Inactivation of Escherichia coli in the electrochemical disinfection process using a Pt anode

Recently, the electrochemical disinfection has gained a great interest as one of the alternatives to conventional chlorination due to its high effectiveness and environmental compatibility. Despite the extensive reports on electro-chlorination disinfection, few researches were reported on the systems without generating chlorine. This study mainly focused on the potential disinfecting ability of electro-generated oxidants other than chlorine with using an inert medium (chloride-free phosphate buffer solution), which was intended to exclude the formation of chlorine during the electrolysis, as the Escherichia coli as an indicator bacterium was disinfected by applying the current to a platinum anode. The electrochemical inactivation of E. coli without chlorine production was demonstrated to occur in two distinct stages. The first stage inactivation takes place rapidly at the beginning of electrolysis, which appears to be achieved by the electrosorption of negatively charged E. coli cells to the anode surface, followed by a direct electron transfer reaction. As the electrolysis continues further, the inactivation becomes slower but steady, in contrast to the first stage of inactivation. This was attributed to the action of reactive oxidants generated from water discharge, such as hydroxyl radical. Overall, this study suggests that the electrochemical disinfection could be successfully performed even without producing chlorine, recommending the potential application for disinfecting water that does not allow including any chloride ions (such as the production of ultra-pure sterilized water for semiconductor washing).     

Spectroscopic investigation of magnetite surface for the reduction of hexavalent chromium

The reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by magnetite in the presence of added Fe(II) was characterized through batch kinetic experiments and the effect of Fe(II) addition and pH were investigated in this study. The addition of Fe(II) into magnetite suspension improved the reductive capacity of magnetite. Eighty percent of Cr(VI) was reduced by magnetite (6.5 g l(-1)) with Fe(II) (80 mg l(-1)) within 1 h, while 60% of Cr(VI) was removed by magnetite only. However, the extent of improved reductive capacity of magnetite with Fe(II) was less than that predicted by the summation of each reduction capacity of magnetite and Fe(II). The reduction of Cr(VI) in the magnetite suspension with Fe(II) increased with the increase of molar ratio of Fe(II) to Cr(VI) (0.6, 1, 1.5, 2.3) in the range of 0-2.3 and with the decrease of pH in the range of pH 8.0-5.5. The speciation of chromium, iron, and oxygen on the surface of magnetite was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cr 2p3/2, Fe 2p3/2, and O 1s peaks were mainly observed at 576.7 and 577.8 eV, at 711.2 eV, and at 530.2 and 531.4 eV, respectively. The results indicates that Cr(III) and Fe(III) were the dominant species on the surface of magnetite after reaction and that the dominant species covered the magnetite surface and formed metal (oxy)hydroxide.     

Experimental study on electrostatic charging of polymer powders in mixing processes

Powder mixing is often carried out in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Electrostatic charges generated on polymer powders during mixing may lead to electrostatic problems due to the poor conductivity of those powders. In this study, we investigated the electrostatic charges, surface potential, and apparent volume resistivity of sample powders using a simple mixing device utilizing the Faraday cup method. To neutralize the charged powders, we also applied an AC-type ionizer in the mixing study. A commercial polyethylene powder with a mean particle size of 585 μm was tested in this experiment. The charge-to-mass ratios at the end of 600 s of mixing were ?0.075 nC/g at 295 rpm agitation speed, ?0.21 nC/g at 495 rpm, and ?0.31 nC/g at 660 rpm, high enough to cause electrostatic agglomeration and adhesion. The electric fields based on the surface potential on the powders were several hundreds of V/cm, too small to give rise to brush discharge. The apparent volume resistivity of powders estimated by a simple measurement system is 1.0 × 10¹⁶ Ωm, in reasonable agreement with that acquired by the conventional test cell method (5.9 × 10¹⁵ Ωm). The charging level on the polymer powders was reduced with an AC-ionizer.     

Electrostatic charges during liquid leakage

Leakage accidents of pressurized flammable liquids often occur in chemical plants. To investigate electrostatic hazards due to liquid leakage, the amounts of electrostatic charge during the leakage were observed. The electric field of the clouds generated by liquid leakage was also examined. Various types of pipeline have been designed in consideration of potential leakage that might lead to accidents during industrial processes. Leakage pressure in the range of 0.1–0.3 MPa was used. With regard to the materials, water and kerosene were used. The results obtained from the experiments show that electrostatic charges depend on leakage parameters, such as the type of liquid, the gasket material between flanges, and the pipeline pressure. In all tests, the amount of the electrostatic charges of water, 0.12–0.83 μC/kg, was larger than that of kerosene, ?0.04 to 0.16 μC/kg. The maximum value of the electric field, generated from the leakage liquid in this study, 40.9 v/cm, is a safe level. No incendiary electrostatic sparks, such as brush and/or spark discharges, were detected in our tests.     

An empirical survey of the benefits of implementing pay for safety scheme (PFSS) in the Hong Kong construction industry

Introduction

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) has implemented different safety initiatives to improve the safety performance of the construction industry over the past decades. The Pay for Safety Scheme (PFSS), which is one of the effective safety measures launched by the government in 1996, has been widely adopted in the public works contracts. Both the accident rate and fatality rate of public sector projects have decreased noticeably over this period.

Method

This paper aims to review the current state of application of PFSS in Hong Kong, and attempts to identify and analyze the perceived benefits of PFSS in construction via an industry-wide empirical questionnaire survey. A total of 145 project participants who have gained abundant handson experience with the PFSS construction projects were requested to complete a survey questionnaire to indicate the relative importance of those benefits identified in relation to PFSS. The perceived benefits were measured and ranked from the perspectives of the client and contractor for crosscomparison.

Results

The survey findings suggested the most significant benefits derived from adopting PFSS were: (a) Increased safety training; (b) Enhanced safety awareness; (c) Encouragement of developing safety management system; and (d) Improved safety commitment. A wider application of PFSS should be advocated so as to achieve better safety performance within the construction industry.

Impact on Industry

It is recommended that a similar scheme to the PFSS currently adopted in Hong Kong may be developed for implementation in other regions or countries for international comparisons.     

WATER MANAGEMENT AND N,P LOSSES FROM PADDY FIELDS IN SOUTHERN KOREA1

ABSTRACT: Assessment and control of nutrient losses from paddy fields is important to protect water quality of lakes and streams in Korea. A four‐year field study was carried out to investigate water management practices and losses of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in rice paddy irrigation fields in southern Korea. The amount and water quality of rainfall, irrigation, surface drainage, and infiltration were measured and analyzed to estimate inputs and losses of N and P. The observed irrigation amount surpassed consumptive use, and approximately 52 to 69 percent of inflow (precipitation plus irrigation) was lost to surface drainage. Field data showed that significant amounts of irrigation water and rainfall were not effectively used for rice paddy culture. Water quality data indicated that drainage from paddy fields could degrade the recipient water environment. The nutrient balance indicated that significant amounts of nutrients (29.5 percent of total N and 8.6 percent of total P compared to input) were lost through surface drainage. Furthermore, up to half the nutrient losses occurred during nonstorm periods. The study results indicate that inadequate water management influences N and P losses during both storm and nonstorm periods. Proper water management is required to reduce nutrient losses through surface drainage from paddy fields; this includes such measures as minimum irrigation, effective use of rainfall, adoption of proper drainage outlet structures, and minimized forced surface drainage.     

Potential source of asbestos in non-asbestos textile manufacturing company

Recently, a worker with lung carcinoma and a metastatic brain tumor was diagnosed as having a work-related disease. He had been employed in a non-asbestos textile company for 25 years. Consequently, to identify and explore possible causative agents for lung cancer in a non-asbestos textile manufacturing company and establish a causal relationship between exposure and lung cancer, an epidemiological investigative study was conducted and the work processes the worker was engaged in were examined. Air samples were taken from the workplace and during the drilling processes, and a suspected causative material was analyzed. The study revealed that the subject had been employed in the non-asbestos textile manufacturing company for 25 years from 1973 and his responsibilities included repairing spinning machines. In particular, the subject was involved in drilling B-bushings that were used to protect against gear abrasion in the spinning machines. An analysis of the B-bushings using a transmission electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer indicated that they contained crocidolite asbestos fibers. Air samples obtained when drilling the B-bushings clearly indicated that the subject had most likely been exposed to crocidolite fibers when installing the B-bushings in the spinning machines. The frequency and duration of the work suggested that there would be a sufficient degree of exposure to crocidolite fibers to cause lung cancer. Except for smoking and asbestos exposure, no other chemical exposure was suspected for developing lung cancer in the workplace. Smoking appeared to be more of a potentiating risk factor in conjunction with the asbestos exposure. Accordingly, this case may provide significant evidence in identifying the cause of the mesothelioma or lung carcinoma found among workers in non-asbestos textile manufacturing companies elsewhere.     

Combined effect of natural organic matter and surfactants on the apparent solubility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Both natural organic matter (NOM) and surfactants are known to enhance the apparent aqueous solubility of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in aqueous systems. In this study, the combined effect of NOM and surfactants on enhancing the solubility of HOCs was investigated, since both may occur and affect the fate and transport of HOCs in natural aqueous environments. Experimental results indicated that the apparent solubility of naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene in NOM and anionic surfactant solution was lower than their solubility in NOM solution alone. However, the apparent solubility of an HOC in NOM and nonionic surfactant solution is almost the same as the sum of the HOC's solubility in NOM solution plus its solubility in nonionic surfactant solution. The observation that apparent aqueous solubility of HOCs in NOM and anionic surfactant solution is decreased is probably due to the fact that the cations that are released when the anionic surfactant dissociates may form ion pairs with acidic or phenolic groups associated with the NOM. This serves to increase the size of hydration of these groups, thereby decreasing the effective size of the nonpolar moieties associated with the NOM, and thus decreasing hydrophobic partitioning of the HOCs into the NOM. The results presented here will help us to understand the effect of NOM and surfactants on the fate and transport of HOCs in aquatic systems.     

Concentrations and activity ratios of uranium isotopes in the groundwater of the Okchun Belt in Korea.

Groundwater samples obtained from the Okchun Belt in Korea were separated into particulate and filtered fraction using a 0.45 microm membrane filter and concentrations and activity ratios of uranium isotopes in the fractions were determined by chemical separation and alpha-spectrometric measurements. Most of the uranium isotopes in the groundwater were found in the filtered water. Only less than 1% of the total uranium was detected in the particulate fraction. The concentrations and activity ratios of uranium isotopes in the groundwater measured in this study were variable, depending upon sampling site. Owing to a rapid material exchange between the subterranean hot waters and the rock strata, the concentrations of 238U in the groundwater in the hot spring area were found to be about four times higher than those elsewhere. Because of the alpha-particle recoil effect, the activity ratios of 234U/238U in the groundwater taken at "cold" spring sites were variable within the range 1.20 to 3.58, depending on the residence time of the groundwater. In the hot spring area, the activity ratios of 234U/238U were close to the equilibrium value (1.10 +/- 0.07) due to rapid erosion of the rock strata by the hot spring water.     

Drainage affects tree growth and C and N dynamics in a minerotrophic peatland

The lowering of the water table resulting from peatland drainage may dramatically alter C and N cycling in peatland ecosystems, which contain one-third of the total terrestrial C. In this study, tree annual ring width and C (delta(13)C) and N (delta(15)N) isotope ratios in soil and plant tissues (tree foliage, growth rings, and understory foliage) in a black spruce-tamarack (Picea mariana-Larix laricina) mixed-wood forest were examined to study the effects of drainage on tree growth and C and N dynamics in a minerotrophic peatland in west-central Alberta, Canada. Drainage increased the delta(15)N of soil NH4+ from a range of +0.6% per hundred to +2.9% per hundred to a range of +4.6% per hundred to +7.0% per hundred most likely through increased nitrification following enhanced mineralization. Plant uptake of 15N-enriched NH4+ in the drained treatment resulted in higher plant delta15N (+0.8% per hundred to +1.8% per hundred in the drained plots and -3.9% per hundred to -5.4% per hundred in the undrained plots), and deposition of litterfall N enriched with 15N increased the delta15N of total soil N in the surface layer in the drained (+2.9% per hundred) as compared with that in the undrained plots (+0.6% per hundred). The effect of drainage on foliar delta(13)C was species-specific, i.e., only tamarack showed a considerably less negative foliar delta(13)C in the drained (-28.1% per hundred) than in the undrained plots (-29.1% per hundred), indicating improved water use efficiency (WUE) by drainage. Tree ring area increments were significantly increased following drainage, and delta(13)C and delta(15)N in tree growth rings of both species showed responses to drainage retrospectively. Tree-ring delta(13)C data suggested that drainage improved WUE of both species, with a greater and more prolonged response in tamarack than in black spruce. Our results indicate that drainage caused the studied minerotrophic peatland to become a more open ecosystem in terms of C and N cycling and loss. The effects of forested peatland drainage or drying on C and N balances deserve further research in order to better understand their roles in future global change.