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.     

闽南城市区域空气中挥发性有机物的污染特征

采用美国EPA TO-15的方法,研究了2011年3月份闽南城市区域空气中VOCs的含量及其污染特征。结果表明:1)漳州工业区空气的VOCs浓度为200.5μg/m3,污染较为严重;厦门交通干道VOCs浓度为74.0μg/m3,泉州商住区的VOCs浓度77.1μg/m3,污染较轻。2)漳州工业区采样点TOP5占TVOCs的比例最高,达77.3%;厦门交通干道与泉州商住区两采样点的TOP5占TVOCs的比例相近,分别为64.1%和62.0%。在所有的采样点中出现的TOP5组分比较集中,主要包括甲苯、苯、二氯甲烷、异丙醇、乙酸乙酯、1,1-二氯乙烯、萘等。3)机动车尾气的排放、工业溶剂的挥发和废气排放可能是厦漳泉三地大气VOCs的主要排放源。4)厦漳泉的BTEX主要来源于汽车尾气和汽油挥发;其中厦门和泉州BTEX浓度相比较处在较低污染水平,漳州处在中等水平。     

北运河中游沉积物对磷的吸附特性研究

研究了位于北京郊区的北运河中游9个断面的沉积物对磷的吸附行为,分析了沉积物组成及其理化性质与磷吸附特征的关系.实验结果表明,不同断面沉积物对磷的最大吸附量在0.11 ～9.45 mg/g之间,而各断面沉积物的临界平衡磷浓度(EPC0)范围在0.33～ 1.85 mg/L之间,统计分析显示EPC0与河水中的总磷和可溶性无机磷呈显著负相关,但与沉积物中的金属和有机质含量相关性较差;根据临界平衡磷浓度定义的推断,新华大街桥、玉带桥、运河大街桥、六环路桥、宋梁路桥、湿地和甘棠橡胶坝7个断面的沉积物表现为磷的“汇”,而丰子沟和减运沟2个点表现为磷的“源”,并且各点沉积物释放和吸附磷的趋势较大.     

石化管道储运员工心理评估结果分析

目的:了解石油管道储运员工的心理健康现状,建立管道储运员工症状自评量表(SCL-90)的群体常模。方法:运用整群抽样方法和症状自评量表(SCL-90)对5544名中国石化管道储运公司员工进行心理健康状况调查,将SCL-90结果与中国常模比较。结果:本次调查心理健康状况好3947人,占71.2%;心理健康状况良好1299人,占23.4%;心理健康状况一般238人,占4.3%;心理健康状况异常60人,占1.1%;石化管道储运员工在躯体化、焦虑、精神病性、阳性项目数均分显著高于全国常模;人际关系、敌对、偏执和精神病性因子均分男性显著高于女性,恐怖因子均分女性显著高于男性;35岁及以上组的躯体化、强迫、抑郁、焦虑、敌对、恐怖、精神病性以及阳性项目数的因子均分均高于35岁以下组;大专组和高中及以下组各项因子均分均显著高于本科及以上组。结论:管道储运员工心理健康状况低于一般人群。年龄相对较大以及学历相对较低员工的心理健康状况是企业关注的重点。     

广东省电子废物回收处理体系建设对策研究

广东省的电子废物产生量大,亟须建立规范的回收处理处置体系,实现资源的有序回收利用,避免电子废物的不当拆解处理造成环境污染。针对广东省电子废物回收处理的现状和存在问题,提出建设规模化的集中处理体系,产业化的回收利用体系和规范化的统一监管体系的相关对策,以促进电子废物的无害化、减量化和资源化处理处置。