Photocatalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds using fluorescent visible light

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a highly attractive alternative technology for purification and deodorization of indoor air. The main objectives of this study were to demonstrate that a common fluorescent visible light (FVL) lamp can be used to effectively remove by PCO low concentrations of VOCs from slightly contaminated air and to provide some fundamental and technical details on the process. The target VOC was n-butanol, which is a standard reference odorant. Its PCO was studied under a long residence time in a 3.7-L cylindrical reactor with commercial titanium dioxide (TiO2) as the reference photocatalyst and using mostly FVL for illumination. For comparison only, a UV (black) light lamp was used. The gas-phase products were detected and quantified online by gas chromatography (GC). The effects of reactor residence time, of inlet concentration, and of the relative light intensity on the efficiency of the process were also evaluated. At a high n-butanol concentration (0.1 vol %), butanal and propanal were identified as the intermediate products of the process; ethanal appeared when the initial concentration was < or = 850 ppm(v). This indicates that PCO leading to CO2 and H2O is relatively slow and proceeds in a stepwise manner. Although the efficiency of the process with an FVL lamp was significantly lower than when using a UV black light, complete PCO of low concentrations was achieved for 100 ppm(v). In a search for a material with photoactivation extended to higher wavelengths or increased photoactivity, several samples of transition metal- or silver ion-doped (2 atomic %) TiO2 as well as SrTi(1-x-)Fe(x)O3 (x = 0.1 and 0.15) perovskites were included in the study. None of these materials was more active than pure TiO2. The results of this study open new horizons in the area of in door air quality (IAQ) control.     

Variation in sex steroids and phallus size in juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) collected from 3 sites within the Kissimmee-Everglades drainage in Florida (USA)

This 3-year study was designed to examine variation in plasma sex steroids, phallus size, and the standard error (S.E.) associated with these endpoints in juvenile alligators collected from 3 sites within the Kissimmee-Everglades drainage (Florida, USA) with varying concentrations of sediment organochlorine contaminants. We hypothesized that decreased plasma sex steroid concentrations and phallus size would be observed in the higher contaminant site when compared to the intermediate and lower contaminant sites. Furthermore, we hypothesized that greater S.E. associated with these endpoints would be observed for the populations from more contaminated sites. We found that differences existed with females from the higher contaminant site exhibiting lower plasma estradiol-17beta (E2) and testosterone (T) concentrations. Males from the higher contaminant site exhibited smaller phallus sizes than males from the intermediate and lower contaminant sites. Smaller phallus size in this case differed from that reported in Lake Apopka male alligators [Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 116 (1999) 356] in that a significant positive relationship between body size and phallus size existed. No difference among sites was observed in plasma T for males. Lower S.E. was associated with E2 and T concentrations in females from the higher contaminant site and in phallus size in males from the higher contaminant site. This pattern was opposite to what we had hypothesized. We concluded that variation in plasma E2 and T concentrations, phallus size, and the S.E. associated with these endpoints exists among the 3 sites with the patterns matching the patterns of organochlorine contamination, although S.E. patterns were opposite to what was predicted.     

Effect of pH on phosphine production and the fate of phosphorus during anaerobic process with granular sludge

The effect of pH on phosphine formation during anaerobic cultivation of granular sludge was investigated. The sludge was taken from full-scale anaerobic reactors treating brewery wastewater. Acetate and phosphate were used as the carbon source and phosphorus source respectively. After 10 days cultivation in the dark, results showed that acidic conditions were more favorable for free phosphine production. At pH 5, the optimum concentration 86.42 ng PH3 m-3 of free phosphine was obtained. The level at pH 7 was reduced to 18.53 ng PH3 m-3, about 1/5 of the maximum. The maximum concentration of matrix-bound phosphine of 3.30 ng PH3 kg-1 wet sludge was achieved at pH 6. More than 83% of the total phosphine was matrix-bound phosphine, which accounted for 0.003-0.009 per thousand of the phosphate removal, while free phosphine comprised 0.00002-0.001 per thousand of the phosphate removal. Most of the phosphorus removal from solution was turned into chemical precipitation or was adsorbed by sludge. The mechanism of the phosphate reduction-step in the formation of phosphine production is still unknown. The promotion of phosphine formation by low pH is compatible with an acidic bio-corrosion mechanism of metal particles in the sludge or of metal phosphides which form phosphine at low pH.     

An integrated assessment of estrogenic contamination and biological effects in the aquatic environment of The Netherlands

An extensive study was carried out in the Netherlands on the occurrence of a number of estrogenic compounds in surface water, sediment, biota, wastewater, rainwater and on the associated effects in fish. Compounds investigated included natural and synthetic hormones, phthalates, alkylphenol(ethoxylate)s and bisphenol-A. The results showed that almost all selected (xeno-)estrogens were present at low concentrations in the aquatic environment. Locally, they were found at higher levels. Hormones and nonylphenol(ethoxylate)s were present in concentrations that are reportedly high enough to cause estrogenic effects in fish. Field surveys did not disclose significant estrogenic effects in male flounder (Platichthys flesus) in the open sea and in Dutch estuaries. Minor to moderate estrogenic effects were observed in bream (Abramis brama) in major inland surface waters such as lowland rivers and a harbor area. The prevalence of feminizing effects in male fish is largest in small regional surface waters that are strongly influenced by sources of potential hormone-disrupting compounds. High concentrations of plasma vitellogenin and an increased prevalence of ovotestes occurred in wild male bream in a small river receiving a considerable load of effluent from a large sewage treatment plant. After employing in vitro and in vivo bioassays, both in situ and in the laboratory, we conclude that in this case hormones (especially 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol) and possibly also nonylphenol(ethoxylate)s are primarily responsible for these effects.     

Pilot-plant study of wastewater sludge decontamination using a ferrous sulfate bioleaching process.

The objective of this research was to investigate the performance of the ferrous sulfate bioleaching (FSBL) process in a pilot plant for decontamination and stabilization of wastewater sludge. Batch and continuous experiments, conducted with two 4-m3 bioreactors using indigenous iron-oxidizing bacteria (20% v/v of inoculum) with addition of 4.0 g ferrous sulfate heptahydrate per liter of sludge initially acidified to pH 4.0, were sufficient for effective heavy metal (cadmium, copper, manganese, zinc, and lead) removal yields. The average metal removal yields during the FSBL process were as follows: cadmium (69 to 75%), copper (68 to 70%), manganese (72 to 73%), zinc (65 to 66%), and lead (16%). The FSBL process was also found to be effective in removing both fecal and total coliforms (abatement > 5 to 6 log units). The nutrients content (nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium) were also preserved in decontaminated sludge.     

The use of sediment analogues to study the uptake of pollutants by chironomid larvae

A technique is described that uses artificial resin beads with known surface properties to investigate the factors influencing the bioaccumulation of pollutants from sediments. One advantage of this technique is that it provides a standard procedure against which it is possible to calibrate natural sediments with their diverse properties. The method has been used on third instar larvae of the midge Chironomus riparius and the results are compared with previous studies on the worm Lumbriculus variegatus. The use of a standard test using resin beads as a substitute for natural sediment allows comparisons to be made between species and substrates. Thus, the bioaccumulation factors for the midge larvae are much smaller than those of the worm and this correlates with the ability of the insect larva to detoxify many pollutants. It is also possible to use the test to identify if ingestion of the sediment increases the bioaccumulation of contaminants and whether this involves the release of pollutants by digestive processes or not.     

Combustion characteristics of spent catalyst and paper sludge in an internally circulating fluidized-bed combustor

Combustion of spent vacuum residue hydrodesulfurization catalyst and incineration of paper sludge were carried out in thermo-gravimetric analyzer and an internally circulating fluidized-bed (ICFB) reactor. From the thermo-gravimetric analyzer-differential thermo-gravimetric curves, the pre-exponential factors and activation energies are determined at the divided temperature regions, and the thermo-gravimetric analysis patterns can be predicted by the kinetic equations. The effects of bed temperature, gas velocity in the draft tube and annulus, solid circulation rate, and waste feed rate on combustion efficiency of the wastes have been determined in an ICFB from the experiments and the model studies. The ICFB combustor exhibits uniform temperature distribution along the bed height with high combustion efficiency (>90%). The combustion efficiency increases with increasing reaction temperature, gas velocity in the annulus region, and solid circulation rate and decreases with increasing waste feed rate and gas velocity in the draft tube. The simulated data from the kinetic equation and the hydrodynamic models predict the experimental data reasonably well.     

Residential indoor,outdoor, and workplace concentrations of carbonyl compounds: relationships with personal exposure concentrations and correlation with sources

Personal 48-hr exposures of 15 randomly selected participants as well as microenvironment concentrations in each participant's residence and workplace were measured for 16 carbonyl compounds during summer-fall 1997 as a part of the Air Pollution Exposure Distributions within Adult Urban Populations in Europe (EXPOLIS) study in Helsinki, Finland. When formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were excluded, geometric mean ambient air concentrations outside each participant's residence were less than 1 ppb for all target compounds. Geometric mean residential indoor concentrations of carbonyls were systematically higher than geometric mean personal exposures and indoor workplace concentrations. Additionally, residential indoor/outdoor ratios indicated substantial indoor sources for most target compounds. Carbonyls in residential indoor air correlated significantly, suggesting similar mechanisms of entry into indoor environments. Overall, this study demonstrated the important role of non-traffic-related emissions in the personal exposures of participants in Helsinki and that comprehensive apportionment of population risk to air toxics should include exposure concentrations derived from product emissions and chemical formation in indoor air.     

Controlled exposures of volunteers to respirable carbon and sulfuric acid aerosols.

Respirable carbon or fly ash particles are suspected to increase the respiratory toxicity of coexisting acidic air pollutants, by concentrating acid on their surfaces and so delivering it efficiently to the lower respiratory tract. To investigate this issue, we exposed 15 healthy and 15 asthmatic volunteers in a controlled-environment chamber (21 degrees C, 50 percent relative humidity) to four test atmospheres: (i) clean air; (ii) 0.5-microns H2SO4 aerosol at approximately 100 micrograms/m3, generated from water solution; (iii) 0.5-microns carbon aerosol at approximately 250 micrograms/m3, generated from highly pure carbon black with specific surface area comparable to ambient pollution particles; and (iv) carbon as in (iii) plus approximately 100 micrograms/m3 of ultrafine H2SO4 aerosol generated from fuming sulfuric acid. Electron microscopy showed that nearly all acid in (iv) became attached to carbon particle surfaces, and that most particles remained in the sub-micron size range. Exposures were performed double-blind, 1 week apart. They lasted 1 hr each, with alternate 10-min periods of heavy exercise (ventilation approximately 50 L/min) and rest. Subjects gargled citrus juice before exposure to suppress airway ammonia. Lung function and symptoms were measured pre-exposure, after initial exercise, and at end-exposure. Bronchial reactivity to methacholine was measured after exposure. Statistical analyses tested for effects of H2SO4 or carbon, separate or interactive, on health measures. Group data showed no more than small equivocal effects of any exposure on any health measure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

利用多模式最优集成方法预报上海PM2.5

采用多模式最优集成方法(OCF),对PANDA项目中国和欧洲7个空气质量模式的PM_(2.5)预报结果进行集成释用.2016年6月—2017年5月对上海逐日预报试验结果表明:和最优单模式预报结果相比,OCF预报的PM_(2.5)日均质量浓度的均方根误差降低1.9μg·m-3,相关系数提高0.04,日均质量浓度的精度评分TI提高了2.4,污染TS评分提高了0.28,污染空报率降低了20%,显著提高了PM_(2.5)污染等级预报、趋势预报和精度预报的技巧.对长三角合肥、南京、苏州、杭州、宁波5个城市的预报试验也得到类似的结果,为城市空气质量预报提供了新的方法和思路.但OCF对客观预报的改进幅度在夏季不如冬季显著,在降雨日相对较低.