Parental phenols exposure and spontaneous abortion in Chinese population residing in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River

Widespread use of phenols has led to ubiquitous exposure to phenols. In experimental animals, phenols increased resorptions, reduced live litter size and fetal body weights. However, there are limited epidemiological evidences of the relationships between exposure to phenols and pregnancy outcomes. We evaluated the associations between parental urinary levels of various phenols and spontaneous abortion in a Chinese population residing in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. A case-control study was conducted that included 70 case couples with medically unexplained spontaneous abortion and 180 control couples who did not have a history of spontaneous abortion and had at least one living child. Both parental urinary phenols were measured by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry including bisphenol A (BPA), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), 2,3,4-trichlorophenol (2,3,4-TCP), pentachlorophenol (PCP), 4-n-octylphenol (4-n-OP) and 4-n-nonylphenol (4-n-NP). Compared with the low exposure group, there was an increased risk of spontaneous abortion with high paternal urinary PCP concentration [odds ratio (OR) = 2.09, 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.05–4.14], and maternal exposure to 4-n-OP and alkylphenol(s) also significantly increased the risk of spontaneous abortion (OR = 2.21, 95% CI, 1.02–4.80; OR = 2.81, 95% CI, 1.39–5.65, respectively). Our study firstly provides the evidence that paternal PCP exposure, maternal 4-n-OP and alkylphenol(s) exposure are associated with spontaneous abortion in humans.     

Evaluation of food chain transfer of the antibiotic oxytetracycline and human risk assessment

There has been recent concern regarding the possibility of antibiotics entering the aquatic food chain and impacting human consumers. This work reports experimental results of the bioconcentration of the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) by the Asian watermeal plant (Wolffia globosa Hartog & Plas) and bioaccumulation of OTC in watermeal and water by the seven-striped carp (Probarbus jullieni). They show, for the first time, the extent to which OTC is able to transfer from water to plant to fish and enter the food chain. The mean bioconcentration factor (dry weight basis) with watermeal was 1.28 × 10³ L kg⁻¹. Separate experiments were undertaken to characterize accumulation of OTC by carp from water and watermeal. These showed the latter pathway to be dominant under the conditions employed. The bioconcentration and biomagnification factors for these processes were 1.75 L kg⁻¹ and 2 × 10⁻⁴ kg g⁻¹ respectively. Using an aqueous concentration range of 0.34–3.0 μg L⁻¹, hazard quotients for human consumption of contaminated fish of 1.3 × 10⁻² to 1.15 × 10⁻¹ were derived.     

Arsenic stabilization by zero-valent iron,bauxite residue,and zeolite at a contaminated site planting Panax notoginseng

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen, a rare traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is a widely used phytomedicine used all over the world. In recent years, the arsenic contamination of the herb and its relative products becomes a serious problem due to elevated soil As concentration. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types and dosages of amendments on As stabilization in soil and its uptake by P. notoginseng. Results showed that comparing to control treatment, the As concentrations of P. notoginseng declined by 49–63%, 43–61% and 52–66% in 0.25% zero-valent iron (Fe(0)), 0.5% bauxite residue, and 1% zeolite treatment, respectively; whereas the biomasses were elevated by 62–116%, 45–152% and 114–265%, respectively. The As(III) proportions of P. notoginseng increased by 8%, 9%, and 8%, and the transfer factors of As from root to shoot increased by 37%, 42% and 84% in the optimal treatments of Fe(0), bauxite residue, and zeolite. For soil As, all the three amendments could transform the non-specifically adsorbed As fraction to hydrous oxides Fe/Al fractions (by Fe(0) and red mud) or specifically adsorbed As fraction (by zeolite), therefore reduced the bioavailability of soil As. With a comprehensive consideration of stabilization efficiency, plant growth, environmental influence, and cost, Fe(0) appeared to be the best amendment, and zeolite could also be a good choice. In conclusion, this study was of significance in developing As contamination control in P. notoginseng planting areas, and even other areas for medicinal herb growing.     

Photo-dissociation of dimethylamine by KrBr excilamp

A study of dimethylamine photo-dissociation in the gas phase has been conducted using UV radiation delivered from a KrBr^* excilamp, driven by a sinusoidal electronic control gear with maximum emission at wavelength of 207 nm. The electrical input power and radiant power of the lamp were measured to determine their effects on the degradation. The influence of flow velocity and initial concentration of dimethylamine were also examined. In order to evaluate the photo-dissociation process comprehensively, several parameters were investigated, including removal efficiency, energy yield, carbon balance and CO₂ selectivity. It is shown that the removal efficiency increases with enhanced input power and decreased gas flow rate. A high removal efficiency of 68% is achieved for lamp power 102 W and flow velocity 15 m³ h⁻¹. The optimum dimethylamine initial concentration is around 3520 mg m⁻³, for which the energy yield reaches up to 442 g kW h⁻¹ when the input power is 65 W. In addition, two chain compounds (1,3-bis-dimethylamino-2-propanol; 3-penten-2-one, 4-amino) and three ring organic matters (1-azetidinecarboxaldehyde, 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl; N-m-tolyl-succinamic acid; p-acetoacetanisidide), were identified by GC–MS as secondary products, in order to demonstrate the pathways of the dimethylamine degradation.     

Sequential Extraction Versus Comprehensive Characterization of Heavy Metal Species in Brownfield Soils

The applicability of sequential extraction as a means to determine species of heavy-metals was examined by a study on soil samples from two Superfund sites: the National Lead Company site in Pedricktown, NJ, and the Roebling Steel, Inc., site in Florence, NJ. Data from a standard sequential extraction procedure were compared to those from a comprehensive study that combined optical- and scanning-electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and chemical analyses. The study shows that larger particles of contaminants, encapsulated contaminants, and/or man-made materials such as slags, coke, metals, and plastics are subject to incasement, non-selectivity, and redistribution in the sequential extraction process. The results indicate that standard sequential extraction procedures that were developed for characterizing species of contaminants in river sediments may be unsuitable for stand-alone determinative evaluations of contaminant species in industrial-site materials. However, if employed as part of a comprehensive, site-specific characterization study, sequential extraction could be a very useful tool.     

The Radial Distribution of Sulfur Dioxide Source Strength and Concentration in Nashville

This progress report describes the National Air Pollution Technical Information Center currently under development in the Division of Air Pollution, Public Health Service. It briefly reviews the report "Science, Government, and Information" (Weinberg Report) and the White House delegation of responsibility to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare for handling air pollution technical information.     

Automobile Exhaust Control Devices

Irritant gases in concentrations that occur in polluted atmospheres might play a role in the degranulation and histamine release processes of mast cells in lung tissue. To test this hypothesis, young rats weighing 140-150 g were exposed to 1 ppm nitrogen dioxide for 2 hr. One group was killed immediately, and another group 24-27 hr after exposure. A third group was exposed to 0.5 ppm nitrogen dioxide for 4 hr and killed immediately. Animals serving as controls were placed for 1 hr into the exposure chamber ventilated with ambient air. Standard histological preparations were made after Carnoy’s fixative and subsequent staining with toluidine blue. The mast cells of the control animals appeared relatively intact with no evidence of disorientation. The cells of the animals exposed to NO2 and sacrificed immediately revealed rupture and loss of cytoplasmic granules with some disorientation. These changes were observed in the pleura, bronchi, and surrounding tissue with the effects more marked in the mediastinum. The mast cells of exposed animals sacrificed about 24-27 hr after discontinuing the exposure showed in some cases a combination of ruptured and intact cells with a predominance of the latter, and in other cases could not be differentiated from the controls. These findings indicate that 24 hr or more are required to reverse the acute effects of NO2 inhalation. The toxicological implications will be discussed. The release of granular substances in the lung tissue when NO2 is inhaled signifies the onset of an acute inflammation.     

Measurement of Automobile Exhaust GAS Hydrocarbons

While snowflakes fell and Christmas carols heralded the imminent holiday, over 3000 delegates to the Third National Conference on Air Pollution were told to “Control Now for Clean Air.”

They were told this in many ways by many people—by the Vice President of the United States; by the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare who summoned the Conference; and by senators, congressmen, governors, and mayors.

Then eight panel sessions convened to discuss and to determine how to control now for clean air. Speakers from every section of American life addressed themselves to this subject; when they were finished, the eight session chairmen summarized what had been said, what had been, learned. These summaries appear on the following pages.