been a cause of concern. We measured blood PCB concentrations from samples taken from 507 Japanese individuals ranging from infants to those over 80 years of age. The blood PCB levels increased with age for both male (Spearman’s r?=?0.69, p?<?0.001) and female (Spearman’s r?=?0.70, p?<?0.001) participants. Adult men and nulliparous women showed similar increases with age. However, the PCB levels of multiparous women were lower than those of nulliparous women in their thirties (p?=?0.005), probably because the PCBs were transferred from the mothers to their children during pregnancy and lactation. Among infants (<2 years of age), some had as high levels of accumulated PCB levels as those in adults >30 years of age. In some cases, the PCB levels were over 0.8 ng/g wet weight, similar to levels observed in adults over 50 years of age. In the future, it will be necessary to do research on the health of the children who are exposed by high concentration level of POPs.     

Textural and surface chemical characteristics of activated carbons prepared from cattle manure compost

Two activated carbons (ACs) prepared from cattle manure compost (CMC) by ZnCl(2) activation were selected and out-gassed in a helium flow at various temperatures for 2h. The pore structure and surface chemical properties of the two selected ACs and their out-gassing treated ACs were characterized using N(2) adsorption-desorption, elements analysis, SEM and Boehm titration. A basic dye, methylene blue (MB), was chosen as an adsorbate to investigate the adsorption capacity for organic contaminant onto the activated carbons. It was found that the out-gassing treatment at 400 degrees C had little effect on the textural characteristics of the carbons but significantly changed the surface chemical properties such as surface functional groups concentration, pH and pH(PZC). The CMC-based activated carbons exhibited excellent performance for MB adsorption due to their high surface area, large mesopore volume and high nitrogen content. The kinetics of MB adsorption onto the activated carbons followed a pseudo-second-order equation, and the equilibrium data agreed well with the Langmuir model under the experimental conditions. The highest adsorption rate constant of k(ad) and the largest adsorption capacity of q(m) were found be 1.44x10(-4)g/mgmin and 519mg/g, respectively. The results suggested that the CMC-based activated carbons were effective adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls in preserved human umbilical cords

Congener-specific PCB analyses were carried out on preserved umbilical cord samples. Total PCB concentrations were higher in the umbilical cords of subjects born in the 1960s and 70s than in those born more recently. Total PCB concentrations in the cords from 3 groups of siblings showed no linear relationships between birth order and total PCB concentration. The congener and homologue compositions of PCBs in the umbilical cords of one group of siblings were similar to those of commercial PCB products.     

Evaluation of initiation activity of dimethylarsinic acid: Initiation potential of rat hepatocarcinogenesis

There is a dearth of data on the initiation activity of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA (V)), a major metabolite of the ubiquitous environmental and occupational carcinogen and toxicant, arsenic (As). The initiation activity of DMA (V) was investigated on rat hepatocarcinogenesis with liver being a major target organ for As-induced carcinogenicity. A total of 50 rats at 10 weeks old were randomly divided in a nine-week medium-term bioassay into four groups. Groups 1 and 2 received 200 ppm of DMA (V) in drinking water for four weeks while groups 3 and 4 drank only tap water until the sixth week when groups 1 and 3 were given 0.01% 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) in their diet for two weeks in the promotion stage. All animals were subjected to two-third partial hepatectomy (PH) at the seventh week. Quantitative analysis of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci in liver, a pre-neoplastic marker of rat hepatocarcinogenesis, demonstrated higher numbers in group 1 (DMA (V) + 2-AAF) than 3 (2-AAF alone) at foci consisting of two–four cells and 15 or a greater number of cells. The numbers of GST-P positive foci consisting of five–nine cells were significantly higher in group 1 than 3. Foci consisting of 10–14 cells were also higher but not significantly different. The GST-P positive foci were apparently similar in groups 2 and 4. Expression of total GST-P positive foci was significantly higher in group 1 compared to 2, 3 or 4. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) test performed to clarify the apparent trend of GST-P data revealed significantly higher PCNA index in group 1. Data indicate weak initiation potential of DMA (V) and for the first time appear to provide evidence for initiation activity in DMA (V)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.     

Investigation and modeling of diurnal variation in suburban ambient formaldehyde concentration

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a naturally occurring compound found in ambient air which can induce cancer and sick-building syndrome. It plays an important...     

Peak wind speed modulation by large-scale motions in neutrally stratified atmospheric surface layer

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - This study applies the models describing the effect of a neutrally stratified high-Reynolds-number boundary layer on peak wind estimation. A neutrally stratified...